Travel Daily | Ben Southall in Daydream and Hamilton Islands

ADVENTURER Ben Southall enjoyed a close encounter with Daydream Island Resort and Spa’s most iconic residents including Pikelet and Pancake the stingrays and Bruce the shark during a whistlestop visit to the island today.

The Tourism Queensland ambassador and former Best Job in the World winner visited the resort’s Living Reef lagoon as a part of the Best Expedition in the World campaign – a three month, 1600km kayak and sailing journey from the Town of 1770 on the central Queensland coast, north to Cooktown in the tropical north.

Mr Southall and qualified marine biologists from Daydream’s Living Reef presented educational modules on the fragility of the reef’s ecosystem as well as life cycles of Great Barrier Reef marine life. The adventurer also took part in a stingray and shark feeding show at the Living Reef lagoon, which is home to more than 100 species of marine fish and 50 species of coral.

Mr Southall’s visit coincided with the island’s launch of new educational packages aimed at teaching school groups about the wonders of the reef through the Living Reef lagoon.

“I’ve had a fantastic time at Daydream Island Resort and Spa sharing my experiences and getting up close to sharks, stingrays, sea stars and sea cucumbers at the Living Reef lagoon,” Mr Southall said.

“The Living Reef is a great example of how education and entertainment can be combined to provide a unique tourism experience for everybody, from island guests to day trippers and school groups.”

Daydream Island CEO Phil Casey said the island was delighted to host Mr Southall’s visit.

“We are thrilled Ben has included Daydream Island on his itinerary and have enjoyed helping promote Queensland as an international tourism destination,” Mr Casey said. “His visit was also a fantastic opportunity to showcase our man-made Living Reef lagoon.

“The lagoon provides a rare and exciting opportunity to experience the marine world with the perfect combination of entertainment and education, which is why we have launched new educational packages which cater to all school groups.”

Mr Casey said Daydream had introduced all inclusive three and four-day packages which include up to five educational modules delivered by the resort’s expert marine biologist team and a full day trip onboard ‘Seaflight’ to the Cruise Whitsundays pontoon at Knuckle Reef.

The modules tackle subjects such as inter-animal relationships, camouflage, animal behaviours, coral reef ecosystems, food webs, animal welfare, water quality, animal biology, human impacts on the reef and global warming.

Students will also enjoy a range of activities such as rainforest walks, pool sports and outdoor movies during free time.

“Students will learn a vast amount about marine life, from why reef fish are so colourful to how to set up and care for their very own marine aquarium at home or in the classroom,” Mr Casey said. “The emphasis is on safety and education while at the same time allowing for plenty of fun.”

Four day packages start from $479* per person, quad share (4-14yrs); or $554* per person, quad share (15yrs+). Three-day packages start from $379* per person, quad share (4-14yrs) and $454* per person, quad share. The packages also include all meals and return catamaran transfers from Abel Point Marina, Airlie Beach.

A newly installed grand stand gives up to 30 people prime viewing of the main lagoon and shark and fish feeding sessions and is especially suitable for school groups.

Ben shall rest in comfort as he explores Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef on the four month, 1600km kayak and sailing journey from the Town of 1770 on the Central Queensland coast, north to Cooktown in Queensland’s Tropical North.
Ben held the position as Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef, during Tourism Queensland’s Best Job in the World campaign, where he developed a passion for this region’s magnificent environment.
“I feel privileged to have had so many wonderful interactions with the natural world whilst out on the Great Barrier Reef and now I’d like to encourage more people to share in the same experiences.” Said Ben.
Mark Windsor, Head of Distribution Australia & Asia/Pacific, went on to say “Sunsail is proud to be a part of this journey and supporting Ben in highlighting the preservation of the magnificent Great Barrier Reef. One of our key objectives is to make as little impact on the environment as possible. Of course there is inevitably some effect but by using biodegradable cleaning products and innovative products (solar torches, solar panels and LED lighting to name a few), we aim to make this a positive one. With careful management and innovative products, we believe that we can keep these amazing destinations pristine for generations to come.”