How you can get $100 dollars off a homegrown experience

Tourism Tropical North Queensland are calling for Far North Queensland locals to get out into their own backyard to help the tourism industry recover from Cyclone Jasper. How you can spend your ‘tropical dollars’ vouchers.

Man and male guide skydiving over Mission Beach, Cassowary Coast. Photo: TTNQ

Tourism Tropical North Queensland is calling for Far North Queenslanders to holiday in their backyard to help the tourism industry recover from a $300m loss from Cyclone Jasper and the subsequent floods.

Tropical Dollars is a $450,000 incentive which offers residents across the Cairns and Great Barrier Reef region vouchers for $100 to use with local tourism experiences.

Tandem bungee jump at Skypark Cairns. Photo. TTNQ

There are 2500 vouchers on offer during the first phase with another 2000 available at a later date.

Reef trips and wildlife attractions are already being snapped up by locals using Tropical Dollars to explore our world-class experiences.

Tourism Tropical North Queensland is encouraging Far North Queenslanders to become tourists in their own backyard with the Tropical Dollars campaign, which offers $100 off a range of tourism experiences. Tanah and Dan Freebody of Mt Sheridan used the tropical dollars to take their young daughters Zalee, 1, Kenzi, 3, and Halle, 2, out to the Great Barrier Reef on Reef Unlimited's Reef Magic vessel. Picture: Brendan Radke

Dan and Tanah Freebody from Mt Sheridan used their voucher to take their daughters Zalee, 1, Kenzi, 3, and Halle, 2, to the Great Barrier Reef on Reef Unlimited's Reef Magic vessel.

Mr Freebody said they wanted their children to experience the wonders of the region.

“We haven’t been out to the reef since before our youngest Zalee was born so that’s about 18 months,” he said.

“The vouchers are great because it makes it a little easier for a family to get out there as it’s a bit more accessible and it helps some of these business through the quiet period as well.”

The family has several favourite experiences they want to enjoy again in the next few months.

“The girls love the bird sanctuary and we want to do the Skyrail as well so there is still plenty for us to do as the girls grow up.”

Reef tours and Fitzroy Island visits with Sunlover, Reef Magic and Quicksilver are one of the experiences on offer.

Great Barrier Reef Tour – pontoon and snorkelling. Photo: TEQ

For the adventurous you can leap from a plane at 15,000 feet taking in the view of one of the world’s most beautiful freefalls with Mission Beach Skydive.

Alternatively, take a shorter fall at the end of a bungy rope at Skypark or race down the rapids of one of Australia’s best rafting destinations, the Tully River, with raging thunder.

Skydiving over the Cassowary Coast with GBR and Wet Tropics Rainforest in the distance. Photo: TEQ

If taking in the views or some wildlife is more your style you can take the cable car over the rainforest to Kuranda with Skyrail, get a bird’s eye view of your home town and the reef with Nautilus Aviation, or feed a resident croc with Hartley’s Crocodile adventures.

Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive Mark Olsen said the Tropical Dollars incentive had encouraged residents to turn their weekend into a holiday.

Mr Olsen said after the cyclone the economy had taken a $300 million hit but incentives such as this had helped claw back about $50 million back.

Aerial view of white water rafts in the rainforest surrounds of the Tully Gorge. Photo: TTNQ

“This is a great opportunity to get $100 off a family pass to a wildlife park, $100 off a Great Barrier Reef dive trip or you can purchase a series of tours such as an island and a sunset cruise and take $100 off the total amount,” he said.

Helicopter flying over the beach and bay on the western side of the tip of Australia. Photo: TEQ

“It is great to see locals supporting the tourism industry which is struggling with low visitor numbers in the wake of extreme summer weather events across Queensland.”

Tropical Dollars deals are available at tropicaldollars.experienceoz.com.au and multiple deals can be bought before the $100 voucher is redeemed via the online cart.

Originally published as How you can get $100 dollars off a homegrown experience