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5 things to do in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef

By Brian Johnston

November 30, 2022 — 9.39am

Swim, explore, relax, repeat.Credit: Cairns & Great Barrier Reef

This is sponsored content for Cairns & Great Barrier Reef.

A tropical getaway takes you into a more vivid, intense world of brilliant blue seas, emerald hills, multi-coloured reefs and soft warm rain. You rediscover the pleasures of a slow holiday in a place where rainforest meets the reef, and where summer landscapes are rinsed green and waterholes beckon.

Splash, swim, explore, relax. Then get up the next day and do it all over again. Here are five great ways to experience summer in stunning Tropical North Queensland.

Get refreshed under waterfalls

In the Wet Tropics, you won't be short of waterfalls and refreshing waterholes to explore. The most easily accessible are in the scenic Atherton Tablelands, whose Waterfall Circuit provides abundant opportunities to swim, picnic or take the plunge.

Picture-perfect Millaa Millaa Falls provides the classic Instagram moment, but for something more rugged head to Zillie Falls and Ellinjaa Falls. South of Cairns, Wooroonooran National Park is another delight; the tiered rocks of Josephine Falls provide a natural slippery-dip of water-splashing fun.

The Atherton Tablelands has plenty of waterfalls to explore.Credit: Cairns ~amp~ Great Barrier Reef

Slurp on tropical fruit

You don't know what fresh fruit is until you've tucked into the juicy tastiness of tropical summer fruit, straight from the tree. And with mangoes selling for a dollar a kilo at this time of year, there's every reason to give into repeated temptation. Pineapples, sweet papayas and lychees are also abundant.

The best treat is to take your tastebuds on an adventure into the markets and pick up weird but wonderful tropical fruit you mightn't have encountered before.

Abiu tastes like crème caramel, and sapote is reminiscent of chocolate pudding. Sapodilla, canistel, soursop and Brazilian cherry should also be on your list while at Rusty's Market in Cairns or the markets at Yungaburra.

Visit Port Douglas Markets.Credit: Cairns ~amp~ Great Barrier Reef

Explore the reef

Few travel experiences are more magical than snorkelling or scuba diving above the reef, and the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef offers you the most extensive reef of all. Summer provides calmer seas and superb water clarity.

You'll find abundant snorkelling and scuba-diving tours and can even try helmet diving. Swim with giant 100-kilo potato cod or two-metre Maori wrasse, admire giant clams, watch manta rays flap past, and see if you can find Nemo among the coral.

If you aren't keen on being underwater, not to worry – an excursion in a glass-bottomed boat will have you drifting above the spectacle. The Great Barrier Reef from the air is gobsmacking too: a kaleidoscope of blue-green waters and swirls of white sand.

The Great Barrier Reef offers you the most extensive reef of all. Credit: Cairns ~amp~ Great Barrier Reef

Relax in the rainforest

The rainforest has been 180 million years in the making, and exploring it is a must for amazing wildlife, lush greenery and the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors in numerous national parks.

No need to pay for fancy spa treatments: this is nature's steam room and rain shower, accompanied by the soothing sound of birdsong and gurgle of streams and waterfalls.

The butterflies are glorious and among the unusual creatures are tree kangaroos. There are two different species in the region – the Lumholtz's tree kangaroo, commonly spotted on the Atherton Tablelands at Malanda Falls, Nerada Tea or the rainforest near Yungaburra, and the Bennett's tree kangaroo found in the Daintree. You might also spot cassowaries, most commonly seen at Etty Bay, Mission Beach and the Daintree.

Explore the rainforest in style.Credit: Cairns ~amp~ Great Barrier Reef

Meanwhile a boat trip on the Daintree River is a must to spot saltwater crocodiles. At Mission Beach and Cape Tribulation, the rainforest reaches right down to the beautiful coastline to spectacular effect.

If sleeping among the trees (with an added layer of luxe) is on your bucket list, visit Silky Oaks Lodge, a lush rainforest retreat located next to the iconic Daintree Rainforest. Take one look at this spot and you won't be surprised to hear it's a hit with the rich and famous.

The 40 luxury treehouse style suites are nestled in the tropical rainforest range from stylish rainforest retreats to the lavish Daintree Pavilion, which features its own infinity pool and two-bedroom wings. With outdoor bathtubs surrounded by lush greenery or looking out to the emerald green waters of the Mossman River, you can take the term forest bathing to a literal level.

Become a beachcomber

A string of glorious golden beaches scallops the coastline, embraced in rolling hills and picturesque palm trees. If you want to escape big-city bustle, then walks along the sand to the sound of the ocean will soon have you de-stressed.

You don't have to go far. North of Cairns, favourites include Palm Cove, Ellis Beach and Kewarra Beach, while Clifton Beach is the local's secret. Marine stingers may be present in the water over summer, so swim in netted areas.

Your worries will melt away on the islands. Dunk Island's beaches are fringed with reef and Fitzroy Island's Nudey Beach is reckoned among Australia's best. Fabulously romantic sand cays include Mackay Cay, bird-rich Michaelmas Cay and exclusive Vlasoff Cay.