See the only place on earth where two World Heritage Sites meet – the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef – and where Australia’s two Indigenous cultures come together. Discover a castle in the rainforest at Paronella Park, walk through the vast Undara Lava Tubes or test yourself with an Ironman, mountain biking or marathon endurance event.
The northern end of the Great Barrier Reef is at your doorstep in Tropical North Queensland. Dive and snorkel over pristine coral, swim with dwarf minke whales every June/July, take a scenic flight for a private picnic on the white sand of Vlassof Cay and Mackay Cay, and tackle some of the country’s most epic fishing adventures in the Torres Strait or Gulf of Carpentaria.
Froom Cooktown to Mission Beach, the Wet Tropics of Tropical North Queensland are the oldest rainforests in the world. Walk and hike through the verdant landscape, find hidden waterfalls and swim in fresh waterholes, and look for the elusive cassowary, the third largest bird in the world. There’s adventure, too – jungle surfing through the canopy, white-water rafting on the Baron and Tully rivers, and horse riding on the beach at Cape Tribulation.
Connect with the oldest cultures on earth. Visit ancient Aboriginal rock art sites and contemporary Torres Strait art galleries, learn how to hunt with Kuku Yalanji guides in Cooya Beach, and join in the celebrations at the Laura Aboriginal Dance Festival and Cairns Indigenous Art Fair.
I love Mission Beach for the endless supply of coconuts and rope swings! Kate Duffy
Mission Beach