Change is a Process not an Event

I remember being told this and thinking 'what the!?' but it is true, changes doesnt happen instantly and takes time to achieve. Here at the Mission Beach Information Station we are currently changing over to an electronic booking system, once finalised it will be fabulous and will provide us with better systems and data collection processes. Between now and then though, the staff team at the Mission Beach Information Station will have to weather the change process. We will be experiencing the frustrations of learning new skills, deciding what works & what needs to be changed and smoothing out the wrinkles....fun! So if you see us with a grumpy face, smile for us, we are going through a process!

Johnny Mac's a Legend

Congratulations to the famous Johnny Mac. Johnny is celebrating 20 years as a White Water Rafting River Guide with RnR White Water Rafting. If the talk from last nights party is to be believed, the man is a walking, talking, paddling legend! Seriously though, well done Johnny, you have trained so many guides over the years and kept hundreds of thousands of customers safe and happy. Keep on keeping on dude!!! (now I'm showing my age!)

Do you need sunshine for white water rafting?

Today I had someone ask me what the weather is going to be like over the next couple of days as he would like to go white water rafting in the sunshine. Of course life in general is better when the sun is shining but rafting is one of those great tours that you can do no matter what the weather. You can appreciate that people wanting to go skydiving or a boat trip to the Great Barrier Reef are going to be more watchful of the weather. Hopefully our visitor will be more than happy to go out on the Tully River whatever the weather because it really is a fabulous day, and yes you get wet even if the sun is shining.

What a day for a beach walk

If you were lucky enough to be in Mission Beach yesterday then you would know what a perfect day it was, especially for walking along the beach. Bright blue skies and a lovely cool breeze made the walk along Wongaling Beach as enjoyable as can be. There were so many people out in the sunshine, walking with and without dogs, building sand castles, drawing in the sand and others just soaking up the rays. The view of Dunk Island was spectacular. So if you get a chance to go for a walk on the beach then I say go for it.

Getting married in Mission Beach

Lots of people decide to get married in Mission Beach, and really why wouldn't they, as I sit here and look out the door at the gorgeous blue skies I can imagine how wonderful a beach wedding would be. I know that there were two couple taking the big step yesterday. The other great thing about getting married in Mission Beach is that your guests will have plenty of things to see and do if they stay in town for a bit of a holiday.

Island Views

Across the ocean today the view of Dunk Island is enchanting. As locals we love to whip across in the tinnie for an Ice Cream on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Get so jealous of the travelers who get to stay, apparently the restaurants are fabulous and the Spa of Peace & Plenty is so relaxing. In the distance you can see the outline of magical Hinchinbrook Island. We have had the pleasure of staying at the Wilderness Lodge, imaging skipping along the beach, sandals in your hand on the way to a magnificent feast overlooking the ocean....I've done that! Loved it.

You Know A Local Because

Here in Mission Beach today it is too easy to know who the locals are......You Know A Local Because today they are all wearing jackets, socks & shivering. It is so rarely cold here that we just dont cope. Most of the visitors and travelers seem happy, no complaints from them, they are loving the clear blue sky and sunshine.....a little chilly breeze is not putting them off. Us locals are a pack of whimps!!!

Photos Mum & Dad should not see

Sitting at the Mission Beach Information Station today, I saw some photos that Mums and Dads should not see. Remember when wee young backpackers as you travel around be careful not to upload these to the net or to send them home by mistake! Digital cameras have opened up a whole new rude world!

Flights within Australia

Hey Folks, if you are planning a trip to Far North Queensland and then a visit to Uluru (our wonderful Rock in the Northern Territory) then you really need to think about flying. The buses are way expensive and take a heap of time.....remember you can put the whole of Europe into Australia - its a big country. Add to that the fact that we have a small population, more people work in London each day then live in the whole of Australia.....so we dont have the masses of people to create cheap flights. If you are offered cheap internal Aus flights with your round the world ticket or London to Sydney flight, we believe you should take them! One girl here has just paid over $500 for a flight from Cairns to Alice Springs.

www.zazz.com.au

Oh my my my.....Steve our computer technician here at Mission Beach has found a website that is keeping him up all night....www.zazz.com.au.....this site has daily deals on great tech toys, the specials tend to start at midnight and sell out shortly after...so you have to be quick. If you need any tech toys and equipment, Steve recommends you check these guys out, their motto is "One Day, One Thingy, One Chance"

Protect your Photos

Time after time here at the Mission Beach Information Station we hear horrid stories of people who have lost their holiday photos. People leave their Cds in computers, their camera bags on buses or they get one wee grain of sand in their memory stick and bammm the lot is gone. We highly recommend that people regularly download their photos, make 2 copies of their CDs and send them home and /or upload their snaps to a website. For the sake of a few dollars, your precious holiday photos are protected.

Family and Friends

I get really excited when I hear that family and friends are coming to visit Mission Beach. I know there are so many wonderful things for me to show them or encourage them to do.....white water rafting, skydiving, sea kayaking to name a few of the more active options, or of course a walk along any of the walking tracks or beaches around Mission Beach or on Dunk Island.....but really it doesn't matter what we do, its just great to catch up for a quiet (or not ) drink and a good chat in a place as perfect as Mission Beach.

Visit Dunk Island

Dunk Island is Australia's most beautiful and perhaps famous Rainforest Island. It is located just 4km's from Mission Beach. There are two ways to transfer from Mission Beach, on the water taxi or the ferry. Once there you can enjoy the abundant rainforest walks and secluded beaches. This is definitely a must see when you come to visit Mission Beach.

More Drongos

Well what can I say......more Drongos (love that word, it is such an ocker saying!)...3 people left their passports in Mission Beach whilst their bodies moved onto Townsville. Major ooops. Luckily they contacted their accommodation here and we were able to get the passports onto the next south bound Greyhound. Travellers tip.......treat you passport like gold!

Drongos

Drongo, what a great Aussie word, and arent there some Drongos out there. Lucky we think Drongos can be great people too.....just a little on the dull side thats all! Todays Drongos included the man who couldnt remember who he had booked accommodation with only 5 minutes ago (lucky he still had the number in his mobile phone!), the guy who forgot his bus ticket and expected to get on the bus without it (lucky we are kind and are online booking agents and can reprint tickets) and finally the lovely lady who went to Cairns without her handbag.....lucky we have a good relationship with the bus drivers and could send it on the Greyhound. Handbag and Drongo have been happily reunited. Our motto here at the Mission Beach Information Station is "be kind to Drongos"! We love it!

Mission Accommodation

Everyday we respond to loads of enquiries about accommodation. Mission Beach has a great range of accommodation, from backpackers to luxury resorts and loads of self contained holiday rentals. Does not matter what people are looking for, the Mission Beach Information Station is always willing to help out.

Being flexible on your holiday

Being flexible is the way to go when your on holidays, because sometimes things go awry, like missing your bus. The language barrier can be an issue at times, our traveler this morning was sure the departure time was 9.35am not 9.25am, and of course the bus was on time and left without him. Luckily the bus company changed his ticket for the next day. Back to the hostel for another day and night in Mission Beach. Not really a hardship as there a plenty of things to do, like skydiving, sea kayaking and a trip to the Great Barrier Reef.

Who cares if its raining

I think for most people on holidays rain can be considered a bit of a disappointment, but not here in Mission Beach. Here are a couple of my favourite things to do. Because its not cold, just wet, you can still walk or ride through the rain forest, which looks gorgeous with a bit of rain around, the colours are more vibrant. One place I love in the rain is only a 45 minute drive from Mission Beach and that is Paronella Park, truly a memorable place anyway but has an almost eerie atmosphere when wet, a must see. Of course white water rafting is no hassle in the rain because your going to get wet anyway.......Don't let a bit of rain put you off what could be a fabulous visit to Mission Beach.

Where can you see turtles in Mission Beach

One of my favourite creatures is the turtle, and if you go for a walk in the Licuala State Forest at Mission Beach you can see them. I spent a lovely time during the week watching them swim around. Follow the track through the rainforest, and in less than 10 minutes you will come to a bridge, look out for the fig tree, thats where you may see them.....obviously animals being animals you can't be guaranteed but the walk itself is worth the visit if they decide not to come out when your there.

Unexpected Stop

A poor fella yesterday, didnt listen to the bus driver, got off the bus for a quick visit to the little boys room and came back to find the Greyhound Bus had left without him.....ooops, no wallet, no passport, no bag, no nothing! Funny though, he did have his mobile phone, now what does that say about the world!!!! Lucky the Mission Beach Information Station folk saw him and came to the rescue. We reorganised his bus ticket (free from Greyhound) and organised to have his bags removed at Townsville where he could catch up with them. We put him up in the shop for 5 hours, he use the internet for free, we fed and watered him.....then at 7pm he left to wait at the bus stop.....with strict instructions to stay put! Hope all went well for him. We always feel for travellers who have limited English......reminds us of our overseas holidays.......alone & lost in a foreign country is a scary thing.

Rainforest & Mountain Bikes

Just sent 3 burly boys off to hire mountain bikes for the rest of the day. There is no excuse to be bored in Mission Beach. The lads will probably do a 6 km ride through the rainforest, dodging the wait-a-while and trying to find an endangered cassowary. All for $15 for a 1/2 day. Had 2 Irish girls do the ride yesterday, they reckoned they laughed so much they almost had a smash!! Life is good.

Busy times in Mission Beach

Is it really only May......I cant believe it, the shop is full, all the internet computers are in use! Usually we have a quiet May and a busy June, July, August, September and then we mellow out a bit. Mission Beach is becoming a very popular destination for travelers. I'm not sure if it is for the skydiving, white water rafting or snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef? It could be the 14km of beach or the chilled out atmosphere....will we ever really know! It is great to be busy though, helping people to get the information they need to have the most fabulous time while holidaying in Mission Beach.

Getting to Mission Beach

One of the most common ways for our backpacker travelers to get to Mission Beach is on the Greyhound coach. Today I have a good news story, one of our visitors lost her bag, can't remember if its still on the coach, if so it made the rest of the journey to Cairns on its own....a quick phone call to the office and hey presto our happy traveler is soon to be reunited with her bag. Mystery solved....time to explore Mission Beach, maybe do a skydive, white water rafting or even a visit to Dunk Island.

Mission Beach

Nyt ollaa Mission Beach illa. Tehtiin pari lyhytta bushwalkkia ja yritettiin nahda kasuareja, isoja trooppisia lintuja, jotka ei tykkaa ihmisista.
Taalla on inan harmi kun vieressa on tosi kaunis ranta, mutta sinne ei voi menna uimaan kun siella on jelly fisheja jotka pistaa tosi kipeasti.
Taalla olis taas tarjolla skydive, rafting ia ja muuta homppaa. Sita ennen vaan tarttee menna toihin tienaan rahaa et vois kokeilla jotain.

Im not enjoying monday morning

Monday mornings, not always the easiest morning of the week, especially when you have had a huge weekend. Our friends were married at Lugger Bay Beach on the weekend (this is just one of the beautiful spots that makes up the 14 km of Mission Beach golden sands). Great Wedding & Party! I suspect Monday mornings are not so bad for those on holidays though....everyone else seems happy and chirpy and are enjoying skydiving, water water rafting, sea kayaking and strolling along the beach. Perhaps I need a holiday or to take it easier on the weekend!

Making someone's holiday fun

The best thing about working in Mission Beach is helping people to enjoy their holidays. Finding great adventures like skydiving and white water rafting, or showing them where the best walks are to maybe see a cassowary, or even just letting them know where the best place to relax and go for a swim is. Its almost like being on holiday yourself...but not quite.

Birds are singing

Woke up this morning, had to come into the shop which is a bit of a downer.....it's not that I dont enjoy chatting to travelers, I actually do.....but I do miss time on the beach on beautiful days like today. But it's not all bad. The birds were singing madly this morning, crested cockatoos & rainbow lorikeets mainly, very rowdy. A wee Sunbird is currently building a nest on our back deck, so literally had breakfast with the birds! Have to love mornings in Mission Beach.

Local Legends take the plunge

Local skydivers (& friends of ours) will take the plunge this weekend......not out of a plane but into each others arms!!! Congratulations Izzy and Brown. Your Mission Beach wedding is set to be a beautiful one!

East Coast Holidays

The East Coast of Australia, especially the Queensland section has so much to offer, from skydiving and white water rafting in Mission Beach, hiking and horse riding in Magnetic Island through to sailing in the Whitsunday this place is fun, fun, fun. People are making loads of bookings for all three destinations, package deals make it even cheaper.

Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef off Mission Beach is looking great, the weather is calming down nicely and we are set to have some great snorkeling and scuba diving conditions. 2 local companies are currently offering reef trips......and one of our favourite fisherman, Dennis from Fishin'Mission is back!

Go Skydiving Today

Awesome adventure that must be done! CALL US on 07 4068 8699 AND WE'LL TELL YOU OUR LATEST "secret squirrel" DEAL! EVEN BETTER DISCOUNTS FOR GROUPS...... Jump with Mission Beach’s exclusive tandem skydive company. Skydiving from either 10000 or 14000 feet is incredible. You can have your jump recorded on handcam video or DVD. Still photos also available.

Mission Beach Tours

Welcome to the blog for up-to-date information on where to book tours in and around Mission Beach, Queensland, Australia.


Mission Beach is a relaxed, yet vibrant beachfront town with over 14 kilometres of magnificent golden sandy beaches. Here two World Heritage areas, The Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics Rainforest, come together to form a tropical paradise. In many places, the rainforest literally fringes stretches of pristine golden beach, giving Mission Beach a reputation as an ideal natural holiday choice.

Only 2 hours from Cairns and 2.5 hours from Townsville, Mission Beach offers an excellent choice of restaurants, galleries, gift stores and coffee shops and of course the famous Mission Beach Accommodation that includes everything from Backpackers and B&B's to beautiful absolute beachfront Resorts.

While you are here enjoy golf, kayaking, cassowary spotting, reef and estuary fishing, rainforest hikes, jet skiing, crocodile spotting, bird watching, market shopping, bike riding, swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving. A day trip will have you enjoying the beautiful Atherton Tablelands, historic Paronella Park, Hinchinbrook Island, Josephine Falls and so much more.

For those of you with a little more adventure on your mind, a trip to Mission Beach won't be complete without experiencing a tandem skydive from 14,000 feet landing on one of the most pristine and untouched beaches you will ever see, or you can partake in a white water rafting trip in the beautiful Tully Gorge.

Less than 5 kilometres offshore of Mission Beach, Dunk Island and Bedarra Island make up an aquatic playground that is renowned along the east coast of Queensland. The Great Barrier Reef is only 38 kilometres away making Mission Beach the closest mainland access to the Reef, just an hour or so by boat. This means more time experiencing the wonders of Queensland's Great Barrier Reef when you stay at Mission Beach.

There are four villages that are collectively known as Mission Beach: South Mission Beach, Wongaling Beach, North Mission Beach and Bingil Bay. Our spectacular palm-fringed beach connects these four small townships, from Kennedy Bay in the south, to Garners Beach in the north, a favourite spot for naturalists.

Mission Beach Accommodation is available in all four of these townships and most visitors to our beautiful area find that they have a favourite. The Edmund Kennedy walking track at the southern end of the beach is part beach, mangrove and rainforest. Several creeks empty their waters at Mission Beach and locals can often be found fishing for barramundi and mangrove jacks. Good fishing is also to be had at Clump Point jetty and the rock wall at Clump Point boat ramp, and for absolute seclusion, try Brooks Beach or Garners Beach at the northern end. It's quite likely that you'll catch a glimpse of the endangered Southern Cassowary in the rainforest around Mission Beach.

At Mission Beach, you will find a tranquil and very friendly tropical holiday township ideally suited to those who desire a true break from everyday life. Experience a lifestyle change by investing in Mission Beach real estate and come and live in paradise with us.