How To Visit Palm Cove, Queensland During The Wet Season

Travelling Queensland’s tropical north during the wet season isn’t a deal-breaker and here’s why.

As soon as you step off the plane onto the tarmac at Cairns airport you will feel yourself relax. There is something about the aquamarine colour of the ocean, the lush green of the mountains and the tropical heat that allows you to instantly unwind.

A 25-minute drive north of Cairns lies Palm Cove, a tranquil coastal town set amid rows of palm trees with idyllic ocean views and a main street lined with cafes, restaurants and bars.

As the gateway to two of Australia’s most coveted destinations – the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest – there are plenty of reasons to base yourself in Palm Cove even in the wet season.

Visiting Palm Cove in the wet season

Queensland is known as the Sunshine State, but if you find yourself travelling to the state’s tropical north during the summer months you’ll find the weather can be, well, tropical.

I am visiting toward the end of the rainy season in February, which suits me perfectly as I plan to spend the next 72 hours relaxing at my resort. If you want to avoid the wet, be sure to travel during the dry season from April to November: the town is sleepier during November to March; the weather is balmy enough to enjoy a swim in the pool; and the sun still makes an appearance in between downpours.

Where to stay

The Alamanda Palm Cove By Lancemore

The Alamanda Palm Cove by Lancemore is as beachfront as it gets in Palm Cove as you only have to walk a few metres to sink your toes into the sand. Just don’t go for a swim, as there is a very real chance you will encounter a crocodile or two lurking in those inviting waters. Opt for one of the resort’s three onsite pools instead, one of which is adults only.

The Alamanda Palm Cove has 69 extra-large one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, each with a private balcony overlooking the sea or the hotel’s tropical gardens – making it perfect for a romantic escape, a girls’ weekend away or a family holiday. Each apartment comes complete with a kitchen, dishwasher and laundry facilities to make a longer stay easier.

Address: 1 Veivers Road, Palm Cove

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Where to eat in Palm Cove

If you base yourself at the Alamanda you’ll be within easy walking distance from the esplanade and spoiled for choice for places to eat and drink. Take your umbrella with you and join the early risers for a stroll along the beach before making your way to one of the many cafes for breakfast and coffee.

Espresso & Co

Serving up the best coffee I had during my stay, Espresso & Co also has a standout breakfast menu. The crushed avocado with pistachio dukkah is served on freshly toasted Turkish bread and topped with roasted cherry tomatoes and buffalo feta, and you can add a poached egg for good measure. If you’ve got more of a sweet tooth when it comes to breakfast, then choose between their buttermilk or ricotta pancakes with all the trimmings. They are also open for lunch and offer a separate kids menu.

Address: 3/115-113 Williams Esplanade, Palm Cove, Queensland

Chill Cafe Palm Cove

This cool cafe came highly recommended by locals and it more than lives up to its name. Perch yourself on the stools at the front of the deck for a good dose of morning sun and views of the beach as you take your pick from the menu. I opted for a breakfast classic of bacon and scrambled eggs, which didn’t disappoint.

Dinner is best enjoyed from the back of the deck. Order the Chill Cafe signature fish tacos stuffed with melt-in-your-mouth coral trout, avocado, shredded lettuce, house-made pico de gallo and aioli alongside jambalaya rice and coleslaw. Settle in for a night of cocktails and live music.

Address: 41 Williams Esplanade, Palm Cove

Nu Nu Restaurant

Soak up beachfront views while enjoying modern Australian cuisine made with locally sourced produce at Palm Cove’s award-winning Nu Nu Restaurant. Better yet, indulge in their four- or seven-course tasting menu – both available with matched wines – to really get the most out of your dining experience.

You may be tempted to skip the puffed lemon bread to pace yourself for the rest of the evening – but don’t! The artisanal bread is made fresh twice daily using stoneground flour from Gunnedah. It is all kinds of zesty, crunchy and doughy goodness and is definitely not to be missed.

Address: 1 Veivers Rd, Palm Cove

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What to see and do

Great Barrier Reef

It may be raining but the water is still at a balmy 22 to 29 °C during the wet season, which is perfect for exploring all the world-renowned Great Barrier Reef has to offer. You can snorkel, dive, take a helicopter or seaplane ride over the top or soak it all in at sea level with a cruise. No matter how you want to experience it, there will be a tour to suit your needs, budget and level of experience.

The Marine Park and World Heritage Area is home to roughly 10 per cent of the world’s coral reef system and you’ll find more than 1600 types of fish, 100 jellyfish species, and 133 varieties of sharks and rays. It’s regularly labelled a bucket-list-worthy experience for a reason.

Great Barrier Reef QLD — Australia’s most beautiful natural wonder is visited by over 2 million tourists yearly.

Daintree Rainforest

Pull on some waterproof hiking shoes and embrace the 180-million-year-old Daintree Rainforest in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Wet Tropics of Queensland, in all its misty, canopy-glistening glory during the wet season.

The Daintree is on the land of the Kuku Yalanji people and is the oldest continuously living rainforest in the world. Inside its 17,000 hectares of lush rainforest, you will find plenty of trails to choose from, waterfalls to see and an abundance of flora and fauna to spot.

Visit the Daintree Discovery Centre for information on self-guided tours or to book from a range of professional group tours including a guided ‘Dreamtime’ walking tour, bird-watching tours and nature walks.

Alamanda Palm Cove Spa

Treat yourself to an indulgent experience at the Alamanda Palm Cove Spa. I opted for the 60-minute signature massage, which is designed to relieve muscle tension and increase circulation. You also get to choose your preferred aromatherapy oils and, for an extra hourly fee, book the Private Spa Pavilion to enjoy after your treatment.

The pavilion is located above the spa overlooking the sea with a private infinity plunge pool for use. Food can be preordered from Nu Nu’s spa menu and delivered to the pavilion or you can bring your own food and drink to enjoy.

Read the Ultimate Travel Guide to Tropical North Queensland here for more tips on what to do, see and where to eat and stay.

From poolside bites and tasting flights to seafood plates and dry-aged steaks, a foodie adventure on Hamilton Island is worth every bite.

Hamilton Island’s sun-lacquered shores have long magnetised travellers craving an escape from reality. But what’s less expected – and more interesting – is just how assuredly this Whitsundays idyll delivers on the culinary front. Dialling up the flavour as much as the barefoot allure, the Hamilton Island food scene offers world-class dining and drinking options, spanning slick fine-dining moments to just-caught seafood served within sight of the sea. Let’s dig in.

Catseye Pool Club

Framing the electric blues of Catseye Beach from The Sundays hotel, Catseye Pool Club is Hamilton Island’s latest culinary prodigy. Shown to our table, we thread through rattan chairs, Zellige tiles and tumbling greenery that opens up to Coral Sea shimmer.

The poolside restaurant is the brainchild of Sydney-based chef duo Josh and Julie Niland, who have brought their relaxed yet elevated dining ethos north. The menu – designed to bring people together – is made for sharing, each hero ingredient orbited by a palette of sides to mix, match and layer as you please.

My thyme cocktail – woody with scotch, lifted by lime leaf – pairs perfectly with the charcoal grilled prawns entree, which is served with tumeric and lemongrass marinade, macadamia satay sauce and a thai-leaning sour green mango salad. Each forkful lands differently, but all are a delight. Then comes the coral trout. True to Josh Niland’s ‘scale-to-tail’ philosophy, the fish is presented whole in a theatrical crescent, a tiny fork stuck into its cheek in a nod to Niland’s declared prize cut. Ribbons of zucchini resembling gauzy curtains bring brightness and snap, while kasundi lends depth and warmth. It’s tongue-tantalising, special occasion dining with humanity.

Sails Restaurant

A more casual poolside dining scene awaits at nearby Sails Restaurant, where Eastern Mediterranean flavours are dished up with an island twist. Chermoula chicken skewers and barramundi souvlaki lie on the more filling side of the menu, while the sumac squid and stone-bread flatbread with za’atar – arriving alongside pomegranate molasses, beetroot hummus and crushed macadamias – are perfect light bites after a dip in the pool. And don’t miss the garlic lemon scallops.

The setting is equally part of the draw. Sunlight floods the high-ceilinged dining room, while outdoor tables look out across the glittering expanse of Catseye Beach. Holidaymakers in oversized sunglasses sip spritzes beneath umbrellas, the gentle clink of plates mixing with splashes from the adjacent pool. It’s the kind of place you’ll want to linger long after lunch.

Bommie

Tucked into a sleek curved wing of the Hamilton Island Yacht Club, Bommie delivers experiential fine dining with a sense of occasion. Led by award-winning Executive Chef Ryan Locke, the seasonal menu champions local and native Australian ingredients whipped up into a modern display of creative precision.

Inside the dim-lit dining room, guests can choose between the Tasting Menu or Chef’s Signature Degustation. Sourdough with pine oil sets the tone for the six-course tasting menu, beautifully presented in a bed of pine needles alongside smoked paperbark butter. I love how the squid ink choux pastry is served with flavour-popping native finger lime, which our waiter encourages us to eat caviar-style. Standout moments continue with the wattle-seed-crusted venison elevated by red fruit and pickled beetroot swirls; the meat is perfectly pink in the middle and an homage to the island’s history as a deer farm.

Pebble Beach

Exclusive to qualia Resort guests for lunch and dinner, Pebble Beach is Hamilton Island’s most serene expression of seasonal island dining. Ocean-facing chairs dot a timber deck that spills straight onto the resort’s private beach, while crystalline turquoise waters stretch to meet distant islands – a scene far prettier than any postcard could capture.

The recently refreshed menu doubles down on seasonality and bright, layered flavours. While the more substantial T-bone steak with hazelnut honey carrots tempts, we go lighter: Coffin Bay oysters with Champagne foam and keffir lime dust kick us off splendidly, followed by Byron Bay burrata served with balsamic and caramelised figs. The fennel and orange salad topped with succulent grilled chicken is utterly delectable, but it’s the zingy, oh-so-fresh soft shell fish tacos that I can’t stop thinking about. It all goes down a treat with a glass of delicate Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve Champagne.

Beach Club Restaurant

A lunch or dinner table at Beach Club Restaurant is best booked in advance – and it’s easy to see why. Looking out over the hotel’s palm-fringed infinity pool, the restaurant spotlights elegant contemporary Australian cuisine with a stellar (also Aussie-leaning) wine list to match.

I am completely enamoured by the grilled Queensland prawns, which are brought to life with a smoked compound, local fried curry leaves and lime. Digging into the butter-soft lamb rump served atop pea ragout and parsley Paris mash feels like a warm, nostalgic hug. And dessert – vanilla bean ice cream drizzled with hot salted honey and apple gel – ends the night on a high note.

Expect warm and discreet service; our waiter Marco tells us that the tiny decorative starfish on our table are there to help the staff remember whether we prefer sparkling or still water, so they don’t need to bother us by asking multiple times.

Talk & Taste with Courtenay Morgan-Fletcher

There’s more to Hamilton Island’s foodie scene than restaurant reservations alone. For wine-curious travellers seeking something a little more immersive, Beach Club has recently introduced Talk & Taste – a tutored tasting hosted by Bommie Assistant Manager and wine enthusiast Courtenay Morgan-Fletcher. Held twice weekly for a maximum of eight guests, the experience explores Australian wine culture through four thoughtfully selected drops paired with native-inspired bites.

We opt for the white wine and seafood option. Alongside pours from Eden Valley and Launceston, a nibbling platter arrives featuring sashimi, salmon roe, Mooloolaba prawn ceviche and palate-cleansing ginger. The seafood is pristine and pared back, allowing the wines to take centre stage.

The real highlight, however, is discovering just how nuanced winemaking can be. Courtenay speaks of viticulture as both art and science: harvest grapes a week too late and ripeness tips into ruin; plant the same varietal on different elevations and the sun, slope and water flow will shape entirely different expressions. Pinot noir, she explains, with its delicate skin and high water content, yields lighter fruit-forward wines, while thicker-skinned shiraz delivers depth and structure. I leave feeling fascinated and inspired by Courtenay’s evident passion.

coca chu

Sweet and hot. Sour and salty. Dining at ever-popular coca chu is a sensation-swirling experience that’s not to be missed if you’re a sucker for punchy Southeast Asian flavours. Located at the Main Pool end of Catseye Beach, this lively hangout is all swaying lanterns, driftwood, high beamed ceilings and giant open windows that let in the balmy ocean breeze.

Drawing from hawker traditions, the grilled betel leaf is a neat, vibrant mouthful of chilli fried cashews and spiced beef. The tofu surprises – soft beneath a tumble of dill, mint and coriander, and glossed in moreish peanut sauce. The massaman curry is pure comfort: creamy, fragrant, fall-apart meat. It’s generous and expressive cooking that I, for one, cannot get enough of.

Marina Cafe

Sometimes, all you crave on holidays is a bacon and egg roll done properly and a creamy fruit smoothie. Boasting harbour views, an easygoing atmosphere and clean modern interiors, Marina Cafe is a popular local haunt for a reason. The casual menu lures families and couples alike with its all-day brekky, seasonal salads and sandwiches – from a roasted pumpkin bowl to prosciutto and rocket on herby focaccia.

The acai bowl, topped with toasted nuts and berries, is a refreshing start to my day. Whether you sit in or takeaway, it’s a good-vibes-guaranteed place to refuel before or after your Whitsundays adventures.

Discover your foodie getaway now at hamiltonisland.com.au.

How to visit Palm Cove during the wet season

Travelling Queensland’s tropical north during the wet season isn’t a deal-breaker and here’s why.

Visiting Palm Cove in the wet season