Jewel of the tropics

Mighty mountain ranges and Wet Tropics Rainforest create the optimum environment for a myriad of extraordinary waterfalls. Fall in love with these 20 waterfall wonderlands only a short drive from Cairns.

If you’re looking to connect with nature and discover a rainforest that’s the oldest, longest and largest in Australia, go behind the foliage with this guide to the five precincts of the Wet Tropics.

Moungibi (Burketown), a small town in the Gulf of Carpentaria with a population of fewer than 300 people, may surprise you with its depth of experiences – Indigenous-owned & operated Yagurli Tours offers a collection of tours run by the Gangalidda-Garawa Traditional Custodians.

Check out this handy guide to find your reef style – from donning a mask and snorkel or taking your very first dive, to unique diving experiences reserved for certified divers.

Discover a tropical paradise along the Great Barrier Reef Drive between Cairns & Port Douglas at the idyllic coastal eco-retreat, Thala Beach Nature Reserve.

Escape to luxe island hideaways, indulgent outback retreats or tranquil ancient rainforests. Kick off your shoes, take some much needed R&R and discover the unique landscape of Tropical North Queensland.

Tropical North Queensland is the only region in Australia with two distinct Indigenous cultures, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. Connect with these ancient cultures 60,000 years in the making.

Choose your own adventure with these unique tour ideas in Cape Tribulation; a place where Australia’s oldest, largest and longest rainforest collides with the only living organism seen from space.

Taste the flavours of the north in the seaside village of Palm Cove, where restaurants take pride in local produce, fresh flavours and providing a warm tropical welcome served with an icy-cold drink.

A chain of relaxed seaside villages lay just north of Cairns, each boasting their own unique features. Find out more about each of Cairns’ beaches and which tickle your fancy.

Feel grounded the moment you arrive at a private sand cay on the Great Barrier Reef.

Are your campsites better described as camp palaces, or do you just roll with the bare essentials? Whether you’re at one end of the spectrum or the other, lace up your hiking shoes, load up your 4WD (or hatchback) and string your fairy lights around these camping sites near Cairns.

With endless picturesque places on the doorstep, you’re spoilt for choice as soon as you touch down in the tropics. Send your holiday posts to the top of the feed with these Instagram locations near Cairns.

It’s no coincidence the Atherton Tablelands village of Yungaburra attracts visitors from far and wide. This village, 1200m above sea level, translates to Meeting Place in local indigenous dialect – and the trail of headlights coming from Cairns each weekend proves it.

From making first tracks at sunrise along the coast to meeting friendly local wildlife in the ancient rainforest, uncover the secrets of the mountain biking trails of Mission Beach and surrounds.

From scenic flights over the Great Barrier Reef and the tropical rainforest to flying to an ancient aboriginal rock art site or undertaking an epic helicopter pub crawl, take to the sky on your Tropical North Queensland adventure.