Goodbye 2013!

Wow! Where has 2013 gone?? It seems as though one minute we were on the Swan River watching the fireworks for Australia Day only to blink and be standing on the bow of Aussie Warrior watching baby humpback whales breach and now here we are; about 4 kilos heavier and looking forward to 2014 and what it will bring!

 

Every year we say the same thing - where does the time go? It's quite scary really but at least we can take comfort in the fact that we have had another amazing year and can't wait to have an equally fantastic one with you all in 2014!

 

So what's in store for us next year? Well we have a few river cruises up our sleeve such as our yearly Australia Day shindig and ideas already in the mix for a Charity Cruise that we hope to blow last years donations out of the water (pun intended!). Then we have our highly ranked Abrolhos season from April though to July which just keeps getting better and better from the people we have on board to the variety of food our boys cook up. And then it's always a great way to round the year off with our whale watching cruises from September through to December and indulge in some humpback acrobatics! And let's not forget our deep sea fishing tours which will continue to run daily, taking care of everything from the food to the gear just leaving you to bring yourself and have a great day out.

 

Aside from our tours we will be entering the Western Australia Tourism Awards 2014 and hope to place as a finalist again and take home one of the top 3 places. We have begun works to obtain our Eco Accreditation and will continue to fly the flag for Keep Australia Beautiful and the Adopt A Spot Campaign of which we are a part of. We plan to spread a strong message about the importance of our environment and keeping it clean and hope that you will all join us!

 

After maintenance on both Aussie Warrior and Blue Strike this year we are very excited to continue to show them both off and hope that you can see for yourself the improvement in the facilities that we will be able to provide to you.

 

 Overall we intend to improve on the level of service we provide to you as our customer and hope to see much more of you as we grow Mills Charters and our family. We would not continue to be here today nor look back with a smile over 2013 were it not for your ongoing loyalty and support so from the very bottom of our hearts, thank you and have a very wonderful and safe New Years!

 

Here's to 2014 :)

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

Call This Spring Perth??!

Wow. What has been up with the weather these past few weeks? The wettest period we've had in the past 70 years? Well I believe it!

The wind has not been in our favour of late and it seems as though we have been booking and cancelling tours non stop. We are so thankful to our loyal and supportive customer base as we have all suffered with the disappointment at not being able to get out on the water to catch a fish or spend time with our whale friends. Safety is paramount to Mills Charters and we won't allow any charters to go ahead if we feel concerned for our crew and customers in anyway.

But hooray for today as it was back to business as normal and we waved off a fishing trip at 6.30am this morning following shortly by keen whale watchers at 9am. We can't explain how excited we were to finally take our customers out and deliver an experience we know is like no other!

Every day we have been glued to our phones or computer screens or tvs, watching the forecast and hoping for a break in the weather and it looks as though our prayers have finally been answered and all in good time for the bank holiday. The sun is out, the winds have dropped down and the ocean is calm!

Summer is fast approaching people and where better to be than out on the water with a rod in your hand or watching a humpback whale breaching?

On that note I'll leave you with some of our new whale watching pictures from this season :)

Our whale friends are back!

Is it just me or does it seem like only yesterday we were coming to the end of our fantastic whale watching season in 2012? It was an amazing experience for anyone who came out with us and it set the bar for the next season to come.

A lot of our fisherman were lucky enough to see the whales whilst out deep sea fishing with us so it was exciting for us to see them making their way into the shallower waters of Perth.

We are into our second week of whale watching tours this year and they have not disappointed. So far we have been treated to not just up close and personal visits from our friendly humpbacks but schools of dolphins keen to get in on the fun and the occasional southern right whale!

A most fantastic show was put on by a humpback mother and her calf with our customers and crew being treated to a double breach in perfect synchrony. It was almost as if they knew they had an audience!

A great start to the 2013 season and one that we're sure will continue to get better and better. It's great to have you back whales!

Art For The Ocean Fundraiser

Mills were very luck to attend the Art For The Ocean Fundraiser as one of the sponsors for Sea Shepherd to support all of the hard work they put into saving whales and dolphins accross the globe.

The event took place on Saturday 17th November at The Salt on the Beach North Freemantle at 7.00 - 10.00pm where an array of vegetarian food was served and entertainment provided.

We were treated to a speech by Captain Peter Hammarstedt whos real life accounts of cruelty to these majestic creatures reminded us of why our oceans need our ongoing support and protection in order to finally bring whaling to an end.

The art auction was a huge success raising a large amount of money for this amazing cause and Mills owners, Tash and Mark, walked away with a beautiful photo enclosed below.

As if the night wasn't already superb, as we left for home we were treated to a goody bag filled with smellies and a Sea Shepherd Conservation Society t-shirt!

A great night, great hosts - an even GREATER cause!

MC.

 

A new born humpback calf will instincitively swim to the surface within 10 seconds for its first breath and the Mother will help, using her flippers.

 

Owner Mark helping with the raffle draw!

 

Captain Peter Hammarstedt giving a very inspirational speech...

Humpback Whale Calf Shows Off!

We had another exceptional whale watch this morning with this little guy getting very close to the boat.

If you look closely under the water you can see his protective Mother keeping a close eye...

Another very special moment for our customers at Mills Charters!

MC.

Mini Mills Charters

Here at Mills we welcome children of all ages and believe whale watching to be a once in a lifetime experience for all ages to enjoy.

We have been running a "Colour the Whale" competition since the beginning of the season, which gives your children the chance to be in with winning a FREE Family Pass for you all next year.

The talent has been extraordinary with the bar set very high!

We still have a few weeks left till the end of the season so why not join us at our special November rate of $55pp and get your children colouring!

Here's one of our entries for some inspiration...

MC.

November Whale Watching Special $55pp

There has never been a better time in the season to join us on our whale watching tours. The humpbacks and their calves are making their way South down the Humpback Highway and there is heaps of activity.

We are running a November Special of $55pp* so why not come and see these magestical mammals. We guarantee you will see the whales or you can come again for free!

*Offer excludes our Ocean Safari Tour each Wednesday when the ticket price will remain at $80pp

Here are a few recent shots that our customers have been kind enough to send us...

MC.

http://www.millscharters.com.au/whale-watching/default.aspx