My fiancé and I made our way down to the Marlin Jetty Monday night for check in at the boat, 6.45pm for a 7.00pm departing Ocean Spirit Dinner Cruise…We were greeted at the top of the ramp by staff who directed us down to the boat for boarding. We entered through the front main entrance where we were welcomed with a complimentary glass of champagne, checked our names of the guest list and ushered to our table for two. Upon being seated we were told that hot soup & bread was available at the buffet when we were ready to go help ourselves (chicken/corn & pumpkin soups). The staff demonstrated a safety brief while departing as well.

The dining area is very nicely set up with white linen, well spaced- lots of room to move about to & from the bar & buffet area. There were a couple of smaller groups also dining aboard; it would be a great option for a special event. Before we knew it we were leaving the harbour for our 2.5 hour cruise, while we were enjoying a serve of soup & some live light entertainment.

They took us for a cruise a little way up the Trinity Inlet, today was the day the American Navy Ships were leaving. One had already departed that afternoon but the bigger one was awaiting a 9pm departure, due to the tides. Cruising along – the rest of the buffet was ready to go with fresh carved roast meat, hot marinated chicken pieces, roasted potatoes, cooked vegetables, mixed salad and an array of seafood. To top that off they had four different cakes & a fresh fruit salad to choose from for dessert, I had already picked out what I was having & I hadn’t finished tea yet!

The skipper had just turned the boat around to cruise back out of the inlet, when it was announced the 2nd US Navy Ship was going to be making its departure. The skipper could not travel any further as the inlet was closed until the US Navy Ship had left the docks, so we took our drink out onto the front deck to watch.

After their departure we continued on out into the harbour, while we had our desert back inside the dining room. I had a slice of white mud cake with some fresh fruit salad, it was beautiful!

This was a fabulous night out for my fiancé and I, it’s a great alternative to a regular restaurant – cruise & dinner its perfect! After our turn about the harbour it was time to come back to go to the jetty, for departure. What a perfect way to spend the evening, with the family or friends.

Cairns Night Zoo

On arrival we were greeted by the friendly zoo keepers and a sulfur crested cockatoo. We relaxed around the tables with drinks of our choice from wine to beer, juice and soft drink. Shortly after arriving, the BBQ was ready and dinner was served up. We had a huge selection of meats, pork sausages, chicken, fish and roast potatoes and salads and it was all very fresh and tasty. As we ate we listened to the live entertainer singing Aussie songs and playing the guitar. Dessert came out soon after dinner was finished and we relaxed with a few more drinks.

When we had finished we made our way upstairs and we all got flashlights and the zoo keeper explained our night’s adventures to us before we followed them off through the park.

We patted snakes and koala’s and got to see a croc feed at night. It was so much fun and very peaceful in the park at this time of day. One of the highlights of the evening is the customer interacation with the Kangaroos during the Billy tea and damper. We got to hand feed the Kangaroos fresh fruit and vegetables.

We then made our way down to the café area and relaxed with some more beverages and also had a dance to some of the Aussie music the live singer was performing. Here I got to uncover my hidden musical talent as a guest artist in the bush band. Everyone joined in the hokey pokey and the turkey dance.

Comfortable walking shoes are recommended, there is a lot of walking during the tour of the zoo. Wet weather is not a problem as the dining area is undercover and during the zoo tour umbrellas are provided if needed.