Unique adventures in a playground paradise
Turn up the thrill on an adventure through Tropical North Queensland. Whether your idea of adventure is tackling rapids in the rainforest, finding Dwarf Minke Whales on the Great Barrier Reef, leaping from a plane, or everything in between, there’s an adventure waiting for you in the tropics.
Get your knees shaking and heart racing on your Tropical North Queensland adventure. Leap 50m from Australia’s only bungy tower, tumble out of a plane over the Great Barrier Reef, zipline over a crocodile or paddle world-class rapids.
With 700kms of mountain biking trails easily accessible from Cairns, both downhill adrenaline junkies and easy-going family riders are able to find a track that suits.
For those that prefer two legs than two wheels, your bushwalking options are almost infinite. Explore hiking trails through the incredible wilderness, conquer Queensland’s highest mountain or pack your bags for a multi-day adventure.
Rainforest-clad mountains hugging the coastline create endless options for adventure. Find secluded swimming holes, canyon down incredible gorges and discover thundering waterfalls. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for unique endemic species that call this region home!
A trip to the Great Barrier Reef is full of wonder no matter how you choose to do it. Hop on a liveaboard adventure to do your PADI, snorkel fringing island reefs, discover sharks in the dark, see the reef come alive at the annual coral spawning, or swim with inquisitive Dwarf Minke Whale on the Ribbon Reefs – the only place in the world these gentle giants congregate.
At the end of an adventure-packed day, it’s time to wind down, relax (maybe let the muscles rest) and reflect on the day with mates. There’s no better way to do that than over a bite of food or cold drink.
Welcome to the jungle (and the reef and more). Unleash your adventurous side in a tropical playground.
So, you’re searching for your next adrenaline-inducing activity in Tropical North Queensland? From bungy jumping to jet boat rides, here’s some new ways to get your heart racing.
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.
From exploring outback caves to diving deep into local Indigenous culture, there’s endless opportunities for adventure in Tropical North Queensland.
Your tyres are dirty, your senses are buzzing, your muscles are aching and your parched palate is craving something more than water. Beer, maybe?
Surrounded by national parks, World Heritage rainforest and the Great Dividing Range, find countless bush walks or hikes within a short distance of Cairns.
From mild to wild, there’s endless opportunities for rainforest adventures in Tropical North Queensland.
While most people come to the Great Barrier Reef for postcard-perfect swimming, snorkelling or scuba diving in the real-life World Heritage-listed aquarium, there’s plenty of ways to experience the reef and not all involve getting wet. Choose your own Tropical North Queensland reef adventure with this adrenaline scale ranging from sunset sails to vistas served at speeds of up to 200km per hour.
Ready to tackle one of Australia’s most remote landscapes, Cape York? Just you, a car and 1,200km of untamed, World Heritage-listed, 180 million year-old rugged rainforest beauty – aka The Tip.
Have you ever dreamed of scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef? Just imagine sinking down into the warm waters, exploring coral gardens and seeing this wondrous world through the eyes of a fish. Learning to scuba dive is easy and is your passport to a brave new world. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about learning to Scuba Dive.
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.
You’ve come to Tropical North Queensland to ride mountain bikes and where better to start than the highest profile rainforest trail park in the world, Smithfield Mountain Bike Park?
Some adventures are off the beaten track and others, like the Undara Lava Tubes, are underneath it. You’ll need to dip below the earth’s surface, to explore these famous 190,000-year-old lava tunnels that point to an explosion when 23 cubic kilometres of lava flowed for 160 kilometres, carving a natural playground south-west of Cairns.
Cairns to Cape York is an angler’s Nirvana: a pristine environment that is both challenging and inspiring. With the largest diversity of fish species in Australia and the ability to fish all year round, a visit to Tropical North Queensland should be on everyone’s bucket-list.
Hit the famous waterfall circuit, uncover those lesser known or stretch a little further and take a dip in Australia’s widest, single-drop waterfall on the Atherton Tablelands.
It’s no surprise that Cairns is an angler’s paradise & has always held high appeal to anglers worldwide. There aren’t many urban areas in the world which can offer such a diverse range of fishing options in such close proximity to the city centre.
Discover historic gold-rush towns, a crumbling Spanish castle hidden in the rainforest or conquer the country’s northern-most frontier, Cape York.
Cairns to Atherton Tablelands
It’s time to hit the road, from Cairns into the Atherton Tablelands and towards today’s destinations along the Waterfall Circuit.
View itineraryCairns to Cape Tribulation (return)
Welcome to the loveliest little drive in Queensland. Short but oh-so-sweet, the Great Barrier Reef Drive covers just 140km in a straight line north from Cairns to Cape Tribulation via Port Douglas.
View itineraryCairns to Cairns
Get ready to discover the very best of Tropical North Queensland on the Great Tropical Drive. Some 26 different routes make up the drive, taking you from coast to Savannah, islands to the outback, rainforest to reef.
View itineraryTownsville to Cairns
Stretching between Cairns and Townsville, this under-the-radar route can be completed in four hours, but is best enjoyed over a couple of days so you can soak up the region’s spectacular natural assets and relaxed friendly vibe.
View itineraryKurrimine Beach to Innisfail
Discover the unique delights of the Cassowary Coast region as you pass historic towns and sugar-cane fields on the Canecutter Way from Kurrimine Beach to Innisfail.
View itineraryMareeba to Chillagoe
Stretching from Mareeba to Chillagoe, the Wheelbarrow Way travels through verdant crop-producing farmlands, cattle country, wooded savannah and friendly little towns with impressive histories.
View itineraryCardwell to Undara
The Kirrama Range Road is stunning drive across the ranges from Cardwell to Undara, with plenty to see and do, and spectacular scenery including lookouts, waterfalls, heritage-listed rainforest and swimming holes.
View itineraryCape Tribulation to Cooktown
Drive the beautiful and wild Bloomfield Track from Cape Tribulation to Cooktown – a bucket-list drive for all 4WD enthusiasts.
View itineraryCairns to Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park
The Savannah Way is an epic, two-state, one-territory, 3,700km journey across the top of Australia. You can take a section of the drive in Tropical North Queensland between Cairns on the coast and Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park close to the Northern Territory border – a distance of about 1,700km.
View itineraryDaintree to Cooktown
The CREB Track is one of the country’s most challenging four-wheel-drive adventures, traversing spectacular World Heritage-listed rainforest as it weaves its way north from Daintree village to Cooktown.
View itineraryCairns to Cape York
Got a heightened sense of adventure and want to take it all the way to the top (of Australia)? Jump into a 4WD and head off on an unforgettable journey from Cairns to Cape York.
View itineraryUndara to The Lynd Junction
Discover real Australia and find a landscape shaped by ancient volcanoes and the powerful forces of nature as you travel from Undara to the Lynd Junction along the Savannah Way.
View itineraryCairns
See what experiences there are to do while you’re in Tropical North Queensland.
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