CAIRNS – THE AUSTRALIAN TRAVELLER GUIDE

Your schedule too tight to take in scuba diving and skydiving this weekend? Why not try both at once? That is the subject of one of the entries in the ‘One Day in Paradise’ film festival promoting Tropical North Queensland, launched on May 15. Experienced filmmakers such as 2013 Tropfest Winner Nicholas Clifford are among the 20 contestants involved in the $75,000-first-prize competition. All the two-minute films from the Youtube-based festival had to be made using wearable GoPro cameras. The flying frogman, Gold Coast stuntman Gulliver Page, pictured, warned that scuba-sky diving isn’t just your run-of-the-mill weekend activity. “Jumping out...

Tropical escape, without the crowds Fitzroy Island, Qld A 60-minute ferry ride from Cairns is this gorgeous and often-overlooked island, which forms part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. A haven for water sports and rainforest walks, it’s ideal for the tropical experience, without the crowds.

Anna Warwick on the winter appeal of Cairns  Cairns is often seen as a transit city, but I think this rural gem of far north Queensland is much more than that. From a window seat to the right of your plane as you’re coming in to land, you may glimpse the quays and islands of the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef and rollicking gypsy whales. The neat, low-rising harbour city is splashed with luminous colours, reflecting the coral gardens at its doorstep. Lush fig trees and ample gardens are sprinkled with fairylights, while the Casino has a massive tropical atrium...

Where is it?  Cape Tribulation, 120km north of cairns How to see it for yourself? Just opposite Cape Tribulation Camping, Lot 11 on Cape Tribulation Road, is the Dubuji Boardwalk. The boardwalk leads directly to Myall Beach where this view can be seen when looking south. This pristine beach has a fringing coral reef that’s exposed at low tide: a great place to explore the rockpools. Inviting as it looks, you can’t swim here in summer stinger season. It’s also one of the many Tropical North Queensland beaches where the Daintree rainforest fringespristine white sand. Why I love it “Cape Tribulation is where the rainforest meets the reef.” – Dale Flack,...

Where is it? 70km between Cairns and Port Douglas How to see it for yourself? Starting in Cairns, drive along the Captain Cook Highway towards Port Douglas. It takes under an hour, giving plenty of time for stops along the way to enjoy the scenery. This particular view was taken about halfway along, at Rex Lookout. Why I love it “The road between Cairns and Port Douglas is as good as you’ll get anywhere in the world, with amazing views along the drive you can pull over and really take it in.” – Dale Flack, Tourism Tropical North Queensland Image by Tourism Tropical North Queensland...

 Australia's Great Barrier Reef has been listed in the top ten nominations for the New 7 Wonders of Nature. By Victoria Dalzell One of Australia’s most iconic natural landmarks, The Great Barrier Reef, is currently in the running for being included in the New7Wonders of Nature campaign. As the only country with two nominations for the prestigious claim, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef was named one of the top ten finalists, while Uluru made it to the top 28. The project is being run by The New7Wonders Foundation, established in 2001 by Swiss-born Canadian film maker, author and adventurer, Bernard Weber,...

Queensland's Affordable Accommodation - Holiday Rental  Where is it? Just north of Cairns, Tropical North Queensland. Amaroo overlooks the Pacific Ocean and is a two-minute walk from Trinity Beach. The area is naturally striking as the rainforests surrounding the Atherton Tablelands meet the beaches of the Coral Sea. Popular nearby attractions include Palm Cove Beach and Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park. What’s it like? The Amaroo complex has 38 self-contained apartments, which have been given a four-star AAA rating. Guests can expect a fresh and modern apartment with queen-sized bed, ensuite bathroom, kitchenette (including two hotplates, microwave, refrigerator and freezer), open...

Where is it? Cape Tribulation, Qld, 140km north of Cairns If you’ve ever wanted to see what Australia looked like to dinosaurs, Cape Tribulation is where you’ll find out. This gorgeous coastal region in the Daintree National Park is where the rainforest meets the Coral Sea. It’s also the only place on earth where two areas on the World Heritage List sit side by side: The Wet Tropics of Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef. The rainforest is the most ancient of its kind in the world at 135 million years old and the Great Barrier Reef is the world’s...

 AT's guide to the best cheap accommodation for summer and Christmas holidays   Mission Beach Why do we rate it? To get to know the real Tropical North Queensland, go to Mission Beach. Remarkably untouched by major development (considering its proximity to Cairns), this is a tropical holiday without the fuss. Where is it? 140km south of Cairns – a 2hr 15min drive via the two wettest towns in Australia (Tully and Innisfail). If it’s bucketing, as it does this time of year, take it slow. Where to stay Options in Mission Beach range from camping and holiday parks to...

Picture this: Indiana Jones is cutting his way through virgin jungle, when he stumbles across Robinson Crusoe, Maggie Tabberer, Deborah Hutton and a few famous architects, artists and rockstars, all sipping cocktails on an ancient precipice. Deciding to pool their resources and build a spectacular rainforest escape, they link arms and go off to create Altitude One40.   Of course, it didn’t quite happen that way. Altitude One40 was lovingly created by hosts Shane and Craig Hunter, but it’s no less extraordinary for all that. Having visited some incredible resorts around the world, this is probably the most surprising five...

Australian Traveller Magazine’s 100 Great Australian Holiday Homes Only five klicks offshore from Mission Beach in northern Qld, and just a long stone’s throw south of Dunk Island, the Bedarra Beach House sits alone, wrapped in wooden decks and verandahs, overlooking crescent-shaped Coomool and Melaleuca Bays. A coastal walk west will fetch you up at Gull Rocks, while any excursions east will take you past the Three Sisters offshore, and around to Big Rocks. You’re miles from the Bedarra Hideaway, even further from Bedarra Island Resort, and this, your tropical home, is truly your own. There’s no TV, no mobile...

Australian Traveller Magazine’s 100 Great Australian Holiday Homes If you’re after that picture perfect beachside town – complete with 14kms of bleached white sand, an immense rainforest backdrop and more than enough sophisticated eateries, boutique shops and art galleries to entertain you for an idle week or two – look no further than northern Qld’s Mission Beach. It’s no surprise that several fancy holiday homes have sprung up in the area as well, but Sejala Beach House could well be, like Cinderella, the fairest of them all. The old timber house sleeps six and is set under shady coconut palms...

The gateway to Magnetic Island and the Palm Group, Townsville’s most enticing feature is its waterfront Strand precinct. Tropical gardens amid children’s playgrounds and water fountains are linked with wide pathways leading to the swimming lagoon. Just ten minutes from the airport, the strip is lined with restaurants, bars and cafes overlooking Cleveland Bay. Breakwater Marina is the departure point for Yongala Wreck dives, as well as the base for a small bareboat fleet, while car and passenger ferries for Magnetic and Palm Islands depart from Ross Creek (www.townsvilleholidays.info). Visitors travelling to Hinchinbrook Island will more than likely board their...