Plan Your Trip
Make Your Weekend Count in Cairns
Let’s embark on a journey filled with awe-inspiring nature, unforgettable experiences and plenty of ways to explore Tropical North Queensland with purpose. Get ready to explore Cairns and its surrounds while discovering some of the people, places and projects helping care for this remarkable region.
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ARRIVAL INTO CAIRNS
11.30AM- Turtle Rehabilitation Centre
Kick off your Cairns adventure by getting up close and personal with some shellebrity sea turtles at the Turtle Hospital at Cairns Aquarium. This exclusive experience treats guests to a 30-minute tour of the hospital, where you can meet the turtles and learn all about their care. By booking a tour, you’re also contributing to the turtles’ wellbeing, with 100% of proceeds going towards their food, medicine, and care.
1.30PM- The Healthy Hub
Make your way to The Healthy Hub located in the city. They support local farmers and serve up fresh, plant-based creations using locally sourced and organic produce. Their range of locally-sourced and organic produce will leave your belly happy and your taste buds dancing with joy. Eating healthy has never tasted so good!
3PM- Check in to Crystalbrook Riley.
Enjoy five-star luxury at Crystalbrook Riley, Cairns’. The property has introduced a range of initiatives including paperless check-in, recycled wooden room keys and reduced use of single-use plastics.
Rooms have no single-use amenity bottles, and the restaurants do not provide drinking bottles or straws.
An EarthCheck certification has been awarded to Crystalbrook Riley and Bailey, which it’s recognition of the thoughtful steps being taken across the hotel, from energy and water use to waste management. Their partnership with EarthCheck has resulted in a significant improvement towards sustainable stays for guests.
6PM- Harbourside Bar & Kitchen
This renowned restaurant offers global cuisine with tropical flavours and locally sourced ingredients and a menu shaped by seasonal produce. The restaurant has received awards for its sustainable practices, including an extensive list of organic and biodynamic wines, giving diners another way to discover organic and biodynamic wines alongside the restaurant’s tropical menu.
Conveniently located along the esplanade, you can enjoy a scenic 15-minute walk or jump into the saddle of one of Riley’s hotel bikes (free to hotel guests) for a quick 5-minute ride.
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Reef & Eat
7AM- Breakfast at Paper Crane, Riley.
Before you set sail for the day, head to Paper Crane where you can enjoy a full buffet breakfast. Bask in the morning sun on the deck whilst indulging in a variety of locally sourced appetising treats, including pastries, cereals, bacon and eggs, tropical fruits, and more.
Paper Crane (& other Crystalbrook restaurants) have introduced Climate Calories to their menu. This means you can quickly see which ingredients in your dish are locally sourced, grown or caught, are made with native ingredients and which were delivered to the restaurant using 100% recycled or bio-packaging.
8.15AM- Great Barrier Reef
You’ve come to Cairns, we’re going to go ahead and assume the Great Barrier Reef is on your list. If that’s the case, Dreamtime’s got you covered! Join Indigenous Cultural Guides on a day tour to two stunning outer Reef sites. The Dive & Snorkel tours hold the highest level of Advanced Eco Certification and Climate Action Business. Remember to be a responsible diver and pack a reef-safe and natural sunscreen. Tours depart from Reef Fleet terminal- a 15 minute walk from Crystalbrook Riley.
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Spend the day exploring the Great Barrier Reef with Passions of Paradise, an Eco Certified operator offering unforgettable reef experiences from Cairns. Along the way, learn more about the reef’s unique marine life, the importance of reef monitoring and the role visitors can play in appreciating and caring for this extraordinary ecosystem.
7PM- Ochre
A day in the water will surely w(h)et your appetite for dinner. Ochre is a Modern Australian restaurant that offers innovative menus showcasing local game, herbs, and seafood, and a sense of adventure. They source wild-harvested meat and native bush foods from local suppliers.
Only a mere 15 minute saunter away from your hotel, an ideal opportunity to stroll back at a leisurely pace with a satisfied tummy.
Optional Detour – Lets Go Buggin' Photography and Nature Tour
Rather keep your feet on land? Join Bridgette from Aussie Macro Photos on a un-bee-lievable adventure through Cairns Botanic Gardens! With her camera expertise and insider tips, you’ll be snapping up mesmerising insect shots like a pro. Rather experience nocturnal critters? Join the Lets Go Buggin’ night tour that runs 7pm- 9pm. Each nightly stroll is unique, as nature provides a thrilling and unforeseeable adventure brimming with unexpected surprises.
The Cairns Botanic Gardens are just a 15 minute scooter/ bike ride away from the city. Or, grab a coffee and take a leisurely 45 minute stroll along the beautiful esplanade.
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Experience a rainforest village
8AM- Tropic Wings Kuranda Tour.
Get your adventurer hat on and join Tropic Wings for a Kuranda adventure that you won’t forget.
Your guided tour includes a ride on their electric bus, the Kuranda Scenic Railway and the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, an EarthCheck-certified tourism experience. With elevated boardwalks and a low-impact design, Skyrail has been thoughtfully designed to let visitors experience the rainforest while respecting its natural surroundings. Who says you can’t have your adventure and care for the rainforest too?
As you leave Cairns, take with you the memories you’ve made and the knowledge that your choices can help support the places and people that make this region so special.
Our promise is to ourselves, to each other, to country, to protect one of the most important and biodiverse natural regions in the world for current and future generations.
Optional Detour – Cairns Canyoning- Crystal Cascades
Jumping into the refreshing waters of Crystal Cascades is like hitting the reset button on your body, mind, and soul – it’s a natural, sparkling cleanse that beats any fancy spa treatment!
Want an adrenaline hit? Join Cairns Canyoning and conquer the cascades just like a true adventurer! You’ll navigate through beautiful waterfalls and pools, using rappelling, abseiling, traversing, exploring, sliding, and swimming techniques.
The shuttle bus leaves from the Allbout Cairns shop, which is conveniently located just a 15-minute walk away from Crystalbrook Riley.
Learn More
Learn more about traveling responsibly
Thoughtful Luxury at Crystalbrook Collection
If you haven’t met them already, there are three hotel siblings in Cairns you should really know by name - Riley, Bailey and Flynn.
A Guide to Tropical North Queensland’s Local Food Scene
From utilising organic and locally sourced produce to reducing food waste with Green Food Australia, these restaurants in Tropical North Queensland are not only delicious, but but focus on environmental initiatives too.
8 ways to travel with purpose in Tropical North Queensland
From choosing recognised Eco Certified experiences to supporting local businesses and participate in regenerative programs, there are plenty of thoughtful ways to explore Tropical North Queensland while caring for the places and communities you visit.
Eco certified experiences to do in Tropical North Queensland
Tropical North Queensland has the highest concentration of Eco certified experiences in Australia. Here’s a list of Eco certified experiences to enjoy, offering memorable ways to connect with Tropical North Queensland’s natural landscapes while supporting operators recognised for their environmental practices.
