Cairns and the Barrier Reef
Cairns is the gateway to tropical Australia, a seaside city where the heat and humidity create a relaxed pace and you’re more likely to find yourself sitting in a bar with a cold beer than ticking off the sights. But it’s also the ideal base for exploring northern Australia’s twin iconic sights: the reef and the rainforest. Take a cruise out to the Great Barrier Reef and see technicolour fish through a glassbottomed boat or, if you’re feeling more adventurous, swim or snorkel in the clear blue waters or even learn to dive – there are lots of beginners’ courses available. You can do the reef in a day trip, but if you’ve got time, take a twoor three-night cruise – the best ones have a marine biology expert on board to tell you all about the reef and its wildlife.
Back on land, take a trip to the Daintree Rainforest, a World Heritage Site that is home to more rare and threatened plants and animals than anywhere else in the world. Join a river cruise to spot crocodiles or ‘jungle surf’, riding ziplines to explore the forest canopy. There are walking and hiking trails through the jungle, crystalclear mountain pools to swim in and spectacular white-sand beaches where you could very easily believe no one else has ever set foot. Again, you can do it in a day trip, but for a more relaxing experience, stay a night or two in a wilderness lodge and experience the sights and sounds of the rainforest waking up at dawn.