Sunlover Reef Cruises

Sunlover Reef Cruises departs daily from the Reef Fleet Terminal on Spence Street in Cairns. Its main trip is a full day out to its own pontoon at Moore Reef, on the outer Great Barrier Reef 47 km offshore; the catamaran crossing takes about 90 minutes each way, with the boat generally away from around 10am and back by early evening. Some departures combine the reef with a stop at Fitzroy Island.

The two-storey pontoon has a snorkelling lagoon, a glass-bottom boat and a semi-submersible for viewing coral without getting in the water, an underwater observatory, an enclosed ocean pool and a waterslide. Marine biologists on board run reef talks and guided snorkel tours, and a buffet lunch is served at the pontoon.

Reef day trips run from Cairns year-round. The 'stinger season' that affects North Queensland from around November to May is, per Visit Cairns, a coastal and estuarine hazard rather than an outer-reef one — but operators including Sunlover still issue full-body lycra suits to every guest as a matter of course, and snorkel gear is included in the day's price.