Tropical North Queensland Escape
Wednesday 25 January 2012 | By Maria Boskovski |
Far North Queensland is a beautiful destination for a tropical getaway. Here is some insight from my five-day escape, including my experience with accommodation, transport, leisure and adventure.
Accommodation: Marlin Cove Resort, Trinity Beach
For a relaxing and tropical escape, Marlin Cove Resort brings you near the Great Barrier Reef. Neighbouring the extensive tropical rainforest, the resort is only a few minutes walk from the beautiful Trinity Beach and 20 minutes drive from Cairns Central.
The luxurious apartments are available in one, two or three bedrooms. They are fully air-conditioned with private balconies and/or patios (depending on your room). With access to BBQ areas, a lagoon swimming pool, lap pool, sauna, games room, tennis court and garden areas, lazy days at the resort will be nothing less than a treat!
Transportation: EuropCar Rentals
If you’re staying at Trinity Beach, a rental car is highly recommended. Public transport can accumulate similar expenses, and will leave you waiting for buses and taxis in the heat and humidity. There’s a EuropCar station located at the airport, so you can literally pick up and drop off your car at the beginning and ending of your holiday.
Exploring the Great Barrier Reef
Whether you’re after a relaxing day on the beach, snorkeling, scuba diving or a combination of the three, there is a few cruise options that you can choose from. The best way to decide on which cruise is best for you, is to first decide what you’d like to do and then find a company that specialises in offering it to you.
For a bit of everything, try Big Cat Reef Cruises
The Big Cat Green Island Reef Cruise will take you on a day-trip to Green Island, a beautiful coral cay with markets, cafes and island rain-forests, surrounded by white sandy beaches. The cruise offers snorkelling equipment and the opportunity to scuba dive too, so with plenty to do, it will likely keep the whole family happy.
For snorkelers and divers, try the Silver Series
For those who want to spend the entire day discovering the magnificent coral reefs and abundant marine life, Silver Swift offers you a full-day of underwater adventure. With three sites at the outer Barrier Reef, certified divers, intro divers and snorkelers can spend a leisurely five hours playing with the vibrantly coloured marine creatures.
Exploring the Rainforest
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway is located only a few minutes drive from Trinity Beach and provides a rare environmental tourism experience. Taking you over Australia’s World Heritage listed Tropical Rainforest canopy and deep into the rainforest.
If you're interested in sitting back and enjoying a view, and you'd like to learn a thing or two about the history of Cairns, than this experiece is perfect for you. If you're after something a little more thrilling, you might want to save yourself the disappointment and book a tandem skydive instead.
Action and Adventure
Raging Thunder provide a white water rafting experience along the Barron River. The river is quite steady and for those who are looking for some real action and adventure, you’ll likely find that this activity isn’t really thrilling enough. The company offers a range of other activities however, including extreme white water rafting, ballooning, bungee jumping, tandem skydiving, quad bike riding and horse riding.
Tips for Tomorrow's Tourists...
- You should have a good understanding of what you hope to do before you arrive, as experimenting with ideas can be quite costly.
- The nightlife kicks off quite early; aim to leave your resort or hotel by 7pm - not 10pm.
- Pack less high heels and dresses, more swimmers and sarongs!
- The Great Barrier Reef is astonishing - immerse yourself in its magic!!! (I highly recommend scuba diving!)
- Don't forget to SLIP, SLOP, SLAP.
