Tropical North Queensland

Australia has long been a firm favorite with the New Zealand travel market however destinations like Sydney, Gold Coast, Melbourne and Brisbane have become dull and unexciting.  Emerging from your typical  is Tropical North Queensland which boasts an assortment of experiences.

With Cairns as its hub city, passengers can disembark and head north, south or just stay put in Cairns.  Cairns itself, contrary to belief, has no beach which is swimmable.  However, alongside the fantastic boardwalk which stretches the length of the Esplanade is the newly built lagoon pool and is a welcome and FREE escape from the heat.

The accommodation options in Cairns are endless from cheap backpackers which are always heaving to your high end properties.  My favourite, 5 star of cours, is the Pullman Reef Hotel and Casino.  It holds a 2 story boutique casino, 4 restaurants, 1 nightclub, spa baths in all rooms.  Be careful where you place yourself in cairns though, a lot of properties are quite a few blocks back from the esplanade making it difficult to access anywhere so to keep yourself in a prime location and look for hotels either along the esplanade or down at the marina.

Cairns bustles with a huge arrange of top quality restaurants and eateries to choose from, lively backpacker bars and sweet little boutique stores.  Of course Cairns main attraction is the Great Barrier Reef and right along the esplanade there is a choice of literally hundreds of companies offering deals. 

Before making your decision, have a little think about your sea legs first as most operators will offer 1 of 2 options.  Either docking to a pontoon for a day keeping you nice and steady or cruising around to various patches to explore by snorkeling off the back of a boat.  Both options are just as good as each other.  Reef Magic departs daily at 9am to Marine World at the outer reef and gives you 5 hours to explore their piece of magical underworld.  Meet Wally their friendly Maori fish and even get a photo with him underwater if you wish.  Their lunches are generous and have a huge range from sushi to sandwiches.

The reef itself, in all honesty, is not looking as vibrant as was to be expected.  Locals say it’s due to the cyclone that ripped through the area in early 2011 however with the thousands of people that make the voyage daily, that theory does raise an eyebrow.  Apparently the further north you go, the better the reef gets so perhaps also consider taking a journey out from Port Douglas.

Port Douglas sits an hour north from Cairns and is pure seaside-town beauty.  It is famous in Australia for its many fine dining experiences on offer with chefs from all over the globe based here.  Four Mile Beach stretches wide and far and is beautiful for an early morning sunrise walk.   

There is boutique after boutique in little port Douglas and not a chain store in site which adds to its magic.  Wandering around at night is not only safe, but an extremely relaxing and enchanting way to spend an evening.  Port Douglas offers a range of properties which sit predominantly in a higher ended market but my favorite is The Mandalay Luxury Apartments.   

Their apartments are enormous with huge modern living spaces, spa bath, outdoor area and a kitchen you would die for.  They have a great pool and if that’s not enough they are about 5 steps away from the beach.  Absolute Luxury.  Raeleen , the amazing hostess, will also be more than willing to offer you a few jugs of her famous Port Douglas Mojito on arrival.  Very drunkifying!

From Port Douglas you get great access to the Daintree Rainforest, a whole new world so far from your preconception of “Australia” you will actually begin to wonder if you are really in Australia.  Take a drive to Cape tribulation and as you head back down the coast to cairns stop off at any number of attractions.

Kuranda skyrail is an excellent way to spend a sunny day.   

Travel by old school train through the gorge and over waterfalls to land at the artistic little mountainous town of Kuranda.  Kuranda is obviously a “hippie” town and has quite a few markets to explore along with holistic therapies.  There is also a fantastic Aboriginal community arts centre based in the town selling authentic one off pieces of art.  As you catch the skyrail gondola back down the hills you will literally catch your breath (the heights are dizzying!) at the magnificent views sweeping out to the reef. 

On disembarking the skyrail pop next door into Tjapukai, the aboriginal cultural experience.  They not only put on the best smorgasbord I have ever seen in my life but a small theatrical play, teach you the medicinal qualities of local fauna, spear throwing and a fun filled time learning to throw a boomerang.  It is very few and far between that tourists can interact with aborigines in Australia and in that sad fact Tjapukai is a very unique and special place you simply must experience.  You will leave feeling touched and perhaps, a little emotional.

 

Australia wouldn’t be Australia without a bit of crocodile so stop further down at Hartley’scrocodile park and take a nosy around at all the creepy crawly slimy animals Australians are endeared to.  They put on a great show for the kids and the tour around the croc infested creek is excitement plus.  If you’re up for animals of a different view, try watching them by night at Cairns Night Zoo.  Kicking off the night with an Aussie bbq, a night walk through the park, feeding of the crocodiles’ and tea and damper by the fire with the kangaroos.   You can also hold a koala if you like, an experience you can only get in North Queensland.  A very cool night not only for kids but adults will also enjoy, especially the hoe down with a few beers and wines to end your night.

There is just SO much to see and do in Tropical North Queensland it is literally mind blowing how busy you can make yourself here if you wanted to.  Being in its close proximity to the equator line it is in its own naming rights, tropical.  Fauna grows rapidly, wildly and exotically, birds and creatures of all varieties are here that you wouldn’t see anywhere else in the world and the weather is continuously beaming.  So if you’re up for something different from your average Aussie getaway, why not head north for a completely new experience you won’t regret.