Cairns, Queensland

There is of course the Great Barrier Reef. To get there you can book a tour with a cruise line which will take you to the reef. It’s an 2 hour drive so be sure to take a seasickness pill before you leave. There are many many offers for tours, but there are differences, especially price wise. I would recommend a tour in the middle class price wise. As they usually go to the outer reef, which is not as touristic as other tours. Often the boots are catamarans and take smaller groups. You can choose if you want two ore three snorkel stops, depending on how much money you want to spend and how much you love snorkeling. For me the two spot tour was perfect! Good to know: Lunch is included!

Next we have the Daintree Rainforest which is the oldest Rainforest in the world. Also there is a spot in Cairns where the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree meet, which makes it the only spot where two World Heritage Areas are so close together. For the Daintree tour you can either go by yourself if you have a car. Or you can book a tour. Both I would highly recommend doing. The rainforest is really beautiful and there is so much wildlife and nature to explore! Good to know: Some tours offer a crocodile spotting tour!

Then close to Cairns you can find Fitzroy Island. It’s an about 45 min ferry ride. The island itself is not to big and easy to explore in one day but still you could come back and find new things. There are two hikes which take about 2 to 3 hours each. If you’re not a hiking person you can relax on the beach, go snorkeling or hire a kajak. If you’re into hiking I would definitely recommend the summit hike as the view from the top is rather breathtaking. You have almost a 360 degree lookout where you can look down on the forest the Harbour of the island and obviously the sea. Good to know: on the ferry ride you might see some whales or dolphins

My next recommendation would be a tour to Kuranda. Here you can come by yourself or book a tour. But to let you know upfront most of the tours include a hotel pick up and a timetable but not a full tour around Kuranda, which in my opinion you won’t need anyways. For going there you can take the Skyrail where you will have a very scenic lookout over the rainforest. In Kuranda there are a lot of nice shops, Cafes and Restaurants as well as a small Wildlife park, a butterfly sanctuary and a birdpark. For the way back to Cairns you will go on a romantic but not to romantic railway ride through the rainforest. On the way you also have a stop at the Barron Waterfall where you get of the train and have time to take some pictures. Good to know: The train will end at the Cairns City mall, if your day wasn’t packed enough it’s a good chance for some shopping.

So in Cairns there are some things to do. For example test out some cafes and restaurants along the esplanada. Enjoy your coffee with view. One of my favorite was the LaPizza. They have an awesome cake and coffee deal! Also there is a restaurant namens Courtyard and on Tuesday you can get tasty soft shell Tacos for only 5$. If you don’t want to spend money for a restaurant there is another really good option. Grab your favorite BBQ stuff from the next supermarket and walk along the Esplenade, where you can find free usable BBQs. Good to know: You can cook your food there while watching the sun going down. A nice thing to do on the weekend is having a stroll over Rusty’s Market. You can buy fresh fruit and vegetables or grab a freshly pressed juice. Have a nice coffee or eat lunch at one of the food stands. Other then food, you should always look online for Festivals going on. I think Cairns loves having festivals and often there is a firework with it. Good to know: You can always watch them for free sitting down on the Esplenade. For a rainy day you could go to the Cairns Aquarium. It’s an bit on the pricier side but I think it was worth visiting. Also there is the Cairns Museum which you can get a ticket for and go in and out for that day however you like. On good days start early an go to one of the many hikes to see a waterfall. All of them are worth visiting. In some of them you can also take a nice refreshing swim.

Port Douglas is a one hour drive away from Cairns. If you have a car or the chance to go there i would recommend it. Already the drive from Cairns to Port Douglas is such a highlight. You will drive along the coastline and through some rainforest. In Port Douglas there is a nice beach with a lifguarded part for swimming. But be careful there are still crocodiles and stingers (in season) There are also some BBQ stations along the beach as well as some restaurants and cafes. You could also stroll around the city and look around the shops.