Leaving no stone unturned in Far North Queensland (Part 2 of 2)

Kuranda, The Village in the Rainforest Surrounded by World Heritage Rainforest, 1,000 feet above Cairns, lies the picturesque village of Kuranda. The journey to Kuranda is an experience in itself. You can take a gentle drive up through the rainforest, float above the trees aboard Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, or catch the world famous Kuranda Scenic Railway. A great idea is to take the train one way and the Skyrail the other. If you drive, stop off at the Henry Ross lookout for a jaw-dropping view of Cairns in all its glory. However you decide to arrive, make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to discover everything the village has to offer. There’s the famous arts and crafts market, river cruises, ATV quad biking, rainforest walks, and an abundance of wildlife experiences such as Birdworld which I visited and loved.

Browse through the quaint village shops for vibrant had crafted silk and cotton clothing, exclusive jewellery (such as Australian opals), locally made Aboriginal artwork, gifts and more. Then stop for a spot of lunch at one of Kuranda’s many eateries where outdoor dining is one of the joys of our cooler mountain climate. Kuranda is a delightful mix of quirky surprises, colourful characters and natural beauty, perched right at the top of the rainforest.

Baron Gorge National Park The Barron River dominates the park. Rising from the rainforests of Mount Hypipamee National Park, the river winds 60km across the Atherton Tableland through one of Australia's highest rainforest belts. The river falls 250m onto the narrow coastal lowlands and flows to the Coral Sea, just north of the Cairns Airport. During the wetter months (which I have experienced and actually adored), floodwaters regularly create a spectacular sight at Barron Falls which can be seen in my photos.

Barron Falls is a tremendous waterfall located just 3.5km from Kuranda village, however the railway options from/to Cairns has a stop here. In fact, the train goes right in front of them almost and is probably a true once in a lifetime experience. When I approached them this year I was literally gobsmacked. I had the pleasure of visiting during a particularly wet season and the force behind those falls is intense! Totally worth the walk from the station platform up to the car park as you can learn about the history, wildlife and horticulture of this resilient rainforest.

The Daintree The 95 km (60 mile) Daintree region starts at Mossman Gorge, an hour's drive north of Cairns, continues past the picturesque Daintree Village across the Daintree river through the rainforest of the National Park to Cape Tribulation along the Bloomfield Track to Cooktown. Here is where you are most likely to cross paths with a Cassowary, a large bird native to Australia. The Daintree rainforest is believed to be one of the three oldest in the world with unique plants and animals found nowhere else, a Paradise for nature-lovers.

Explore the Daintree on your own or with an expert guide - ancient rainforests, stunning valleys, superb beaches, spectacular forest-clad mountains, clear streams, magnificent rivers and rolling farmlands. My top two trips I would suggest doing would be the Solar Whisper Cruise and Cape Tribulation.

I have lost many-a-night in Cape Trib as a backpacker (to beer or goon [wine] that is), and I can’t speak highly enough of the cruise. This boat excursion is out of this world, as is the guide and owner. It allows you to see crocodiles, birds, snakes, frogs and many more species up close and personal (well, from the safety of the boat) and is truly the wild!

There is no commercialism here, just raw beauty and unfiltered views of this magical part of FNQ. The boat has fantastic equipment with cameras so not to miss the smaller creatures, although I fear ‘The King’ (resident croc) among others will take your wanderlust to a whole new level.

Port Douglas Port Douglas sits between Cairns and the Daintree and for some is the preferred place to stay. The drive to Port Douglas is amazing. Some say it’s better than the Great Ocean Road and I have to agree. You drive on the verge where rainforest meets beach meets reef. On the way you could also stop off at Palm Cove or Trinity beach where the more affluent would stay or reside.

These areas have resorts, beaches, cafés and restaurants. You can swim at the beaches within the swimming nets. You can’t swim outside of these for safety reasons during marine stinger season. if you are a bit of an adrenaline junkie like me, you might enjoy the bungee and swing by AJ Hackett which is not far from the Smithfield Skyrail station. There's so many more to choose from too, such as Rapid Boarders, Australia's only white water river boarding or perhaps Behana Canyoning. If you are more of a foodie, you could go on an outback tasting tour where you often get to see platypus in their natural habitat along the way!

I have stayed at the Pullman at Palm Cove for a night and their rooms are fabulously spacious and some even have private rooftop terraces and jacuzzis!

Port Douglas has a very different feel to Cairns. With lots of retirement complexes, huge resort style hotels and golf courses and very trendy cafes and restaurants too. If you visit here please go to the the little church on the beach (St. Mary’s) as it’s probably one of the cutest and most tropical looking churches in the world. The shops are very boho for the most part, and the foodies out there will be spoiled with choice.

Hotels & Apartments There are so many to choose from, it’s really hard to pick favourites. However, when it comes to finding the right place for you I can assure you that there is something for everyone.

Backpackers The YHA in both Cairns and Port Douglas are great for value for money and locations. In Cairns, I would also recommend Dreamtime Travellers Rest (where I learned how to spin fire poi for fellow backpackers every Wednesday, ha) and also for the younger crowd, Gilligan’s is more a backpacker hotel and definitely the party place!

That pretty much sums up my FNQ experiences, although I would be happy to chat about this at any time. Please call or email me if you are thinking about your next trip.