Australia's Great Barrier Reef
Australia's Great Barrier Reef is one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World. It is the largest coral reef in the world stretching almost 2000 kilometres along the Queensland coast. It is a paradise for divers and snorkelers. The Great Barrier Reef is of such pristine condition that it was listed by the World Heritage Trust as a protected site and is therefore managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Authority to ensure that its beauty is maintained for many generations to come. The reef is accessible for wheelchair travelers via Port Dougl;as approximately 35 kilometres north of Cairns, the main entry gateway for far north Queensland. Quicksilver operates a series of tours of the reef but an accessible diving experience is available from their Agincourt 3 platform on the outer reef. A pioneer in marine tourism, Quicksilver set a new benchmark when the company installed a water-powered lift system to provide easy access to the water for wheelchair passengers at its Agincourt Reef activity platform. A world first for marine tourism, the lift was first introduced in June 2000 and was jointly developed by Quicksilver Connections and a local engineering company. It remains the only such facility on a Great Barrier Reef platform. The lift takes just minutes to lower passengers into the snorkeling area off the platform, where they can swim directly off the lift's chair into the weightless environment of the reef to snorkel and explore at their own pace. The Agincourt 3 platform is in shallow water affording a great view of the brilliant colours of the coral and the diversity of marine life of the outer reef.
The platform is serviced by a high speed wave piercing catamaran the Quicksilver VIII. Quicksilver VIII is full roll on and roll off and has accessible toilet facilities for the journey to and from the reef. It should be noted that due to weather conditions and or service difficulties intending passengers should check 24 hours prior to departure to ensure the Quicksilver VIII and the Agincourt 3 platform are in operation.