Awesome Australia

A February 2006 trip to Queensland by Cindyeee

Quote: Our second RCI trip to Australia was truly awesome! Cairns was a perfect homebase for daytrips to the beaches, rainforests, the Great Barrier Reef and the Tablelands. Week two covered 2000km along the Bruce Hwy, from Cairns to Brisbane with nightly stops in between. A great trip!

Royal Harbor Resort

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Hotel

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Best Things Nearby:The Great Barrier Reef is easily accessible from Cairns. The Esplande offers everything a visitor could possibly need, with a casino just down the street. Daytrips to Daintree, Cape Tribulation, the Atherton Tablelands and Kuranda are must do's! The bay and boat harbor provide great views with lots of activity, day and night.Best Things About the Resort:The units are beautiful! The spa tub with round enclosure was really fun, you could float without any problem. Although right in the middle of the action, above the Night Market, the resort and units were very quite and private. The staff was amazing! Every unit has a view and parking is free!Resor...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 12, 2006

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Cairns Historical Museum

Attraction

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Cairns has many museums and a rich history in the Far North. This small museum is located in one of the many historical buildings that are still in use in town. There is a small entrance fee but it is worth the price to learn about how this town developed.

The treatment of the Aboriginal people is a shame but not a secret. You can learn about their first encounters with the white man and church people at all of the visitors center's and at the Cairns Historical Museum.

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 12, 2006

Cairns Historical Museum
Downtown
Queensland, Australia
(07) 40 51 55 82

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Lady Musgrave Island - Great Barrier Reef

Attraction | "The Great Barrier Reef Dives & Snorkels"

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There are many, many opportunities to dive and snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef via Cairns or Port Douglas. We choose the Seastar, an old tub of a boat but with the best reef destinations, a reasonable price and a great crew! After about 90 minutes at sea we stopped at Hastings Reef and Michaelmas Cay. These are far superior to Green Island, the most popular tour. Thousands of birds dotted the beaches while a natural aquarium of all kinds of fish, giant clams, turtles and hundreds of species of coral waited to be explored, under the sea. The kids on the trip really enjoyed seeing "Nemo" in person. A light breakfast, nice lunch and of course, afternoon tea added to the fun and filled the time aboard. ...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 12, 2006

Lady Musgrave Island - Great Barrier Reef
Bundaberg Port
Queensland, Australia

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Daintree and Cape Tribulation National Park

Attraction

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Cape Tribulation was named by Captain Cook because he did not know what was ahead of him, further North where the waters shallow and reefs can be seen for miles at low tide. With the waters full of snakes, stingers, and crocodiles and the shores untouched for millions of years, it is easy to understand his "severe distress" (tribulation) at this juncture of his journey. Fortunately this area has recently been added to the World Heritage preservation list so it will remain untouched, for future generations to enjoy. The Daintree Rainforest is over 120 million years old, the oldest rainforest in the world. Still today birds of every kind, including the infamous Cassowary, are abundant as is an assortmen...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 12, 2006

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Skyrail Rainforest Cableway

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Attraction | "Kuranda Scenic Train & Skyrail"

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This is a great day trip. Getting to and from this rainforest town, surrounded by a 40,000 year old mountain range, is the best part. You can go back and forth by train or Skyrail but do both - take the train up and Skyrail back. This can be arranged at the Cairns Railroad station. For a small fee they will even pick you up! The train trip was beautiful, rumbling past many waterfalls and through many, many tunnels. The tracks are more than 100 years old, an engineering wonder and tribute to man. Although the town of Kuranda was a little too commercialized for us, its train station alone was worth the trip. Lured by their "markets", which we thought would be filled with local crafts and goods and owned by the Aborigine people. Instead these markets were more like malls and tourist traps. The prices were high and competition keen. Skip the markets and enjoy the town, take a riverboat tour down the Barron River which includes an interesting commentary on the flora and fauna of the area. Perhaps visit the Butterly Sanctuary (although they are flying all around you for free)or Birdworld and don't miss having a great Guinness Meat Pie and a pint at the air conditioned Kuranda Hotel. A few hours in town should be enough for anyone unless you want to do all of the visitor activities or go on one of the many hiking trails that surround the village. (It was too hot and humid for that when we were there!)Save the best for last and return on the Skyrail. This 7.5km-gondola ride gives you a birds-eye view over and through the rainforest. Mid-way you will have the opportunity to leave the gondola and walk through a small museum and the rainforest itself via an elevated walkway. There are also views of the waterfalls and Kuranda train across the valley. Once back on board you will begin the descent back toward towns with spectacular views of Cairns to the South and Cape Tribulation to the North. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 12, 2006

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway

Cairns, Queensland