With the World Heritage Daintree Rainforest at its doorstep and home to the Great Barrier Reef, North Queensland is one of the most exciting places to visit in Australia. The best piece of advice for any traveller though is to plan ahead because there are a great variety of tours, activities and attractions and a hire car will prove invaluable. Where else in the world can you experience the famous Australian Outback, the rainforest , beaches and islands all in one – vast - location?
Port Douglas is where luxury meets the natural reef. From palm trees to manicured lawns, golf courses and tennis courts this destination is sure to please every holiday connoisseur. You'll find top of the range restaurants and fashionable arcades and condominiums.Just forty-five minutes drive out of Port Douglas you'll discover Mossman Gorge. This gorgeous spot - excuse the pun - is set in some of the most beautiful rainforest in Queensland. There is a plethora of wildlife to see including, for the very fortunate, a Boyd's Rainforest Dragon.
With your choice of pristine beaches, lagoons and freshwater streams there is certainly plenty on offer. Do make sure you heed any warning signs you may encounter, though, as Australia's wildlife has been known to be dangerous and so can the tides, currents and rips of the ocean.
The World Heritage listed property covers approximately 894,000 hectares. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1988 as a recognition of the amazing scenic beauty and biological importance of the region.
Day trips are a great way to get the most out of your trip to Cairns. Popular options include the Kuranda Scenic Railway, Green Island and of course snorkling and reef diving on the Great Barrier Reef. But don't just see the reef. Be sure to explore the Daintree Rainforest, Cape Tribulation, Mossman Gorge and the Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary. Consider booking pre-arranged day trips or plan your own in your carhire.com.au Cairns rental car.
When you take your trip to Kuranda you'll discover what's been called the 'Village in the Rainforest'. Here you can interact with wildlife including birds, butterflies and koalas, and experience the Skyrail and Scenic Rail mentioned earlier. There's also the opportunity to go on a horse riding trek.
Cape Tribulation is a world renowned destination. It's part of the world heritage listed areas of Daintree. Here the ancient rain forests meet the glorious coral reef.
If you're after a truly local experience then check out Rusty's Markets – they've been running for more than thirty years and have developed into one of the largest and successful markets in Australia. Rusty's Markets open Friday morning to Sunday afternoon and boast more than 180 stalls. Rusty's is widely known for its quality food but you'll find plenty of other gems as well.
The Cairns City Council is diligent in always organizing a great program
of regular free entertainment along the foreshore, catering for
children and adults and including live music and even free fitness
classes.
There's also a wealth of history to be discovered in Cairns. It was first populate by miners in transit from the Gold fields in the area. Later on it became a port of export for sugarcane, other agricultural and mineral products and of course also gold.
These days Cairns is still a major exporter but its industry has expanded to include Tourism, which is now the largest income producer for the region, followed closely by the sugar industry. The city is growing rapidly, with a population of 158,653 as of last year.
| Hertz Cairns Downtown Shop1, Cairns Square Shopping Centre, Cnr Abbott & Shield Sts Cairns, QLD. 4870 | |
| Avis Cairns 135 Lake Street Cairns, QLD. 4870 | |
| Budget Cairns 153 Lake Street Cairns, QLD. 4870 | |
| Europcar Cairns Cairns Square, Corner Shield & Abbott Streets Cairns, QLD. 4870 | |
| Thrifty Cairns Cnr Sheridan And Aplin Streets Cairns, QLD. 4870 |