OVERVIEW

Imagine sailing aboard Wavedancer to the Great Barrier Reef island of your dreams, lying under a palm thatched umbrella, then slipping into the water to drift over coral gardens alive with brilliantly coloured fishes... Low Isles

A secluded tropical paradise
Set like a jewel in a Great Barrier Reef lagoon, Low Isles is an idyllic, unspoilt coral island that appeals to everyone. And why not, when this is everyone’s idea of a secluded tropical paradise! The wide, sandy beach and clear, calm lagoon waters are ideal for swimming, snorkelling and families.

Visitors are limited to protect the reef’s ecology, so you’ll experience this island heaven with a select few. So Relax - the whole of this beautiful, palm fringed island beach is yours to explore and enjoy.

 

• Return Wavedancer cruise from Port Douglas
• Morning and afternoon teas on board
• Reef presentation by marine biologist
• Tropical smorgasbord lunch
• All snorkelling equipment provided
• Qualified snorkelling safety officers on hand
• Glass bottom boat coral viewing
• Marine Biologist guided beach walk
• Guided snorkelling tour with a Marine Biologist

What to bring

• Your camera.
• Swimming costume and beach towel.
• Hat, sunscreen and shirt for sun protection.
• Cash for drinks at the bar.
• Credit cards for shopping and optional tours.
• Underwater cameras available for purchase.

9.30 am
Complimentary morning tea/coffee on boarding. For your safety, hot drinks are not served once the vessel is underway. Passengers are required to be onboard the vessel 15 minutes before departure.

9.45 am
An informative Marine Biologist presentation is shown in the main cabin.

10.00 am
Wavedancer departs Marina Mirage for Low Isles.

10.30 am
A snorkelling demonstration is conducted during the journey to Low Isles.

11.15 am
Wavedancer arrives at Low Isles and your activities commence. The coral viewer and shuttle vessels leave for the island, and continue to run throughout the day. Your snorkelling equipment is available from the storage containers on the foredeck of Wavedancer. We recommend that you conduct all snorkelling from the island. The guided snorkelling tour operates from the island. Introductory dives operate from the back of Wavedancer.

12 noon
Lunch is served aboard Wavedancer. Enjoy your tropical buffet. Bar operates throughout the day.

1.30 pm
A guided beach and heritage trail walk is conducted by a Marine Biologist. This walk departs from the shuttle boarding area on the beach.

2.45 pm
Last shuttle leaves the island to return passengers to the vessel. Afternoon tea is served.

3.10 pm
Depart Low Isles for Port Douglas. Enjoy light entertainment during the return journey.

4.30 pm
Arrival at Marina Mirage, Port Douglas.

The Operator's 30 metre luxury sailing catamaran, Wavedancer, offers the excitement of big ship sailing combined with the ultimate in comfort. Let the crew pamper you in the luxurious air-conditioned lounge with its fully licensed bar, or soak up the sun and sea air under the sails on the expansive deck.

Wavedancer remains moored in the island’s calm lagoon and guests can take a regular shuttle from the beach to the boat. A tropical buffet lunch is served on board.

With the widest range of Great Barrier Reef experiences, The Operator offers a choice of award-winning day trips to the magnificent Outer Barrier Reef and the idyllic Low Isles.

The Operator was founded in 1979 with one vessel, a catamaran, which took guests to the Low Isles. This was the first ever commercial trip to these idyllic coral cays, and visitors coming to the small fishing village of Port Douglas, just north of nearby Cairns, were quick to embrace the concept. Just a few years later in 1983, The Operator pioneered Australia’s first true Outer Barrier Reef cruise, travelling right to the ribbon reefs at the outer edge of the Continental Shelf - one of the very best locations to experience the full majesty and elemental force of this unique natural wonder.

Today, The Operator has become a highly sophisticated company with a fleet of the most advanced Australian made cruising vessels. The Operator hasbeen honoured many times with awards and voted Australia’s best tour operator, but The Operator can only take half the credit. Nature provides the reef and we're proud to take you to where the very best of nature's work is found.

The Operator is committed to sustainable environmental practices and ongoing conservation for future generations to enjoy. Our Reef Biosearch environmental division is led by the largest team of marine biologists outside of a government agency! In fact, Reef Biosearch has the longest logbook database of marine observations on the Great Barrier Reef, ongoing for over two decades. All of our tours are accredited with Advanced Ecotourism Certification and each day, our team of marine biologists are also on hand to ensure our guests gain an appreciation of our World Heritage environment.

It is sure you will enjoy your day with The Operator, experiencing nature's finest with Australia's best.

Important information about your voyage

Payment Policy
A deposit is payable upon confirmation.
The balance of  payment is required in full upon arrival for your departure.

Cancellation Policy
The initial deposit paid is non-refundable. In addition to forfeiting your deposit, the following charges also apply:
Cancellations received within 3 days prior to travel will be subject to a 100% cancellation fee.

Definitions
The following definitions apply for the Terms and Conditions for this vessel.

- The Supplier or Operator means the operator who supplies this vessel to you on arrival.
- The Client is also referred to as the renter (s) or hirer (s)

General Conditions

• All schedules, activities and prices may be varied without notice.
• Listed fares in Australian dollars include Goods and Services Tax.
• Prices valid to 31 March 2010.
• Children: 4 -14 years. 3 years and under free of charge.
• Cancellations: The initial deposit paid is non-refundable.
• Govt Environmental Management Charge of $5pp is levied for all adults and children 4 years and over entering the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area. This charge is payable direct on day of travel.
• With fluctuations in world oil prices, it may be necessary to apply a fuel surcharge to the ticket price. In such cases, any charge will be payable direct on the day of travel.
• The operator does not accept any liability in contract or tort for any injury, damage, loss, delay, additional expenses or inconvenience caused directly or indirectly by force majeure or other events which are beyond control, or which are not reasonably preventable by reasonable diligence on the part including but not limited to war, civil disturbance, fire, flood, severe weather conditions, acts of God, acts of government or of any authorities, accidents to or failure to machinery or equipment or industrial action (whether or not involving the employees and even though such action may be settled by acceding to the demands of a labour group).
• Liability of the operator is limited with respect to both personal injury and damage to or loss of property to the full extent permitted by law and in terms of any ticket conditions issued. In no event will the responsibility or liability for loss of baggage or personal effects exceed $100.
• COMPULSORY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT CHARGE: is AU$5.00 per person. This fee will be collected upon arrival.

Advice For Water Activities

• Snorkelling can be a strenuous activity. Please use caution and inform our crew of any medical conditions.
• The minimum age for Scuba Diving in Queensland is 12 years. Certain medical conditions and medications may preclude some people from participating.
• Certified Divers: Evidence of dive certification and medical fitness to dive is required from all divers.
• Introductory Divers: Subject to medical questionnaire.
• After a single dive a wait of 12 hours is recommended before ascending to an altitude of 300 metres or greater. An interval of 24 hours is suggested for multiple dives.

 Please note: Pets are not allowed onboard. Smoking is not acceptable on the vessels.

Terms of booking on this website

Information disclaimer
The rates on this website are often heavily discounted. This is due to our negotiated rates and bulk buying power. On very rare occasions, a rate may be displayed incorrectly due to our, or a supplier's error. In such a case, if you book with us at a quoted rate that is incorrect, we will notify you of any price change and give you the option to proceed or cancel. We make every effort to keep information on our site up to date, but we cannot guarantee this website is free of errors or omissions and retain the right to update or change the information published at any time.

Liability
To the extent permitted by law we/the owners of this website will not be liable to you or to any third party (whether in contract, tort, or otherwise) for any direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage (including but not limited to any accident, injury, delay or loss of enjoyment) arising out of your reliance upon information contained on this website, including but not limited to your use (or inability to use) any products or services described or procured through this website.

On departure day, before you commence your trip, you may be required to sign a rental agreement (in the case of boat charters) with the supplier of the vessel. Your rental and use of the vessel will be governed by the terms of the rental agreement and any other documentation or information provided to you by the supplier at the time you pick up your vessel. The rental agreement is between you and the supplier and we will not be liable to you or to any third party in relation to the terms of the supplier rental agreement or any other documentation provided to you by the supplier at the time of pick up.

While we will make reasonable efforts to ensure we are representing only reputable suppliers, we make no warranty about the fitness or suitability of any third party (supplier) product or service and will not accept responsibility for the quality or fitness of any vessel. We welcome feedback from our customers on their experience with our suppliers. We may, at our discretion, provide you with reasonable assistance in resolving any dispute you may have with a supplier.

Our total liability to you in relation to your use of this website and the information contained on this website will not exceed the dollar amount of the deposit we have received from you in relation to your booking/rental. Refunds will not be made for bookings cancelled due to inclement weather. Again, we strongly recommend that you take out travel insurance. Your use of this website is governed by the laws of New Zealand and the jurisdiction of the New Zealand courts.

Booking information
To make a booking, you must complete our no-obligations reservations enquiry form which is easy to follow and secured with the latest encryption technology. Once we receive your enquiry, we will contact you via phone or email, to advise of availability and confirm the final price is correct - and discuss payment options. A booking is confirmed when you have been emailed a confirmation notice and at this stage the deposit is processed on your credit card and becomes non-refundable and any cancellation fees stated in the terms apply. Upon receipt of your confirmation, please check your details carefully and notify us immediately if there are any incorrect details, as it may not be possible to make changes at a later date.

Please note we accept Visa and Mastercard and the credit card fees are: 
1) 1.75% for the deposit amount.
2) 1.75% for the balance of payment.

If you are booking via phone, please first make sure you have read the terms and conditions of your selected sailing adventure. Our reservations consultant will ask you if you have read the terms and agree to them before proceeding. The onus is always on the renter to ensure they make themselves fully aware of the terms displayed on our website.

Information disclosure
In booking on this website you acknowledge that we disclose your information to your selected Supplier in order to provide the requested rental, trip or charter services.

Amendments
Please check the terms of each vessel to see whether amendment fees apply. Please also note that for some vessels an amendment is treated as a new booking and the rate current at the time the amendment is made to recalculate the entire booking amount (not just the days changed). In the case of boat rental/yacht charter, if the hire or number of days is increased, an additional deposit may be required, while reduction in rental periods or price may reduce the total, but the deposit amount will remain unchanged.

Vessel Capacity and fitness to charter (for Bareboats only)
Under no circumstances are you permitted to carry more passengers than the vessel you charter is legally registered to carry, and if you do your insurance may be invalidated. The number of passengers allowed is indicated next to each vessel on this website. It is your responsibility to choose a journey that is within your capabilities. A boat or trip supplier can refuse to hire a vessel to any person who is in their opinion unfit to skipper or does not meet eligibility requirements. In such circumstances we will have no further liability to you.