By Shelley Winkel
Image credit: Tourism and Events Queensland
Forget The X Factor, Cairns & Great Barrier Reef has the 'WOW' factor. It’s the only place on the planet where two World Heritage-listed sites meet; the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics rainforest. And it is the only spot on earth where you can swim with a Dwarf Minke Whale and walk with a Traditional Owner from not one, but two, of the longest living cultures.
For nature-chasing travellers, Cairns is Australia’s hub of all things green. Head west to the Tablelands and follow a trail of produce up a sun-drenched range until you reach waterfalls that cascade prettily onto boulders below. Then stop to taste exotic fruit plucked from the orchards and made into ice-cream, vodka and even wine.
Alternatively, set the compass due north for the 140-million-year-old Daintree Rainforest covered by a Shrek-green canopy the size of Sydney. In one square hectare alone, there are between 120 and 150 different types of trees offering a patchwork of hiking trails and a whole new definition of calm. If you prefer not to sweat, a life unhurried awaits with a slow drift over knee-deep streams flush with fresh-water fish and overhanging ferns.
Curious locals in the Great Barrier Reef.
The Great Barrier Reef – described by Sir David Attenborough as ‘the most magical thing you ever saw in your life’ – sits high on the Cairns’ bucket list. This Reef is unlike any other. It’s the only living thing you can see from outer space and it was the inspiration for a blockbuster story about a little fish lost.
So where do you start? You could spend months in the region and still not ‘do’ it all. So, with a week to spare, and a budget for fun, here is your seven-day holiday plan.
Day 1: Get Oriented
Arrive in Cairns and settle into your resort. Environmentalists will love the Riley and Flynn Hotels for their unbeatable sea views and built-for-lazy pools as much as the hotels’ eco-credentials. From the paperless contact system through to the low food miles (most produce comes from the local region, including the aged beef which happens to be grown on the owner’s farm), the Crystalbrook Collection has been nudging luxury travel into a greener space since it launched in 2018.
The best way to get to know a city is to get above it. Unpack your walking shoes and make a beeline to Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and take a bird’s eye view of the world’s oldest rainforest. When this 7.5km cable car opened in 1995, it set new sustainable standards for ‘flying’ visitors metres above the canopy of a World Heritage-listed rainforest - without impacting the eco system below.
What goes up must come down. Take Skyrail to the top of the range and then come back down on a romantic heritage steam train…or vice versa. The Kuranda Scenic Railway travels through dense rainforest and over steep ravines and picturesque waterfalls to reach the charming rainforest village of Kuranda, some 328 metres above the city. Built between 1882 and 1891, this man-made journey ticks off 15 hand-built tunnels and 37 remarkable bridges.
Catch a ride through the beautiful rainforest. Image credit: Tourism and Events Queensland
Back in town, stroll along the Esplanade boardwalk until you get to Prawn Star. Here, four typical trawlers are home to an untypical enterprise. Nets have been cast aside and replaced with bench seats and a fast menu of daily-catch prawns, freshly shucked oysters, juicy cuts of salmon and locally caught bugs. Food doesn’t get fresher than this.
Day 2: Discover the World’s Biggest Living Organism
Cairns is the jump off point for the Great Barrier Reef and a raft of snorkelling and diving adventures where every flick of the fin is alive with colour and sound. In this wondrous world, yellow butterfly fish outshine the sun; white-tipped reef sharks swagger like Jagger; damselfish dart; turtles meander; and ‘Nemo’ clownfish wiggle.
A kaleidoscope of colour awaits in the Great Barrier Reef. Image credit: Tourism and Events Queensland
For a cruisy uncrowded day trip, set sail to two splendid reef sites with Passions of Paradise, an opulent catamaran that could easily ply the waters of St. Tropez. Take a guided snorkel tour with a Master Reef Guide (one of 60 or so trained guides operating up and down the length of the Great Barrier Reef) and see the underwater world the same way as a marine biologist. Learn how the crew helps scientists grow hundreds of fragments of coral. Submerged on a two-metre floating garden nearby this is part of a bigger insurance plan, ready to restock the Reef if the future requires.
Back in Cairns, choose one of the restaurants along the pretty marina or take a short stroll to Hemingway’s Brewery, a genial ale house with beer named after local legends. Take Betty’s Pitchfork, for example. It’s a zesty drop that plays homage to a local woman who ruled a Port Douglas pub, not with an iron fist, but with a rusty garden tool.
Day 3: Getting into Green
Your target today is nature, and the vast wilderness that makes up the Daintree Rainforest north of Cairns.
Stop by Mossman Gorge Centre and bask in the 20-year vision of Traditional Owner and Kuku Yalanji Elder Roy Gibson. Roy had a dream to take visitors into the heart of the forest he calls ‘Wawa-karrba’ (‘healing of the spirit’) to meet local Custodians of the land. This is your chance to hear stories that have been passed down through generations and then plunge into cooling waters of the Mossman River.
Immerse yourself in the rich history of the Mossman Gorge. Image credit: Tourism and Events Queensland
Deeper into the Daintree, sign up for a tour with the Daintree Boatman and spend a couple of lazy hours peering through the sharp lens of German-made binoculars in search of the Papuan Frogmouth, the Great Billed Heron and the Little Kingfisher. Tour owner Murray Hunt is a self-confessed ‘bird nerd’ who claims to have suffered a 25-year illness caused by birds, birding and bird vacations and his passion for the subject is quietly contagious.
Pull up an elegant chair at Julaymba Restaurant and take your evening meal in an otherworldly jungle setting before a shimmering lagoon. Behind this legendary eatery is the Daintree Ecolodge and 15 tree houses perched so high, their balconies literally hug the bird song that cuddles the soul.
Day 4: Discover Treasures of the Rainforest
Image credit: Tourism and Events Queensland
Spend a little time to be in the moment. After all, you are in the middle of a 140-million-year old creation, so why rush the experience? If you slow down, or pop into the Daintree Discovery Centre, you’ll learn that the Daintree Rainforest is teeming with unimaginable natural treasures. It’s home to 30% of Australia’s frog, reptile and marsupial species, 65% of the country’s bat and butterfly species, and 18% of all bird species. Indeed, this is a wonderland, not seen elsewhere and is said to be the inspiration for James Cameron’s blockbuster movie, Avatar, the story about a paradise worth fighting for. Hike the forest trails, kayak beside the palm-fringed coastline or horse ride along an abandoned beach.
Day 5: Wine, Dine and Buy in Port Douglas
Head back to Port Douglas for some urban action. A former fishing village, this friendly town is headquarters for boutique shopping and fine dining.
It’s also a second base for tours to the Great Barrier Reef. Here, you can make like a rock star and charter a helicopter to Vlasoff Cay, a tiny arc of sand that appears only at low tide. Chill out under an umbrella, float in the shallow crystal waters, or snorkel straight from the sand. You get two hours, a gourmet picnic hamper and years to gloat over the experience.
There’s also an endless list of elegant eateries to try. Follow a hidden pathway in the middle of Macrossan Street to discover the 60-year-old Nautilus restaurant, order fresh seafood at Salsa Bar & Grill, or stop by Harrisons by Spencer Patrick at the Sheraton Grand Mirage and dine with a chef who learned his trade from celebrity chef Marco Pierre White.
A scrumptious smorgasbord of seafood. Image credit: Tourism and Events Queensland
Days 6 - 7: Extend and Recharge
Need more time to replenish? Then choose one of four luxury island resorts off the coast of Cairns and relax by the gem-toned waters of the Great Barrier Reef. There’s Fitzroy, Bedarra, Lizard and Green Islands.
Or head south to Mission Beach and tour Paronella Park. Located 90 minutes’ drive south of Cairns, Paronella Park was built in the 1930s by Jose Paronella, a Spanish cane farmer who worked backbreaking years to create a Catalan palace as a love letter to his bride. Once opened, the park became a playground for the town; visitors could stroll through the 7,000 trees, attend dance parties in the hall or watch movies in the theatre. Despite the ravages of cyclones and horrific fires, today the palace still stands and makes for a magical few hours into Australia’s pioneering past.
Get your luxe on at Lizard Island Resort, Great Barrier Reef. Image credit: Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef