Receive star treatment on a flight over the Coral Sea to discover Green Island with Cairns Seaplanes

If celebrities went snorkelling, this is how they might do it: soaring above a jade-green ocean aboard a jaunty de Havilland Beaver seaplane, touching down metres from a pristine coral cay before sliding gracefully into sun-warmed waters to marvel at jewel-bright marine life.

Alas, I’m no A-lister. But for one jet-set trip with Cairns Seaplanes, I’m a VIP, express delivered to and from Green Island for swimming and sunshine like Paris, Brangelina or JLo to a five-star resort.

The high-life adventure starts at Marlin Marina where, with five other fliers, I board a zippy red tender and whiz out to the Cairns Seaplanes pontoon, moored mid-Trinity Inlet.

The seven-seater de Havilland is tied alongside, bobbing gaily on its twin floats, and after donning life jackets we clamber aboard.

I score the seat next to our pilot Scott, an affable American whose relaxed grin and confident handling of the bewildering array of dials and levers promises a smooth flight.

After a quick jot of details on the flight log Scott has the aircraft’s nose up and we’re airborne, heading toward the Reef. The 27km between Cairns and Green Island passes in a flash.

After a quick scenic swoop over the cay, Scott hands us on to the beach with face masks, flippers and directions to the best snorkelling.

The island, a national park, is surrounded on all sides by crystal clear water brimming with fish and coral and I waste no time in slipping on my snorkel gear. With swimming skills better suited to a Hollywood pool party than intrepid ocean exploration, I’m delighted to find myself in an underwater wonderland with just a few kicks of my flippers.

Now, my fish identification skills are about par with your average celebrity and the scientific names of all the underwater animals I eyeballed escape me.

But let me tell it like this: as I float idly by, teeny fish with electric blue stripes flit in schools, like paparazzi chasing famous prey; big fish covered in brown spots mosey in sandy dips and hollows like out-of-work actors hoping for a break; long, skinny fish nose their way through rocks and sand searching out seafood snacks like super-skinny starlets and albino-pale fish with bright orange flashes twist and turn in the current like Oscar-night actresses preening for the cameras.

After an hour of lazy drifting and fish watching, I’m feeling the sort of carefree, relaxed glow usually associated only with the very rich and very fabulous.

Back on land, there’s time for a leisurely lunch and amble through shade-dappled rainforest along the island’s kilometre-long boardwalk, before meeting Scott for my return flight.

By 2pm, I’m back in Cairns. No autograph hunters race to greet me as I step out of the tender and on to the Marina, it’s true. But I can still feel my “beautiful-person” glow.

WHAT: Cairns Seaplanes has scenic flights to island and cay destinations including Green Island and Sandy Cay as well as combination tours to Green Island and Kuranda.
WHERE: Tours depart from Marlin Marina. Hotel pick-up and drop-off is available.
HOW TO BOOK: http://www.cairnsseaplanes.com/ or email reservations@cairnsseaplanes.com
HOW MUCH: Tours start at $250 for a half-day Green Island trip to $431 for a Fly ’n’ Sky day tour of Green Island and Kuranda.