Family Friendly Great Barrier Reef Trip – Sunlover Reef Cruises

Jul 24

The Great Barrier Reef is one of Cairns major attractions and it seems to sit right on its doorstep.

Sunlover Reef Cruises @adventuremumma.jpg

Here you’ll find tropical waters teeming with marine life and a vast coral wonderland, plus a myriad of ways to enjoy it. If you’re looking for a family friendly Great Barrier Reef trip to please all ages and swimming abilities then you can’t go past Sunlover Reef Cruises…..Here are 6 Things we Liked Best about our trip with Sunlover Reef Cruises:

1. Fast & Comfortable

When you’ve got kids you tend to want to make the travel side of things as easy as possible. Our journey out to the Great Barrier Reef was on a fast air-conditioned catamaran with plenty of seating available, both indoors and outdoors. Plus there was a variety of seating options to choose from - tables, couches, rows etc. And yes, our kids tried them all! An added bonus was the number of presentations that entertained and educated us on the way out. There was a marine talk, a dive brief and a snorkel demonstration that managed to keep our kids sitting still......for a while at least. ;)

Sunlover Reef Cruises Cairns @adventuremumma.jpg

The first part of this family friendly Great Barrier Reef trip skirts along the coastline east of Cairns and stops off at Fitzroy Island for transfers. This means your kids get a ‘gentle’ introduction to boat cruising and you get to view one of Cairns more popular island escapes (Read MORE about Family Fun on Fitzroy Island HERE).After Fitzroy Island it’s a quick ‘hop’ across the open ocean to Moore Reef – where Sunlover Reef Cruises have their pontoon. Fortunately my kids don’t suffer from travel sickness, but if yours do it’s wise to take some medication prior to hopping on the boat in the morning. Many of the boats supply ginger tablets on board – the trick is to take them BEFORE you feel sick.

Sunlover Reef Cruises Pontoon @adventuremumma.jpg

2. Pontoon Fun – Kids Pool, Touch Tank & Underwater Observatory

If you have ‘Big’ numbers of passengers on board the boat don’t stress. Once you’ve arrived at the Great Barrier Reef you’ll find people will quickly disperse onto the Sunlover pontoon and to their activity of choice - now you’ll find a whole lot of room for you and your family to play.

The Sunlover pontoon is easy to navigate around and includes a few extras that make it a very family friendly Great Barrier Reef trip - the kids pool, a touch tank and an underwater observatory.

Introducing kids to underwater life using a mask, snorkel AND fins can be a little tricky – particularly when you are smack bang in the middle of a wide ocean. Learning in the confines of the kids pool, a shallow swimming area on the Sunlover Platform, gave our kids the extra confidence they needed to tackle snorkelling further afield. It’s also a pleasant place to relax and play in the seawater if you have real young ones.

Sunlover Reef Cruises - Touch Tank @adventuremumma.jpg

The marine life touch tank also provided the kids with another opportunity to see some underwater critters up close and personal. Later in the afternoon a number of interesting creatures are placed into the tank for people to interact with. My kids were in a fit of giggles over the sea cucumbers – as were most people when they first got to hold them.

The fish feeding presentation at the end of the day was another bonus. Our kids got the biggest thrill from throwing in the food and racing down underneath to the underwater observatory to watch the feeding frenzy from below. This had the added bonus of wearing them out even more.

4. Guided Snorkel Safari

This was probably the highlight of our children’s day. Thanks to our guide Jarred we got to snorkel a bit further afield and explore the Great Barrier Reef with the help of some insider knowledge. Jarred definitely knew the layout of this particular reef and where all the special things lurked.

Sunlover Reef Cruises - Sea Cucumber @adventuremumma.jpg

Having a guide pointing out and bringing up safe marine critters for our kids was fantastic and worth the extra charge of the snorkel safari. Jarred got extra bonus points from our kids for finding the largest giant clams and knowing exactly where Nemo’s clan hangs out.

5. Seawalker Helmet Dive

This would probably have to be the highlight of my day with Sunlover Reef Cruises. Despite spending many years in the underwater environment as a dive instructor and underwater videographer (my life before kids) I had never actually tried going underwater with a helmet on.

The whole concept of keeping my head completely dry as the rest of my body became immersed in the watery environment was particularly freaky for me - but boy was it fun. Schools of fish flocked around my helmet and my kids even managed to duck dive down and give me a friendly wave. This is definitely a great experience for those who don’t like to get their head wet but still want to go underwater and experience marine life first hand. It’s also great for non-swimmers as you ‘walk’ the whole way

6. Lunch!!

Trust me - not all lunches on the Great Barrier Reef are made equal. Sunlover’s buffet of hot and cold food is a cut above the normal standard fare offered on a reef boat. There’s a yummy range of rice and noodle dishes available as well as seafood, salads and tropical fruit.Don’t panic if the queue to the buffet becomes busy because top ups occur regularly when the food appears to be getting low. For families with young children it may be worth having something for the kids to nibble on, or get in early to avoid a meltdown

Good Things to Know:

If you have a number of people in your group board early to get the pick of the best seats.
Outside seats are always best for those that are prone to travel sickness
Kids under 4 years travel free.
The Pontoon has all the equipment you need for your day on the reef – masks, snorkels, fins, flotation devices, wetsuits, etc. PLUS it is the spot for all the important departure points - semi-submersible and glass-bottom boat tours, snorkelling and diving activities.
The Sunlover Pontoon’s extra additions such as the Kids Pool, Touch Tank and the Underwater Observatory make it easy for non-swimmers to still enjoy the Great Barrier Reef first hand.
The staff are great at accommodating parents who are keen to do some grown-up activities but still have young kids to watch over. Our helmet dives were staggered so one of us could watch the kids whilst the other got to play, and vice-versa.
Glass bottom boat tours, semi-submersible tours, and the snorkel equipment are all included in the cost of the ticket.
Scuba-diving, helmet diving and the guided snorkel safari are additional costs.
A professional photographer is onboard and takes photos throughout the day, both above water as well as underwater. These images are available for purchase and are displayed on your journey home.
Free Wi-Fi is available on board the vessel.