The Cairns and Great Barrier Reef region presents event planners with an array of options to suit any itinerary, from al fresco events to adrenalin-pumping team building activities. With the Great Barrier Reef, Wet Tropics rainforest and the Australian Outback as inspiration, it’s no wonder meeting in this destination is extraordinary. From wherever you are based it is easy to experience all the region has to offer. Enjoy one of the many stunning outdoor locations for an event without walls. Consider under the stars, at a cattle station, on a moonlit beach or beneath a rainforest canopy – nothing is too difficult.
The following is a selection of event ideas, incentives and activities from our region. These extraordinary experiences are all made possible by the skilled and imaginative operators from the Cairns and Great Barrier Reef region. If you would like something tailored to your specific requirements they are ready to rise to the challenge.
Wavedancer Cocktails and Coral Sea Sails
As the sound of jazz drifts through the air, warm tropical breezes embrace the sails overhead and the sun sets over a picture postcard coral island. The night sky glitters as you glide over the ocean, the lights of Port Douglas sparkle in the distance. Reward in style with an elegant cocktail party aboard Quicksilver’s luxurious sailing catamaran, Wavedancer.
www.quicksilvergroup.com.au
Hot Jazz Cool Nights
The iconic Port Douglas Sugar Wharf is the setting for your private Jazz Club overlooking the Coral Sea. Exotic cocktails and canapés await as the sun dips behind the Daintree mountain ranges. Darkness descends and rich red velvet drapes open to reveal the spectacular waterfront setting. Two long banquet tables run the length of the wharf, hundreds of fairy lights twinkle and mirrored chandeliers sway gently in the breeze. Enjoy a tapas-style menu showcasing the best local tropical produce
and dance the night away with a world-class jazz band.
www.portdouglascatering.com.au
Giddy-up Cowboy
Views to Port Douglas and a backdrop to the Daintree Rainforest greet your arrival to this stunning cattle station. Thundering hooves and cracking whips echo in the night. Wild brumbies and herds of cattle are mustered in an action-packed evening filled with real stockmen and women, dogs, quad bikes, a bull catcher, band, MC, and mechanical bull. Old fashioned country hospitality and food is served in true blue Aussie style in a 1900s themed long shed. Include your very own bull ride, or have the girls from the bush dance up a storm.
www.australianmusterexperience.com
Gone Walkabout
The mystical sounds of a didgeridoo float over the sand dunes as you arrive at Herbie’s Beach Shack for a Coconut Hit fresh from the shell. The barbeque is sizzling as the aromas of gastronomic bush blends fill the air, waves lap at your feet on the sand and the majestic mountains are glowing in the sunset. Traditional Aboriginal dancers then lead you to the outdoor observatory for star gazing and sumptuous desserts. Enjoy a unique opportunity to see the Southern Cross and other astronomical wonders in the totally natural environment at Thala Beach Lodge.
www.thalabeach.com.au
M*A*S*H BASH
This evening event features a fully themed M*A*S*H unit as seen on the popular TV comedy and includes a spot lit Army Duck tour of the rainforest. Dinner is served in the “mess” – long dining tables in keeping with army style settings surrounded by camouflage nets, signage and other memorabilia. Staff dress as your favourite M*A*S*H characters and a fully themed band will keep the troops entertained.
www.rainforest.com.au
A Night Aboard the Sugar Cane Express
At Cairns Central Station guests board the original first class carriages of the Kuranda Scenic Railway and travel in style through the rolling cane fields to Freshwater Station. The enchanting heritage-inspired Station is the setting for a stylish Cane Cutter’s Dinner. Enjoy chilled beverages and canapés served overlooking the fields of sugar cane with the distant rainforest mountain backdrop. Next is a three course dinner alongside the grand platform and waiting train. The intimate setting features soft ambient lighting from rustic glowing lanterns, crisp white linen and fresh sugar cane in tall glass vases, all reminiscent of yesteryear.
www.offsiteconnections.com.au
Gilligan’s Island at Sheraton Mirage
Immerse yourself in the tropical island paradise of Gilligan’s Island. Set upon glistening lagoons under a canopy of stars, surrounded by lush tropical jungle, Gilligan’s Island is a blank canvas for creating exquisite events. Complete with wooden decking, street lamp lighting and nautical-style roped edging, this unique venue caters for up to 150 cocktail-style. Whether you are pirates who are shipwrecked in paradise or magical creatures dining among a sea of flickering candles, allow your guests to escape with unlimited imagination. Gilligan’s Island can be fun and spirited, bursting with vivid tropical colours or fantastically formal and elegant. Let your next event be transformed into a truly special occasion by the endless magic that is Gilligan’s Island.
www.sheraton.com/portdouglas
Progressive Breakfast on the Esplanade
Greet the morning with a Progressive Breakfast along the Cairns Esplanade starting with tropical juices and smoothies at the beautiful Lagoon. Enjoy the sunrise as the city wakes while you leisurely stroll to the next stop – the Pastries Hut – to enjoy freshly baked pastries and fruits. Some more mild exercise and you end up at Rydges Tradewinds Cairns on the waterfront where the smell of sizzling bacon and fresh coffee will tempt to you to enjoy a third course before starting the day’s agenda.
www.rydges.com
Green Island Beach Dinner
As the red sun sets over the Coral Sea, flares flicker while the soft white coral sands caress your feet. Behind you, the water is gently lapping and in your hand is a chilled welcome drink. You are standing on beautiful Green Island in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef and the scene before you is set for a gala beach dinner. A private charter with the Quicksilver Group and exclusive dining on Green Island is a truly unique experience.
www.quicksilvergroup.com.au
Rainforest Revealed
Leaping out of the forest with a blazing torch, a mud-covered Neanderthal grunts and beckons guests to follow him into a rainforest grotto lit with hundreds of candles. Soon the Jungle Man returns and with a flourish of his flaming torch lights a fiery pathway over a creek illuminating a magnificent, black silk-lined marquee, dripping with crystal and bud light chandeliers, the tables decorated with swathes of red velvet and stunning candelabra. Food and wine overflows as guests dance the night away under the canopy of the world’s oldest rainforest.
www.flamesoftheforest.com.au
Drumsara Cane Fire
A spectacular cane fire greets guests arriving at Drumsara, a 640 acre working sugar cane farm close to Port Douglas. With the beautiful Mossman River and World Heritage rainforest as a backdrop, the setting is stunning at this property which has been operated by four generations of the same family. Dine under the stars surrounded by the sweet smell of sugar cane fields as you enjoy a five-course degustation menu. End the evening with a bang as fireworks light up the night sky.
www.offsiteconnections.com.au
Croctails and Wildlife
Venture to Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures for exclusive access to the Park after closing time for Croctails and Wildlife. An array of friendly Aussie wildlife greets guests with keepers on hand for those perfect photo opportunities. Fine wines, beverages and canapés are served in Lilies restaurant overlooking the spectacular Hartley’s Lagoon. Croctails can also include a boat cruise on Hartley’s Lagoon or a crocodile feeding demonstration.
www.crocodileadventures.com
Staging Connections Moulin Rouge
The Moulin Rouge is spectacular. Guests are transported into highly-charged, energetic evening of high kinks by Harry Ziegler and his beautiful can-can dancers who amaze with their high kicks and jump slits. It is an evening of sizzling nonstop excitement. Seemingly opulent and elegant with lavish red and white ostrich feather centrepieces, deep burgundy drapes and black and white stage/dance floor, any room can be cost effectively transformed into a sumptuous burlesque extravaganza. An evening at The Moulin Rouge will create lasting memories for you and your guests.
www.stagingconnections.com.au
Mondo Gardens
The leisurely event begins with sunset cocktails on the terrace of Hilton Cairns overlooking Trinity Inlet. Next, guests gather at Mondos waterfront garden restaurant where the tables are set with white linen, silver cutlery, glassware and candles and the tropical palm trees lit in an array of colours. Staff present a sumptuous menu personally designed for your clients as the moon glistens on the water lapping at the shore. A jazz band and dance floor on the grass complete the evening.
www.hilton.com
Cane Cutter’s Crush
Now this is the real North Queensland party! On a cane farm, in a machinery shed, a party is brewing… and you’re invited. The canecutters share their iced beers, stories and insights into their livelihood. Things liven up considerably as the blokes grab their guitars and a neighbour arrives to introduce guests to the intricacies of a bizarre ritual known as cane toad racing. A fun Australian barn dance follows, assisted by the raucous arrival of some local farm girls.
www.ochrerestaurant.com.au
Food, Wine & A Taste of Port
Experience the best of the tropics and the fun of a balmy Port Douglas Carnivale inspired evening. Think market stalls with local flavours to tempt the taste buds, live entertainment, and colourfully lit palm trees swaying in light ocean breezes. Simply sit back with a glass of wine, enjoy the views over the seashore and experience this magical evening.
www.eventsnq.com.au
Bushrangers and Billabongs
As the sinking sun turns the sky to orange and gold, a lone didgeridoo player sits on a platform in the centre of the pool as the haunting notes of his instrument fill the air. Tikki-torches cast flickering shadows in the lush tropical gardens, and animal handlers roam the grounds allowing you to get up close and personal with the native wildlife. Come Walkabout with us as an aboriginal elder performs a traditional Smoking-Ceremony and tells stories of the Dreamtime. As darkness falls a Bush Poet steals the spotlight and weaves a tale of bushrangers and billabongs, before launching into a rollicking tune that keeps toes tapping into the balmy North Queensland night.
www.brightblackav.com.au