Cruise news you want to hear, as Sunshine Coast’s Saltwater Eco Tours launches new Indigenous eco cruise to connect “Culture to Coast”.
With 2020 being the Year of Indigenous Tourism, Sunshine Coast is celebrating area’s rich Indigenous heritage and spectacular coastline with Saltwater Eco Tours taking guests a new Indigenous cruise tour.
Saltwater Eco Tours will operate out of Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast, using a century-old historic timber sailing vessel named Spray of the Coral Coast. Guests will be able to experience the best of the Sunshine Coast’s Indigenous heritage and marine beauty.
Stories of traditions and cultures will be shared by an Indigenous story-teller, educating guests on the original Indigenous inhabitants and first eco custodians, the Kabi Kabi people (who were originally known as the ‘Saltwater People’).
Simon Thornalley, a young Indigenous man of Torres Strait Island descent, launched Saltwater Eco Tours as it incorporated his love for the marine environment, his cultural heritage, and his passion for sailing. Simon spent his life sailing through the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Straits as a child, honing his skills before gaining his Commercial Master Class 5 licence, which took him across many oceans, including six cruises to Antarctica as First Officer on a charter vessel.
The tours onboard the Spray of the Coral Coast include:
Cultural Tour – the signature cruise takes passengers to sites of cultural significance and places where Dreamtime stories and songs originated. Large numbers of sea birds, turtles, and dolphins can be spotted along the way. During the two hour cruise there will be storytelling, didgeridoo and entertainment provided by Indigenous guides, along with delicious bush-tucker inspired catering, accompanied by a refreshing local craft beer or sparkling wine. Operating three times daily each weekend, adult tickets cost $120, children (5-16) $79.
Sunset Acoustic Tour – the two-hour cruise operates on Saturday and Sunday evenings, combines a dramatic sunset, soft acoustic music, a selection of grazing platters and a local craft beer as the vessel cruises the waterways, taking in nocturnal wildlife, fishing vessels and the setting sun. Adult prices are $55 per person.
Private Charters – available for exclusive hire for cruises of 2 to 4 hours, Salwater Eco Tours can accommodate a wide range of requirements including custom catering, live music and story-telling.
More information: https://www.saltwaterecotours.com.au/
