Tropical North Queensland
While Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) is best known for its glorious reef, crystal-clear waters, white sandy beaches and laidback lifestyle, it is also one of the best places in the world for a history lesson. Home to the oldest rainforest in the world and the oldest continuous culture in the world, a guided walk through the Daintree can teach you more than you ever learned at school.
If you’re planning your first trip to TNQ, or it’s been a long time between visits, make sure you spend a day or two in Cairns before moving on. The city has undergone an upgrade with a fabulous, revamped esplanade boardwalk and lagoon, new hotels, restaurants and activities, providing a perfect base or first stop on your TNQ holiday. The Cairns Aquarium and Skyrail Rainforest Cableway above the Barron Gorge National Park in particular are not to be missed or check out one of 20 nearby waterfalls, a favourite of the locals. After Cairns, it’s worth taking your time as you move up the coast, with each hub offering something unique and wonderful. Palm Cove is a small jewel with luxury hotels with beach views, great restaurants and spas. It’s the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail by the pool. A little further north, Port Douglas is the ultimate holiday town: sitting between the rainforest and the reef, your choice of jaw-dropping day trips is unlimited. Go snorkelling on a Calypso Reef Cruise or enjoy a sunset sail. With some of the most iconic resorts in Australia, you can also choose to stay local, enjoying the award-winning golf courses, stylish boutiques, alfresco restaurants and in winter, picture-perfect balmy days while the rest of the country shivers.
Keep travelling north and you will discover the remote headland at Cape Tribulation where two UNESCO World Heritage Sites meet: the 180-million-year-old rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef.
Whatever location you decide on, make sure a guided Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk, led by the local Indigenous community, is on the list of things you must do. Starting at Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre, the guided walk along private, gentle tracks is truly amazing. Visiting special places and culturally significant sites, your guide demonstrates traditional plant use, identifies bush food sources and provides a narrative of the rainforest and their unique relationship with this ancient tropical environment.