Cairns is a modern tropical city with a relaxed atmosphere and is the primary gateway to Cairns & Great Barrier Reef region. Cairns is an ideal base to explore the wider Tropical North Queensland region with front door access to World Heritage listed Reef, Rainforest and Outback.
Tropical North Queensland is as diverse in natural treasures as the cosmopolitan mix of cultures and peoples that call this region home. First to arrive were the Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders...followed by the Dutch navigators and eventually Capt. James Cook, who claimed the coast for Britain and paved the way for European settlement to begin.
Gold rushes and foreign wars brought immigrants from around the world to enrich the north with their skills, traditions and cultures. The majestic coral structures that make up the Great Barrier Reef extend over 1,500 kilometres, and are 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 some 21,900 individual reefs and an area of 348,000 square kilometres larger than the combined total area of Ireland and the United Kingdom! The Great Barrier Reef, now a national marine park, provides superb recreational activities such as snorkelling, diving, swimming, semi-submersibles, coral viewing and fishing, and offers a unique environment for scientific research.
The rainforests of the Wet Tropics, a 'living museum' of flora and fauna, were placed on the World Heritage List in 1988 and cover an area of nearly 900,000 hectares of rainforest and tropical vegetation. Here, pockets of primitive plants have remained undisturbed for millions of years, and rare, even previously unidentified species of birds, insects and mammals have emerged to delight biologists and nature lovers.

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The Great Barrier Reef is the world's greatest reef system, stretching more than 2000km along Queensland's north-east coast. As the world's largest and most complex reef system, it has thousands of individual coral reefs and hundreds of continental islands, reef islands and cays, small bare sand cays, and permanent vegetated cays.

Exploring the Great Barrier Reef is both exhilarating and easy. You can snorkel or scuba dive with equipment provided and a trained crew on hand to assist, or view the reef from the comfort of a semi-submersible or underwater observatory.

Swimmers and non-swimmers are catered for or take a scenic flight in a plane or helicopter. There is easy access to the outer reef and islands from points all along the coast, to suit your style or budget.

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A scenic one hour drive in the Highlands west from Cairns is the Atherton Tableland - Tropical North Queensland's own mountain getaway.
Situated between the Bellenden Ker Range and the Great Dividing Range, it is regarded as one of the region's best kept secrets.
The Atherton Tableland in the Cairns Highlands is a blend of the best attractions of the tropics; a combination of nature and lifestyle at its finest. Among the World Heritage listed rainforests, national parks, mountains, rivers, lakes and waterfalls are some of Australia's richest agricultural lands and charming small townships.
Biologists have described the spectacular rainforests of the Wet Tropics as the "greatest celebration of life on earth". The farm and grazing lands are "the food bowl" of the northern tropics - yielding a constant supply of fruit, vegetables and grains to local and export markets.
The rural landscape of the Atherton Tableland is green throughout most of the year, with a temperature which rarely exceeds 30 degrees C. Everything, including the people, thrives on this cool tropical plateau some 600-1100 metres above sea level where temperatures and humidity are lower than on the coastal plain.
Here settlers from all over the world share their arts, crafts, music and festivals. For visitors, the Tablelands present opportunities for bush walking, bird watching, a wildlife cruise, marsupial spotting, hot air ballooning and water sports as diverse as fishing and white water rafting. Winding roads lead to spectacular lookouts and waterfalls, and highlights include Australia's widest waterfall - Millstream Falls - and many others flowing all year round, the deep blue waters of extinct volcano crater lakes, Lake Barrine and Lake Eacham, the ancient Bromfield Swamp near Malanda and the Hypipamee National Park and crater near Herberton.
Rare and endangered Atherton Tableland Wildlife Wildlife is abundant on the Tablelands, as a night time spotlighting tour will show. There are possibilities of seeing shy tree kangaroos and perhaps even a reclusive platypus from the vantage point of a cool riverbank.

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Port Douglas was founded in 1877 as the port town for the Hodgkinson River Goldfields.
After a series of names such as as Terrigal, Island Point, Port Owen and Salisbury it was finally named Port Douglas in honour of former Queensland premier John Douglas. Gold fever bought the population to 12000. The industry grew. Thriving on tin, silver, sugarcane and logging for cedar trees. During this time a total of 27 hotels were established.
The dray teams and stage coaches that serviced the goldfields made their way from the Port, down the beach (now Four Mile Beach) to the "Four Mile" mark which is now called Craiglee. From there they continued over "The Bump" and then onto the goldfields. After the gold dwindled and the completion of the Cairns/Mareeba railway in 1893, this once booming town started to loose its people.
The bad luck continued through to 1911, when a severe cyclone devastated much of the town. The industry became not much more than a fishing village and a gateway to ship sugar from the Mossman Central Mill until 1958. By 1960 this once booming town ended up with a population of about 100 people. In the early 1980's, Port Douglas started to boom again.
This once forgotten little town became one of Australia's best kept secrets and became a popular destination for Australians to spend winter months or holiday throughout the year to visit the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef.
Today the town boasts a population of around 4000 and a booming tourist industry brings visitors from all over the globe, drawn to the village of Port Douglas itself, and the many attractions close by.

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Hidden in dense rainforest, this is the site where Captain Cook ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef. It was Captain James Cook who first sighted the stretch odf coastline known as Cape Tribulation. His diary entries for the night of Sunday 10 June and the morning of Monday 11 June 1770 explain how he arrived at the name.
'The shore between Cape Grafton and the above northern point forms a large but not very deep bay, which I named Trinity Bay, after the day on which it was discover'd; the north point Cape Tribulation because here began all our troubles.
'Before 10 o'Clock (p.m.) we had 20 and 21 fathoms and continued in that depth until a few minutes before 11, when we had 17, and before the man at the lead could heave another cast the ship struck and stuck fast.' It was off the coast that the H.M. Barque Endeavour ran onto the reef now known as Endeavour Reef. It managed to limp to the Endeavour River near present-day Cooktown where, for some months, it was laid up for repairs.
Today the area is part of the 16 965-ha Cape Tribulation National Park, a site of breathtaking beauty with rugged mountain ranges rising sharply behind the narrow coastal strip, dense rainforest tumbling down the mountains to the beaches, and a bewilderingly rich variety of flora. The road from Daintree to Cape Tribulation is less than magnificent, mainly because of the seemingly endless number of tours which make the daily journey from Cairns and Port Douglas. It is a partly sealed dirt road which is passable to conventional vehicles in good weather.

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Natural wonders are rare in most places, but abound around Cooktown. With just a short drive, you can discover the most beautiful, lush natural settings. Among these are the beaches, of course, but you can also find tropical lagoons, waterfalls, hidden gardens, and magical mountain views. They are isolated lands of their own and allow for a lovely way to relax and have a picnic while you enjoy the scenery!

Many world famous anglers come to Cooktown for its amazing fishing, as the Great Barrier Reef and pristine local rivers are inhabited by a wide variety of fish. Among these are Barramundi, Queenfish, Mangrove Jack, and Black Marlin. Sportfishing safaris are available up these rivers as well as out to the reef.

Nature's most beautiful and best kept secrets can often be found on a walk. Enjoy these guides and print them out if you like, so you can find your way. Bring water, a picnic lunch, and a camera if you like and get ready to explore the history and natural beauty that Cooktown has to offer. Cooktown has over two centuries of rich history, starting with Captain James Cook's landing in 1770 and then the gold rush in the 1870's. Explore Cooktown's history and culture, not only by walking through town, but also by visiting the museums and monuments of Cooktown. Cooktown is where the tropical rainforest meets the reef.

The town is surrounded by some of the largest national parks in Cape York. Exotic animals and plants that can be found no where else abound here. Unique natural wonders, such as waterfalls, coral reefs, and lagoons, can often be found with a short trip. Explore these national parks and bask in the beauty of Cooktown's natural surroundings.

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From the beautiful town of Cooktown to Cape York, the tip of Australia, a wild and sparsely populated wilderness area with much to offer the visitor.

The tropical rainforests of this area with their diverse range of plants, marsupials and birdlife were designated as a World Heritage site in 1988.

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If you're looking for a great break, get out and explore Queensland's spectacular Outback. From rollicking stockmen, to quiet fishing spots, to desert sand dunes, and even the odd dinosaur — there's nowhere quite like it.

Queensland's Outback has it all — from the magnificent natural diversity of the Channel Country in the south west, the heritage-rich Matilda Country of the central west and the ancient lands of the Dinosaur, Fossil and Mining Country in the north west. And it's all right here in your own backyard! Other Regions Bundaberg Capricorn Fraser Coast Gladstone Mackay Outback South Burnett Southern Downs Sunshine Coast Toowoomba Townsville Tropical North Whitsundays Queensland Holidays The people, places and wide-open spaces of Queensland's Outback offer you a holiday like no other.

It's all waiting to be discovered by you — today's Outback adventurer!

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In the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, ascending from out of the rich blue tropical waters lies an archipelago of green islands and sandy atolls. It's one of Australia's most enticing destinations, where you can fulfill all your holiday dreams because in the Whitsundays the most amazing things happen …out of the blue! Cast your eye across the horizon glowing under the tropical sun and outlined with the silhouetted shapes of islands. Discover the romance of Heart Reef and the kaleidoscope of colours and shapes of the corals as you dive into the blue of the Great Barrier Reef.

Sink your feet into the impossibly soft white sands of Whitehaven Beach and the crystal clear waters that ebb against the shore. Between the rugged green shapes of the islands, the billowing white sails of a yacht filled with the warm breeze as it glides effortlessly across the waters.

These are the colours and the images of the Whitsundays — each a postcard of a perfect holiday.

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The Fraser Coast region is a holiday playground blessed by nature, with long sandy swimming beaches, relaxing island retreats, abundant marine life and pristine national parks.

There are a wealth of coastal paradises, recreational pursuits, adventure activities and historic explorations that will keep you busy for days, even weeks. Rich in diversity and natural beauty, the Fraser Coast region encompasses the areas of Fraser Island, Hervey Bay, Maryborough, Tiaro and the Great Sandy Strait.

There is also extended touring to neighbouring regions including Cooloola, Childers and the Great Barrier Reef. Our warm, mild year-round climate means that casual lightweight clothing is generally all you’ll need, although something a little warmer is recommended for winter evenings.

Pack comfortable shoes, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen lotion, and you’ll be ready to discover why the Fraser Coast is perfect by nature!

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Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, is a cosmopolitan and lively city that is home to many different types of scenery, including skyscrapers, parkland and even an artificial beach.

Brisbane is a river city, although close to the coast, with Brisbane River running through it. It is surrounded by hills and full of bridges.

Brisbane also gives easy access to a number of attractions as well as the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast.

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The islands of Queensland, and the Great Barrier Reef region of Tropical North Queensland in particular, are Australia's crown jewels, with a choice of accommodation and activities for all budgets ranging from remote and secluded luxury lodges and elegantly sophisticated resorts, through to family oriented island getaways.

Queensland's Great Barrier Reef islands are ideally suited for honeymooners, families, divers, beachcombers - in fact anyone looking for an idyllic, exotic, sunkissed and pristine holiday destination that is a rare escape from a stressful world.

Honeymooners or couples just wanting an exquisite escape are particularly recommended the beautiful romantic Great Barrier Reef Islands of Lizard, Dunk, Hayman, Brampton, Peppers Palm Bay or Hamilton, the remote Robinson Crusoe experience of Haggerstone Island, the secluded and exclusive Orpheus Island.

If diving or fishing are more your speed then Heron, Wilson, Lizard or Lady Elliot are superb choices. For nature at its best with turtle hatching, bird rookeries and whale watching, (all seasonal) Lady Elliot Island is an ecological wonderland.