WhereTraveller Guestbook Tropical North Queensland — 2019-2020

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C A I R N S | 4 S P E N C E S T R E E T | 0 7. 4 0 4 1 . 6 4 8 6 P O R T D O U G L A S | M A C R O S S A N & W H A R F S T R E E T | 0 7. 4 0 9 9 . 6 6 9 9

WELCOME TO TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND Message from the Minister for Innovation and Tourism Industry Development The Hon Kate Jones MP It is my pleasure to welcome you to Tropical North Queensland—where life is beautiful one day, perfect the next!

The natural beauty of this region speaks for itself—from Australia’s greatest natural wonder, the Great Barrier Reef, to the ancient beauty of the Daintree, a stunning coastline and a mainland that boasts lush hinterland.

What really makes a visit to Tropical North Queensland so special is the legendary hospitality of the locals and the opportunity to experience the lifestyle they enjoy. Take the time to get to know the many local characters and learn first-hand the special stories of this wonderful area.

There is also a plethora of unique tourism experiences on offer throughout the region that will leave you with long-lasting memories, and a calendar of events that showcases the best of the tropics throughout the year.

Enjoy your stay,

THE HON KATE JONES MP

Minister for Innovation and Tourism Industry Development

WHERE GUEST B OOK

1

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C A I R N S – 2 LO C AT I O N S 26 Abbott Street 63 Abbott Street Ph 07 4051 2576 Ph 07 4031 6838

Woolworths

ABBOTT Cairns Post

ESPLANADE Esplanade Lagoon Reef Fleet Terminal Pier Shopping

PORT DOUGLAS 1/1 Macrossan Street Ph 07 4099 6566

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SHIELDS STREET

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EVERT –Australia’s Trusted Opal Brand Established 1962 • Direct from the family mines Trusted experts • Best quality and value Australia wide Evert Opals + Fine Jewellery Over 56 years of dedication to the Australian Opal industry has given this unique Australian owned and family operated retail company with a history of mining the knowledge and expertise to showcase one of the largest ranges of Australian opals in this country.

Evert Opals offer a world wide guarantee. As opal specialists we offer honest, professional and friendly service.

Our stores in Cairns and Port Douglas display a complete range of high quality, unique opal jewellery, as well as a wide selection of unset stones. It’s reassuring to know that you are dealing with expertise you can trust.

• OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK • MULTI-LINGUAL STAFF • TAX FREE SHOPPING

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For further information visit www.everts.com.au O PA L S /AU S TR A LI A N PE A R L S A N D FI N E J E W E LLE RY

100% Australian owned and operated.

CONTENTS 8

THE TROPICAL NORTH Australia’s capital of natural beauty.

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IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURE Adrenalin-fuelled activities in the tropics.

30 GREAT BARRIER REEF Dive into a world of living colour.

42

CAIRNS AQUARIUM Get up close and personal to aquatic wonders.

44 TROPICS FOOD AND WINE TRAIL Your guide to the flavours of paradise.

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52

DINING Award-winning restaurants, beach bars and more.

72

SHOPPING Take home a piece of the tropics.

90 INDIGENOUS HERITAGE Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land.

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CITY OF CAIRNS The cultural centre of the Tropical North.

106 CORAL SEA Miles of golden sand and crystal blue water.

106

110

110 PORT DOUGLAS Run on island time in this charming village.

ALL IMAGES: © ANDREW WATSON.

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W H E R E GU E S TBO O K

CONTENTS 122 REEF AND RAINFOREST COAST Where two World Heritage treasures collide.

130 CAPE YORK & TORRES STRAIT The final frontiers of paradise.

134 KURANDA A mountain retreat amidst the rainforest.

140 TABLELANDS Savannah, wetlands, a whole lot of butterflies.

146 GREAT GREEN WAY

122

150

A long stretch of dramatic beauty.

150 MISSION BEACH Discover unspoiled beaches and exotic birdlife.

156 CARDWELL AND HINCHINBROOK Chase waterfalls in these pristine twin towns.

160 CHARTERS TOWERS An historic gold mining centre rich in culture.

162 TOWNSVILLE Where the sun never stops shining.

166 GULF SAVANNAH An untamed landscape where time stands still.

162

170 PARTING SHOT A picture-perfect parting.

TOP LEFT IMAGE: © SOLAR WHISPER WILDLIFE CRUISES. TOP RIGHT AND ABOVE: IMAGES COURTESY TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

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W H E R E GU E S TBO O K

Discover North QueeNslaND explore more of this amazing region with avis. travel to all the sights - from the outback to the reef - and experience an incredible journey while visiting tropical North Queensland.

B o o k o n l i n e o r c a l l u s t o d ay cairns airport 07 4033 9555 townsville airport 07 4762 7400 cairns city 07 4048 0522 townsville city 07 4799 2022 Port Douglas 07 4099 4331 Palm cove 07 4059 2499 w w w. av i s . c o m . au

ExplorE tropical north quEEnsland Get great deals on a wide range of vehicles and explore the sunshine state with Budget.

Cairns Airport 07 4033 9777

Townsville Airport 07 4762 7433

Cairns City 07 4048 8166

Townsville City 07 4762 7433

Port Douglas 07 4099 5702

Palm Cove 07 4059 2499

au

wheretraveller GUESTBOOK

Unlock the best of

Tropical North Queensland

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND PUBLISHED BY WHERE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD (ABN 44 167 255 254)

Colin Ritchie Catherine Ballesty EDITOR Kirsty Sier CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Katrina Holden, Judy Rutledge-Smith PRODUCTION MANAGER Remziye Sen-Moss GRAPHIC DESIGNERS John Danskin, Rosalyn Thompson MANAGING DIRECTOR PUBLISHER

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND

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Access the best of the region: • • • •

Great Barrier Reef Tropical Rainforest History Activities & Adventure

• • • •

Food & Wine Shopping Art & Lifestyle Health & Beauty

Donna Kessler Reab Berry CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Dennis Kelly PRESIDENT

CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER

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Green Sea Turle (Chelonia mydas). © Gary Bell/oceanwideimages.com

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W H E R E G UES TBO O K

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND

TORRES STRAIT Badu Island

Moa Island

Thursday Island Horn Island Prince of Wales Island

Bamaga

Darwin Cairns

Weipa

Alice Springs

Lockhart River T EA GR

Aurukun

BA RRI ER

Coen

Perth

Brisbane

Adelaide Melbourne

Sydney Canberra Hobart

RE E

F Lakefield National Park

Mornington Island

Burketown Doomadgee Lawn Hill National Park

CAPE YORK PENINSULA Karumba Normanton Croydon

Lizard Island

CORAL SEA

Cooktown

Laura Daintree

Port Douglas

Palm Cove Green Island Cairns Mareeba Atherton Innisfail Misson Beach Mount Hinchinbrook Island Surprise Cardwell Einasligh Ingham Palm Island

GRE AT B ARR IER Townsville

Magnetic Island

Riversleigh World Heritage Site

Charters Towers

Bowen

RE EF

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WHERE GUESTBOOK

THE TROPICAL

NORTH Experience Far North Queensland’s majestic World Heritage sites: the reef, the rainforest and the outback.

K

nown colloquially as FNQ, Far North Queensland sits apart from the rest of Australia, very much loved by its people. It is a pride not only borne of the immense natural beauty of the region, but a pride borne of struggle to become recognised in a world so focused on big cities, money markets, buildings reaching to the sky and political

strife. Here, tucked away in the northern-most region of eastern Australia, is a rich mix of cultures and peoples, both Indigenous and with a foreign heritage, and three World Heritage sites: the Great Barrier Reef, the Wet Tropics Rainforests and, out west, the Riversleigh Fossil Fields.

It is where time slows down, everything relaxes and we appreciate a geographically beautiful region and take pleasure in sharing it with its many visitors.

PHOTO: Š ANDREW WATSON.

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Cairns, as the primary gateway and jumping off point for the surrounding regions and activities, is a delightful cocktail of early 20th-century buildings and modern architecture—a laid-back, sleepy harbour town laced with the sophistication of artistic talent and world-class restaurants.

To the south of Cairns, Townsville and the adjoining Thuringowa combine to claim the title of Australia’s largest tropical beachside city, with a population of 178,000 people. The city is the administrative centre of North Queensland and houses the world’s largest living reef aquarium, Reef HQ. From The Strand, lined with restaurants and cafés, swimming pools and water playgrounds, the sweeping views take the eye across to Magnetic Island.

To the north of Cairns, the balmy town of Port Douglas, once a lazy seaside fishing village, has blossomed and now glows in the attention of visitors from around the world. In recent times this has included film and sporting stars, heads of multi-national companies and leaders of the world’s most influential countries.

Lying just off the coast of the Tropical North, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef extends more than 2,300 kilometres, and is home to the greatest variety of flora and fauna species found in any one location in the world. The scope of the reef is magnificent, encompassing almost 3,000 individual reefs and hundreds of continental islands, reef islands and cays in an area of 344,400 square kilometres, larger than the combined total area of Ireland and the United Kingdom, or similar in size to all of Norway!

While it is known mostly for its large maze of colourful reefs, the intricate ecosystem also provides a home for a huge number of animals and plants. Some of these, such as turtles and crocodiles, have been in existence since prehistoric times and have changed little over the millennia.

The breathtaking array of marine creatures includes 600 types of soft and hard corals, more than 100 species of jellyfish, 3,000 varieties of molluscs, 500 species of worms, 1,625 types of fish, 133 varieties of sharks and rays, and more than 30 species of whales and dolphins.

The Great Barrier Reef facilitates a number of awe-inspiring recreational activities such as snorkelling, diving, swimming and coral viewing.

Exploring the reef is an exhilarating experience. Cruise and dive operators are highly conscious of their eco-tourism responsibilities and the sustainability of this most beautiful natural phenomenon, which is threatened by global warming and increased water temperatures, as well as ocean acidification. In today’s world this is a gigantic problem. As oceans have absorbed human carbon dioxide emissions, the carbon equilibrium has been disturbed and the oceans have become more acidic. By educating visitors and helping them to understand the reef, an appreciation and desire for preservation is founded.

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WHERE GUESTBOOK

JUVENILE EMPEROR ANGELFISH (POMACANTHUS IMPERATOR). © GARY BELL/ OCEANWIDEIMAGES.COM

PHOTO: © ANDREW WATSON.

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CAIRNS BIRDWING BUTTERFLY (ORNITHOPTERA PRIAMUS). PHOTO: © GARY BELL/OCEANWIDEIMAGES.COM

PHOTO: © MOSSMAN GORGE CENTRE.

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WHERE GUESTBOOK

Marine biologists accompany most reef trips to interpret its various natural phenomena, and all cruise company staff exhibit a special pride in and respect for the reef’s ecology. Reef trips are designed with both swimmers and non-swimmers in mind, with diving, snorkelling, semi-submersible or underwater observatory viewing all available. Alternatively, a pleasant aspect to take is a bird’s eye view of the magnificent reefs on a scenic flight in a helicopter, light aircraft or seaplane. A day spent discovering the beauty and splendour of the reef is one that will stay with you forever.

The rainforests of the Wet Tropics, regarded by world authorities as living museums of flora and fauna, were World Heritage-listed in 1988. The Wet Tropics covers an area of nearly 900,000 hectares of rainforest and tropical vegetation, stretching for more than 400 kilometres from just north of Townsville to just south of Cooktown.

Here, pockets of primitive plants have remained undisturbed for millions of years and rare, even recently unidentified species of birds, insects and mammals have emerged to delight biologists and nature lovers.

Rainforest Aboriginal people are the original guardians of the Wet Tropics rainforests and have been since time immemorial. There are more than 20 Aboriginal tribal groups with ongoing traditional connections to land in and near the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The traditional estate boundaries are different to the boundaries of the World Heritage Area. Each group has customary obligations for management of their Country under Aboriginal law.

To Rainforest Aboriginal people, the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area is a series of complex, living cultural landscapes. This means that natural features are interwoven with Rainforest Aboriginal people’s religion, spirituality, economic use (including food, medicines, tools) and social and moral organisation.

However, the cultural landscape is more than dots on a map representing isolated heritage sites. The landscape identifies Rainforest Aboriginal peoples’ place within their Country and reinforces their ongoing customary laws and connection to Country. The Country is therefore embedded with enormous meaning and significance to its traditional owners.

Captain James Cook must have had a great view of what is now the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area when he sailed up the east coast of Australia more than 200 years ago.

The mist-shrouded mountains covered in rainforest would have been an awe-inspiring sight when so little was known of the mysterious great south land, Terra Australis.

MOSSMAN GORGE INDIGENOUS GUIDE. PHOTO: © MOSSMAN GORGE CENTRE.

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In fact, the uncharted waters almost put an end to Cook’s epic journey when the Endeavour struck a reef off the Daintree coast.

While Cook and his crew repaired the ship’s hull near the present site of Cooktown, Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander investigated the surrounding country. Their sketches and records were destined to shape the rest of the world’s early impressions of Australia and

SPECTACLED FLYING FOX. PHOTO: © SOLAR WHISPER WILDLIFE CRUISES.

influence Britain to establish the first colonial settlement in Australia.

The expedition collected more than 200 plant specimens, many of which they’d never seen before. They also described their first encounters with Australia’s unique wildlife: “I have seen a devil,” one of the sailors told Captain Cook. “He was as large as a one gallon keg and very like it. He had horns and wings, yet he crept so slowly through the grass that if I had not been afeared I might have touched him.” He was describing the harmless, fruit-eating flying foxes, which swoop through the tropical skies at dusk in a fascinating aerial spectacle.

To the south of Cairns, bordered by the sugarcane fields of the coastal lowlands, is the 79,500-hectare Wooroonooran (Bellenden Ker) National Park. This region is also home to Queensland’s highest mountain, Mount Bartle Frere. This Great Green Way,

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WHERE GUESTBOOK

CASSOWARY. PHOTO: Š ANDREW WATSON.

ATHERTON TABLELANDS. PHOTO: Š ANDREW WATSON.

from Cairns south to Hinchinbrook, is one of the last great habitats of the cassowary bird, and is ideal for bushwalkers and nature lovers. Good walking tracks, cascading waterfalls, fern-fringed swimming pools, swift running streams and rivers abound. Along with trekking and bushwalking, white water rafting is a spectacular way to experience the wonder of the rainforest. The nearby Eubenangee Swamp National Park, where more than 170 different species of bird have been recorded, is a paradise for bird lovers.

Between the Wooroonooran Range and the Great Dividing Range are the Tropical or Atherton Tablelands. This fertile plateau contains some of the most beautiful ancient rainforests of the Wet Tropics, as well as spectacular national parks. Most of the dramatic natural features of the Tablelands resulted from tremendous volcanic activity centuries ago, and make sightseeing around this district exceptionally interesting thanks to deep blue crater lakes, crystal clear streams rushing over waterfalls of basalt, and a multitude of animals and birds for the avid watcher.

WHERE GUESTBOOK

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COBBOLD GORGE. PHOTO: TOURISM 16

WHERE GUESTBOOK

AND EVENTS QUEENSLAND.

You are responsible for your own safety, so please obey crocodile warning signs, and never swim or stand in water where crocodiles may live, even if there is no warning sign present. When fishing, always stand a few metres back from the water’s edge and never stand on logs or branches overhanging the water. Do not clean fish or discard fish scraps near the water’s edge, around campsites or at boat ramps. Crocodiles may be close by and may approach people and boats. Never feed crocodiles— it is illegal and dangerous.

The climate of Tropical North Queensland is hard to beat, with sunshine, refreshing breezes and warm seas most of the year. But ‘tropical’ it is and thus generally has two distinct seasons: the wet and the dry. Winter, or the dry season, runs from May to October and is a period of warm temperatures MISSION BEACH. PHOTO: TOURISM AND EVENTS QUEENSLAND.

and low rainfall offering sunshine, fresh breezes and low humidity.

Summer, or the wet season, runs from November to April and brings with it balmier temperatures and higher rainfall. The heat of the day is

Queensland’s Gulf Savannah to the west is world renowned for its

counterbalanced by tropical downpours of an afternoon.

diversity, and as Australia’s great frontier land, typifies the romance of

Because of the tropical climate and warm waters, swimming in

the legendary outback as immortalised in Australian folklore. History

Tropical North Queensland is usually a year-round activity. However,

is forever preserved here in outlying towns such as Normanton,

along the coastal beaches, the accepted swimming season runs between

Croydon and Forsayth. It is another region that bursts with wildlife and

April and October. This is because from November to March, Tropical

bird species.

North Queensland is home to the box jellyfish (known as ‘stingers’),

To the north, Cape York Peninsula is a sparsely populated wilderness

so special swimming enclosures are erected at popular beaches to protect

and the northern-most tip of Australia. A popular escape for those who

swimmers. Seawater temperatures range from 23º Celsius in July to

like to escape the rat race, the cape is a place to camp by a waterfall or

29º Celsius in February.

billabong, watch the sunset, catch a barramundi or explore the ancient Aboriginal rock art galleries.

Tropical North Queensland’s average temperatures range from 21º Celcius to 30º Celcius with an average rainfall of 2,010mm (168mm

While the wildlife of Far North Queensland is fascinating, there

per month). The warmth of the tropical climate has fostered a vigorous

are preventative measures that must be taken when out and about.

outdoor lifestyle and so day touring in this region is easy—there are

Marine stingers, snakes and crocodiles all pose potential dangers to those

more than 600 activities and trips to choose from and the infrastructure

exploring the area, so we advise that you never take unnecessary risks.

is designed to ensure memorable holidays for visitors.

WHERE GUESTBOOK

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IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURE From crocs to deserted sand cays, Far North Queensland is the picturesque adventure capital of Australia.

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W H E R E G U E S TBO O K

D

o you want to dive to the depths of the ocean? Or perhaps raft a foaming river, or bungy jump in the rainforest? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to ride a horse along a tropical beach? To float over picturesque countryside at

sunrise in a hot air balloon, or search the waterways for huge crocodiles? Does the romance of sailing the Coral Sea on a balmy tropical evening while watching the sunset, or the chance to leave footprints on a deserted sand cay tug at your heart?

Those fortunate enough to live in Far North Queensland embrace the outdoors lifestyle that their landscape makes possible. It is the home of the first purpose-built bungy tower in the world. It is known worldwide as a mecca for white-water rafting and canoeing, and is the base for world-renowned marathons and ironman competitions. It is the undisputed capital of Australia for mountain bike riding—not to mention the jump off point for the best Great Barrier Reef experiences and amazing rainforest treks. Here are some of the adventures you can experience for yourself as a visitor to this beautiful, far-flung region.

OCEAN SAFARI. PHOTO: PHILL GORDON.

SAILAWAY LOW ISLES Fifteen kilometres off Port Douglas, Low Isles is a protected coral cay with white sandy beaches and coconut palms. The reef around Low Isles comprises 150 species of hard corals, 15 species of soft corals, and a large variety of reef fish including angelfish, damselfish, anemones, giant trevally, sweetlip, fusiliers and many green turtles.

PHOTO: Š SOLAR WHISPER WILDLIFE CRUISES.

PHOTO: SAILAWAY.

JUNGLE SURFING. WHERE GUESTBOOK

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PHOTO: © SOLAR WHISPER WILDLIFE CRUISES.

SAILAWAY. PHOTO: © CHRISTIAN MILLER.

The beautiful Sailaway catamarans sail from Port Douglas daily

A trip on Solar Whisper, the only zero-emission boat on Daintree

and moor in the sheltered blue lagoon of Low Isles. From here you can

River, provides a true eco tour, and has a 99 per cent success rate for

either relax on the island, join the guided snorkel tour, take a trip on the

spotting crocodiles, excellent bird-watching opportunities and other

glass bottom boat, laze on deck—or all of the above.

wildlife possibilities such as snakes, frogs and fish.

Sailaway now offers four luxury scheduled and private charter day

Your experienced interpretive guide is accustomed to the nuances

sailing tours: Full Day Low Isles; the Afternoon Sunset combination;

of the river and rainforest, and can spot an incredible variety of wildlife

an adults-only Sunset Sailing option from Port Douglas; and a tour

that you would not necessarily see on your own.

for conservation-minded visitors to Mackay and Undine coral cays.

The cays are stunning and stand-up paddle boards can be hired to

CAIRNS ZOOM & WILDLIFE DOME

quietly float over the coral and clam gardens, and to see rays, turtles,

Cairns ZOOM and Wildlife Dome is the world’s first challenge ropes

sharks and schools of fish gliding below.

course in a wildlife park, situated in Cairns city on the rooftop of the

Steve and Katrina Edmondson—recognised as Great Barrier Reef leading sustainable eco-tourism operators—and the Sailaway crew give

a variety of daily shows and presentations.

individual attention to the small number of guests on any one tour.

Experience adventure at varying heights and levels of difficulty on the

Local pickups are included to ensure a completely relaxing day.

Mid-ZOOM and Hi-ZOOM courses, with 65 elements of crossings and

SOLAR WHISPER DAINTREE RIVER WILDLIFE CRUISES

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Reef Hotel Casino. Here you can interact with native wildlife and witness

ziplines—including one that takes you directly over a four-metre saltwater crocodile. The PowerJump is a free-fall adventure with a 13-metre drop, whilst the Dome-Climb offers spectacular views of the city, the Coral

Cruise the Daintree River spotting wildlife on a quiet, clean solar electric

Sea and surrounding landscapes. The recently introduced Pirate Climb,

boat, Solar Whisper, and get closer to nature. Hear, smell and experience

Commando Climb and Slackline are designed to challenge, and are not

the region without the noise and fumes.

for the faint of heart. It’s as much adrenaline as you want it to be!

W H E R E GU ES TBO O K

JUNGLE SURFING Jungle Surfing is the most exciting way to see the Daintree rainforest.

Crocodile Express offers two exciting options on the Daintree

A thrilling series of flying fox ziplines and eco-friendly tree platforms,

River: one that departs from the Daintree River Jetty and cruises the

this fully guided tour will take you to the most scenic, spectacular

freshwater section of the river; the other leaving from near the Daintree

and seldom-accessed sections of the rainforest canopy. Jungle Surfing,

Ferry Crossing and cruising the saltwater section of the Daintree River.

operating from Cape Tribulation, is a combination of exhilaration and

Both cruises are in saltwater crocodile habitats and give wonder-

education for all ages from 3 to 103—no previous experience necessary.

ful views of the native birdlife, butterflies and reptiles, as well as the

You will experience breathtaking views

magnificent crocodiles.

over the treetops, down to cascading streams

OCEAN SAFARI.

and out to the Great Barrier Reef, with inter-

OCEAN SAFARI

pretive talks on each platform. Operating up

If you are staying in Port Douglas—or further north

to 12 tours daily, Jungle Surfing is fun for all

in Cape Tribulation—Ocean Safari’s half-day eco-tour

the family and a unique adventure activity.

begins at Cape Tribulation Beach and gets you snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef within 25 minutes.

An exhilarating ride on a high-powered, purpose-built vessel to Mackay Reef and Undine Reef means you’ll have two hours to snorkel the pristine coral-filled waters and witness the abundant marine life that calls them home.

Your skipper and eco host will make sure that your time is filled with fun and appreciation of the Great Barrier Reef, seabirds and the coastal rainforest of the Daintree. Ocean Safari’s vessel only takes up to 25 guests to ensure a more intimate experience.

MISSION BEACH CHARTERS If you are staying or visiting the Mission Beach region, Mission Beach Charters can arrange a wonderful day out for you and your family.

JUNGLE SURFING.

Whether your wish is a scenic island cruise, to go snorkelling on the reef, pretend to be a castaway on a deserted island for a few nights, indulge in a romantic picnic with your partner, or spot a majestic giant during

CROCODILE EXPRESS

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whale-watching season, Jason and Bec can tailor a trip to suit.

Crocodile Express was the first wildlife cruise operator on the Daintree

An eco-adventure company, Mission Beach Charters specifically

River in 1979, so they know the river very well. Your cruise will take

caters to small groups, families or couples wishing to have a completely

you along sections of this spectacular waterway with your guide pointing

personalised experience within the idyllic surrounds of the Great Barrier

out wildlife and flora along the foreshore and creeks.

Reef marine park.

W H E R E G U ES TBO O K

HARTLEY’S CROCODILE ADVENTURES

AUSTRALIAN BUTTERFLY SANCTUARY

Located just 40 minutes north of Cairns and 25 minutes south of

The rainforests around Kuranda are the natural habitat of 90 per cent

Port Douglas, Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures is the best place to see

of Australia’s butterfly population with such exquisite names as Cape York

crocodiles and local wildlife up close in Tropical North Queensland.

Aeroplane, Big Greasy, Beatrix, Union Jack, Cruiser, Lurcher, Wanderer,

With more than 2,100 metres of timber boardwalks and pathways

Skipper, Orange Jezabel, Ulysses, Cairns Birdwing, and Red Lacewing.

leading you on a journey of discovery through woodlands and rainfor-

It’s little wonder, then, that Kuranda has long attracted butterfly enthusiasts

est, you can see an array of wildlife, including beautiful tropical birds,

from around the world in search of the many colours taking flight.

reptiles, insects and other native fauna.

Located in a beautiful rainforest setting, the Australian Butterfly

Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures offers a variety of educational wildlife

Sanctuary in Kuranda is home to more than 2,000 butterflies, all of

presentations on animals such as snakes, cassowaries, koalas, crocodiles

which have been bred on site. You can walk through the aviary and

and quolls. You can also take a boat cruise on Hartley’s Lagoon to see

may even experience a butterfly landing on your shoulder or hand.

crocodiles and other wildlife within the melaleuca wetland and learn more

The sanctuary offers a range of experiences for the whole family—from

about sustainable use and conservation on the Crocodile Farm tour.

educational immersive exhibits to guided tours through the aviary and

The Gondwana Gateway is an innovative addition to Hartley’s

breeding laboratory.

where you can learn about the evolution of Australian wildlife in a beautiful forest setting, surrounded by living descendants of Australia’s

WILDLIFE HABITAT

ancient past.

Situated at Port Douglas, Wildlife Habitat is a leader in sustainable eco-

Tours to Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures can be combined in different

tourism, providing visitors with the chance to observe a huge range of

variations for an experience that fits what you

flora and fauna up close in a spacious interactive

want to see most.

setting.

With four distinct eco-systems—Woodlands, Wetlands, Rainforest and Savannah—set over eight HARTLEY’S CROCODILE ADVENTURES. PHOTO: LOVEGREEN PHOTOGRAPHY.

acres of land (or 3.2 hectares), the natural habitat locations facilitate an immersive guest experience.

Free guided tours operate daily, and the Presentation Hut area allows guests to learn about pythons, koalas, crocodiles and birds, with photo opportunities available. For something completely different, join the WildNIGHT Nocturnal Tour, a two-hour guided evening tour by torchlight in search of reclusive after-dark animals. To participate in a personalised private tour with one of WILDLIFE HABITAT.

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the knowledgeable keepers, go for the YOUR Wildlife Habitat experience.

performance in a rainforest amphitheatre before joining the Dreamtime Walk, which includes boomerang throwing, spear-throwing and didgeridoo playing.

Rainforestation has a Koala & Wildlife Park that contains native Australian species such as crocodiles, wombats, dingoes, snakes, lizards, and a cassowary. You are also able to have your photo taken cuddling a koala or holding a small crocodile.

TROPIC WINGS Tropic Wings is the longest established coach operator

FALLA.

in Cairns. Locally owned and operated, it offers fullday touring programs that take visitors through all the

JUNGLE TOURS

wonders of the Tropical North: the rainforest, the wildlife,

Operating out of Cairns and Port Douglas,

the beaches, the culture and the reef. Destinations

Jungle Tours & Trekking specialises in

include Kuranda, Cape Tribulation and the Daintree.

single-day and extended tours of two or three days to the World Heritage areas of

THE ROMANCE OF FALLA

Cape Tribulation and the Daintree wilder-

Longing for the romance of days long past? Falla is the

ness. Here you can search the rainforest

only wooden pearl lugger on the Great Barrier Reef and

for wildlife, learn from naturalist guides,

sets sail daily.

zip-line through the treetops, and even sail

Departing from Cairns, a leisurely cruise takes you

to Mackay Reef on the Great Barrier Reef

out to the Great Barrier Reef where you will be over-

for some snorkelling.

RAINFORESTATION NATURE PARK.

Jungle Tours & Trekking works with other adventure companies such as Sailaway, Jungle Surfing, and Ocean Safari to offer their guests a complete range of fun-filled escapades.

whelmed by the pristine coral gardens, teeming with myriad tropical fish. Once you arrive, you are free to

swim, snorkel or dive.

A tropical smorgasbord lunch is served before moving on to a second shallow water location, Upolu Reef, where you can spend the afternoon

RAINFORESTATION NATURE PARK

exploring, stretch your legs if the sand cay is above the water, or continue

The award-winning Rainforestation Nature Park is a 100-acre (40-hectare)

with your swimming or snorkelling. The professional and experienced

attraction set in the midst of World Heritage rainforest, just 30 minutes

crew will be on hand to assist wherever they can. The sail home—with

by coach from Cairns and five minutes from Kuranda Village. Here you

a good breeze, a relaxing wine in hand and the seafaring tales of

can board an amphibious World War II Army Duck and take a different

Captain Doug—completes the scene.

kind of rainforest tour spanning both land and water, and during which

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your guide will be present to identify and explain fascinating plants and

Remember: When in the Australian sun, apply sunscreen (preferably a

wildlife as you pass by. Learn about Indigenous culture with the inter-

reef-friendly brand that is free of oxybenzone, octinoxate and parabens),

active Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience, and watch a traditional dance

wear a hat, and avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of water.

W H E R E GU E S TBO O K

THE REEF: IN LIVING

COLOUR The World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef is a living, breathtaking wonder.

F

rom the intricate, small creature seen close-up, metres below the surface, to the giant manta rays and huge breaching whales, or the panorama afforded from the air of coral ramparts reaching away to the horizon, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is a constant source of amazement and humbling grandeur. It is a world of incredible discovery, with so much to be

found, that a day trip or even an entire lifetime can be easily filled exploring and constantly discovering new facets of the reef.

The Great Barrier Reef is not one large reef but a collection of almost 3,000 individual reefs of various sizes (up to 100 square kilometres) sitting at varying distances from the mainland. From Cape Tribulation north of Cairns, where the rainforest meets the reef, to the horizon-hugging reefs sitting off the continental shelf, it comprises 618 continental islands, more than 300 coral islands (cays) which support vegetation, and roughly 150 inshore mangrove islands.

In 1975, this reef region—which extends 2,300 kilometres along the east coast of Australia from the very tip of Cape York Peninsula to the south of the Tropic of Capricorn, and is between 60 and 250 kilometres in width—was renamed the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Measuring a mindblowing 344,400 square kilometres, it was the largest marine park in the world when it was listed, and was the first Australian site to be inscribed on the World Heritage List.

ARLINGTON REEF OFF CAIRNS, GREAT BARRIER REEF MARINE PARK, QUEENSLAND. 30

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PHOTO: © ANDREW WATSON.

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The present-day living reef is estimated to be roughly 10,000 years old, which is young in terms of the reef’s structural history. The corals you see are no more than thin, living veneers that sit on the surface of hard limestone foundations comprising dead corals and plants that are millions of years old.

The massive structures that make up the Great Barrier Reef come from the humblest of origins. Reef coral for the most part is made up of millions of minute living creatures called polyps, which feed on the organisms suspended in the water, known as plankton.

But coral polyps are unable to perform their processes of feeding and producing limestone on their own. They rely on even smaller, microscopic single-celled plants called zooxanthellae, which live within the tissue of

CORAL SPAWNING ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF,

the polyp. Like any other plant, the zooxanthellae use sunlight to power

QUEENSLAND. PHOTO: © PETER HARRISON/

their food-making process, called photosynthesis. This not only supplies the zooxanthellae’s food requirement, but also supplies up to 98 per cent of the food requirements of the hosting coral polyp. This two-way process uses the carbon dioxide produced by the coral and returns oxygen and sugars to the polyp for energy.

Coral polyps reproduce in two ways. One form is called asexual fragmentation: a small piece of a living coral breaks off, perhaps during a storm or some other disturbance, and quickly becomes a new independent colony of active polyps. The other reproductive method is the spectacular coral spawning, when polyps literally spit out a multicoloured shower of egg and sperm bundles in a coordinated and unique reproduction carnival. These bundles are shot into the water column at the same time each year. Once an egg finds a sperm in the water column, this coral-to-be goes through a process of development as it spreads out on the currents before settling to form a new colony of polyps. This coral spawning event, often described as an upside-down snowstorm, is so precisely timed that scientists now accurately predict the time each year that various sections of the reef will experience their rebirth.

The most notable animals that utilise the Great Barrier Reef are, unsurprisingly, the very animals that many visitors aspire to see. Turtles, reef sharks, rays and dolphins are incredible sights in the wild, but in recent years, much larger visitors to the reef have been observed in increasing numbers including manta rays, whale sharks, humpback whales and the curious minke whales.

There are many amazing bony fish living on the reef that catch the eye and deserve mention. From the largest living bony fish, the impressive Queensland groper—alongside its cousin, the friendly giant cod— to the beautifully marked humphead maori wrasse, these massive creatures are always welcome sights.

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OCEANWIDEIMAGES.COM

FEATHER DUSTER TUBEWORM, GREAT BARRIER REEF, QUEENSLAND. PHOTO: © GARY BELL/ OCEANWIDEIMAGES.COM

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SPINE-CHEEK ANEMONEFISH, FOUND IN THE NORTHERN GREAT BARRIER REEF. PHOTO: © GARY BELL/ OCEANWIDEIMAGES.COM

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The intriguing parrot fish is sought after by fishermen and natural predators alike. Therefore, to protect themselves at night, parrot fish engulf themselves in a cocoon of spun mucus, which disguises its smell from predators and protects it each evening while it sleeps.

Clown anemonefish, immortalised by Disney’s Finding Nemo, are mischievous little orange fish which have evolved a unique survival technique of living within the stinging tentacles of an anemone. To any other small fish, the sting of the anemone is fatal; however, the clown fish gradually covers itself with a protective mucus and thereby becomes immune to the anemone’s sting. The clown fish makes its home within the protection of the tentacles, knowing it is safe from outside predators. A pair of clown fish usually inhabits a single anemone, the larger and more dominant of the two being the female clown fish. She is larger because the demands and stress that she inflicts on her mate stunt his growth. Should she die, however, the male will grow larger and develop into a female ready to take on another mate and make demands on him as the previous female had done.

This is just one example of the many strange inter-species relationships that take place on the Great Barrier Reef.

The goby and the shrimp form an odd couple, and have one of the many marriages of convenience to be found among reef animals. The shrimp is virtually blind but is very good at burrowing, creating a safe haven from marauders.

The goby fish has excellent eyesight, and somehow nature has contrived for a pair of gobies to stand guard at the entrance of the shrimp’s burrow, retreating inside and warning their near-sighted home-builder if danger approaches.

Another example of unusual friends is the range of cleaner shrimp and cleaner fish: the barbers and groomers of the reef population. The cleaner shrimp and the cleaner fish, of the wrasse family, spend their time eating small parasites off the skin of much larger fish, often swimming right into the mouth of their CLING GOBY ON A GIANT CLAM MANTLE, GREAT BARRIER REEF, QUEENSLAND. PHOTO: © GARY BELL/OCEANWIDEIMAGES.COM

host and making a leisurely job of cleaning the teeth and jaws. By some quirk of nature, this operation makes the fish being attended to lose all predatory instincts and just hang in the water, mouth and gills gaping open for grooming.

Adding to this wonder of nature, the cleaner fish has a mimic known as the false cleaner. This imposter not only looks like the real thing, but closely imitates the movements and general habits of the cleaner wrasse. But there is one big difference: the false cleaner, fooling the host fish, uses its long, canine teeth to take a chunk from its unsuspecting victim before darting away. Older fish seem to get to know which is which, but young fish find it a painful learning process.

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ACROPORA PLATE CORAL. GREAT BARRIER REEF, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA. © GARY BELL/OCEANWIDEIMAGES.COM

OVULID COWRY FEEDING ON GORGONIAN FAN CORAL, GREAT BARRIER REEF, QUEENSLAND. PHOTO © OCEANWIDEIMAGES.COM

ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES To quote the world-famous naturalist, Sir David Attenborough: “The Great Barrier Reef is in grave danger. The twin perils brought by climate change—an increase in temperature of the ocean and in its acidity—threaten its very existence.” If we fail to act, we may lose this natural wonder within the next generation.

Most recently, much of our cherished Great Barrier Reef has been the victim of two coral bleaching events caused by an underwater heatwave. In 1998, the warmest year on record up to that point, the world lost around 16 per cent of its coral reefs in the first global-scale mass coral bleaching event. On our Great Barrier Reef, coral bleaching was recorded as growing from 5 per cent to 10 per cent in 1998, and again in 2002. The years 2016 and 2017 saw the bleaching of coral reefs between Townsville and the tip of Cape York Peninsula estimated at 10 per cent to 50 per cent in the more northern areas. This is not just an Australian problem; it affects reefs world-wide.

Scientific research has shown that it only takes a temperature increase of 1–2° Celsius to disrupt the special relationship between corals and the marine algae or zooxanthellae that live inside

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their tissue, resulting in a sudden change in colour, from brown to brilliant white (bleached). These zooxanthellae supply 90 per cent of the energy that corals require for growth and reproduction. When corals bleach, they expel the algae. If conditions stay warm for a long time, corals start to die either directly or indirectly from starvation.

While rising sea temperatures are the primary cause of mass coral bleaching, strong El Niños are adding to the problem and are pushing corals to their thermal tolerance limits. As carbon dioxide concentrations increase, sea temperatures will continue to rise, increasing the likelihood that mass coral bleaching events will become more frequent.

Coral bleaching, however, is not the only consequence of warming sea temperatures. Tropical cyclones are also predicted to increase in intensity. Since 2005 there have been nine destructive cyclones on the reef of category three or above—more than previous decades and evidence that these predictions are already coming true and forming part of our current reality.

BLEACHED CORAL, GREAT BARRIER REEF. PHOTO: © GARY BELL/OCEANWIDEIMAGES.COM

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M .CO GES HOTO: © OCEANWIDEIMA LLY. P

-EY ET REV A

BIG

LIN G SC HO O O F

EX

RT VO

SCHOOLING BLUE-STRIPED SNAPPER. PHOTO: © OCEANWIDEIMAGES.COM

BOX JELLYFISH (CHIRONEX FLECKERI).

PHOTO: © GARY BELL/OCEANWIDEIMAGES.COM

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The climate is changing and coral reefs are on the front line. As our earth warms and its glaciers and polar ice caps melt, a lesser-known fact is that these melting ice caps release totally fresh water (when water freezes, salt is not retained). Imagine what will happen as these ice caps melt, forcing an influx of fresh water into our oceans. Our ocean currents (which also affect our weather cycles) are driven by movement of the different layers of water. The amount of salts in water determine how heavy or dense the water is. More salt in water makes it denser and thus this water will try to move deeper in the water column, whereas freshwater is less dense and tries to move to the surface of the ocean. The same goes for temperature layers: water that is warmer (closer to the surface or in warmer regions of our planet) is less dense than the colder water found deeper or in the polar regions. Dramatic changes to these cyclic ocean currents are having powerful affects not just locally, but also on our global weather patterns.

Basically, the increasing temperatures of our oceans are a huge concern for an ecosystem that has developed in such a small temperature range. Very few species are likely to be able to adapt to these increasing temperatures, which will therefore lead to a massive loss of species and biodiversity in the short term. As the coral itself suffers, the habitats of even these more robust species decline.

Soon there will be nowhere for even these adaptive species to live.

In addition to all these issues, the excess carbon in our atmosphere that has been produced by BROADCLUB CUTTLEFISH. PHOTO: © GARY BELL/ OCEANWIDEIMAGES.COM

humans since the industrial revolution is causing what scientists are calling “the other carbon problem”: ocean acidification. As carbon dioxide increases in our atmosphere, much of it is absorbed by our oceans. In turn, this extra carbon dioxide is changing the chemistry of our oceans. More carbon dioxide makes our oceans more acidic. A more acidic ocean can cause huge problems to many aquatic species as they are unable to tolerate this change. Not only does their environment become less comfortable to live in, the increasing acidity also reduces animals’ ability to produce calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate makes up the hard structures (shells and exoskeletons) of all crustaceans, molluscs and most phytoplankton (the basis of all food chains) and zooplankton species in our oceans. As it becomes more difficult to calcify, more energy is required for calcification and in turn the productivity of these animals is reduced and fewer organisms are able to reproduce. Dealing solely with the plight of phytoplankton being unable to reproduce, this potentially cripples our ocean food chains from the bottom up.

It is an environmental war being fought from a multitude of directions.

There is a glimmer of good news. Scientists have discovered that it may be possible for the corals to actually help themselves in decreasing temperatures. Marine algae and some coral polyps release a sulfur-based molecule called dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) during photosynthesis. DMSP increases the amount of sulphur-based gas which seeds cloud formations and therefore regulates the local climate. Cloud build-up shades the reef and the region and the subsequent rainfall contributes

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Everyone visiting the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park must abide by the Zoning Plan. It is best to check zoning information about the area prior to visiting the Marine Park for an outing, particularly if you plan to go fishing. That’s as easy as checking online at gbrmpa.gov.au.

Our Great Barrier Reef, although protected directly by GBRMPA, is under pressure from global issues. Increasing temperatures, rising sea BLUE-SPOTTED FANTAIL

levels and ocean acidification, coupled with the impacts of adjacent land

STINGRAY (TAENIURA LYMMA). PHOTO:

activities (agriculture, mining and even natural flooding events), mean that

© GARY BELL/OCEANWIDEIMAGES.COM

there is pressure from a number of different sources on our reef. Each individual pressure is enough for us to be concerned about damaging this natural wonder, and with multiple pressures, it is only a matter of time before we see the straw break the proverbial camel’s back.

to reduced local temperatures. Corals may therefore be able to combat

As visitors to the reef, we must do our best to cause as little additional

increasing temperatures in their own region—if they have not been

stress or pressure on this delicate ecosystem as possible. When you visit,

killed by all the other threats.

use only environmentally safe sunscreens (those not containing oxyben-

In 1975, the Australian Government moved to create a strong manage-

zone, octinoxate or parabens); ensure you take all your rubbish with

ment agency to look after the interests of the entire ecosystem; in that

you; make sure nothing goes overboard from the boat. If you encounter

year, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) came

any rubbish, pick it up and take that with you.

into being. The authority recognises how vital the reef is to the lives of

When you get home, think about what else you can do to reduce

thousands of people living in Queensland coastal communities, and to

your footprint on the planet. Recycle more; do not use products contain-

the growing economies of north Queensland. Historically, the reef has

ing microbeads; say no to plastic straws; create less waste by reusing or

been an age-old source of food, materials and spiritual significance for the

upcycling what otherwise would be waste; try to buy less—don’t buy

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were the only inhabitants

things that you really don’t need. Endeavour to go without plastic

of the reef area for thousands of years before European settlement.

wherever you can with reusable water bottles, coffee cups and shopping

A policy of multiple use has been adopted, governed by a principle of

bags. Plastics and especially shopping bags find their way to the ocean

Ecologically Sustainable Use. This means that most reasonable uses of

and are mistaken by marine creatures for food—nothing will kill a turtle,

the reef region are allowed, provided that they are ecologically sustain-

whale or seabird faster than a belly full of plastic.

able. This is a zoning plan and permit system for all commercial and

Do your bit to protect our natural wonder so that future generations

scientific activities—as well as some private recreational uses—along the

may enjoy its beauty. It’s not too late to act. Once again in the words

entire length of the reef. The system allows everyone—commercial fishing

of Sir David Attenborough: “Do we really care so little about the earth

operators, recreational anglers, tourist operators, holidaymakers, divers,

upon which we live, that we don’t wish to protect one of its greatest

scientists and others—to use the Great Barrier Reef while ensuring no

wonders from the consequences of our behaviours?”

significant or permanent damage is caused.

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ORANGE FAIRY BASSLETS FEEDING ON PLANKTON DRIFTING THROUGH THE REEF WITH CRINOID FEATHER STARS. PHOTO: © GARY BELL/OCEANWIDEIMAGES.COM

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CAIRNS AQUARIUM “Individually we are one drop. Together PHOTO: LOVEGREEN PHOTOGRAPHY.

A

ustralia’s newest and most spectacular aquarium exclusively

make your skin crawl. A “Life in the Mangroves” exhibit hosts a world

showcases the stunning aquatic wildlife from Tropical

of unique creatures including juvenile crocodiles and upside-down

North Queensland’s two World Heritage areas: the Great

jellyfish. “Dangers of the Reef” presents marine species that can

Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforest.

potentially be fatal to humans—stone fish, sea snakes, lionfish, jelly fish

Following the path of a drop of rain as it travels from the rainforest-

and a host of other venomous creatures. Designed for all ages, the “Touch

clad mountain range, joining creeks and streams through the rainforest,

and Talk” exhibit offers you the chance to touch—and in some cases

across the flooded plains and billabongs into the mangroves, and finally

hold—completely safe creatures while under the supervision of a trained

out to the Great Barrier Reef, your destination is the Coral Sea.

aquarist. Talks and presentations are scheduled every half hour, but

10 ecosystems and 71 habitats have been meticulously researched and replicated to ensure that visitors to Cairns Aquarium will enjoy a 2.5-hour immersive journey, seeing and interacting with some of the

don’t miss the animal feeding sessions—the baby crocodiles, sharks, and rays feasting are a definite highlight!

Double Discovery Tours include a visit to the Turtle Rescue Centre to learn more about the plight of the much-loved sea turtles while the Sea

rarest and most elusive animals on earth.

Amazement and curiosity prevail with the magnitude and variety of

Explorer takes you on a virtual submarine journey to the ocean depths.

the exhibitions: a 300,000-litre “Deep Reef” exhibit, a 1.8-million litre

For the enthusiasts, there are VIP Tours including a Gold Experience or,

“Oceanarium” exhibit—home to large ocean predators that can be seen

for a real treat, try the VIP Platinum Experience providing access to all

0

through a 20-metre, 270 underwater viewing tunnel—and a

3600

five-

areas with a personal tour guide, hand-feeding gentle Cownose rays,

metre-deep viewing room. The 400,000-litre “River Monsters” exhibit

plus a two-course lunch at the award-winning Dundee’s Restaurant and

houses the Gulf Savannah’s highly endangered freshwater Sawfish while

other highlights.

the “Tropical Rainforest” zone features some of the most incredible snakes, lizards and frogs ever seen, along with spiders and insects to

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we are an ocean.” Ryunosuke Satoro.

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The Cairns Aquarium is air-conditioned, wheelchair-accessible and has free Wi-Fi available.

TROPICAL TASTES ON THE FOOD AND WINE TRAIL Sample nature’s bounty in Tropical North Queensland.

N

o longer are we content to just shop at the local supermarket.

More and more people are interested in reconnecting with the primary links in the food chain—by heading off to farmers’ markets, hunting down artisanal goods, and learning how

and where food is produced. A similar trend is shaping the way we source what we drink, with boutique distilleries, wineries and craft breweries now

springing up all over the country.

Here in the Tropical North, the Coral Sea yields a bounty of fresh seafood, and rich volcanic soils support tropical fruits, vegetables, game meats, flowers, nuts, spices, coffee and tea. All considered, it is small wonder that chefs from around the world converge on this bountiful region, giving Cairns and Port Douglas claim to some of the most impressive restaurant menus in the country.

Fresh seafood from the Coral Sea and the Gulf of Carpentaria includes tiger prawns, banana prawns, king prawns and the ever-popular Endeavour prawn. Mud crabs from the Gulf are the biggest and the best, while the Great Barrier Reef gives us coral trout, red emperor and Spanish mackerel.

High above the ocean and the lowland sugarcane fields, Tropical North Queensland has good reason to claim the title of the “Fruit Bowl of the World”.

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IMAGES COURTESY: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

DAVIDSON PLUM FROM SUNSET RIDGE FARM. PHOTO: BRETT’S OUTBACK TASTING ADVENTURES.

Exotic produce is grown from Tully and Mission Beach, throughout the Atherton Tablelands and further north to The Daintree. Diverse micro-climates exist throughout the entire northern region of Queensland, each with different soil, rainfall and geographical conditions. This provides all the essential factors necessary for growing and producing a year-long supply of intriguing produce. In fact, more varieties of exotic and tropical fruit grow in Tropical North Queensland than almost anywhere else in the world.

This diversity of produce is also partly due to the fact that, earlier last century, immigrants came to work in the mining, pearling and sugarcane industries of north Queensland, bringing with them cultures from all corners of the world. As they settled in the area, it was not long before Queensland farmers recognised that tropical and exotic fruit was more suited to the tropical climate than the fruit of the southern regions DE BRUEYS BOUTIQUE WINES. PHOTO: BRETT’S OUTBACK TASTING ADVENTURES.

of Australia, and exotic plants subsequently became a dynamic part of the region.

The differing regions of the tropical north offer different tastes. The rolling hills of the Atherton Tablelands, for instance, are covered in tropical fruit plantations, temperate fruit and vegetable farms,

tea and coffee plantations, biodynamic dairy farms and wineries, even a bamboo farm and a smokehouse.

It was April Fool’s Day in 1882 when four young brothers—James, Herbert, Leonard and Sidney Cutten—rowed a boat down the Tully River in north Queensland and up the coast for more than 30 miles to discover Bingil Bay—the place now known as the home of Nerada Tea, Australia’s largest tea grower. Today, there are more than 1,000 acres of tea planted in a picturesque setting near Malanda on the Atherton Tablelands, delivering six million kilos of fresh tea leaves to the Nerada Tea processing factory every year.

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The Atherton Tablelands is now also responsible for 90 per cent of Australia’s coffee production. Many small coffee plantations punctuate the landscape, and it is here in the heart of this diverse food bowl that both Skybury Tropical Plantation and Jaques Coffee Plantation have made their mark as growers and roasters.

Jaques Coffee Plantation is a rolling plantation that contains 85,000 Arabica coffee trees and its own roaster. It is also home to the world’s first coffee harvester. The plantation is open to the public, with visitors able to participate in plantation tours that—of course— include coffee and liqueur tastings.

Coffee Works in Mareeba is a coffee roaster that selects Arabica coffees from both local plantations and from around the world, roasting them in small batches daily and giving visitors an opportunity to see how local beans stack up against premium international coffees. The venue offers all-day tastings of coffee, tea, liqueur and more than 50 flavours of chocolate, alongside an exhibition of the largest collection of coffee artefacts in the world.

COFFEE WORKS. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

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Relatively new to Mission Beach is Charley’s Chocolate Factory, the cocoa farm and chocolate factory of local connoisseurs Lynn and Chris Jahnke.

Since planting their first cocoa tree seeds in 2012, they have gone on to receive international recognition for their business. In 2017, the Salon du Chocolat in Paris judged their Mount Edna cocoa as the world’s 18th finest out of what was judged to be the best cocoa selected from 40 countries.

Charley’s Chocolate Factory has further been recognised with gold, silver and bronze medals in Melbourne and Sydney every year between 2016 to the time of publishing, including the overall trophy for Best Chocolate Bar at the Australian Food Awards in 2016.

The Jahnke family’s chocolate is “a work of love”, and they conduct regular tours to show visitors exactly how their CAPTION.

chocolate is produced—from cocoa pod to chocolate bar.

Another family labour of love, the Mt Uncle Distillery at Walkamin—nestled in the foothills of Mount Uncle between Mareeba and Atherton—is run by the Watkins family. It was established as the first and only distillery in north Queensland, and has earned a reputation for producing award-winning spirits that are made using local ingredients. Having launched with a focus on fruit-based liqueurs, Mt Uncle Distillery has now expanded into the realms of botanic gin, rum, vodka and whisky.

The fruit wine industry in Tropical North Queensland has near overtaken the grape wine industry, with award-winning wines characterised by abundant flavour and consistent quality.

Wineries in the region produce both wines and liqueurs that incorporate exotic local produce such as banana, coffee, mango, lychee, jaboticaba, bush cherry, mulberry, plum, star apple, passionfruit, pineapple, black sapote, pitaya and Australian

TOP: AWARD-WINNING CHOCOLATE. ABOVE: COCOA PODS. PHOTOS: CHARLEY’S CHOCOLATE FACTORY.

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native fruits such as Davidson plum and lemon aspen.

CHARLEY’S CHOCOLATE FACTORY.

But the fruits of the north don’t need to be confined to the bottle. Australia’s largest mango plantation can be found here in the north, as can the world’s lowest-acid, highest-flavour pineapple, the Mareeba Gold. Farmer’s markets are found in or near most small towns, with the best of these running from Friday to Sunday, when farmers bring their goods to the famous Rusty’s Markets in Cairns. There are also many farms open to the public.

Throughout north Queensland, a growing trend is for primary producers to establish their own restaurants and tasting centres, allowing guests to experience fresh produce on-site in the way that growers think best showcase the flavour profiles. To navigate this delectable trail, it’s possible to drive yourself and take the discovery at your own pace, or to place your trust in the hands of an expert with a regional food and wine tour, such as with Brett’s Outback Tasting Adventures. With a maximum of 12 people per tour, these foodie adventures give participants the opportunity to meet the region’s best growers and producers while sampling fresh products such as coffee, wine, beer, spirits, chocolate, cheese, tropical fruit, Indigenous damper and jams.

DINING

IN THE TROPICAL NORTH Sample all the flavours of the world against a backdrop unique to paradise.

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WATERGATE RESTAURANT & LOUNGE BAR.

C

airns, Port Douglas, Townsville and the Tropical Tablelands have undergone a culinary renaissance in recent years. Top chefs in the region are winning national awards, while others are moving into the

area to establish on-trend eateries using the fresh local produce that the tropics are known for.

The Tropical Tablelands area is, in essence, a giant food bowl

of locally grown fruit and vegetables. New species of edible natives are constantly being discovered, adding to the ingredients of Australia’s own bush tucker, while established staples of the area—such as coffee, tea, dairy products, seafood, Asian spices, liqueur and wine—are all undergoing constant innovation thanks to knowledgeable local growers and producers.

North Queensland’s seafood has long been setting the standard for Australia and is much sought-after overseas. Here, so close to the Great Barrier Reef and to a river network abundant with wildlife, is the perfect place to sample the delicacies of the deep. Not to mention that, in comparison to the rest of Australia, Europe, America and Japan, even such specialties as mud crab, lobster, prawns and premium fish are excellent value. Working with this fresh produce every day means that the local chefs know how to create dishes that show it off to its full potential.

NAUTILUS RESTAURANT.

ZINC.

NAUTILUS RESTAURANT A venue that combines elegant dining with a paradisiacal tropical outdoor setting is Nautilus Restaurant in Port Douglas, a revered mainstay of the Queensland culinary scene since it first opened in 1954. Over its decades in operation, Nautilus Restaurant has come to attain iconic status in the region—a status helped along by the fact that it has served the likes of Sir Laurence Olivier, Bill and Hillary Clinton, David Bowie, Gough Whitlam and Paul Hogan.

Nestled into a lush tropical garden setting in Island Point Hill, guests enter the restaurant via a hidden pathway from the main street of Port Douglas village to discover a breath-taking open-air restaurant—an experience that feels like stepping into another world. The menu of Nautilus perfectly complements this fresh, tropical context, with food that focuses on locally sourced produce, sensational flavours and paired wines. In addition to the à la carte menu, diners are also welcome to put their tastebuds in the hands of the chef with either a five-course or seven-course degustation experience.

NAUTILUS RESTAURANT.

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Sample perfection under the palm trees at Nautilus Restaurant – the iconic Port Douglas dining destination. Established for over 65 years, Nautilus is an open-air tropical oasis offering elegant cuisine and an extensive wine list.

A unique outdoor dining experience.

07 4099 5330 W nautilus-restaurant.com.au Enter via 17 Murphy St or 14 Macrossan St, Port Douglas.

e info@nautilus-restaurant.com.au Open from 5.45pm Monday to Sunday. No children under 8.

BAYLEAF BALINESE RESTAURANT Dining out in Bali is not a social custom, meaning that opportunities to try authentic Balinese cuisine are usually limited to those travellers lucky enough to be invited into a Balinese home.

At Bayleaf Balinese Restaurant in Cairns, chef Made—who was trained by Heinz von Holzen at the Bumbu Bali Restaurant and Cooking School—opens up traditional Balinese dishes to the public.

To get the most out of the experience, it’s recommended to order several main dishes—but make sure that one of them is the Balinese rijsttafel. A Dutch word that translates to “rice table”, rijsttafel is a parade of small dishes filled with spicy-sticky-sweet Indonesian flavours and textures. The feast menu—which can be paired with matching wines—is a good option to sample a selection of appetisers and main dishes such as braised beef in coconut and steamed minced duck parcels in banana leaf. To finish, grab a Balinese dessert accompanied by a Bali Kopi, coffee from the highlands of Bali.

BAYLEAF BALINESE RESTAURANT.

WATERGATE RESTAURANT & LOUNGE BAR Situated in the heart of Port Douglas’ main culinary strip, Watergate Restaurant & Lounge Bar’s mix of indoor and outdoor dining settings make it an ideal location for sunset cocktails. Executive chef Lee Neate sources a wide selection of local produce— including seafood that comes straight off the local fishing vessels and handmade cheeses from the Tablelands region—to create a modern Australian menu featuring fresh dishes that rotate according to what’s available seasonally. Both lunch and dinner menus are available, both of which give diners the opportunity to try produce unique to the region, such as crocodile karaage, salt-and-pepper rubbed cuttlefish, herb-marinated kangaroo loin and pan-fried local reef fish served with beurre blanc. In addition to the fine-dining restaurant—which has its own impressive wine list of mostly Australian and New Zealand drops—the venue has a well-appointed bar, where visitors with full stomachs can swing WATERGATE RESTAURANT & LOUNGE BAR.

by for a sunset cocktail, dessert, coffee or a light meal from the lounge menu.

WHERE GUEST B OOK

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DUNDEE’S ON THE WATERFRONT In Cairns, the focus on the fine produce of the Tropical North is readily apparent. Overlooking Trinity Inlet, Dundee’s Restaurant on the Waterfront attains the holy trinity of dining: great food, great location and perfect ambience. Australian beef is the focus of executive chef James Wort’s menu, while fresh seafood also gets a good look-in. Particularly worth trying is one of the Hot Rocks, where your choice of meat cut—beef, kangaroo or lamb—is served on a smoking hot volcanic rock that allows you to control how much or how little you want it cooked. A broad sample of the menu is available via the tasting platter, a smorgasbord of prosciutto, scallops, tempura soft shell crab, oysters, calamari, smoked salmon and chilli prawns. There is also an oyster bar which highlights local oysters through fresh garnishes such as soy, ginger and lime, through to the more indulgent mornay and parmesan cheese toppings. For a different kind of waterfront experience, there is also a Dundee’s Restaurant situated within Cairns Aquarium, which serves meals from breakfast through to dinner and dessert.

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DUNDEE’S ON THE WATERFRONT.

OCHRE RESTAURANT The most highly awarded restaurant in Cairns, Ochre Restaurant is a tour through sustainable regional Australian produce. While many restaurants create signature dishes, the chefs at Ochre continually display their versatility and imagination IMAGES: OCHRE RESTAURANT.

through a rotating menu that puts a spotlight on produce unique to the region. The menu changes seasonally and relies almost exclusively on Australian native foods and regional produce—and while the specific dishes are likely to change according to what’s available at the time of your visit, diners can expect tropical flavours woven

into creations such as wattleseed damper loaf with macadamia oil and native dukka; hand-rolled spring rolls stuffed with fillings such as crocodile and kangaroo; sugarcane mackerel sticks and Daintree tea-smoked duck breast. Aussie game platters are also available for those wanting to try a bit of everything—from salt-and-pepper-leaf crocodile to wallaby topside.

This honed focus on Australiana is reinforced through the design of the restaurant, which channels outback Australia through materials such as natural timber and large-scale Indigenous artwork on the walls. Chefs at Ochre have created their very own range of products called Tropic Spirit, which consists of sauces, chutneys and pestos all made in-house.

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THE CHAMBERS.

THE CHAMBERS A relative newcomer to the Cairns dining scene is The Chambers.

Located in an historic 1920s bank building on the corner of Spence

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and Lake Streets, the venue has been beautifully restored to house

Hidden down a laneway lies The Chambers’ garden bar, The

this contemporary eatery which combines indoor and outdoor

Patio, a laid-back local gem festooned with fairy lights and decked

dining spaces, a café setting, garden bar, indoor cocktail bar and

out with hanging plants, giving the bar a festive yet homely vibe.

specialised event spaces. Come breakfast-time, The Chambers’

Cocktails, afternoon beers and share plates are just some of the

in-house pastry chef creates fresh-baked sweet and savoury pastries,

hedonistic bases covered here, with live music adding to the ambience

complemented by a health-focused Pantry and Juice Bar. The lunch

each Friday and Saturday night. More than 50 kinds of cocktails are

and dinner menus put a spotlight on Australian produce, which

available, many of which take a suitably tropical stance, such as

head chef Michael Orford uses to create fresh, uncomplicated and

the classic piña colada or the more experimental rhubarbarella,

flavour-driven fare.

featuring vodka and housemade rhubarb purée.

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BEL CIBO For those partial to the healthy, hearty flavours of the Mediterranean, bel cibo—the Italian restaurant led by award-winning chef Andy Gray—is a culinary detour not to be missed. The menu is classic Italian, with handmade pasta and pizzas that are hand-stretched to order, notable contemporary influences and a produce list that leans heavily towards seafood sourced from the Great Barrier Reef. Gray made the sea change to Port Douglas after working as sous chef under celebrity chef Matt Moran at Sydney’s ARIA restaurant. Although he brings this highlevel technical expertise to bel cibo, at its heart the focus is a humbler one: a deep, family-based love of good food and wine. The resulting menu is a refined and contemporary take on traditional Italian comfort food, featuring familiar dishes elevated through use of quality ingredients: pan-seared scallops with truffle cauliflower purée, linguine with sand crab meat, and pepperoni pizza on a hand-stretched base.

ZINC. PHOTO: ALISON GEORGE/ CATSEYE PRODUCTIONS.

ZINC An iconic venue located in Port Douglas is Zinc, a restaurant and cocktail bar that is the epitome of a sophisticated tropical dining experience in an al fresco setting. The style of food here combines traditional European technique with contemporary Australian flair and fresh local produce, led by head chef Adam Wech and owners Chris and Dani Bower, who have a track record of leading restaurants to award-winning fame.

The dedicated cocktail bar at Zinc is known for its specialty cocktails that—like the restaurant menu—utilise fresh local produce.

It’s not all mixed creations though; there is also a large selection of wine and tap beer available. The bar menu caters for both small bites and more substantial feeds—from butter-grilled tiger prawns with sweet pineapple, chilli and mint salsa through to prawn, reef fish and squid BEL CIBO.

linguine with garlic, tomato bisque and chilli. The bar is open from 2pm until late every day.

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BUSHFIRE FLAME GRILL If nothing but meat will do, Bushfire Flame Grill combines Australian barbecue with South American-style churrasqueira, a barbecue grill purpose-built for giant skewers.

In keeping with the Brazilian style of churrasqueira, waiters at Bushfire Flame Grill move around the restaurant with flame-grilled skewers, which have been slow-roasted on a triple-decker open flame. The theatre of the kitchen overflows into the dining room, as waiters slice meat from the oversized skewers directly onto diners’ plates until they signal they’ve had their fill. Although the style of cooking comes direct from Brazil, an Australian spin is given through use of marinades that rely on local ingredients, such as pork glazed in Davidson’s plum and sweet chilli, and lemon myrtle-coated lamb. If the all-you-can-eat option doesn’t appeal, the award-winning restaurant also offers an à la carte menu of Australian beef, lamb, pork, chicken and a special dish of Brazilian seafood moqueca, a style of saltwater fish stew. Vegetarian options are also available.

BUSHFIRE FLAME GRILL.

WHERE GUEST B OOK

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IMAGES: GOLDEN BOAT CHINESE RESTAURANT.

GOLDEN BOAT CHINESE RESTAURANT Far from your standard-issue suburban Chinese restaurant, Golden Boat Chinese Restaurant in Cairns is as close as you will get to eating in Hong Kong or China without leaving this tropical paradise. Head chef and owner Ken Deng has acquired a team of highly skilled chefs for his kitchen, which consistently puts out dishes that contain the strong and distinct flavours of authentic Chinese and Cantonese cuisine.

A good way to experience the full spectrum of flavours is to come for Yum Cha, where more than 100 varieties of traditional and experimental dim sum dishes are wheeled around the tables, allowing diners to pick and choose whatever most appeals to them.

Deriving from a Cantonese phrase meaning “to drink tea”, Yum Cha refers to the custom of eating many small dishes while drinking brewed tea. This is possibly where Deng’s culinary heritage is at its strongest: Deng’s father was a celebrated Yum Cha chef in Guangzhou, China. After three years of training, Deng himself moved to Adelaide to learn Yum Cha techniques direct from his father. At the age of 21, Deng became the youngest-ever qualified Yum Cha chef in Australia.

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ORCHID PLAZA Orchid Plaza in Cairns is a world of flavours contained in one mammoth venue. Within this sprawling complex you’ll find Yokozuna, a Japanese Izakaya-style eatery with a genuine ambience. The name ‘Yokozuna’ comes from the Japanese sumo wrestling term meaning “of the highest rank”, and this comes through in delicately flavoured dishes such as takoyaki, gyoza dumplings and hot and spicy shellfish. A drinks menu of Japanese beers, saké and shochu is also available. Hungry Wombat is a home-style Japanese restaurant within Orchid Plaza serving comfort dishes such as Sanuki udon, tempura, curries, kakiage and Japanese salads, while yet another take on Japanese cuisine is available at Riki Yakiniku Dining Bar, a specialist in Teppanyaki, a Japanese style of grill.

Corea Corea is a Korean lunch bar-style eatery serving authentic— and often authentically spicy—dishes such as Korean seafood pancake, spicy beef soup and bibimbap, a rice dish topped with a neat selection of fresh, fermented and cooked vegetables and meats.

The brightly decorated restaurant is renowned for its quick, no-fuss service.

Another popular dining destination within Orchid Plaza is Indian Brothers, with its comprehensive menu of spicy North Indian curries. Spice-laden dishes comprise everything from the prerequisite butter chicken and chicken tikka masala, through to Indian-style pizzas featuring toppings such as prawn and tandoori chicken. To cleanse the palate afterwards, opt for a refreshing dessert, such as the rose kulfi, a housemade ice-cream dish infused with a creamy, IMAGES: ORCHID PLAZA.

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nutty, rosewater flavour.

LEFT AND ABOVE: RUSTY’S MARKETS. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

To experience the colourful produce of the Tropical North at its freshest, there’s no better place than Rusty’s Markets, a fixture of the local culinary scene and where locals and chefs alike shop for farm-fresh goods, bought straight from the farmers and growers. The weekly three-day event—held from Friday to Sunday— is carnival-like in its bustling atmosphere, and attracts more than 180 stalls stacked high with exotic fruits and vegetables, fresh flowers, delicatessen goods, food and beverage outlets, clothing, jewellery, coffee and more.

Wherever you find yourself in Tropical North Queensland, along the coast from Port Douglas to Townsville and inland from the Tablelands to the Gulf, you’ll find a diverse mix of traditional and unusual eateries—from open, timberclad eyries in the rainforest to restaurants in restored railway carriages and classic country pubs where the décor hasn’t changed for decades. Whatever your mood, there is no one way to enjoy the taste of the tropics.

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MEN’S FASHION FROM TOMMY BAHAMA.

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W WH HEERREE GU G UEES S TBO TBOO OKK

SWIMWEAR FROM ANNIE’S AT THE BEACH.

FASHION BY MELA PURDIE FROM VIVA BOUTIQUE.

SHOPPING A BREEZE IN THE TROPICS From local fashion labels to an array of designer jewellery and beautiful gemstones, Tropical North Queensland has something for everyone.

T

he style: relaxed. The ethos: local. The charming arcades, malls and markets of Tropical North Queensland are well-known for their coastal fashions, fine art works, quality opals, pink diamonds, South Sea pearls and handcrafted jewellery.

With ubiquitous friendly service and a shortage of the parking problems of

big cities, the scene is set for a most satisfying day.

Many of the smaller towns in the far north are home to quality art and craft galleries

that spotlight the talents of local artists, while weekend markets are a popular activity for primary producers selling their fresh produce and well-made delights.

The shopping centres of central Cairns—The Pier, Orchid Plaza and Cairns Central— and retailers along The Esplanade and Grafton Street offer extended shopping hours for the convenience of visitors. Grafton Street in particular has developed a reputation as a fashion-forward destination amongst Cairns locals.

CAPTION. WHERE GUEST B OOK

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Fashions in the tropics are fun because of the climate—which is not to say that clothes are all casual. The north boasts many designers who weave elegance into their style, and many boutiques will stun you with their creativity. Both Port Douglas and Palm Cove on Cairns’ northern beaches have wonderful boutiques, stores and galleries. Here, sophistication and individuality are foremost.

Of course, swimwear and resort-wear get a particular focus in a destination where trips out to the Great Barrier Reef and lounging around resort pools are commonplace pursuits. This kind of lifestyle has resulted in an outstanding array of beachy boutiques in both Palm Cove and Port Douglas.

Two of the stand-out boutiques to be found in Palm Cove are Annie’s at the Beach and Beach Catwalk. Annie’s at the Beach stocks an extensive range of swimwear and quality beach-style clothing for men and women, plus children’s swimwear, modern shoes, hats and gifts. Beach Catwalk—located within the Drift Resort complex, around the corner from Williams Esplanade in Veivers Road—is so much more than a surf store, showcasing a broad range of resort and beach wear, surf gear and street styles.

Tommy Bahama on Spence Street in Cairns—also located on Macrossan Street in Port Douglas—offers relaxed sportswear for men and women, designed with an irreverent edge. Inspired by the refined, unhurried ABOVE AND RIGHT: FASHION FROM

attitude of coastal towns, the easy-fitting pieces are made

ANNIE’S AT THE BEACH.

in comfortable, luxurious fabrics with prints that are tropical in inspiration yet sophisticated in their execution.

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ANNIE’S AT THE BEACH PALM COVE Discover our extensive range of cool cottons, comfortable linens, silk wear and beach-style clothing.

Our range includes:

Palm Cove

Visit our two brilliant boutiques at: Annie’s at the Beach, Peppers Beach Club, 123 Williams Esplanade, Palm Cove, 0475 888 009 Beach Catwalk, 2-22 Veivers Road, Palm Cove, 0497 888 780

Port Douglas

palmcoveboutiques.com.au

Kuranda Cairns

LEFT AND ABOVE: HAND-CRAFTED CROCODILE LEATHER PIECES FROM CROCTIQUE.

Genuine, hand-crafted crocodile leather pieces—including modern crocodile handbags—can be found at Croctique, based at Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures between Cairns and Port Douglas, with stock also available online. The skins used in the manufacture of Croctique leather goods are sourced from crocodiles raised at Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures. The crocodile farm operates as a government approved “closed farm”, where no wild caught Queensland crocodiles are used for skin products.

Croctique then works with Tokyo-based tanners and manufacturers to produce high-quality leather goods, experimenting with bold colours, novel finishes and custom designs. The leather products are produced in small batches with limited styles in each colour range, ensuring a level of exclusivity for buyers.

Sandra Viden Design was established in 1991 in the tropical rainforest village of Kuranda, just to the west of Cairns. Australian-designed and manufactured, the styles are fashioned to the highest standards using quality fabrics. Through boutique sales as well as mail order and online sales, Sandra Viden Design has established an international reputation for elegant and timeless design, with an emphasis on versatility and trans-seasonality. The boutique’s easy-fit styles are recognisable for their clean lines created with quality natural fabrics such as linen, cotton, cotton voile and cotton-blend knits—perfect for leisure, recreation and travel.

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ABOVE AND RIGHT: FASHION BY JOSEPH RIBKOFF FROM VIVA BOUTIQUE.

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GRAFTON STREET FASHION PRECINCT

owners, who are there to help you select looks that are right for you.

Historically, part of the attraction of shopping in smaller cities and

In this upmarket fashion hub, you can wander between the best shoe

towns came from the fact that boutiques reflected the character of

shops and dress boutiques, find a special gift or something unique for

locals, and that the staff of these smaller stores took the time to chat to

the home. From classic Chanel and Dior right through to the trendier

their customers. It is a pleasure to discover this same spirit preserved

labels, the full spectrum is on show—you just have to know where

in Cairns—and particularly along Grafton Street, a fashion precinct

to look.

known for boutique owners who have chosen to eschew larger shop-

Viva Boutique—a favourite with the fashion conscious—is the

ping centres in favour of establishing themselves within an ambient

place to go for a hit of major labels. Viva offers the best in leading

enclave of fashion, jewellery, shoes and gifts.

Australian designers alongside prestige labels from Europe, USA,

Grafton Street is a wonderful alternative to the sameness you see

Canada and New Zealand. Some of the brands represented include

every day in chain stores and the big shopping centres, the beauty

Mela Purdie, Joseph Ribkoff, Johnny Was, Desigual, Lisa Brown, Rich

being that these smaller boutiques are a reflection of individual

& Royal, New London Jeans, Monari, Morrison and Banana Blue.

W H E R E G U ES TBO O K

A couple of doors down, Sassi Shoe Boutique is inspired by the latest

Every Thursday, something special happens between Grafton Street

footwear seen on the international catwalks. Founder Joan Wilson is a

and Sheridan Street: the phenomenon known as Rusty’s Markets.

close follower of trends to emerge from Paris, Milan and New York;

Trucks laden with quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables from local

she is an expert in creating up-to-the-minute styles without the high-end

farmers arrive in convoy. Bins of produce are quickly unloaded,

designer price tags.

trucks move off to be replaced by others, and the procession continues

Good design, however, is not limited to clothing. Shayne at Rowe

well into the day. Stallholders soon follow—trolleys and forklifts in

Design is a jewellery designer with a background in silver and gold-

tow—to collect their designated products. The organised mayhem—a

smithery, whose design philosophy centres around creating pieces

melting pot of cultures and languages—continues until late Sunday.

that are as unique as the individual wearing them. Whether it entails

Over 35 years of operation, Rusty’s Markets has developed into

diamonds, sapphires or South Sea pearls, designs can be handcrafted in

one of the largest, most successful and best-known markets in the

his on-site studio. Customers have the luxury of dealing directly with

country. From an insignificant beginning of some six stall holders,

the jeweller and of being guided through the whole design process,

the three-day event is now an enormous weekly occurrence, attract-

from concept to completion.

ing more than 180 vendors. It has become renowned for its carnival

Another gem of a jeweller—Jules by Jules Collins—is located on

atmosphere, colourful stall holders, sumptuous displays of tropical

Oceana Walk between Lake Street and Grafton Street. Formative years

fruits and vegetables, exotic flowers, bric-a-brac, delicatessens,

spent in Papua New Guinea imbibed founder and gemologist Jules

specialty products and food and beverage stalls.

Collins with a love for exotic and colourful gemstones, such as spinels and tourmalines, along with the more traditional diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds and aquamarines. A particular specialty of hers is breathing new life into old pieces of jewellery.

LEFT AND ABOVE: JEWELLERY FROM JULES BY JULES COLLINS.

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LEFT AND ABOVE: JEWELLERY FROM EVERT OPALS + FINE JEWELLERY.

AUSTRALIAN GEMS Australia—and in particular Tropical North Queensland—contains many treasures, but scarcely any so special as Australia’s national gem, the opal. Not far behind it are the country’s muchloved Argyle pink diamonds and South Sea pearls. Retailers in Cairns, Port Douglas and Kuranda take full advantage of these precious stones and pearls, combining them with fine gold and silver to create beautiful masterpieces. Arguably the best souvenir to take from a holiday in Tropical North Queensland is an iridescent piece of this fine land.

OPALS: AUSTRALIA’S NATIONAL GEM Australian Indigenous people call it “The Rainbow Stone”; others refer to it as “Tears to the Eyes” due to the affect that this remarkable gift of nature has on those who find it. Our national gem is one with the incredible ability to expose an infinite number of colours, forever moving with the light.

The elusive opal first begins to form when liquid silica filters down into the faults and fissures of sedimentary rock.

When the water content evaporates, tiny spheres of silica remain and, over time, are solidified. Low-grade or “potch” opal— which constitutes 95 per cent of what is found—is composed of irregularly placed spheres that produce little or no colour.

On the other hand, high-grade opal—just five per cent of what is found—comprises regularly placed spheres that allow light to be diffracted, thereby producing a spectacular array of colours. The size of the spheres determines the colours, with larger spheres producing highly sought-after shades of fiery red.

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JEWELLERY FROM EVERT OPALS + FINE JEWELLERY.

PHOTO: Š MIRIAM DOERR/DREAMSTIME.COM.

If these colours are arranged in a block pattern, further value is added.

The extremes range from tiny, pin-sized dots of colour (pinfire) to large sheets of colour that cover the whole stone (broadflash). The elusive

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There are two basic varieties of opal mined in Australia: seam opal

harlequin is the ultimate in this latter form, but is very rare. Each opal

and boulder opal. Seam opal is found unattached or free in the ground,

is individual, and a pattern that is proportionate to the size of the gem

whereas boulder opal is attached to or within a host ironstone or sand-

is desirable.

stone rock. Both varieties are further categorised into the same three

If you are buying an unset opal, it is important to consider the way it

types: black opal refers to the dark grey, blue or black body colour

will eventually be worn. For example, some opals will offer a better play of

that provides a striking contrast for the kaleidoscope of colour in the

colour when worn vertically in a brooch or pendant, whereas others are best

transparent to translucent crystals; crystal opal ranges from having a

flat, as in a ring setting. There is a great deal to consider when investing in

translucent to semi-transparent background and shows brilliant colours

your opal, but expert advice is available at the region’s opal retailers.

against its glossy background; and light opal is more subdued, contain-

More than 56 years in the Australian opal industry has meant Evert

ing a spectrum of colours that emanate from a white, light or milky

Opals & Fine Jewellery, an Australian owned and family operated company,

background colour.

has accumulated one of the largest ranges of Australian opals in the

The value of the opal depends on the amount and brilliance of its

country. Drawing on a family history of mining, cutting, wholesaling

colour, which will preferably be evenly distributed across the face of a

and retailing, Evert offers professional service and a worldwide guarantee.

polished opal. The greater the spectrum of colours from red to violet

Their stores in Cairns and Port Douglas display a complete range of

the better, with crimson, reds, and orange being rarer than greens and

high-quality opal jewellery, a wide selection of unset stones and a stunning

blues. Milkiness, cloudiness or greyness detracts from the value.

collection of Australian diamond and pearl jewellery.

W H E R E GU E S TBO O K

DIAMONDS: PINK, WHITE & COLOURED The Argyle Diamond Mine has been the world’s leading volume producer of diamonds since 1986, when its operation in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia went into full production. Each year it produces approximately 30 million carats of diamonds—approximately one quarter of the world’s total.

The diamonds mined by Argyle are found in a range of colours, including white, champagne, pink, cognac and chocolate. Argyle is the world’s primary source of the rare pink diamond, which has become the company’s signature stone.

Pink diamonds are recovered in a range of shades, ranging from light rose to full-bodied purple-red, and are polished in a wide range of sizes and shapes. Prices are dictated by the intensity of the colour, and pink diamonds of significance are sold with certification from the leading grading authorities.

The ultimate glory of the stone comes from the cutting and polishing process. This work is so delicate and exacting that eventually the artisan is able to tell, simply by rolling a stone in their fingers, whether or not it is perfectly rounded.

Choosing a white diamond entails considering the finer details that make up the stone’s brilliance; every little detail is a big deal. An important skill in their selection is knowledge of the four Cs: carat weight, colour, clarity and cut.

While a big diamond is all well and good, carat weight is by no means the main guide to value.

Often a smaller diamond of greater brilliance is of far greater value. Colour, clarity and particularly TOP AND ABOVE: JEWELLERY FROM ROWE DESIGN.

cut are the more significant influences. Slight differences in the combination of these factors can—and do—result in big differences in their brilliance and subsequent value. The perfect white diamond is colourless, flawless and, of course, rare. This is why the cut of a diamond becomes important.

Many people confuse the diamond shape with the diamond cut. As opposed to rounded or emerald shapes, the cut deals with the proportions that best reveal the brilliance and fire of the diamond.

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W H E R E G U ES TBO O K

ABOVE: JEWELLERY FROM JULES BY JULES COLLINS. LEFT: JEWELLERY FROM ROWE DESIGN.

South Sea pearls are renowned for their size. All things being equal, the larger the pearl the greater the value. Sizes range from 9mm to 16mm and rarely reach 20mm and above.

Another quality to be assessed is the shape of a pearl. South Sea pearls are varied in their form. Perfectly round pearls and perfect teardrop shapes are extremely rare and therefore highly prized—but this does not mean that other shapes do not have their own unique charm and value.

SOUTH SEA PEARLS

Because of the thickness of the South Sea pearl nacre, pearls are found

Mankind has long held a fascination with the mystique and lustre of

in an array of sizes and shapes, including round, semi-round, button,

the pearl. The Australian South Sea pearl—the most precious of all

circled, oval, drop, semi-baroque and baroque.

pearls—comes to life in the pristine oceans of north-western Australia and Torres Strait in Queensland’s north.

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South Sea pearls are also highly desired for the subtle richness of their natural colours. From luminescent whites to sparkling golds, the stunning

The miracle of nature is in its ability to never duplicate any of its

range of natural colours of South Sea pearls must be seen to be believed.

creations, as demonstrated by the fact that no two pearls are alike. Each

While colour is not normally an indicator of the quality of South Sea pearls,

pearl is judged on five special qualities, each of which is considered in

premium prices are fetched for pearls displaying unusually beautiful orients

direct relation to the other qualities.

of coloured overtones such as white pink, silver pink and deep gold.

The great beauty of a pearl lies in its lustre (also called its orient). The

The final quality of a pearl is its surface. It is rare to find a pearl free

lustre can be defined as a subdued iridescence, and is the most important

from any surface blemishes—they are, after all, gems created by nature.

consideration when selecting a pearl. Ideally, the lustre will be bright. While

The most beautiful and valuable pearls may still have slight imperfec-

much attention is devoted to the remarkable size of South Sea pearls,

tions, such as small pits or dimples. These “beauty marks” are bestowed

what really sets them apart is their exquisitely thick, creamy nacre,

by nature, thereby making each pearl unique. However, if it is found,

which possesses an unmistakable, deep and gentle glow.

a flawless surface will increase the value of a pearl significantly.

W H E R E GU ES TBO O K

BY JULES COLLINS

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AUSTRALIAN INDIGENOUS ART

A

ustralian Indigenous art is part of the oldest continuous living culture on earth, with our first Australians having settled on the Australian continent somewhere

between 60,000 and 80,000 years ago.

Evidence of the earliest Australian Indigenous art

is the red ochre paintings or engravings that can be found on boulders and walls of rock shelters and caves dating back some 30,000 years in northern and

ARTWORK BY JUDY WATSON NAPANGARDI, COURTESY OF NGARRU GALLERY.

central Australia. Indigenous people relate these very old images to the actions of their ancestors during

the sand and in personal body art for ceremony. These works can be

‘The Dreamtime’ or ‘The Dreaming’. The images are sacred as they are

extraordinary in their complexity and colour and deeply evocative for

indicative of their ancestral presence.

those who have been privileged enough to witness them.

Aboriginal art is based on storytelling, filled with symbols relating to

When acrylic paints and canvas- or linen-based primed surfaces

landscape, culture, animals, hunting, survival, nomadic routes, and even

became available in the early 1970s, Indigenous artists responded

land management. Each language group uses different symbols to

immediately and began applying the full range of available colours.

depict their own stories.

This was the first time that they were able to paint in colours that

Many contemporary Indigenous artworks come from Aboriginal artists who are based in remote communities across the continent and who, at least partially, still live a tribal life in the bush, and sometimes on their traditional Country.

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portrayed their familiar landscape—in particular the dawn and dusk periods of their day-to-day life, their ceremonies and their customs.

Today Indigenous art all over Australia has taken a contemporary turn as artists have taken up new mediums and modern materials.

Beyond the reds, yellows and blacks of natural pigments in traditional

Indigenous art now is much more than just paintings and didgeridoos;

Indigenous art, a full spectrum of colour has always played a signifi-

artists work with glass, clay, wood carving and other mediums, often

cant role in Aboriginal life over tens of thousands of years, incorporated

combining some traditional materials and ideas in new and interesting

into sacred ceremonies and used in sand or ground paintings. There is a

ways to produce exciting and beautiful expressions of contemporary art.

wide variety of coloured sands and minerals in the natural Australian

The art world has become progressively infatuated with and inspired

landscape—not to mention coloured flowers, bird feathers, animal fur

by Australian Indigenous art, which has aptly been labelled one of the

and plant matter, all of which were used to create brilliant paintings in

greatest art movements of the 20th century.

W H E R E GU E S TBO O K

AUSTRALIA’S INDIGENOUS HERITAGE

DREAMTIME Thousands of years of stories and culture, engraved into a landscape of great contrasts.

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W H E R E GU E S TBO O K

LAURA DANCE FESTIVAL. PHOTO: © ANDREW WATSON.

MOSSMAN GORGE CENTRE GUIDED DREAMTIME WALK. PHOTO: © JAMES FISHER.

A

rchaeologists and scholars studying Australian Aboriginal beginnings believe Australia’s first people originally arrived from Asia when the two land masses were linked more than 60,000 years ago. However, Indigenous people believe they came from the land on which they live in the time they call The Dreaming: the time of creation.

According to the Australian Indigenous peoples, the same spiritual forces which brought them into being

also shaped the land. A high mountain peak may represent an ancestor who stood up to look around; many significant rocks are said to be people of the Dreamtime; the lines of sand dunes may represent paths taken by the ancestors; watercourses or dry creek beds could be paths left by water serpents, while lakes or claypans can represent activities that took place there. The stories from the Dreamtime are many, and are not restricted to the land and its features; they also explain the celestial bodies in the night sky with entrancing narratives passed down through generations.

As the last of Australia’s regions to be explored, settled or developed, Queensland’s tropical north is home to Australia’s highest proportion of Indigenous Australians, and possesses a great diversity of cultures. Until 200 years ago, this unique paradise was known only to its Indigenous inhabitants. To this day it remains a landscape of great natural beauty, defying the onset of civilisation. It is also undoubtedly a land of contrasts and surprises: of rainforest, outback, mountain ranges, wide open plains, hilltop savannah, wetlands, spectacular dune formations and tropical islands.

WHERE GUESTBOOK: BRISBANE

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WHERE G UEST B OOK

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More than 60 per cent of Cape York’s inhabitants are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, with a staggering cultural diversity born of the landscape.

The Torres Strait Islanders—Melanesian peoples related to the Papuans of Papua New Guinea—are seafaring people with their own distinct culture and long-standing history. The interactions between the Papuans to the north, and Australian Indigenous communities to the south, have maintained a steady cultural diffusion between the three societal groups dating back thousands of years.

Aboriginal history on The Cape dates back tens of thousands of years and, at the time of European settlement, the region consisted of 43 tribal nations, each with its own language and traditional practices. Although many of the languages have now been lost, traditional owners are still present throughout the whole of The Cape, and an estimated 10 languages and hundreds of dialects continue to be spoken. The tribes are made up of family groups, each with their own clan estates, and their distinct cultures, bush foods, medicine and history.

These are the traditional custodians of the land, who know its resources, its stories and its sacred places; these are the people who have knowledge to pass down of the land and its embedded narratives.

In the Kuranda region, the secrets of the rainforest and savannah people lie with the Djabugay and Bulwai people, who will take you back to a time before time with visits to sites of ancient rock art and sacred cultural ceremonies. You may learn how they survived in the rainforests or in the dry land, what they ate, how they hunted and made weapons.

On the northern outskirts of Cairns at the base of the Kuranda Range, the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park has been established to provide an authentic insight into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. Here you can witness a recreation of the ancient Tjapukai Dreamtime story of the creation of the world through live performance and through a range of technologically advanced visual effects.

A little further to the north, the Ngadiku Dreamtime Walks, conducted by the local Kuku Yalanji people from the Mossman Gorge Centre, will take you on a journey steeped in heritage, ancient culture and traditions. ‘Ngadiku’ means stories or legends from a long time ago; these walks will take you along secluded

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W H E R E GU E S TBO O K

PHOTO: © ANDREW WATSON.

TOP LEFT AND ABOVE: MOSSMAN GORGE CENTRE GUIDED DREAMTIME WALK. PHOTO: © JAMES FISHER.

nature trails, stopping to visit culturally significant sites, traditional bark

For a once-in-a-lifetime experience, visitors to Cape York can witness

shelters, and cool rainforest streams. Indigenous guides give you an

an explosion of traditional Aboriginal culture at the biannual Laura

intimate look into the culture of the Kuku Yalanji people, sharing

Aboriginal Dance Festival. From 3–5 July 2020, the festival celebrates

legends, secrets of bush food and their ceremonies.

the Indigenous culture of Cape York Peninsula, highlighting the many

Mossman Gorge is just 20 kilometres north of Port Douglas. The

diverse communities, languages, songs, dances, and stories through

Mossman Gorge Centre is home to a contemporary café restaurant serv-

three days of music and art amongst the beauty of the ancient Laura

ing locally sourced produce infused with Indigenous bush ingredients, as

landscape, four hours north-west of Cairns.

well as an art gallery showcasing the works of many Indigenous artists.

The festival is about passing culture down through the generations,

From Cooktown, Nugal-warra Elder Willie Gordon leads guests on his

as well as showcasing the strength, pride and uniqueness of Aboriginal

Rainbow Serpent Tour to ancestral rock art sites, in stunning countryside

people. It is open to visitors, who are able to camp on-site at the tradi-

high above Hope Vale. Here he shares the stories behind the art—stories

tional Bora ground during the three days. More than 5,000 people travel

which can only be told by Elders of the Nugal clan—and explains how

to Laura from across the nation to enjoy this festival, with more than

the paintings speak of the essence of life and the lores of his people. With

20 communities participating across the region and up to 500 performers.

his great smile and infectious laugh, Willie gives you an amazing insight

There are so many opportunities and adventures waiting; so many

into Aboriginal society and will have you thinking about your own rela-

stories to be told and so much to learn and comprehend while visiting

tionship with the land and how the lores of his people can apply to us all.

this ancient landscape, home to one of the world’s oldest cultures.

WHERE GUEST B OOK

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CAIRNS: CAPITAL OF

CULTURE Australia’s most liveable regional centre is a magnet for cultural pursuits a stone’s throw from World Heritage-listed landscapes.

T

he northernmost city in Queensland, Cairns is framed by a backdrop of rainforest and mountains and fringed by the Coral Sea. It is the heart of the Tropical North and an ideal base from which to explore the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics rainforests, both World Heritage-listed ecosystems of pristine beauty.

There are few places on earth where two such treasures rest side by side—let alone are so accessible.

Cairns has been named Australia’s most liveable regional centre—a title that is reflected in its growing population. The Cairns region is the traditional land of Bama Aboriginal people and continues to be home to Aboriginal people from three main language groups and 15 clan groups. About nine per cent of the region’s population is Indigenous—one of the densest populations of First People in Australia.

Two large interpretive display panels on the Cairns Esplanade tell the story of the

traditional owners of the land on which Cairns now sits. You can read about the Indigenous culture and history including information about the Yidinji people, the Yirrganydji culture and history, the King of Cairns, and the story of Gindaja the Cassowary.

Officially founded in 1876 and named after the state governor at the time, Sir William Wellington Cairns, it was not until 1903 that Cairns was formally declared a town with

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W H E R E GU ES TBO O K

PHOTO: © ANDREW WATSON.

WHERE GUEST B OOK

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is one of Australia’s finest boutique casinos, containing a multitude of fine-dining experiences and bars. The majestic glass construction that sits atop the Pullman Reef Casino Hotel is the surprising home of Cairns ZOOM and Wildlife Dome, an adventurous ropes and climbing facility intertwined with a wildlife exhibit.

Together, the Reef Fleet Terminal and the Esplanade Project have transformed the Cairns waterfront. The 4,800-square-metre saltwater swimming lagoon offers locals and visitors an all-year safe swimming location, set on the Cairns foreshore overlooking the Great Barrier Reef and Trinity Inlet. Saltwater is pumped from the inlet and filtered through CAIRNS PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE. PHOTO: LOVEGREEN

a state-of-the-art filtration system to meet the high Australian standards.

PHOTOGRAPHY/CAIRNS CULTURAL SERVICES.

Children can enjoy the sandy edges, build sand castles and play in shallow water, whilst others can lounge on the timber decks in moderate shade.

a registered population of 3,500. Initial white settlement in the region

Shady trees, landscaped gardens and open spaces all contribute to the

in the 1860s was driven by beche de mer (sea cucumber) fishing.

leisurely atmosphere of the lagoon surroundings, now used for many

However, it was the discovery of gold to the north in the Palmer River

community activities from musical concerts to exercise and martial arts

region and in the Hodgkinson River area of the Atherton Tablelands

classes, workshops, competitions and festivals.

that saw the population begin to climb at a higher rate.

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Further along the Esplanade, Muddy’s Playground is a delight for the

Throughout the 1870s and early 1880s, European and Chinese settlers

little ones with a maze of water slides, playhouses, climbing nets and

opened up the region to agriculture, generating a large enough popula-

water jets. The area also has a skate bowl and beach volleyball courts,

tion base for the borough of Cairns to be declared a municipality and

which are put to good use by locals and tourists alike.

for the alderman to elect the first mayor, R.A. Kingsford, in 1885. These

One of Cairns’ newest attractions is the Cairns Aquarium. The impres-

immigrants went on to establish the sugarcane industry, predominantly in

sive facility connects visitors with the natural wonders of the Great

the low lands, and extensive fruit orchards on the cooler tableland.

Barrier Reef, the Wet Tropics rainforests and the outback in a stunning

The balmy climate dictates the leisurely, laid-back lifestyle of the area,

trifecta of attractions. Visitors are able to move up close to some of the

to which outdoor activity is central. Several large-scale projects have

world’s most fascinating, elusive or deadly creatures. The Behind The

re-shaped the city in recent years. The multi-million-dollar City Centre

Scenes Tours add to this sense of intimacy, allowing participants to see

Alive redevelopment has brought new life into the Cairns city heart

what makes the aquarium tick and how animals are taken care of. Tours

through improved access and substantial streetscape enhancements with

of the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre reveal the workings of the

tropical urban design. The Pullman Reef Casino Hotel in the city centre

turtle hospital facility, where sick and injured marine turtles are cared for.

W H E R E GU E S TBO O K

Cairns Performing Arts Centre

Munro Martin Parklands

Tanks Arts Centre

CPAC presents innovative and debut performances in addition to a wellcrafted mix of classics and revived theatrical pieces.

By day walk amoungst tropical vine covered pergolas or look out for an open air performance under a tropical night sky.

An iconic arts centre in converted World War II naval oil tanks set in the lush Botanic Gardens precinct. Just 4km north of the city’s the centre.

Corner of Sheridan and Florence sts

Corner of Sheridan and Florence sts

46 Collins Avenue, Edge Hill

cairnsperformingartscentre.com.au

cairnsperformingartscentre.com.au

tanksartscentre.com

Ticketlink is the only authorised ticket seller for CPAC, MMP and Tanks.

Beyond the amazing Cairns Esplanade, the mudflats attract a multitude

contemporary music, circus performances and Christmas pantomimes

of seabirds. As well as the regular flock of pelicans and spoonbills,

under an open tropical sky. MMP’s green proscenium stage is the largest

the summer months see the arrival of sandpipers, knots, godwits,

of its kind in Australia, and is surrounded by tropical plantings, vine-

whimbrels, tattlers and turnstones, as well as the rarer beach stone

covered pergolas and arbours.

curlew. Telescopes and interpretive display shelters are provided on The Esplanade for the purpose of birdwatching and education.

Housed in three converted WWII naval oil storage tanks, Tanks Arts Centre—located four kilometres from the CBD in the Cairns Botanic

Cairns Performing Arts Centre (CPAC) is the city’s newest arts and

Gardens precinct—is an innovative multi-use contemporary arts facility

cultural space, opened in December 2018. CPAC is situated at the cross-

set against a lush backdrop of rainforest. “The Tanks”, as it is known

section of Sheridan and Florence streets in the CBD and comprises two

locally, presents a diverse program of contemporary music events as well

specially designed theatre spaces: a 940-seat proscenium arch theatre and

as a variety of local and touring visual art exhibitions, workshops and a

a 400-seat studio theatre. CPAC plays an integral role in the development

wide range of arts and cultural events.

and growth of the arts in the region while engaging the community.

Each year in August, the Cairns Festival celebrates the spirit and

Directly adjacent to CPAC is Munro Martin Parklands (MMP). Since

lifestyle of Tropical North Queensland while shining a spotlight on

its redevelopment in 2016, MMP quickly became a destination for ballet,

the region as a destination for domestic and international visitors. Under

PHOTO: © ANDREW WATSON.

CAIRNS ESPLANADE. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

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W H E R E GU ES TBO O K

On the city’s northern fringe is the century-old Cairns Botanic Gardens, which contains the Flecker Gardens, Tanks Arts Centre, Centenary Lakes, Rainforest Boardwalk and the Mt Whitfield Conservation Park. The approach to the Botanic Gardens along Collins Avenue is a sight in itself, with majestic tropical rainforest trees forming a canopy overhead.

Visitors to the Botanic Gardens are greeted by a rainbow of extravagant colours from the plethora of exotic, confident blooms—for instance, the Flame of the Forest vine from New Guinea and the vivid blue-green Jade vine from the Philippines.

Gingers and Heliconias conjure up visions of far-away steamy paradises with names such as Hot Rio Nights, Chocolate Dancer and Barbados Flat.

The gardens contain a range of natural environments and ecosystems—from mangroves, fresh and saltwater lakes and a TANKS ARTS CENTRE. PHOTO: ROMY PHOTOGRAPHY/CAIRNS CULTURAL SERVICES.

boardwalk through the native lowland swamp rainforest.

To the west of the city centre, Crystal Cascades is one of the secrets of Tropical North Queensland. A secluded fresh-

the direction of the Cairns Regional Council, this festival dedicated

water swimming hole hidden in a tropical rainforest, it has a series of

to the tropical lifestyle spreads itself across 10 days of performance,

small waterfalls that flow into large pools. Access can be found via

exhibitions, film and the yearly showstopper, the Grand Parade and

the Redlynch Intake Road. Both barbecue and picnic facilities are

Carnival on Collins. The website—cairns.qld.gov.au/festival—is the best

contained within the park.

place to unpack the program each year.

On the northern side of Cairns, near Smithfield and via Yorkeys

Cairns is renowned for its fresh, exotic produce and international

Knob Road, signs lead you to Cattana Wetlands, an 80-hectare nature

standard restaurants, bistros and cafés, many of which remain open late

conservation park with a 420-metre boardwalk that winds through

into the evening to take advantage of the tropical climate. Menus range

feather palm forest, fresh and saltwater lakes and abundant plant

from Australian bush tucker to the tastes of home for overseas visitors.

and birdlife. More details can be found on the council website:

Art galleries, cinemas and quality nightclubs are located within the city

cairns.qld.gov.au/region/things-to-do

centre, while live theatre and music take centre stage at the Centre for

Further north, the landscape merges into a coastal strip bordered by

Contemporary Arts, the Cairns Civic Theatre and Cairns Convention

the rainforest-coated mountains of the Northern Beaches, a sweep of

Centre. Completed in 2018, the $71-million Cairns Performing Arts

golden sands, blue waters and palm trees, as the highway takes one of

Centre contains seating for 941 and a theatre large enough to host a full

the most scenic trips in the country following the coastline for much of

symphony orchestra or world-class ballet performance.

the way towards Port Douglas.

WHERE GUEST B OOK

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VICTORIA LILY POND.

IDIOSPERMUM AUSTRALIENSE.

DEPLANCHIA TETRAPHYLLA.

CAIRNS BOTANIC GARDENS

O

n the city’s northern fringe lies the Cairns Botanic Gardens, which contains the heritage-listed Flecker Botanic Gardens,

fiddler crabs can be observed from the bridge. In the background

Fitzalan Gardens, Tanks Arts Centre, Centenary Lakes Nature

lies the Mount Whitfield Range Conservation Park, where

Play Space and Rainforest Boardwalk.

10 kilometres of walking tracks traverse the rainforest slopes and

Starting at the architecturally spectacular Visitor Centre, you will find

offer spectacular views of the city of Cairns and the Coral Sea.

information and directions to begin your journey into this botanic wonder-

The area is internationally renowned for birdwatching: diverse

land. Depending on your interests you can spend anywhere from one hour

habitats such as the Freshwater Lake and Saltwater Lake support

to a full day exploring this area.

up to 140 species of birds.

The Conservatory houses some of the most spectacular understory

In the Gondwanan Evolution Garden, you can explore the evolu-

tropical plants to be found around the world. Stunning palms, Tassel ferns,

tion of the wet tropics flora and discover the reasons the surrounding

Pitcher plants, Bromeliads, Aroids and colourful orchids are on display.

rainforests have been listed on the World Heritage register.

On a fine sunny day, you will also be able to see a selection of native

The Tanks Arts Centre is another heritage-listed site—placed on

butterflies flying in the Conservatory. The Flecker Botanic Gardens are filled

the State Heritage Register in 2006—and comprises art galleries

with exotic foliage, flamboyant Heliconia, Gingers and flowering trees.

and music venues housed within huge concrete oil tanks that

This is the only wet-tropical botanic gardens in Australia and is situated in a richly diverse area of natural habitats. Here you will find a fine example of lowland swamp forest where a boardwalk traverses tall Alexandra palms, giant Paperbark trees and impenetrable areas of Pandanus and Sedge.

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A tidal creek is lined with mangroves and mudskippers and

W H E R E GU E S TBO O K

have been preserved and restored from World War Two. There are two cafés that provide refreshments and ample shady seating, completing this memorable day in tropical paradise.

CAIRNS CHINESE FRIENDSHIP GARDENS

SAMPLE PARADISE BY THE

CORAL SEA A buffet of golden-sand beaches and palm-lined esplanades awaits.

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W H E R E GU E S TBO O K

B

oasting a 26-kilometre sweep of golden sand, blue water and palm trees—and with the Great Barrier Reef providing a natural barrier from dangerous surf—Cairns’ Northern Beaches are considered to have the best beach and bathing conditions in

the region. Add to that warm seas and a backdrop of mountains blanketed in rainforest and one could be forgiven for believing this is paradise.

One thing that it is important for visitors to note is that dangerous Box Jellyfish or “marine stingers” can be present on North Queensland beaches between October and June. Stinger-resistant enclosures are recommended for swimming and are in use at Holloways Beach, Yorkeys Knob, Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach, Palm Cove and Ellis Beach. They are not 100 per cent stinger-proof, but they do add an element of protection. If you are stung at a beach without a lifeguard, get out of the water and apply liberal amounts of vinegar, which can be found on all main beaches, then seek medical advice.

Machans Beach, closest to Cairns, and Holloways Beach have definite cosmopolitan atmospheres, and are favourites with the locals more so than the tourists.

Yorkeys Knob features an excellent marina, yacht club and golf course, and is separated from Holloways Beach by a narrow channel and a large sand bar. Many Cairns residents call Yorkeys home, but with the adjacent marina, the waterfront is now transitioning into a favourite spot with tourists due to the fact its location is so convenient: just a 15-minute drive to Cairns, five minutes from Skyrail and Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, and a short walk to world-class golf courses. The estuarine creek at the southern end of the beach is great for fishing and a popular spot for water sports such as jet-skiing. The south-easterly winds can also make it perfect for wind-surfing and kite-surfing, when conditions are right.

VIEW FROM PALM COVE ACROSS TO DOUBLE ISLAND. PHOTO: © ANDREW WATSON. WHERE G UEST B OOK

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SOUTHERN END OF TRINITY BEACH. PHOTO: Š TRINITY BEACH TOURISM.

Trinity Beach is a palm-fringed, banana-shaped cove framed by twin headlands, known for its relaxed ambience. The beach is lined with picnic tables and barbeques, and shade-bringing palm trees make it the perfect place for a family outing.

Sitting between Yorkeys Knob and Trinity Beach is Trinity Park, a relatively new community comprising a variety of parkland, rainforest and waterfront home sites, combined with a world-class 108-berth marina.

North of Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach is world-renowned for its eco-friendly resort, set well back from the highway.

The beach is predominantly reserved for the locals—not because it is not as worthy as its rivals such as Palm Cove and Trinity Beach, nor is it difficult to access. To the contrary, Cairns locals have bought all the property at this beach because it is so private and idyllic, leaving very little room for tourism development.

Kewarra is at the southern end of a large stretch of sand that takes in Clifton Beach and Palm Cove. Clifton Beach is rapidly developing as a prime residential suburb and is sought-after by locals, whereas Palm Cove is popular amongst those who appreciate the laid-back, tropical village ambience.

To the north of Palm Cove, separated by the rocky headland of Buchan Point, Ellis Beach has all the beauty and charm of Palm Cove while remaining totally undeveloped and more suited to those who want to escape. Reached through a magnificent canopy of cassia and mango trees, Ellis Beach is a long, narrow beach, excellent for fishing or sunbathing.

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W H E R E GU ES TBO O K

Palm Cove, the inaugural winner of the title of Australia’s Cleanest Beach, is a palm-fringed, goldensanded shore lined with majestic melaleuca trees that stand tall against a striking backdrop of mountainous rainforest. From the cove, the views extend out past Double Island and Haycock Island (known locally as Scout Hat Island) to the Coral Sea. Once called Palm Beach, it was a popular weekend destination for families from Cairns or the Atherton Tablelands. However, the 1980s brought international travel agents to the region and soon Palm Cove became the much sought-after beach location it is today—just 27 kilometres from Cairns and 30 minutes from Cairns International Airport. Wildlife in the area is abundant, with lizards, tree frogs, butterflies and native birds such as rainbow lorikeets, kookaburras, cockatoos, doves, sunbirds and finches all making themselves at home. Casual yet sophisticated, this charming tropical village has quietly come of age with award-winning restaurants and luxury holiday accommodation options.

In recent times Palm Cove has emerged as the number one destination in Australia for weddings—as well as for health spas. The area is a magnet for internationally recognised spas that offer refreshing experiences in a variety of indoor and outdoor KEWARRA BEACH. PHOTO: © ANDREW WATSON.

HAYCOCK ISLAND, PALM COVE. PHOTO: © ANDREW WATSON.

pavilions, often overlooking the water.

You will not find any of the big national stores in Palm Cove, rather a selection of charming boutiques, galleries and themed restaurants.

Two of the best-stocked boutiques are Annie’s At The Beach and Beach Catwalk.

Annies’s At The Beach is located within the Peppers Beach Club complex and offers an extensive range of swimwear and quality beach-style clothing for men and women, plus children’s swimwear, shoes, hats and gifts. Beach Catwalk is located within the Drift Resort complex, around the corner from Chill Café on Veivers Road.

More expansive than your average surf shop, Beach Catwalk provides a mix of resort and beach wear in addition to accessories, surf gear and street wear—everything you need to take full sartorial advantage of this beachside tropical paradise.

As the afternoon sea breeze drops to a balmy tropical evening, Palm Cove offers a superb selection of dining options, with fine restaurants, bistros, cocktail bars and cafés competing to produce the finest cuisine, using fresh, locally sourced tropical seafood, fruits and vegetables. From a renovated 1950s beach house with Coral Sea views to luxurious resorts, you’ll have no trouble finding tastes to astound the palate, prepared by knowledgeable local chefs.

Whether you dine al fresco under the stars, treat yourself to a sizzling seafood buffet, indulge in an à la carte experience on the waterfront, or just go for fish and chips on the beach—the choices are there.

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A DIFFERENT WORLD AWAITS:

PORT DOUGLAS Welcome to a town that eschews traffic lights in favour of a slower pace and a relaxed seaside ambience.

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nce a tiny fishing village, Port Douglas is a picturesque township of old-fashioned charm and wide, shady streets. Although sleepy, the town lays claim to being the closest Australian town to the Great Barrier Reef and nearer the equator than both Fiji and Tahiti. Small wonder, then, that it has long been attracting visitors seeking temperate climates and natural wonders.

The streets of Port Douglas contain a wide range of visitor accommodation, restaurants that range from side-

walk cafĂŠs to gourmet experiences, art galleries, quaint shops and a teeming Sunday market. A world removed from rush hour, Port Douglas has no traffic lights, no parking meters and no plans to install any.

Situated just 70 kilometres north of Cairns along what could be described as one of the most beautiful scenic drives in the country, the little fishing village has attracted global political leaders and film stars alike, who have come to this idyllic corner of Australia in search of total relaxation.

First established in 1877 after the discovery of gold at Hodgkinson River, Port Douglas grew quickly.

At its peak it had a population of 12,000 residents and 27 hotels, with an economy that thrived on tin, silver, sugarcane and a cedar logging industry.

SAILAWAY CATAMARAN ON ITS WAY OUT TO THE GREAT BARRIER REEF. PHOTO: Š ANDREW WATSON. WHERE GUEST B OOK

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FOUR MILE BEACH, PORT DOUGLAS. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

The dray teams and stagecoaches that serviced the goldfields made their way from the port along what is now known as Four Mile Beach, to the four-mile mark of Craiglie. From there they continued over “The Bump”—now a wellknown adventure trail—and onto the goldfields. Port Douglas was the primary port from which the Mossman Sugar Mill shipped its sugar to the southern cities.

When the Kuranda Railway from Cairns to Kuranda was completed in 1891, the importance of Port Douglas dwindled—along with its population.

A cyclone in 1911 demolished all but two buildings and, by 1960, the town had a population of no more than 100.

In the mid-1980s, tourism boomed in the region with the aid of the late Christopher Skase, an investor who financed the construction of the worldclass Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort and the Crystalbrook Superyacht Marina, a shopping precinct and marina then known as the Marina Mirage.

Today the township’s relaxed seaside village ambience blends harmoniously with vibrant tropical style and sophistication. It is this laid-back quality that

SAILAWAY LUXURY SUNSET SAIL. PHOTO: CRYSTALBROOK SUPERYACHT MARINA, PARK, PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

has captured the heart of many an international traveller. Five-star or three-star, the appeal is difficult to dampen.

More than 100 tours depart from Port Douglas, ranging from cruises on large and luxurious catamarans and coaches to more intimate experiences aboard smaller diving, fishing and 4WD adventure treks. Popular destinations include one of the wonders of the natural world, the Great Barrier Reef—essentially a giant living organism, home to thousands of species of fish, coral, mollusc and sponge—and the World Heritage-listed rainforests of the Daintree and Cape Tribulation. The splendours of the Bloomfield Falls, Mossman Gorge, the Tropical Tablelands and Cooktown are all accessible on day trips from Port Douglas.

In May each year, “Port”—as Port Douglas is affectionately known— celebrates Carnivale, an annual festival that transforms the region into a living postcard of tropical culture. Port Douglas Carnivale was originally held to mark the start of the sugarcane harvesting season, and was celebrated with a yacht race. These days, it is more broadly considered the official opening of the tourism season, celebrating the bounty of Tropical North Queensland with such sensory delights as Seafood Extravaganza and The Longest Lunch.

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CRYSTALBROOK SUPERYACHT MARINA PARK. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

Talented local artists, musicians and performers come together to take part in the music festival component of Carnivale, which includes a songwriting competition. There is also a Tropical Magic Street Parade held along Macrossan Street and a community-focused Family SUGAR WHARF, PORT DOUGLAS. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

Beach Day. Year-round, the cosmopolitan nature of Port Douglas attracts local art, iconic Australian fashion and fine jewellery in abundance. The downtown shopping district takes just minutes to reach from any of the resorts.

Set beside the tranquil waters of Dickson Inlet with views to the Mossman Ranges, the

Crystalbrook Superyacht Marina is a waterfront retail outlet that combines high-end shopping and fine dining. Award-winning tenants include Port’s only boutique brewery. One of the stand-out boutiques within the complex is Oz About Oz, a local sartorial icon that specialises in Australian attire and souvenirs, including natural bamboo fibre clothing for men and women.

The Crystalbrook Superyacht Marina is, at the time of writing, under redevelopment to improve facilities and cater for a larger number of the superyachts that visit the north. A 14-metre-wide timber boardwalk surrounds the shops and restaurants on one side, overlooking the marina on the other. The marina is a departure point for many of the diving and snorkelling cruises to Low Isles, Ribbon Reefs, the outer Great Barrier Reef, and the islands and coral cays that lie to the north of Port Douglas.

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Across Wharf Street from the marina, the Courthouse Retail precinct at the northern end of Macrossan Street boasts an upmarket tropical

Nearer Four Mile Beach, shoppers will find a cluster of Australian swimwear and resort-wear labels.

ambience where the old Courthouse Hotel once stood. It is here that

Should you be in Port on a Sunday, pay visit to the seaside markets

you will find Evert Fine Jewellery, a store well-respected for stocking

held in Rex Smeal Park, which run between 8am and 1.30pm. Beside the

jewellery brands such as Thomas Sabo, Swarovski, Pierre Cardin, Emporio

famous St Mary’s By The Sea church and with a picturesque backdrop

Armani, Skagen and Pandora. The Evert family has been mining,

of Dickson Inlet, this is a relaxed and quaint way to meet locals while

designing and creating their own range of opal jewellery for generations;

enjoying the natural vistas the town is privy to. Try mangoes or lychees

they are well-regarded as leaders in the Australian opal industry.

fresh from the farm, sip on freshly crushed sugarcane juice, or take

Towards the northern end of Macrossan Street, Tommy Bahama offers

home some fragrant vanilla pods grown on the outskirts of town.

relaxed sportswear with an irreverent eye for colour and pattern. Inspired

Markets are also held at the Crystalbrook Superyacht Marina every

by the casual attitude that seems inseparable from the coastal lifestyle,

Wednesday from 11am until 5pm. Many of the stall holders from the

tropical prints are combined with easy-wearing, luxurious fabrics.

Sunday markets are in attendance each week, in addition to regional artisans vending local art, craft, souvenirs and fresh produce. Located on the marina, it’s a great position for those returning from a day out on the Great Barrier Reef.

SUNSET AT REX SMEAL PARK. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

FASHION FROM TOMMY BAHAMA.

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SNORKELLING AT THE LOW ISLES. PHOTO: SAILAWAY.

Obviously, the Great Barrier Reef is an experience that should not be missed. Sailaway Reef & Island Tours accommodates sailing and snorkelling trips out to the Low Isles, an unspoiled coral cay just 15 kilometres from Port Douglas. This picturesque isle is small enough to walk around, and its shallow waters are incredibly safe for swimming in. Low Isles is known for green turtles and its abundance of colourful fish. There have only been four reef tour licenses allocated for mooring at Low Isles, and this extremely limited access means a guarantee of peaceful enjoyment in small numbers.

Equally alive with corals, fish, giant clams and turtles are the Outer Reef Mackay and Undine Coral Cays. Sailaway is the only operator from Port Douglas that has access to these vast coral gardens, and their luxurious Sailaway VII vessel sets the standard for nature-based experiences on the Great Barrier Reef.

For a more comprehensive experience, Sailaway offers a full-day Rainforest and Reef tour that takes guests to Mossman Gorge in the morning and Low Isles in the afternoon. A tropical sunset sail also makes up part of the Sailaway tour collection, which combines drinks and canapĂŠs with sunset views over the Coral Sea and the rainforest-clad mountains that surround it.

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Set across eight acres on the southern end of Port is Wildlife Habitat, an eco-accredited immersion exhibition where guests co-mingle with animals in a spacious and intimate natural setting. Four distinct environments make up the venue: Rainforest, Wetlands, Savannah and Woodlands. Visitors are able to wander along scenic pathways and elevated boardwalks while observing a huge range of free-roaming wildlife, such as koalas, Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos, cassowaries, crocodiles and native birds. Special animal presentations and guided tours of Wildlife Habitat operate daily, such as WildNIGHT, the only nocturnal tour in Port Douglas. The YOUR Wildlife Habitat tour further affords guests the opportunity to participate in a personalised private tour with one of Wildlife Habitat’s knowledgeable keepers.

The rainforest is not far away from Port, and there are several Daintree tours that depart from the town. Enjoy walking in the rainforest ANDREW GRAY AT BEL CIBO.

with insightful guides, spotting crocodiles during a wildlife river cruise, indulging in a delicious tropical lunch by a swimming lagoon, or strolling along a rainforest-fringed beach near Cape Tribulation.

The Port Douglas Bus service also facilitates regular commutes between Cairns and Port Douglas, including direct transport to Skyrail, Kuranda Scenic Railway, Kuranda village, Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures and Mossman Gorge.

As each day draws to a close, Port Douglas leans into its reputation as a wonderfully hedonistic environment in which to relax by the pool, indulge in a massage, watch the sunset from Rex Smeal Park, or enjoy exotic cocktails and a delicious meal at one of the many fine restaurants.

In Port Douglas, many of the dining options are al fresco—some of them even set in the rainforest.

The town has attracted a large number of top chefs, who have been drawn northwards by the lure of paradise. Andrew Gray at bel cibo is one such chef, drawn to the charms of Port Douglas after cooking and creating alongside some of the best chefs in the country. After two years working as a sous chef for Matt Moran, the celebrity chef behind acclaimed Sydney restaurant ARIA, Gray headed up Queensland THALA BEACH NATURE RESERVE POOL. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

dining institution 2 Fish before opening the Italian-focused bel cibo. Dishes here sing with a deep familybased love of food, and a dedication to only the best local produce. The seafood, for instance, is from the Great Barrier Reef, and the pasta is all hand-made.

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NAUTILUS RESTAURANT.

Further down Macrossan Street at the corner of Grant Street, Watergate Restaurant & Lounge Bar is a favourite amongst celebrities. Executive chef Lee Neate sources fresh, seasonal produce for a menu of innovative dishes that reflect contemporary trends in Australian cooking. The venue also has a well-appointed bar and both indoor and outdoor dining options.

The 65-year-old Nautilus Restaurant is inseparable from Port Douglas’ reputation as a dining destination. Nestled into Island Point Hill amidst a lush tropical garden with overhead palms, guests enter along a hidden pathway from Macrossan Street.

ZINC. PHOTO: ALISON GEORGE/CATSEYE PRODUCTIONS.

This is where the likes of Sir Laurence Olivier, Bill and Hillary Clinton, David Bowie, Gough Whitlam and Paul Hogan have chosen to dine, contributing to the iconic status of the restaurant. The menu focuses on fresh, locally sourced produce, sensational flavours and paired wines. Diners can either select from an Ă la carte menu or put their trust in the chefs with either a five-course or seven-course degustation.

The international flavour of Port Douglas is on display at the revamped Zinc on Macrossan Street, owned by young chef couple Chris and Dani Bower. This restaurant and cocktail bar is headed up by award-winning chef Adam Weck, whose deceptively simple style puts focus on fresh natural flavours. The restaurant itself is open-plan, catering to the abundance of balmy tropical evenings to be experienced in Port Douglas.

A 20-kilometre drive north of Port Douglas through cane fields, the town of Mossman is the closest point of entry to Daintree National Park. Easy tracks and boardwalks give way to the age-old, pristine rainforest, which remains cool even on the hottest days.

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At the entrance to Mossman Gorge, the Mossman Gorge Centre is an Indigenous eco-tourism centre offering a comprehensive range of visitor services, such as interpretive walks through the gorge guided by members of the Indigenous Kuku Yalanji people. The Dreamtime Walk tour affords deep insight into the ancient flora and fauna of the rainforest, information on traditional plant uses and an understanding of Kuku Yalanji culture.

Mossman Gorge itself is a combination of pristine rainforest, cool streams, towering mountains, rainforest vegetation and a dramatic gorge aspect. Considering its position between the world’s oldest Wet Tropics rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef, the site was a self-evident one for the establishment of a botanic garden.

The Mossman Botanic Garden is a 20-hectare spread of landscape situated on the edge of town beside a grove of magnificent raintrees. The theme of The Garden of Origins was adopted to highlight the fact that Australia’s Wet Tropics World Heritage rainforests contains the greatest number of living primitive flowering plant families anywhere in the world—a bounty that is displayed and represented at the garden.

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THE REEF AND RAINFOREST COAST

TWIN WONDERS Take a stroll from canopies to the coral-fringed shoreline.

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tretching from the north of Port Douglas and through to Cooktown, the Reef and Rainforest Coast is the only place in the world where two complex ecosystems—the Great Barrier Reef and the World Heritage-listed Wet Tropics rainforest, known as The Daintree—meet at high tidemark.

It is a spectacular stretch of coastline that has become a magnetic destination for travellers.

To reach Daintree National Park, the road travels north from Port Douglas to the town of Mossman,

through green sugarcane farms set against green, mist-capped mountains.

Mossman Gorge, five minutes from Mossman town centre, constitutes the edge of the Daintree Rainforest and is the nearest and most accessible point of access from Port Douglas. Fresh from the mountain, the water in the Mossman River tumbles over granite boulders, between lush green forests to cool, clear swimming holes.

The Mossman Gorge Centre is an Indigenous eco-tourism development for visitors to the Mossman Gorge World Heritage site, offering visitors authentic engagement with Indigenous Australia. The centre was established to ensure the protection of this landmark for future generations and has become a hub for Mossman Gorge culture, staffed by local residents with a breadth of knowledge of the area. A low-emission shuttle bus service operates from the centre and is one of the steps taken to ensure sustainability.

Under a magnificent canopy of fern-covered rain trees and past fruit and coffee plantations, nestled in a bend of the Daintree River, Daintree Village was once the heart of a thriving timber industry based CAPE TRIBULATION. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

MYALL BEACH, CAPE TRIBULATION. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

around the prized red cedar. It is now the departure point for the numerous river cruises that bring nature-lovers up close to the huge array of wildlife that is supported by the Daintree River’s tidal estuary.

Tour boats depart daily and take the intrepid traveller away from the crowds and deep into the Daintree, cruising the mangrove-lined creeks inhabited by saltwater crocodiles, myriad birdlife, colourful butterflies, green tree frogs and snakes. “Over the river”, as the locals call it, a world of rainforest magic opens up. Comprising largely untouched wilderness due to its remote location, the high rainfall of the area averages four metres annually, meaning vegetation virtually grows before your eyes.

With the sealing of the road from the Daintree River ferry to Cape Tribulation, this magnificent area is no longer restricted to 4WD vehicles. Now an all-vehicle road winds its way beneath the forest canopy through dappled sunlight and crystal-clear air, over the Alexandria Range and along the coast to Cape Tribulation.

The region is one that inspires hushed awe: a lush, centuries-old rainforest teems with wildlife and is criss-crossed by freshwater streams, sweeping down to the reef-fringed coast. The diversity of life in the Daintree—officially known as Cape Tribulation National Park—is such that the forests of Tropical North Queensland, covering only one quarter of one per cent of Australia, contain roughly half the continent’s species of animals and plants.

The Daintree is ancient, thought to be between 200 to 300 million years old, making it the oldest intact rainforest in the world. By comparison, the relatively young Amazon TOP AND ABOVE: © SOLAR WHISPER WILDLIFE CRUISES.

rainforest is seven million years old. This tropical ecosystem is one of the most complex on earth. Of the 19 primitive flowering plant species in the world, 13 are represented in the

Daintree. This World Heritage region has become the last remaining refuge for some species dating back 110 million years.

As world-renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough remarked: “It is a living museum.”

A brief natural history lesson: approximately 130 million years ago, Australia, Antarctica, South America, India, Africa, Madagascar, New Caledonia, New Guinea and New Zealand were all joined in a massive supercontinent called Gondwanaland. At this time, the world’s climate was warm enough that moist tropical rainforest covered much of this mega-continent’s surface. Gradually, the continents began splitting from one another, eventually taking up their present

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positions and having their climactic conditions altered. As a consequence, much of Gondwanaland flora became extinct or evolved in the face of these new pressures, thereby becoming the tropical plants that we are familiar with today.

Australia was the odd one out. As conditions worldwide cooled, heralding the beginning of the Ice Ages, Australia was busy rafting northwards into the tropics and so maintained the necessary conditions for much of the original Gondwanaland flora to survive.

From a moist continent dominated by inland seas, Australia began drying out during the Pleistocene Ice Ages to become more similar to the Australia we know today. Only in Tropical North Queensland have conditions remained stable enough for some of the Gondwanaland flora to continue flourishing—and the Daintree rainforest is the largest tract of forest with the highest percentage of these “green dinosaurs” in the world.

PHOTO: © SOLAR WHISPER WILDLIFE CRUISES.

The Daintree rainforests will not be able to throw off the plague of controversial decisions and poor management that has recently apprehended them. In total, approximately 25 per cent of the forest has been lost as a direct result of European mining, timber cutting and agriculture.

Few people realise that the rainforests bordering the Daintree River and adjacent mountain areas were only declared National Park in 1967.

Only the nomination and acceptance of the entire Wet Tropics under the guidelines of the World Heritage Convention in 1988 finally preserved the remaining Daintree rainforests for future generations.

The coastal area of the Daintree near Cape Tribulation—where the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics rainforest meet at the high tide mark—is named “Kulki” by the local Kuku Yalanji people. In some places, it is possible to walk less than 10 metres from rainforest to reef.

PHOTO: © SOLAR WHISPER WILDLIFE CRUISES.

Activities in Cape Tribulation target the environmentally conscious traveller. Not much can beat sailing through the treetops on a series of flying fox ziplines across eco-friendly tree platforms. The fully guided Jungle Surfing tour takes in the most scenic, spectacular and seldom-

The Daintree area is not large; it is approximately 1,200 square

accessed sections of the rainforest canopy. Leaving from the Cape

kilometres, or about half the area of Sydney. Most of the Daintree is

Tribulation beach, Ocean Safari takes those who wish to snorkel

steep, rocky, rainforest-clad terrain, with the taller mountains of

out into more secluded locations than larger operators, who usually

Thorntons Peak and Pieters Botte often shrouded in cloud. Few people

gravitate towards Mackay and Undine Reefs. On most days you can

have ventured into the heart of the Daintree, and this is what has

snorkel alongside turtles, untouched coral reefs and bright tropical fish.

prevented the area from being well-documented and understood. It has

Travelling further north beyond Cape Tribulation, 4WD vehicles are

also stopped it from being over-exploited.

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able to traverse the Bloomfield Track to the Wujal Wujal Aboriginal

The Daintree does not have a long societal history, but it has certainly

community, the Bloomfield River and Cooktown. This road is not suitable

been an eventful journey. Place names within the region reflect the area’s

for two-wheel drive cars due to several creek crossings and steep inclines.

turbulent history: Mount Misery, Mount Sorrow, Cape Tribulation,

Driving into Cooktown, the road passes the mysterious Black

Weary Bay, Pauls Luck, Darkies Downfall. The origin stories of some

Mountain, a site of many legends. Cooktown—so named for Lieutenant

of these names remain obscure but nonetheless point to a tortuous past.

James Cook’s stopover to repair his ship while sailing north along the

The first pioneers into the Daintree were the cedar cutters. When the

Australian coastline—is the last township before reaching the sparsely

cedar diminished, the wealth of the Daintree was found in its alluvial

populated wilderness of Cape York Peninsula, the pioneering past of

soils, with the Daintree River valley becoming the region’s dairying centre.

which is still evident in its characterful old buildings.

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The Cooktown township contains several statues: one of Captain Cook,

many Aboriginal laws and customs during their stay and took a lot of

a statue for the miners of the 1873 gold rush, and a Chinese statue. At

food that was vital to the existence of the Indigenous people. A Little

the time of writing, there are community plans to erect a statue dedicated

Old Aboriginal Man came forward with a spear with its tip broken off,

to one of the region’s most important historical figures: The Little Old

signifying that he came in peace and meant no harm. Cook returned some

Man. The Little Old (Aboriginal) Man instigated the first reconciliation in

spears that he had picked up to The Little Old Man and, as he wrote in his

Australia’s recorded history. The project will highlight the shared history

journal, this “reconciled everything”.

of the Waymbuurr Indigenous people and the Europeans who landed at

The Cooktown Re-Enactment Association has decided to honour the

Waalumbaal Birri (Endeavour River) 246 years ago. Lieutenant James

Little Old Man by erecting a life-size bronze statue at Reconciliation Rocks,

Cook and his crew of 86 men arrived on 17 June 1770 to repair his ship

the place where they believe this reconciliation took place.

HMS Endeavour after she was badly damaged on the Great Barrier Reef.

During their 48-day stay, they met with the Guugu Yimithirr Bama.

The first recorded reconciliation in Australia’s history took place after an altercation over ownership of a turtle. The Europeans unwittingly broke

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Cooktown, with its historical charm and tranquillity, has today become a departure point for intrepid adventurers embarking on treks to the farthest northern reaches, following old packhorse trails and telegraph lines to explore Australia’s last frontier: Cape York Peninsula.

CAPE YORK

PENINSULA & TORRES STRAIT The farthest northern tip of Australia is a wild, romantic country unlike any place on earth.

A

t just two per cent of the land mass of Australia—about half the size of Victoria—the Far North’s Cape York Peninsula is the epitome of poet Dorothea Mackellar’s classic romantic ode to wild Australia. Home to two distinct seasons marked by drought and flooding rains, the rugged

mountain ranges and sweeping fertile plains that make up the peninsula are as glorious in their beauty as they are remote from the realities of city life.

The region has, in fact, been dubbed “a country within a country” in response to the exotic purity of its unfathomable wilderness, which occasionally seems out of place in the driest country on earth. The experiences, the environment and the expressive cultures of Tropical North Queensland set the region aside as a distinctly different destination.

With a population of just 18,000 people—60 per cent of whom are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent—Cape York Peninsula is not only culturally important, but also ecologically, economically and strategically significant.

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THE JARDINE RIVER, CAPE YORK. PHOTO: © DEAN JEWELL.

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With its landscape that appears to stretch out into wild nothingness, it is little surprise that the Indigenous culture of Cape York presents a blend of regional cultures, infused with international elements. The area is home to a diverse collection of Aboriginal communities, ranging from the most traditional tribes to the more multicultural people of Thursday Island, where the presence of colonial-inspired architecture and the reggae rhythms that play through the island’s radio station seem more Caribbean in nature than Australian.

The Northern Peninsula Area—or the NPA as it is known locally—on the southern shores of the Torres Strait, has the same distinct personality. It is here that a colloquial language, Cape York Creole, is spoken, and where the name “Jardine” provokes hostile and bitter memories of an unsuccessful and tumultuous initial contact with representatives of the British Raj, the Jardines.

As the geographic gateway to Australia’s fertile and prosperous east coast, this region has served as an intermediary through which innumerable people have travelled south throughout the ages. The endurance of its pristine environment is testament to the unforgiving conditions of the far north.

While the names of several towns and settlements still remain on maps of the region, many of these exist now as little more than ghost towns, some converted to tourist attractions that speak to the legacy of the boom and bust of last century’s gold rush. It was in this environment

PUNSAND BAY TERMITE MOUNDS, CAPE YORK. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

KANGAROO AT CAPE YORK. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

BEACH IN CAPE YORK. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

that the Palmer River gold fever was cultured. As a direct result of this

stretches of wilderness in Australia. The narrow track—some 1,030

fever, Cooktown became an almost instant international metropolis

kilometres in length—offers the exploratory motorist continuous

on the edge of the British Empire, where every nation of substance

adventure as it exposes rainforests, winding mountain roads, narrow

established an embassy.

river crossings, swampy environments rich in wildlife and lake-

Unlike most cities born of bountiful gold rushes, Cooktown was not exclusively built of demountable buildings and removable material.

dotted plains, all of which exist far from human habitation. This is an adventurer’s getaway in every sense of the word.

Consequently, contemporary Cooktown has a legacy of a great many

Beyond the tip of Cape York, the Torres Strait Islands number more

charming structures from the last century that would likely prove

than 100. Most of these islands are surrounded by coral platforms,

economically prohibitive to duplicate today. These buildings fringe

satellite reefs and picturesque sand cays; seventeen are populated, but

the legendary site at which Captain James Cook repaired his vessel

the origins of their ancestors remain a mystery. Some archaeological

during the voyage of discovery that introduced Australia to the broader

studies reveal early settlement that dates back at least 4,000 years.

western world more than two hundred years ago.

Thursday Island is the centre of administration of the Torres Strait

Outside of the south-east corner of The Cape, roads are rare. Bitumen

Islands, and each year many visitors arrive via the daily ferry or by air

tracks end a few hundred kilometres from Cairns and give way to

to explore its culture and history. Whether you choose to travel there

dusty bush trails. The road from Cairns to Cape York presents visitors

by air or sea, a visit to the Torres Strait Islands is a unique, culture-rich

with the opportunity to move through one of the longest unbroken

Australian adventure.

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KURANDA

A PERFECT POSTCARD VILLAGE The rainforest-clad town of Kuranda is a natural sanctuary nestled high in World Heritage-listed wilderness.

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nce a gateway to the rich goldfields further inland, the village of Kuranda is nestled high within the World Heritage-listed rainforests of the Great Dividing Range. The local Djabugay Aboriginal people call the area Ngunbay, meaning “place of platypus”. Even the journey required to get

here is an experience in itself.

At an altitude of 380 metres above sea level—situated on top of a mountain range 25 kilometres northwest of Cairns—the picturesque village of Kuranda is a relaxed township that was founded in 1876. Over the years, it has developed a reputation as a cool mountain retreat surrounded by World Heritage rainforest—a reputation due in large part

to its elevation, which creates a climate that is several degrees cooler and less humid than on the coast.

Tourism came to the area in the early 1900s and Kuranda, with its famous untamed Barron Falls, was a big attraction for honeymooners. In the 1960s the hippie generation found it a most desirable location, and the Kuranda Markets soon followed, where the new population began selling arts, crafts and home-grown produce.

KURANDA RAILWAY STATION. PHOTO: © QUEENSLAND RAIL. WHERE GUEST B OOK

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KURANDA SCENIC RAILWAY AT STONEY CREEK FALLS. PHOTO: TROPICAL TOURISM NORTH QUEENSLAND. CAPTION.

The Kuranda township can be reached via the Kennedy Highway from Cairns. If you drive, make sure to stop on the way to enjoy the magnificent view of the Coral Sea from the Henry Ross Lookout. Buses travel daily from both Port Douglas (portdouglasbus.com.au) and Cairns (kuranda.org/getting-here).

Alternatively, the ascent may be made by way of the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway with its quaint old carriages, or by the environmentally friendly Skyrail, which skims the rainforest canopy.

SKYRAIL RAINFOREST CABLEWAY. PHOTO: TROPICAL TOURISM NORTH QUEENSLAND.

Many visitors make the choice to combine both of these experiences. Each trip takes in a multitude of landscape scenes, charting the transition from the rich earthy tones of the region’s cane fields to the cool embrace of the rainforest-clad mountains.

Working its way past lush green canopies, deep gorges and rugged mountains before reaching the breath-taking Barron Falls, the Kuranda Railway journey presents a range of unforgettable imagery throughout its 90-minute passage. This is a view that was originally captured more than a century ago by teams of railway pioneers, armed only with picks and shovels. These days, that 34-kilometre track winds its way through 15 hand-made tunnels up to Kuranda Station, which itself looks more like a botanical garden.

The increasingly adventurous ascension of the Skyrail, the longest gondola cableway in the world, gives travellers a birds’ eye view. The journey spans a total distance of 7.5 kilometres over the top of the rainforest from Smithfield. This is a way for all ages to experience a tropical rainforest at close quarters without impacting on the fragile environment, gliding silently just metres above the treetops of the World Heritage-listed Barron Gorge National Park.

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As with the Kuranda Railway passage, Skyrail ventures past the spectacular Barron Falls as it progresses up the MacAlister Range.

While aboard the Skyrail, passengers are presented with revealing views of the Coral Sea and Cairns city.

Easy access walkways at Barron Falls Station lead you to three lookouts, from which you can witness magical views of the Barron River, Gorge and Falls. In the wet season, you might be lucky enough to witness the Barron Falls in flood.

The rainforest setting of Kuranda, with its postcard village of old timber houses under shady rainforest trees, has long been a source of inspiration for artists. Since the 1960s, the township has attracted painters, potters, photographers, glass- and wood-workers who reside in or near the village alongside the Djabugay people.

It is a haven for those drawn from all corners of the globe under the unifying forces of art, music and mutual respect.

BARRON FALLS. PHOTO: TROPICAL TOURISM NORTH QUEENSLAND.

The stroll from the train station or from the Skyrail station will bring you to the fine art galleries, local clothing boutiques, lovely restaurants and giftshops that reside within the quaint shopping village. Sandra Viden Design is a favourite, with a reputation built on timeless fashions created for leisure, all designed and made here in Australia.

Located within Kuranda Village and adjacent to the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, the Kuranda Heritage Markets is an all-weather covered market nestled in the rainforest.

Ninety stalls showcase the work of local artists and provide an innovative range of handmade crafts plus Australian opals, gemstones, crocodile and kangaroo leather goods, Aboriginal arts and crafts, and clothing. The markets are open between 9.30am and 3.30pm daily and a shuttle bus makes it easy to get to and from the train or Skyrail station.

An eye-catching sight on the main street is The Ark, home to the Doongal Aboriginal Art Gallery, which specialises in paintings and artefacts from the local Indigenous community as well as artwork from Central Australia.

Near the markets, you’ll also find Kuranda Koala Gardens, where you’ll get the chance to cuddle koalas, encounter freshwater crocodiles and meet a FASHION FROM SANDRA VIDEN DESIGN.

variety of other local wildlife.

Birdworld Kuranda represents the largest collection of free-flying birds in Australia, kept within a huge flight aviary that has been superbly landscaped with lakes, ponds and waterfalls. There are more than 45 species of native birds here—including Regent bowerbirds, parrots and the increasingly rare cassowary—alongside international species derived from the world’s vanishing rainforests, such as the dazzlingly plumaged macaw from South America.

Hand-feeding opportunities are available and your camera is a must.

Australian Butterfly Sanctuary is an enchanting experience, containing Australia’s largest live butterfly display. Here, in a vast, lushly landscaped enclosure, hundreds of brilliantly coloured butterflies will surround you, including the flashing, dancing, electric-blue Ulysses, regarded by many as the unofficial emblem of Tropical North Queensland. Wear something bright (either red, pink or white) and entice the butterflies to land on you.

MALE RED LACEWING BUTTERFLY. PHOTO: TROPICAL TOURISM NORTH QUEENSLAND.

Easily accessible from the village centre are a range of rainforest and riverside walks, which introduce visitors to the dwarfing majesty of Kuranda’s wilderness from another perspective.

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SUBTROPICAL HAVEN:

THE TABLELANDS Quieter and cooler than the coast, The Tablelands of Tropical North Queensland yield abundant agriculture, wildlife and scenery.

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he Tropical Tablelands is a region of unsurpassed natural beauty where lush World Heritage rainforests laced with sparkling mountain streams and mist-shrouded waterfalls embrace and protect a substantial proportion of Australia’s plant and animal species. Covering less that one thousandth of the Australian continent, the Tropical Tablelands is home to 62 per cent of Australian butterfly species, 30 per cent of Australian frog species, 60 per cent

of Australian bat species, plus incredible numbers of bird, reptile, marsupial, plant and fern species.

A combination of ecology and lifestyle at its finest, the Tropical Tablelands connects people not only with natural marvels, but some of Australia’s richest agricultural lands and charming small towns. This unique accident of geology spreads along a rich, fertile plateau 600 metres above sea level between the Great Dividing Range to the west and the Bellenden Ker Range, which juts up from the coastal plain and includes Queensland’s highest peak, Mount Bartle Frere, at 1,622 metres.

Climbing through one of the four main access routes that wind their way from the canefields and lowland forests, visitors enter a truly different world. Only an hour’s drive from the coastal humidity and heat of Cairns, this landscape is quieter and degrees cooler—a subtropical haven in the tropics.

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SUNRISE, ATHERTON TABLELANDS. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

The Tropical Tablelands label actually refers to the Atherton Tablelands and is often used to encompass the slightly higher Evelyn Tablelands. These landscapes resulted from dramatic block faulting of the earth’s crust what is estimated to have been 50 million years ago, in combination with volcanic upheaval as recently as 10,000 years ago. Legacies of this geological action are the rich soil and the beautiful crater lakes—Eacham, Barrine and Euramoo—set amidst the rainforest. Lake Barrine is famous not only for its lakeside forest walks and rainforest cruises, but as well for the Devonshire teas at the Lake Barrine Teahouse and Rainforest Cruises venue.

Another crater lake is Bromfield Swamp, a sought-after destination for serious bird-watchers. Thousands of magpie geese are joined by the brolgas and sarus cranes that—with long legs extended behind them, their peculiar calls filling the air—make their annual journey from Normanton on the Gulf of Carpentaria.

The Mareeba Wetlands Reserve protects more than 5,000 acres of savanna and wetland, providing a sanctuary for much of tropical Australia’s savanna and wetland flora and fauna. Just outside Mareeba, Granite Gorge is a delightful spot where rock wallabies can be seen most of the day, and where acres of granite boulders are punctuated with walking tracks and safe swimming holes.

Many beautiful and unusual birds are found in this region, such as the colourful and statuesque cassowary, Victoria’s rifle bird, WOMPOO FRUIT DOVE (PTILINOPUS MAGNIFICUS).

PHOTO: © OCEANWIDEIMAGES.COM

golden and satin bower birds, wompoo fruit doves, king parrots and kingfishers. The creeks are frequented by platypus while tree-climbing kangaroos, sugar-gliders, green possums and other mammal species occupy their own niche within the unique and delicate lifecycle of these habitats.

Against this primordial backdrop of forest, volcanic cinder cones and tranquil crater lakes occupy this rich fertile plateau, known as the “food bowl” of Tropical North Queensland. The Tablelands yield a constant supply of tropical fruit such as papaw, mango, avocado, macadamia nuts (a Queensland native) and lychee, in addition to tea and coffee plantations close by temperate orchards of stone fruit and citrus. Amongst these plantations are fields crisscrossed with crops of peanuts, potatoes, maize, and fodder for beef and dairy cattle. Any tour of The Tablelands should allow for

MT QUINCAN CRATER, ATHERTON TABLELANDS. PHOTO: © ANDREW WATSON.

frequent stops or deviations to savour the products of wineries, distilleries, cheesemakers, chocolate-makers and tea-tasting cafés.

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their way through the hills, culminating in waterfalls that cascade into refreshing swimming holes. This is the centre of Tropical North Queensland’s dairy industry; one of the world’s largest dairy factories, located here, is supported by more than 190 local dairy farmers. The dairy products sourced from this town travel along the longest milk run in the world, reaching south to Townsville, west to Alice Springs, north to Darwin and overseas to New Guinea and South East Asia.

Roughly 15 kilometres south of Malanda is the picturesque village of Millaa Millaa. A former timber town, Millaa Millaa’s main attraction is the waterfall of the same name, which cascades to a pristine waterhole—surrounded by lush rainforest—where you can enjoy a ABOVE AND RIGHT: THE CRYSTAL CAVES.

refreshing swim in the cool water. If you are lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of a platypus.

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The stately rural town of Atherton is home to

The name Millaa Millaa translates to

one of Australia’s most bizarre museums. Local

“lots of water” in the Indigenous language

character René Boissevain has quite literally built

of the area. The township is the centre of

a cave in his rock shop to display an incredible

the Waterfall Circuit, which additionally

collection of crystals, minerals, gemstones and

includes Mungalli Falls, Zillie Falls and

fossils. He started his project in the early 1980s

Ellinjaa Falls.

and his crystal cave has grown to cover an area

A regular journey taken by locals and

of 3,002 square metres. The hero of the show is

visitors weaves through the many village

a staggering 3.2-metre Amethyst geode that sits

markets that are held throughout the Table-

in a babbling brook comprised of hundreds of kilograms of rose quartz

lands. The oldest is in the historic precinct of Yungaburra, where

boulders. More than 600 specimens are embedded in the cave walls,

turn-of-the-century buildings provide a charming backdrop for the

which can be touched, photographed and admired by visitors. The self-

quaint art and craft activities and monthly markets, held on the fourth

guided tour needs to be seen to be believed.

Saturday of every month.

Situated in one of the wettest areas of the Atherton Tablelands,

Only minutes south from Yungaburra is the famous Curtain Fig Tree,

Malanda is surrounded by pockets of rainforest and rolling hills covered

one of the best-known attractions on The Tablelands. The more than

with lush green grass where dairy cows graze. Freshwater creeks snake

500-year-old tree stands 50 metres tall and spreads to 39 metres wide at

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the base. East of Yungaburra is the equally impressive Cathedral Fig Tree, located off Danbulla Road via Boar Pocket Road.

Near the historic town of Yungaburra is Australia’s most recent war memorial. The Avenue of Honour has been constructed beside Lake Tinaroo against a backdrop of calm water and mountains, to honour the 39 Australian diggers who were killed in Afghanistan. 70 flame trees have been planted; in years to come, they will flower for three or four months of the year, including for Remembrance Day in November.

For visitors, the Tropical Tablelands present so many opportunities for appreciating the arts and crafts, tasting the tropical produce of the region and marvelling at the geographical diversity. Birdwatching, wildlife river cruises, horse riding, ballooning, watersports and fishing are all enjoyed, as are spectacular scenic drives that lead to panoramic lookouts, bushwalks, waterfalls and ancient, humbling scenery.

SUNSET RIDGE FARM, LOCATED CLOSE TO LAKE BARRINE. PHOTO: BRETT’S OUTBACK TASTING ADVENTURES.

Watergate Ad

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WILD BEAUTY

THE GREAT GREEN WAY Discover an area of unpindownable beauty that flits between valley swimming holes and rugged, wind-swept mountain peaks.

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he Great Green Way is an area of outstanding natural beauty that stretches between Townsville and Cairns, and includes two World Heritage-listed natural treasures: the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforests. Rugged mountain ranges and stands of sugarcane, tropical fruit farms and long

stretches of golden beach offer stunning views and photo opportunities.

The area has more than 25 tropical islands off its coast, the most famous of which are Dunk, Bedarra and one of the world’s largest island national parks, Hinchinbrook. A quick turn off the Bruce Highway presents access to such fantastic locations as Bramston Beach, Ella Bay, Flying Fish Point, Etty Bay, Cowley Beach, Kurrimine Beach, Bingil Bay, Mission Beach, Tully Heads and Cardwell. Each of these locations features seemingly endless stretches of clean golden sand, with many fringed exquisitely by rainforest greenery.

Towering 1,622 metres above the coastal lowlands is Queensland’s highest mountain, Mount Bartle Frere (Chooreechillum). Beneath the towering mountain near the township of Babinda is a popular swimming area, The Boulders, named for a series of huge outcrops of granite boulders found along Babinda Creek. With an exceedingly high average annual rainfall of 4,614mm, the surge of cascading mountain water in the creek as it thunders through The Boulders adds to the wild beauty of the region.

WATERFALL AT JOSEPHINE FALLS. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

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Legend has it that long ago, when the Yidinji tribe lived in the Babinda Valley, there was a very beautiful young girl, Oolana, who was given in marriage to a very old, respected elder, Waroonoo. Some time later, a wandering tribe came through the valley and, as was the friendly custom of the Yidinji, they made the strangers welcome, inviting them to stay. In the visiting tribe was Dyga, a very handsome young man. At first sight, Dyga and Oolana fell in love.

So great was their strong attraction for each other they arranged to meet secretly and run away. They journeyed well up into the valley, spending wonderful happy

BANANA PLANTATION AT MOUNT BARTLE FRERE. PHOTO: TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

days together camped under Chooreechillum near the water’s edge.

The two tribes had been searching for them and it was at this spot that they came upon the two lovers. The wandering tribesmen seized Dyga, forcing him away, never to return. Meanwhile, Oolana had broken away from the tribesmen’s grasp and violently flung herself into the waters of the creek as she called for Dyga to return to her. At the very instant Oolana struck the water, a tremendous upheaval occurred. The land shook with terror and sorrow as Oolana cried for her lost lover.

Suddenly, rushing water came cascading over the whole area. Huge boulders were thrown up and she disappeared into them. Oolana seemed to become part of the stones as if to guard the very spot where it all happened.

To this very day, her spirit is said to remain there. Some say that at times her anguished cries can be heard as she calls out for her lover to return—and that wandering travellers should take care lest Oolana call them too close to the water.

Up to 17 lives have been lost at the Babinda Boulders, most of them young men.

So heed the warning signs, and keep to the clearly marked swimming areas.

Despite the rugged terrain, walking tracks are popular with locals and visitors, and bushwalkers regularly tackle the climb to the top of Mount Bartle Frere— a fair effort in exchange for the splendour that the view from its summit bestows.

Starting from Josephine Falls—a well-known swimming spot about 50 kilometres south of Cairns—the climb to the top of Mount Bartle Frere is a tough 7.5-kilometre haul that should only be attempted by fit, well-equipped hikers.

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PHOTO: JUDY RUTLEDGE SMITH.

OBSERVATION TOWER AT MAMU TROPICAL SKYWALK. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

Mount Bellenden Ker, at 1,593 metres, falls just short of its highest

As far back as 1933, the young Spaniard José Paronella recognised the

neighbour in terms of height, but it is home to a range of natural

power of this massive rainfall and installed Australia’s first hydro-electric

features just as diverse. The Bellenden Ker National Park encompasses

system, which harnessed the waterfall within his property at Mena Creek.

79,500 hectares of wild mountain range, making it the largest rainforest

His legacy lives on today in the restored and rejuvenated Paronella Park.

park in Queensland and an outstanding feature of the Wet Tropics

Just 90 minutes from Cairns, the Mamu Tropical Skywalk is set

World Heritage Area. Due to the dramatic changes in altitude and soil

amongst the rugged gorge country of the Mamu Aboriginal people,

density created by a range of geological phenomena, the mountain is

halfway between Innisfail and Millaa Millaa. The walkway is designed

clothed in disparate types of rainforest. From tall, large-leafed forest

to allow visitors to experience the rainforest at every level while having

on the foothills, the vegetation changes to a smaller-leafed, lower

minimal impact on the fragile environment.

canopy on the wind-swept peaks that reach above 1,500 metres. The

More than 1,100 metres of walking tracks, suitable for wheelchairs

summit is a wild, boulder-strewn environment that can cloud over

and prams, meander through the forest linking the various sections of the

without warning.

walkway. Here at ground level, colourful fruits litter the shady forest floor

Sudden rainstorms are common and temperatures drop rapidly at

between massive tree trunks with impressive plank-like buttressed roots.

night. This relatively untouched wilderness remains the wettest region

At the end of the walkway, a massive 37-metre-high observation

in Australia, with annual rainfalls exceeding 10 metres historically

tower looms above the tallest of the trees. The walkway is on the edge of

commonplace. As a result, rivers, streams and waterfalls—including

Wooroonooran National Park. Visitors wishing to explore the rainforest

the spectacular 350-metre Wallaman Falls—cascade through lush

further will find more walking tracks—many of which lead to scenic

rainforest on their way to the ocean below.

waterfalls—just a few kilometres further up the Palmerston Highway.

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QUEENSLAND’S CASSOWARY COAST:

MISSION BEACH A golden stretch of nature, culture and uniquely exotic bird life, situated halfway between Cairns and Townsville.

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t the heart of the Great Green Way lies beautiful Mission Beach, a natural midway point between Townsville and Cairns. Mission Beach is made up of four villages linked by 14 kilometres of wide golden beach; a perfect base to relax and explore this unspoilt natural environment. A blend of sophisticated eateries, boutiques and art galleries nestled against lush tropical rainforest, Mission Beach reminds us just how beautiful little beachside

towns can be—a blend of vibrant art and culture with unique tourism attractions and an artisan market, held on the first and third and last Sunday of each month for most of the year, showcasing local produce, clothing, arts and crafts.

South Mission Beach has glorious views across to Dunk Island, Bedarra, the Family Islands and the largest national park island in Australia, Hinchinbrook Island. Drive ten minutes north to Wongaling Beach for shopping facilities and to access the water taxi or charter boat to Dunk Island. Alternatively, charter a boat and curate your own picnic day or fishing expedition in these beautiful tropical waters, or venture to any of the unspoilt islands and beaches in the region.

BINGIL BAY, MISSION BEACH. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

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Exploring the region can be an adventure, with crocodile-spotting mangrove cruises run day and night, and plentiful fishing and hiking opportunities. For those looking for a physical challenge, this area is also home to a host of adventurous recreational activities, such as white-water rafting down the Tully River, skydiving, water skiing, sailing and sea kayaking.

But Mission Beach is much more than just beaches and sea views; it is also rich in agriculture. Aside from sugarcane, a range of interesting fruits are grown in the area—including the relatively unknown varieties of abui, breadfruit, durian, jackfruit, mangosteen, soursop and rambutan. Fruit Forest Farm trialled and introduced an innovative style of growing exotic fruit trees in the tropics after two damaging cyclones affected the area; the Tatura trellising method has since been adopted by other farmers in cyclone-affected areas. The team at Fruit Forest Farm are continually fine-tuning innovative, productive and sustainable practices.

Another innovative couple is Lynn and Chris Jahnke at Charley’s Chocolate Factory, located on the road from El Arish to Mission Beach. As recent seachangers from Melbourne, Lynn and Chris decided to combine their love of Tropical North Queensland with a love of chocolate, planting their first cocoa seeds in 2012. Their chocolate is a “work of love”, and has been recognised with gold, silver and bronze medals in Melbourne and Sydney in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Charley’s Chocolate Factory was awarded the overall trophy for Best Chocolate Bar at the Australian Food Awards in 2016.

In 2017, the factory achieved global status when the Salon du Chocolat in Paris judged their Mount Edna cocoa as one of the world’s 18 finest cocoas as selected from 40 countries.

TOP: LYNN AND CHRIS JAHNKE OF CHARLEY’S CHOCOLATE

In 2019, Mount Edna cocoa was again included within the top 50 as judged in Paris. As of

FACTORY. BOTTOM: GLOBAL RECOGNITION FROM THE SALON

print, the final 18 selections have yet to be announced for 2019. The Chocolate Tours at

DU CHOCOLAT FOR CHARLEY’S CHOCOLATE FACTORY.

Charley’s Chocolate Factory present a rare opportunity for guests to follow the journey of chocolate “from cocoa tree to chocolate bar” at one of the world’s best cocoa plantations.

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PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

Mission Beach also has some of the most beautiful rainforest walks in Tropical North Queensland. This rare lowland mesophyll rainforest provides the habitat for 60 per cent of Australia’s butterflies—the most famous of which is the electric-blue Ulysses butterfly, also known as the Dunk Island butterfly—more than 200 bird species and 52 mammals. It is possible to encounter the endangered cassowary, Australia’s largest bird, on one of these rainforest pathways.

The southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii) is an inarguably colourful creature, with its brilliant blue and purple head and neck and its red wattle. Many of the flightless birds—

CASSOWARY. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL

or ratites—around the world have become extinct. There are now fewer than 1,500 casso-

NORTH QUEENSLAND.

waries remaining in north Queensland, so it is imperative that care is taken especially driving along the roads leading into and around Mission Beach, as vehicle strike is the main threat facing cassowaries after habitat destruction and fragmentation.

The name cassowary comes from two Papuan words: kasu, which means ‘horned’ and weri, which means ‘head’. This refers to the bony-looking casque on the heads of all adult birds. However, this casque is neither horn nor bone but a tough skin covering a core of firm, cellular foam-like material (similar in texture to Styrofoam). The naked skin on the cassowary’s neck is bright blue and red, a pair of red wattles hanging down at the front; the intensity of the colour changes according to the mood of the bird.

They feed mainly on forest fruits and are sometimes referred to as the gardeners of the forest because they play such an important role in the dispersion of rainforest seeds. Unlike many other fruit-eating birds, which use grit in their digestive systems to break up the seeds as well as the flesh, cassowaries have a ‘gentle’ digestive system which passes the seeds unharmed into a pile

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of compost, many kilometres from the parent plant. It has been estimated that 70–100 species of plant depend almost entirely on the cassowary to disperse their seeds.

Unfortunately, many cassowaries are killed as a result of misplaced kindness. Please do not feed cassowaries. Birds that become accustomed to being fed from cars are attracted to roads, often with fatal results, while others run the risk of dog attack when attracted to urban areas.

Tame cassowaries also pose a danger to humans. The birds are equipped with long, dagger-like toes, up to 120mm in length. These are used as weapons, the bird jumping up and kicking forward with both feet at once. Cassowaries that have become used to being fed can be demanding and unpredictable and it is these birds that have been responsible for the majority of attacks on people. If you are lucky enough to encounter a cassowary in the wild please resist that photo opportunity and do not be tempted to feed the bird.

Please watch out for cassowaries and slow down on the roads around Mission Beach!

CASSOWARY. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

FALL TO FALL

CARDWELL & HINCHINBROOK With their natural spas and swimming holes, these two towns are the perfect places to go chasing waterfalls.

D

riving south from Mission Beach, Cardwell comes as a pleasant surprise: the highway emerging right beside the sea, with sweeping views out to Hinchinbrook Island—the world’s largest island national park, with a jagged chain of mountains forming its backbone.

Cardwell is the northern gateway to Hinchinbrook’s untamed wilderness—its superb

beaches, deserted islands, coral reefs and what is without doubt one of the best boating and fishing localities along the northern Queensland coast.

The township of Cardwell was devastated by Cyclone Yasi in February 2011, but has bounced back with exceptional vigour. A visit to the ocean-facing Cardwell Rainforest & Reef Visitor Information Centre will give you a clear idea of just how much this region has to offer. Staff are always willing to show you which seashore or rainforest walking trails or drives are the most interesting or scenic, or where to find the best swimming holes and picnic areas. At Girringun, an Aboriginal cultural centre, you are able to learn about the local Indigenous people, their past and customs.

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WALLAMAN FALLS. PHOTO: © ANDREW WATSON.

CARDWELL SPA POOL. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

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Located in the Girringun National Park, Cardwell Forest Drive is a 26-kilometre scenic ring road featuring swimming holes, waterfalls, great picnic spots and a picturesque blue spa pool. Geological experts suggest that the blue colour is because the water picks up minerals from underground sedimentary rocks. This results in high levels of dissolved magnesium and calcium. Depending on the time of day and on the available sunlight, the colour can ABORIGINAL SCULPTURAL BAGU ON THE CARDWELL FORESHORE. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

vary from a bright, baby blue to a milkier blue colour. Water levels in the pool can vary from season to season.

Murray Falls, within Girramay National Park, is one of north Queensland’s prettiest waterfalls, with large volumes of water racing over naturally sculpted granite boulders. Rainforest-covered mountains and tropical lowlands meet in the attractive foothills of the Kirrama Range.

Hinchinbrook Passage is an idyllic part of the world for fishing; a maze of mangrove-lined creeks teems with fish such as barramundi and mangrove jack—not to mention an abundance of oversized mud crabs. Charter operators and guided cruises to Hinchinbrook Channel and Hinchinbrook Island operate daily from Cardwell or further south from Lucinda, the sleepy coastal village at the southern end of the Hinchinbrook Channel.

Lucinda is home to the world’s largest bulk sugar-loading jetty, at 5.76 kilometres long. The jetty enables Lucinda to receive the largest ships used in the raw sugar trade. It is also one of the best fishing spots in Queensland.

This region, known generally as The Hinchinbrook Way, centres around the historic town of Ingham, just an hour north of Townsville. Ingham is surrounded by rugged mountain ranges, giant waterfalls, wild beaches and tropical islands; it is a place where stunning scenery, unique wildlife, world-class fishing experiences and 60,000 years of culture are all weaved into one incredible story. The Ingham community has a strong Italian influence, reflected in one of the town’s wellknown festivals: the Australian-Italian Festival, which is celebrated in August each year.

The Ingham Cemetery has also become an attraction due to the vast array of intricately tiled mausoleums that epitomise the region’s strong Mediterranean influences.

Walking tracks and waterfalls abound in this Wet Tropics World Heritage area, which has an average rainfall of two metres every year. To the west of Ingham is Wallaman Falls—Australia’s highest single-drop waterfall—which cascades 268 metres and is well worth the trip. Nearby are also Jourama Falls, with its rainforest plunge pool; Herbert River Falls; Blencoe Falls; and Crystal Creek Falls. Across a narrow channel of water, Hinchinbrook Island shows off its rugged terrain with a stunning vista from the top of Zoe Falls.

For more information on the Hinchinbrook Way, call into Hinchinbrook Visitor Information Lounge on the corner of Cooper Street and Bruce Highway in Ingham or go online at hinchinbrookway.com.au.

CARDWELL JETTY. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

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FISHING THE BURDEKIN RIVER.

CORNER GILL AND MOSMAN STREETS.

STOCK EXCHANGE ARCADE.

CHARTERS TOWERS Discover the rich heritage of this historic gold mining town.

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nown by locals as Australia’s “most authentic country

Now with a population of around 9,000, life here is a little less hectic, and

town”, Charters Towers—along with its surrounding

visitors are able to explore the rich heritage of Charters Towers at their own

townships—is a world apart. Here you can see the outback,

pace. The Visitor Information Centre is staffed with local volunteers who are

feel the history and live Australia’s story. Situated on

more than happy to point visitors towards the many man-made historical

the crossroads of the Great Inland Way and the Overlander’s Way

structures, stunning examples of beautifully preserved architecture from the

(Flinders Highway), Charters Towers—or “The World”, as it has

wealthy days of the gold rush, and the natural attractions that abound in

affectionately been known—is a charming gold mining town that is

the area.

alive with history and character.

From the chance discovery of gold in 1872 by a young Indigenous horse boy, Jupiter Mosman, Charters Towers rapidly became a bustling

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A leisurely guided walking tour, self-drive audio tour, or a bird’s eye view from the Towers Hill Lookout will reveal the authentic, historic and raw natural beauty of the Charters Towers region.

metropolis. In its heyday, it was Queensland’s second largest city.

For something completely different, try a visit to the largest herd of Texas

At the height of the gold rush, the city included 11 crushing mills,

Longhorns in Australia on the outskirts of town, a nostalgic Tors Drive-In

65 hotels and one of the very first regional stock exchanges in

Cinema experience or a night-time guided ghost tour. Or why not try your luck

Australia, which still can be seen standing proudly in the town centre.

fossicking for gold in designated fossicking area? A grand experience awaits you.

WHERE GUESTBOOK

SUNSHINE

CAPITAL With an average of 300 sunny days per year, there is no shortage of ways to enjoy Townsville’s mix of reef, rainforest and outback.

J

ust metres short of a mountain, Castle Hill—also known by the Indigenous name of Cootharinga—is the pink granite monolith that stands proudly in the centre of Townsville.

From its summit, the way to which is laced with a number

of popular walking tracks, it offers spectacular 360º views over the region.

Castle Hill is the iconic centrepiece of the city, and has a significant history of having been used as a vantage point by visiting American soldiers during World War II. An observation bunker sits on one corner of the hill, reminding visitors of its embedded military history.

The man after whom Townsville is named, Captain Robert Towns, was a British sailor and master mariner. In 1827, he made his first trip to Australia and subsequently made his fortune bringing migrants to Australia.

Townsville—along with the adjoining city of Thuringowa—now make up Australia’s largest tropical beachside city, with a combined population of nearly 178,000 people. On average, the region experiences more than 300 sunny days per year—and there are plenty of ways to take advantage. The diversity of experiences range from the excitement of bull riding and barramundi fishing through to tours of the world’s largest living reef aquarium, cruises to the Great Barrier Reef and trips to the nearby rainforest-strewn Paluma Ranges. In short, prepare yourself for an eclectic mix of rainforest, reef, sandy beaches and outback.

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PHOTOS: TOURISM & EVENTS QUEENSLAND.

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In the heart of Townsville, The Strand is a 2.5-kilometre stretch of beachfront boulevard lined with restaurants, cafés, bars, picnic areas, swimming enclosures and pools, sporting and recreational facilities, walking paths and water playground—all with sweeping views across Cleveland Bay and over to Magnetic Island.

Named by Captain James Cook in 1770 as he sailed north in his ship, HMS Endeavour, Magnetic Island is a place of beautiful beaches, rocky outcrops and secluded coves. This World Heritage-listed paradise is just 25 minutes from the city centre via fast catamaran ferry across Cleveland Bay, or 35 minutes via car ferry.

“Maggie”, as it is affectionately known by locals, is a residential island with a true village atmosphere. More than two thirds of the island is classified as national park. It is home to more than 2,500 people, Australia’s largest colony of wild koalas, and some very tame rock wallabies.

Townsville is also home to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA). Under the authority of the Australian Government, GBRMPA’s fundamental obligation is to protect the Great Barrier Reef—not only through research, but through working with its Traditional Owners, partners and stakeholders, and by promoting a sense of stewardship in all those who live near or work on the reef.

MAGNETIC ISLAND HORSE SHOE BAY, MAGNETIC ISLAND. PHOTO: © ISTOCKPHOTO.

RACE WEEK. PHOTO: TOURISM & EVENTS QUEENSLAND.

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Under the umbrella of GBRMPA, Reef HQ Great Barrier Reef Aquarium is the world’s largest living coral reef aquarium and the Australian Government’s national education centre for the Great Barrier Reef. Here you can immerse yourself in the underwater viewing tunnel, with its magical views of living coral reef and the predators that inhabit its depths.

Also located in the city centre, the Museum of Tropical Queensland attracts inquisitive souls with exhibitions such as “Dinosaur rEvolution: Secrets of Survival”, which showcases the predatory prehistoric world through animatronics, threedimensional models and fossils. The main attraction, the Pandora Gallery, tells the story of the ill-fated HMS Pandora, the ship sent by British admiralty to capture HMS Bounty and her mutinous crew in 1790. Townsville’s planned Museum of Underwater Art continues to edge ever closer to reality, with its first artwork, “Ocean Siren”, due to open on The Strand in December 2019.

An hour’s drive south of Townsville, the Shire of Burdekin—with its twin towns of Ayr and Home Hill, linked by the iconic Burdekin Bridge—is known as the sugar capital of Australia. It is also a fishing mecca, a bird-watching paradise and the traditional homeland of the Bindal and Juru Indigenous peoples. “The Burdekin”, as it is known, is famous for its rich flat farmlands, amazing waterways and scenic beauty. Along the coast you will find Alva Beach, a popular launching spot for dive boats headed out to the S.S. Yongala shipwreck. The shipwreck is known as one of the top 10 wreck dives in the world. At 107 metres in length and listing to starboard 30 metres below the surface, it is one of the most intact and pristine shipwrecks to be found anywhere, as well as a haven for colourful fish and coral.

135 kilometres to the west of Townsville is the heritage centre of Charters Towers, a city of history and charm that boomed following the 1872 discovery of gold in the area by an Aboriginal boy, Jupiter Mosman. At the height of the gold rush in 1880, Charters Towers was turned into a bustling metropolis. In its heyday, it was the second largest city in Queensland. Believed to be in possession of everything a person could ever want, at the time it became known as “The World”. These days, it remains a perfect example of where the Australian outback meets life in the tropics.

MAGNETIC ISLAND. PHOTO: TOURISM AND EVENTS QUEENSLAND/BUDD PHOTOGRAPHY.

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STANDS STILL With its star-speckled skies and its wildly dramatic landscape, the Gulf Savannah is a place that encourages contemplation.

T

he Gulf Savannah covers an area of 186,000 square kilometres from the Great Dividing Range, just west of Cairns, to the Gulf of Carpentaria and across to the Northern Territory border. Within its sprawling boundaries, coral reefs, bright lights and the lushness

of the coast sit in stark and beautiful contrast.

A vast expanse of tree-studded grasslands, meandering rivers, waterfalls and remote salt pans merging with wetlands, the Gulf Savannah’s wildly dramatic landscape is steeped in history and culture. Untouched bushland and wide-open spaces exhibit spectacular flora, dramatic sunsets, kangaroos, crocodiles and a colourful spectrum of birdlife, which sit amongst World Heritage fossil fields, Aboriginal rock art, gemstones, gold, and some of the best fishing in the world. To top it all off, there are the natural phenomena of hot springs, deep gorges teeming with wildlife and the once-in-a-lifetime experience that is the Undara Lava Tubes.

More than 190,000 years ago, the volcano Undara erupted. As lava spilled over the countryside and into the dry river beds, the surface solidified while SALT PANS AT BURKETOWN, GULF

the molten lava continued to flow within. Like a snake through a hollow log,

SAVANNAH. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

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COBBOLD GORGE. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

the lava flowed until the tubes were drained out, leaving empty tunnels behind.

The largest of these flows travelled some 160 kilometres and created what is now the longest lava tube in the world. Over thousands of years, portions of the tunnels collapsed, making sheltered depressions which in turn supported pockets of rainforest. This rainforest now provides a home for creatures unique to this environment, such as the insects that have lost their pigmentation and sometimes sight due to their unusual environment. Many of the plants found within these rainforest pockets have evolved over hundreds of millions of years, and contrast sharply with the surrounding wooded savannah land.

Cobbold Gorge is another spectacular geographical formation, accessible only by tour. Three-hour tours include a boat ride along the gorge and a short walk up the escarpment. Scenic helicopter flights are also available. As with Undara Lava Tubes, Cobbold Gorge is a Savannah Guides Station with accredited guides. The intricate niches of this land encourage contemplation; the clear night skies are perfect for stargazing, the wildlife is enchanting and the people of the Gulf are touched by the quintessential spirit of Australia that is impossible to analyse yet so simple in its enjoyment.

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NORTH QUEENSLAND.

GUIDED TOUR AT UNDARA VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK. PHOTO: TOURISM TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND.

To get there, take the Savannah Way, the road that links Cairns with Georgetown, Croydon, Normanton and Karumba before it crosses into

Karumba Point. Amazing wetlands extend 30 kilometres inland from

the Northern Territory, ending in Broome on the northwest coast of

Karumba and are home to cranes, brolgas and crocodiles.

Western Australia.

South of Normanton—in the region where the ill-fated Burke

Alternatively, two of the great rail journeys that take you through this

and Wills explorers passed through on their search for the Gulf

fascinating country are The Savannahlander, affectionately known as the

of Carpentaria—the cool waters of Lawn Hill Gorge beckon. Part

Silver Bullet, and the Gulflander, also known as the Tin Hare. Departing

of the Lawn Hill National Park, this area has been inhabited by

Cairns, the Savannahlander passes amazing scenery, stopping at multi-

Indigenous people for more than 35,000 years, in large part due to

ple points along the journey to Forsayth—the middle of Gulf country.

the abundance of wildlife and the never-ending supply of crystal-clear

The award-winning, 125-year-old Gulflander follows the line between

water from the springs at the base of the majestic sandstone cliffs.

Normanton and Croydon, and is sometimes the only thing moving in

Evidence of local Indigenous culture is clear in the art that is painted

a place where time seems to stand still. For further information visit

and etched on rock shelters within the park.

queenslandrailtravel.com.au.

Croydon was one the richest goldfields in Queensland and in the late 1800s became the fourth largest town in Queensland. Following the downturn in mining, Croydon has continued as a centre for the cattle industry.

Known for its fishing, Karumba is the centre of the Gulf’s prawning industry and boasts awe-inspiring sunsets—especially from the beach at

Further west is the Aboriginal settlement of Doomadgee, and further still is Hell’s Gate—as far as the Mounted Native Police would guarantee safety for early settlers heading to the Northern Territory.

Even today, this remains a remote part of Australia with spectacular Gulf Savannah scenery. The best time to discover it for yourself is during the dry season, which runs from April to November.

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PARTING SHOT

Night Light It might feel like a dream, but it wasn’t. The wide-open salt planes of the Gulf Savannah, the agricultural bounty of the Tablelands, the small-town charm and big-time culture of cities such as Cairns and Townsville, and of course the unparalleled wonder of World Heritage treasures, the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics rainforest—we hope you’ve seen as much beauty as possible during your trip to Tropical North Queensland, and made memories to last a lifetime.

Photo: Milky Way over the beach at Yorkeys Knob, Cairns. © Andrew Watson.

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Local Information On Hand WhereTraveller’s South East Queensland publications help you navigate the region like a local, with comprehensive information highlighting great places to shop, dine and play.

Brisbane Concierge Maps – English and Chinese language editions: editions extensive South East Queensland coverage, including the Gold Coast.

South East Queensland – WhereTraveller Guestbooks Guestbooks: represents the best of two popular Australian locations— the beachside beauty of the Gold Coast and the bustle of Brisbane.

WhereTraveller receives strong support from the prestigious concierge association Les Clefs d’Or Australia, with concierge using our publications to ensure guests access the best the region has to offer.

PHOTO: BRISBANE MARKETING.

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