Wavedancer Low Isles - Great Barrier Reef

Wavedancer is Sailing
Saturday, February 05, 2011

Following up to our earlier e-mail of today, we are writing to confirm that Wavedancer Port Douglas is operating as per normal from today, Saturday 5th.

Low Isles offers everything you can dream of in a tropical island paradise. From the moment your luxury catamaran moors in the calm waters of the island's picturesque lagoon, a host of reef activities await you.

Low Isles romances the Honeymooner Testers
Friday, December 03, 2010

Quicksilver was pleased to host “Honeymoon Testers” Mark and Denise Duffield-Thomas for a trip to Low Isles aboard Wavedancer recently. As winners of the Irish publication Runaway Bride and Groom competition, they have travelled the world testing the best honeymoon destinations and in the process have broken the world record of saying “I do” over 85 times!

Low Island Lighthouse
Wednesday, September 15, 2010

It was a historic day as four generations of the Lone Family visited Low Isles to remember the past and celebrate their family’s history on this beautiful Great Barrier Reef island.

Aged from 86 years to infants, the highlight of the Lone family’s recent Mossman reunion was sailing on Quicksilver’s Wavedancer to Low Isles, where family patriarch Ernie Lone retired as head lighthouse keeper in 1985.

Ernie Lone, now 86, was one of Australia’s longest serving lighthouse keepers having served continuously on various Queensland lighthouses from 1956 until his retirement in 1985.

Speaking of his father, John Lone said, “Dad first served on Low Isles in 1960 and again as head light keeper from 1967 until his retirement from the Commonwealth Lighthouse Service in 1985. During this time he was awarded the OAM for his service to the lighthouse service whilst serving on Low Isles. In the late 1970s in his position as head light keeper he was instrumental in the granting of approval for Jim and Jo Wallace to commence a tour operation from Port Douglas to Low Isles with the “M.V. Martin Cash” which later led to the Quicksilver catamaran operation. In those days all visitors to the island required the specific permission of the head light keeper. My sister and I also lived on Low Isles in 1960 and did our schooling there by correspondence.”

Tony Baker, Quicksilver Group Managing Director said “What a wonderful story about this family’s history and connection with the idyllic coral cay of Low Isles. This was Quicksilver’s first destination in 1979 and we look forward to welcoming the Lone family back to a special place they called home for many years.”

Ernie Lone returned to Low Isles many times with his children and in later years the children returned with their children. Ernie Lone last visited Low Isles in 2000 when he and his late wife were invited to officially open the island’s Heritage Walk.

The landmark lighthouse has greeted guests since 1878 and became automated in 1993. Low Isles and its historic lighthouse have both been declared Commonwealth Heritage listed.

Low Isles and a trip back in time
Wednesday, March 24, 2010

It was a wonderful trip back in time to relive their family history on Low Isles at the turn of the last century when the grandchildren of one of the island’s original lighthouse keepers visited the island aboard Wavedancer recently.

Joy Searle and Ailsa Campbell’s recalled their mother Alice’s wonderful memories of living on the tropical island over 100 years ago.
 
Alice who spent her early years from 4 years growing up on a coral cay
where the barge arrived fortnightly, music was from a gramophone

Their Grandfather Hugh Nibloe, was appointed as a lighthouse keeper in 1907 having arrived from Scotland where he had worked as a lighthouse keeper on the Orkney Islands and Mull of Kintyre. After two years on Low Isles his wife Agnes and 2 small children Alice and Jessie joined him from Scotland. This was a time of wonderful memories for their mother Alice who spent her early years from 4 years growing up on a coral cay where the barge arrived fortnightly, music was from a gramophone, no pets were allowed but they were thankful for a talking cockatoo.

Joy said, “This trip is an important part of our family history as well as an adventure to visit a place and surroundings so well worth seeing! Our mother wrote quite a bit about her ‘Life on the Island’. I have some shells here in front of me that she collected there 100 years ago! (allowed to take them away in those days, of course). I personally visited in 2002 and was thrilled to see that on one of the information boards displayed on the walk around the island was a picture of our grandparents, mother and aunt.” For Ailsa the trip brought another milestone as this was her first plane flight and the celebration of her 70th birthday”

Tony Baker, Managing Director, the Quicksilver Group said, “Low Isles has a wonderful history.  This was the first destination for Quicksilver back in 1989.  I can only imagine how idyllic it was to live on Low Isles back at the turn of the last century and we welcome Joy and Ailsa to rekindle their history of the Island through their mother and grandfather’s eyes.”

The landmark lighthouse has greeted guests since 1878 and became automated in 1993.  Low Isles and its historic lighthouse icons have both been declared Commonwealth Heritage listed.

Celebrating 30 years of cruising
Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Quicksilver is celebrating a major milestone of 30 years since commencing the first cruise to the idyllic Low Isles in 1979.

Throughout the decades, our modes of transport to the island (and even sarong styles!) have changed, as seen in some of the earlier photos, but the appeal and natural beauty of this picturesque coral island remains unchanged. Quicksilver’s 30 metre luxury sailing catamaran, Wavedancer, sets sail daily from Port Douglas to Low Isles where guest numbers are limited and a host of reef activities await.

We’ve always known this is a special island and in June 2008, Low Isles and its historic lighthouse were formally registered on the Commonwealth Heritage List in recognition of their place in Australia’s cultural and Indigenous heritage. This is a first for the Great Barrier Reef, and is very significant as it is the first time one location has received a dual listing for both Indigenous history and Australian cultural heritage.

Quicksilver’s marine biologists travel to Low Isles every day to inform, educate and bring to life the history of the island. Guests can join a marine biologist guided beach walk to learn about the unique marine life living at the waters edge and then follow the heritage trail through the island and see the historic lighthouse. A marine biologist guided snorkel tour to view the reef with informed eyes is also included.

Dual Commonwealth Heritage Listing for Low Isles
Wednesday, September 17, 2008

The idyllic Low Isles and its 130 year old lighthouse have both been added to Australia’s Commonwealth Heritage List in recognition of their place in Australia’s cultural and Indigenous heritage. This is a first for the Great Barrier Reef, and is very significant as it is the first time one location has received a dual listing for both Indigenous history and Australian cultural heritage.

Quicksilver has been sailing to Low Isles since 1979 and we have always known it is a special island. On our daily Wavedancer cruise, our Marine Biologists conduct the only guided heritage walk of Low Isles, as well as a guided snorkel tour to share the secrets of the Great Barrier Reef and bring to life the island’s history.

A little bit of island history...

• In 1770 Captain James Cook described Low Isles as a “small low island” and was officially called Low Isles in 1819.
• Low Isles is a small coral cay and the Aboriginal people know these islands as Wungkun. It is an important Indigenous and cultural site for the KuKu Yalanji and Yiragandi people as the sea country for both groups overlaps at Low Isles.
• Weather data has been gathered from the island since 1887 and in 1928 it was the base for the first scientific study of a coral reef anywhere in the world.
• Quicksilver commenced the first daily cruises to Low Isles in 1979. In 2000, the Low Isles Heritage Walk was officially opened. 

About the lighthouse...

• The lighthouse was completed in 1878 and for the past 130 years has guided ships through the main shipping channel between Port Douglas and Cairns.
• The lighthouse was constructed on a timber frame with a galvanised sheath and interestingly, the Low Isles lighthouse was the first in Queensland to have porthole windows. A timber staircase leads to the lantern room.
• Originally oil burners were used to light the way, but over the years with new technology the lighthouse continued to be upgraded and in 1993 solar conversion made it into a self contained beacon.
• The original 1878 lens for the light can today be seen on display in the Court House Museum, Port Douglas.

Come and experience this very special island with
Quicksilver’s Wavedancer.