Cairns, Port Douglas and Far North Qld
Cairns, Port Douglas and Far North Qld
The Tropical North
The northern tropics of Australia is a region internationally recognised for its world class attractions of World Heritage listed reefs, rainforests and vast outback areas. Cairns and the Tropical North, Australia's front door, presents a kaleidoscope of holiday, convention and incentive travel opportunities. The year round natural attractions are truly memorable and inspiring. The colourful, sophisticated capital of the Tropical North, Cairns city, is alive with life and charm. Here, warm northern hospitality and enthusiasm are the order of the day. Ask a local why they love their home and they're likely to say because its simply ... beautiful!
The coastal region is framed by two features of such pristine beauty and exceptional value they have been listed by the World Heritage Society and today rank in importance with America's Grand Canyon and the renowned Galapagos Islands. These two natural features, now acclaimed as amongst the world's most wonderful assets, are the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforests.
The majestic coral structures that make up the Great Barrier Reef extend over 2,500 kilometres, and are home to the greatest variety of flora and fauna species found in any location in the world. The scope of the reef is magnificent, encompassing some 2,900 individual reefs and an area of 384,000 square kilometres - larger than the combined total area of Ireland and the United Kingdom! The Great Barrier Reef, now a national marine park, provides superb recreational activities such as snorkelling, diving, swimming, semi-submersibles, coral viewing and fishing, and offers a unique environment for scientific research. The rainforests of the Wet Tropics, a living museum of flora and fauna, were placed on the World Heritage List in 1988 and cover an area of nearly 900,000 hectares of rainforest and tropical vegetation. Here, relict pockets of primitive plants have remained undisturbed for millions of years, and rare, even previously unidentified species of birds, insects and mammals have emerged to delight biologists and nature lovers.
A little known fact is that the Tropical North recently, in 1994, had a third area added to the World Heritage List - the Riversleigh Fossil Field. This immense limestone field near the Queensland/Northern Territory border has been hailed as the fossil find of the century, revealing scores of creatures previously unknown to science.
Far North Queensland is as diverse in natural treasures as the cosmopolitan mix of cultures and peoples that call this region home. First to arrive were the Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders ... followed by the Dutch navigators and eventually Captain James Cook, who claimed the coast for Britain and paved the way for European settlement to begin. Gold rushes and foreign wars brough immigrants from around the world to enrich the north with their skills, traditions and cultures.
The warmth of the tropical climate has fostered a vigorous outdoor lifestyle, reflected in the architectural styles of open verandahs and balconies and extending to the most traditional of Australian cuisine - the barbecue. Dining is a high point of any holiday and the cosmopolitan local restaurants, cafes and eateries offer an eclectic fare of Australian and international cuisine. The highlight of most menus features the region's mouthwatering fresh seafoods and unusual tropical fruits. Accommodation in the region is diverse too and there are many unique attractions and activities to see when you visit us ... cruise to the reef or islands, take a 4WD safari to the outback, trek into the rainforest or see it from the rainforest cableway obove its green canopy on your way to Kuranda. Day touring in this region is so easy - there are over 6,000 trips to choose from and our tourism industry and infrastructure is designed to ensure you will have a truly memorable holiday. Welcome to Cairns and the Tropical North, Far North Queensland, Australia!
Take a tour of the Cairns & Far North Queensland region, its attractions & accommodation, by selecting the areas and places you wish to visit from the menu on the left hand side of this page.
