FNQ Nature Quest

03/11/2025

We are thrilled to announce that last Friday FNQ Nature Quest took out the Queensland Government Outdoor Play Award at the Outdoors Queensland awards night! The award is in recognition of providing increased opportunities for Queensland children to spend time in unstructured play outdoors and in nature

We are very proud to be recognised with such an award only 18 months into our journey and are so grateful to have such an amazing team creating and facilitating opportunities for children to play outdoors. Thanks to all the families who join us in play and all the organisations that we have partnered with along the way too! We can’t wait to build on this success !

Unfortunately we couldn’t make it down to the big smoke and missed out on this amazing night of celebration. A big thank you to our dear friend and fellow finalist Rick J Petersen for accepting the award on our behalf. Shout out to all finalists, especially Outsiders: Play Advocates who were also nominated in this category and whom we hope to collaborate with very soon!

Cairns Regional Council Cairns Libraries Play Matters Cairns Bree James - Barron River MP Cairns TAFE Community Child Care Centre Communities for Children Gemma Cole Creative Photography Rainforest Rugrats Nature Playgroup - Term 4 2025 Catholic Early Learning and Care- Diocese of Cairns Whitfield State School Wildlings Forest School

29/10/2025

Thanks to everyone who has shared their feedback so far to help us to continue to improve our Connect in Nature for Wellbeing Day event. We hope to lock in a date for 2026 very soon!

Please follow the link below to provide feedback on the event to help us improve and also demonstrate to our generous sponsors that the event objectives were achieved!

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/D6zvcGwU6n

25/10/2025

Thanks to everyone who supported us by buying a raffle ticket for the Connect in Nature for Wellbeing Day 🎟️

The backing from local companies was amazing, with an incredible $4,500 worth of prizes provided. We are so grateful for your continued support to help us fundraise for local initiatives.

Congratulations to the following winners, who we will get in touch with early next week.

Every tour operated by Cairns Waterfalls, including all tours by Cairns Canyoning, What’SUP Cairns and Barefoot Tours, worth $2490!!! Valid for 12 months of adventures!!
🙌 Teneale Sampey

🤿 Ocean Free & Ocean Freedom - Cairns Premier Reef & Island Tours Great Barrier Reef Tour for 2 Adults
🙌Alison Ferrus

Rick J Petersen Survival Fundamentals Online Course 🆘
🙌 Leigh Danton

Back Country Bliss Adventures River Drift Experience for 2 adults 🍃
🙌 Jada Newlan

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway return trip for 2 adults 🚡
🙌 Anna Marshall

Cairns Adventure Group River Tubing Tour 🌊
🙌 Ribbon Art

Gemma Cole Creative Photography Sensory Photo Shoot 📸
🙌 Rachel Wilkins

🍃 FNQ Nature Quest $100 Gift Voucher
🙌 Louise Cooper

Hartley's Crocodile Adventures 2 Adult Tickets 🐊
🙌 Lisa St Pierre

Cairns Jet boat ride for 1 adult 🚤
🙌 Jada Newlan

Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas 1 Adult and 1 child ticket 🐨
🙌 Jada Newlan

White Whale Coffee Roasters 1kg of Coffee Blends ☕️
🙌Amanda Pullin

Sharbella Espresso $50 Vocuher 🍰
🙌Teneale Sampey

Cairns Waterfalls Ocean Free & Ocean Freedom - Cairns Premier Reef & Island Tours Rick J Petersen Back Country Bliss Adventures Skyrail Rainforest Cableway Cairns Adventure Group Gemma Cole Creative Photography Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas White Whale Coffee Roasters Sharbella Espresso

24/10/2025

This time last week the first families were arriving on the shuttle buses for our Connect in Nature for Wellbeing Day 2025

It was an incredible morning of connection and community and we are so grateful for everyone’s efforts that enabled us to host an event like this. Supporting our community to connect with others whilst slowing down and spending time in nature is our core mission and we were thrilled to see so many people do exactly this last Saturday.

The amazing Gemma Cole Creative Photography captured the magic and we are delighted to be able to share some moments of joy and wonder from the day. Lots more shout outs and photos to come in the next few days!

A big thank you to our sponsors The Queensland Mental Health Commission, Queensland Mental Health Week Silver Linings Foundation. This event would never have been possible without their backing and support. Thanks also to our local MP Bree James - Barron River MP for taking the time to come along and support the event too.

What do you reckon, should we get a date locked in to do it all over again in 2026????

20/10/2025

The weather is looking fantastic for our Rainforest Rugrats session tomorrow morning from 9:30-11am! We will go in search of some amazing animal sculptures hidden in the rainforest before cooking over the fire plus all the usual creek play fun. Emma, Jonny and Antony hope to see you there!

https://events.humanitix.com/rainforest-rugrats-nature-playgroup-term-4-2025

19/10/2025

Our Creators Club is back at Whitfield State School this Wednesday. We would love to have some new kids join us to explore and play in the loose parts playground from 3:30 - 5. Sessions every second Wednesday for the remainder of term 4. Follow the link below to book, Jonny and Antony look forward to seeing you there! Suitable for ages 5 and up

https://events.humanitix.com/copy-of-creators-club-wednesdays-term-4-2025

18/10/2025

13/10/2025

A big shout out to Gemma Cole Creative Photography who will be back again this year to capture all the magic as it happens at Connect in Nature for Wellbeing Day 2025

She is such a generous and lovely woman and an amazing photographer too, we can’t wait to have her join us all again. Check out her amazing sensory shoots, you can even win one in our raffle - https://www.raffletix.com.au/fnqnaturequest

Here are a few of her pics from last year to show what awaits everyone who joins us

12/10/2025

Exciting news! We’ve been awarded a $10k Australia Post Community Grant towards our ‘Reconnecting with Nature following cyclone Jasper’ project.

With this funding, we’ll be able to develop and deliver a 6 month program supporting flood-impacted communities in Cairns through monthly nature and adventure based sessions designed to foster connection, resilience and healing. Participants will reconnect with nature and each other, reframing the outdoors as a place of peace and restoration in the wake of the damage caused in the 2023 floods. It’s a cause close to our hearts with co-founders Jonny and Tessa feeling the initial and ongoing impact firsthand having had their family home inundated with floodwater in December 2023.

Earlier this week our CEO Jonny celebrated the good news with Bree James - Barron River MP. We can’t wait to start developing this program and reaching out to partner agencies supporting flood affected communities.

We’re proud to be one of many organisations delivering mental wellbeing
across Australia, one project at a time.

12/10/2025

We can’t wait to have Steve from Gone Buggo join us at Connect in Nature for Wellbeing Day 2025

Have a chat to him and see his amazing creations at his stall and be sure to watch him live on stage as he uses Lego and comedy to engage kids and adults alike to learn about the incredible biodiversity that surrounds us 🪲

11/10/2025

Enjoy lunch or morning tea next Saturday at Connect in Nature for Wellbeing Day 2025

Your welcome to bring a picnic blanket and your own food but why not enjoy some of the amazing food and drink you can get from these amazing stallholders. We’ll be trying all three!😋

BBQ Brothers Australia
German Brezel
Brews & Beats

11/10/2025

All set up at Bunnings come grab a raffle ticket! Gotta be in it to win it!

Or buy online…

https://www.raffletix.com.au/fnqnaturequest