Attributes

States: QLD
Regions: Tropical Far North
Themes: History & Heritage
Days: 7

CAIRNS & THE TROPICAL NORTH

FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND

Nature bestowed a range of simply stunning natural attractions on Far North Queensland. The Great Barrier Reef, which gained World Heritage status in 1981, is the largest and most complex expanse of living coral on earth. It extends from north of Cape York to south of the Tropic of Capricorn. Nothing you have read or seen on film will prepare you for the reality of its under water coral gardens, its cays and islands and the huge variety of fish, marine mammals, turtles and birds. Also worthy... [view more] Nature bestowed a range of simply stunning natural attractions on Far North Queensland. The Great Barrier Reef, which gained World Heritage status in 1981, is the largest and most complex expanse of living coral on earth. It extends from north of Cape York to south of the Tropic of Capricorn. Nothing you have read or seen on film will prepare you for the reality of its under water coral gardens, its cays and islands and the huge variety of fish, marine mammals, turtles and birds. Also worthy of World Heritage listing (1988) are the rainforests of the wet tropics, and in particular those of the Daintree area north of Cairns.
Overview
Days:

Day 1


Down Under Tours

Arrive Cairns

Welcome to Tropical North Queensland. Our base for the next week is Cairns – a city founded in 1876 as a service town for the goldfields. Since then Cairns has evolved from a rough frontier outpost, where the pubs nearly outnumbered the people, to an international cosmopolitan destination. On arrival at the Cairns Airport at 1.15pm, we are met by our local 5 Star coach and transferred to our hotel. Just a short walk from our accommodation is the Esplanade, which is the hub of Cairns with its mixture of shopping, markets and eating places. The Pier Complex is also easily accessible with its 100 or so specialty shops. Feel like a swim? The impressive man made swimming lagoon – it is open each day from 6.00am to 9.00pm. It offers a lifeguard service, 24 hour security and BBQ facilities – and it’s all free! Finally one of the biggest redevelopment projects in Cairns is now operational. The new Reef Fleet Terminal is the launch area for many cruises, tours and activities to the remarkable natural attractions of Tropical North Queensland.




Tourist Attractions

Accommodation
Hides Hotel
All Seasons Cairns
Hotel Cairns

Meals
Dinner

Day 2

Cairns & Kuranda

One of the “must do” tours in Cairns is a ride on the historic Kuranda Train for the spectacular ride to the famous, tropical plant clad Kuranda Station. The train journey... read more...

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