Community
21 March, 2025
Attracting big spenders
BIG spenders with deep pockets, who can splash more than $300,000 a week, are being lured to the Far North as three luxurious multimillion-dollar superyachts from Morris Nautical are calling the Cairns Marlin Marina home.
Morris Nautical’s M.Y. Northern Escape, M.Y. Flying Fish and M.Y. Beluga have docked in Cairns for good after three years in Europe, making it the first fleet of yachts operating from the marina year-round thanks to a partnership between Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) and Superyachts Great Barrier Reef.
In the last six months, the yacht industry has injected $31.9 million into the FNQ economy and with this fleet of vessels it’s expected to increase.
The 40.8m Northern Escape is operating its first charter to the Solomon Islands next week and the fleet will be joined mid-2025 with the arrival of Gambler — a 19m Assegai, custom-built game fishing boat.
Seven-day charters cost $315,700 for Northern Escape, $154,000 for Beluga and $99,000 for Flying Fish.
“Our facilities are world class and the relocation of these vessels reinforces Cairns Marlin Marina services and the immediate availability of all the service industries that vessels like this require,” said Ports North chief executive Richard Stevenson.
Superyachts Great Barrier Reef manager Jodie Growden said the arrival of Morris Nautical Fleet would have long lasting benefits to the local economy.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for our region, not only from the visitors that will come and go on board these beautiful vessels and explore our fabulous region, but also for our local businesses,” she said.
“As Superyachts Great Barrier Reef manager, we represent over 80 local businesses all over the Great Barrier Reef region who are so excited to have a fleet of amazing vessels, like the Morris Nautical fleet, to bring their amazing services and provisions on board too.
“I just finished reporting on six months of what that means – and it’s a healthy $31.9m to the FNQ region across the whole of the superyacht industry. We’re looking forward to that trend continuing along the next six months and well into the future.”
Morris Nautical chief executive and Northern Escape captain Sam Aldred said it was an exciting season for their fleet.
“The Northern Escape was built in Italy and finished in 2022 and we’ve just relocated to Australia after three successful seasons over in the Mediterranean,” he said.
“We’re very excited to showcase it alongside Flying Fish and the Beluga.
“We can offer several destinations national or international, most of our inquiries at the moment have been local, Lizard Island, the Reef, local diving and fishing and a couple to Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.
“We made the move to Cairns because of the Great Barrier Reef and I think there isn’t a fleet like this in Cairns, so for us to showcase the region and the superyacht industry was a bit of a no brainer.
“We’re having our first charter next week to Solomon Islands and we have other bookings to Sydney, so we already have around 12 weeks of charters.
“One week in the Northern Escape – not including fuel or food – is $300,000.
“At the moment we’re seeing a lot of American clients.”
Morris Nautical is owned by Chris Morris’s Morris Group which also includes The Ville Resort-Casino in Townsville, Nautilus Aviation, Mt Mulligan Lodge, island resorts and hotels and pubs.
