The city of gold prospectors at the end of the nineteenth centuryH Century, Cairns is now popular with other treasure hunters: nature treasures and in particular the famous Cairns the great Barrier Reef And from here daintree rainforest, One of the access doors. Located in the north of Queensland and equipped with an international airport, Cairns, modern, dynamic and appreciated by young travelers, can serve as a base for visiting this beautiful corner of Australia. From coral reefs to mangrove forests, the landscape of North Queensland is incredibly diverse.
What to see in Queensland from Cairns? Focus on 5 favorite experiences.
Water rides in the heart of the Daintree Rainforest
the Daintree Rainforest It is one of the oldest primary forests in the world at 125 million years old! Spanning nearly 1,200 square kilometers north of Mossman and Cairns, this tropical rainforest is home to an incredible variety of trees and animals, including plentiful birds such as the famous cassowary. This natural paradise is part of the Wet Tropics, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Imagine a water ride in the midst of tree ferns and climbing palm trees… So, you need to leave Cairns and travel 80 km north. The adventure begins in Mount Lewis Park at the Mossman River Bridge. This is where the team of young, experienced backpackers from Back Country Bliss Adventures decided to show off their woods.
After donning your neoprene wetsuit, head to the Daintree River. Time to see a turtle and some lobsters and actually go down the river. There is no question of touching a plant on the way or cleaning a tree with visible roots. It’s the jungle, even among the plants!
The journey continues in the humid heat to the inflatable surfboards the team has just installed. It’s time to balance and go, lying with your head in the air to fully enjoy the treetops. How this beautiful !
To enter the Rainforest Exploration mode, Back to Country Place It combines good safety standards with the fun discovery of nature. Port Douglas, Queensland 4877.
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To get a full view of this magnificent rainforest, nothing beats a cable car ride through the heart of the canopy. At 13km from Cairns, the Skyrail offers a 7.5km aerial journey.
Alligator tracking on the Daintree River
In the middle a river flows, or rather a river: the daintree river, Which feeds the jungle more than 140 km and rises to an altitude of about 1100 meters to flow into the Pacific Ocean.
To reach it, the road cuts through fields of sugar cane and plunges into alleys of palm trees in fluorescent umbrellas. Solar Whisper Wildlife Cruises is the only ship offering a solar cruise departing from Lower Daintree (1.5 hours from Cairns). An ideal ecological and silent solution when it comes to crocodile tracking!
For twelve years, David has been traveling by the river and was always the first to spot a snake lying on the branches of a tree. For crocodiles, it’s more complicated because they’re not always in the mood to get close to them. This morning, good luck! The first is in the water. Its slender, several-meter-long figure barely floats on the surface. It doesn’t take long to get to the beach at full speed when the boat approaches.
The boat continues to explore the banks planted with tropical trees wrapped in lianas. The weather is humid and the vegetation is plentiful. About 2,000 species of trees and plants have been identified, including the blue butterfly that flies before our eyes. A unique natural paradise.
To explore the corners of the Daintree River by solar boat: Daintree River Wildlife and Crocodile CruiseAnd Cape Tribulation Road, Lower Daintree, QLD 4873.
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To learn about the secrets of the rainforest, you can visit the Daintree Discovery Center on Cape Tribulation Road, 10 km from the landing stage. The Discovery Trail, Observation Tower and Interpretation Center allow you to learn more about this wonderful universe.
Explore the Great Barrier Reef
From Cairns, many agencies organize excursions to the legendary the great Barrier Reef, The largest coral reef in the world, stretching 2,500 km off the coast of Queensland.
Departures from Reef Fleet Terminal in Cairns. Boats offering excursions line the docks. bigger like The whims of heaven Collaborate on a scientific program to catalog the fauna and flora of the Great Barrier Reef and also participate in the creation of new shoots. Exploring a dive is like a festival of color oscillating between the turquoise blue of a parrotfish and the pictured pink of an anemone. Suddenly, a shoal of surgeonfish scurries in. Further, in the coral reefs, a leatherback turtle slinks. At least 6 species of turtles live there.
Listed by UNESCO since 1981, the Great Barrier Reef is home to more than 1,500 species of fish and 30 species of whales and dolphins. A unique scene in the heart of a raging sea. Between mid-August and mid-December, the sea floor is less turbid. This is the best time for diving! Between July and November, you may be lucky enough to come across humpback whales.
The whims of heaven It is one of these boats of a tourist and environmental nature. Having a scientist on board sometimes makes you forget about the excessive number of divers and swimmers! 1 Spence Street, Cairns
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The choice of excursions is wide from Cairns. Snorkeling or snorkeling outings, windsurfing or speed boats, day trips or multi-day cruises…it’s up to you! Among the popular excursions, you can go to the outer reefs or take a day trip to the gorgeous islands of Green Island and Fitzroy Island, atolls with white sand and transparent waters rich in multicolored fish!
Discover the mangroves at Yule Point
Guide Juan is part of the Koko Yalangi community. He knows the area very well. Port Douglas until Cape misfortune. The Daintree Rainforest is his playground, explaining the indigenous culture of his ethnic group with the sound of tremolos… no longer punctuated by turbulent river currents but sterile city traffic.
The walk starts at the edge of the sea near Yule Point, along the mangroves. Since the tide went out, thick silt had covered the sand. Between two stories of ancestral beliefs, Juan points out a colony of soldier crabs that hasten to sink into the sand as soon as the tremors of footsteps approach. The mangroves seem impenetrable yet he managed to pass smoothly between the aerial roots of the mangroves.
Once denounced, the ecological role of mangroves is essential. A real nursery for fish and crustaceans, it is essential to protect the coast because it forms a barrier against erosion. Hidden at the feet of a root, a sleeping crab, whose claws are capable of severing a finger! Vigilance is the key…
To understand the indigenous culture and walk in the heart of the extraordinary nature while listening to the history of the indigenous peoples: Cultural adventure tour53-61 Macrossan Street, Port Douglas. winter. : 0061-4-2947-8206.
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North of Yule Point, 70km from Cairns, Port Douglas is a beautiful seaside resort with a more relaxed vibe. Its big assets: a wonderful beach of fine sand (Four Mile Beach). It can also be used as a base for visiting the area, particularly the Daintree Forest and Cape Tribulation, a small village on the edge of a huge beach that looks like the end of the world.
Cairns aquarium night tour
For a bath in nature while staying in the city, head to the aquarium at Cairns. When the aquarium doors close around 4 p.m., guided tours of a somewhat special kind can begin. When space becomes quiet again, diving into the mysterious world of Coral Reef suddenly feels like a privilege.
The ecosystem is reproduced identically and the mini aquariums look like jewel boxes where parrot fish meet multicolored anemones. And next to him is a sergeant major, who is looking for Morgan. Hammerhead sharks and guitar rays merging in a transparent passage seem to dance above our heads. There are interactive stations to explain the coral bleaching process and nurseries welcome endangered species.
Alone or virtually in the museum, the atmosphere gets even heavier when it comes to meeting reptiles in Daintree Forest. The museum, one of the finest in the country, displays only species from North Queensland. Among the dangerous inhabitants are rattlesnakes, killback snakes and Johnston crocodiles.
The Aquarium de Cairns is a great introduction to aquatic life, especially when diving the coral reefs. 5 Florence Street, Cairns.
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By booking an evening visit, you can take advantage of a formula with dinner included in the museum’s restaurant. The food is delicious and not very expensive.
to know more
Find all the good advice, addresses and practical information in the new Routard Australia guide to bookstores
Consult our Australia guide online
How to get there?
Cairns International Airport is connected to all Australian airports, but also to Southeast Asia with Qantas, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines.
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