TNQ Writer
There’s nowhere quite like Tropical North Queensland. Where else can you swim with Dwarf Minke Whales, land a skydive on the beach, or sip champagne on a sand cay in the middle of the reef? From ancient lava tubes to sky-high balloon rides over the Gulf, these are the only-in-TNQ experiences you won’t find anywhere else.
Sunrise skydive over the Great Barrier Reef
skydiving over cairns
Because the only thing better than a reef view… is freefalling above it. Skydive Australia and Skyone offer the ultimate TNQ wake-up call: jump from 15,000ft at sunrise with the Great Barrier Reef on one side, rainforest on the other, and your toes landing on Mission Beach. It’s the only place in Australia where you can experience a sunrise skydive with this iconic reef-and-rainforest combo.
Take a plunge off Australia’s only bungy tower
Skypark Cairns by AJ Hackett Bungy Jump
If your idea of a good time is throwing yourself off a 50-metre tower and travelling 120km/hour in just 3.5 seconds, you’ll be happy to know Cairns is home to Australia’s only bungy tower. Skypark Cairns by AJ Hackett have been the specialists of adventure and adrenalin since 1986, perfecting its ‘jump menu’ which could rival some restaurant’s degustation ones. From the classic ‘swan dive’ to free falling riding a BMX bike, one thing is for certain – your heart rate will be up by the time you have two feet back on the ground.
Don’t think, just jump! You can be bungee jumping within 20 minutes with Skypark, just a short drive from Cairns. If you’re too nervous to drive before your jump, take advantage of their FREE shuttle service!
Swim with Dwarf Minke Whales
Swim with Dwarf Minke Whales on the Ribbon Reefs
Each winter, something remarkable happens off the coast of Port Douglas. The Ribbon Reefs become the only known gathering place on Earth for Dwarf Minke Whales i. These curious, eight-metre-long marine mammals often approach snorkellers with surprising gentleness. Join a liveaboard expedition during June or July, and you might just find yourself eye-to-eye with one of these wild wonders in the warm waters of Tropical North Queensland.
Walk between two natural World Heritage Areas
Cape Tribulation National Park
When you’re visiting the only place in the world where two natural World Heritage-listed sites collide, you might as well make use of their accessibility and walk between the two. For a seamless transition between who World Heritage wonders, visit either Cape Tribulation or Bingil Bay in Mission Beach, the very spots where the rainforest and reef meet. Travel in air-conditioned comfort to Cape Tribulation with Down Under Tours. Enjoy a guided walk at Mossman Gorge, a Daintree River cruise, a tropical BBQ lunch in the rainforest, a walk on Cape Tribulation Beach, an exotic fruit ice cream cup from Daintree Ice Cream Company, and a photo stop at Alexandra Lookout.
Enjoy a heli picnic on a sand cay
Heli picnic on a sand cay
Heli picnic on a sand cay
Vlasoff Cay
Vlasoff Cay
Take a helicopter ride to Vlasoff Cay
Take a helicopter ride to Vlasoff Cay
The way you normally picnic is about to be ruined forever, because in Tropical North Queensland picnics come catered, chauffeured by helicopter and enjoyed on a private sand cay in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef. Expect tropical fruit, champagne and gourmet cheeses, all prepared for you while you’re out snorkelling the surrounding crystal-clear waters or adding your footsteps to Vlasoff Cay’s pristine white sand.
Visit the most northern point of mainland Australia
Visit the tip of the Australian mainland
The 1,200km stretch of road that connects Cairns with the most northern point of the country, is what four-wheel driver’s dreams are made of. It’s truly one of the last frontiers of Australia, promising a road trip that’s as challenging as it is rewarding. Join the other Cape York Peninsula pilgrims who make the journey each year for the chance to catch sunrise at the most northern tip of Australia.
Climb Queensland’s highest mountain
Camping on Queensland's highest peak, Mt Bartle Frere
If you’re looking for a new challenge, why not tackle Queensland’s highest peak, Mt Bartle Frere? Standing at over 1600m elevation, you’re literally on the rooftop of Queensland, a title which comes with the perk of panoramic views over the Atherton Tablelands and out to the coast. You could technically walk it in a day – but it will take you 12 hours – so most opt for a camping adventure, which is raw, rugged and requires you to carry everything in and out.
Stand in awe of the world’s best-preserved ancient lava tubes
Explore this incredible volcanic cave system
Explore this incredible volcanic cave system
Railway carriage accommodation at Undara Experience
Railway carriage accommodation at Undara Experience
Swags Tent Village at Undara Experience
Swags Tent Village at Undara Experience
Billy tea breakfast experience
Billy tea breakfast experience
If you like your history ancient, how does exploring caves carved out of lava from 190,000 years ago sound to you? Join the Undara Experience to go beneath the surface to see this volcanic cave system. The cave system is accessed by guided tour only, dipping below the terra firma to see the oldest and best-preserved lava tube systems in the world, which was once responsible for spitting out over 23 cubic kilometres of lava – enough to fill Sydney Harbour three times over.
Swim in a volcanic crater lake
Kayak your way through Lake Barrine
Kayak your way through Lake Barrine
Swim in a volcanic crater lake at Lake Eacham
Swim in a volcanic crater lake at Lake Eacham
Crepes for breakfast at Lake Barrine Teahouse
Crepes for breakfast at Lake Barrine Teahouse
It’s not every day you can swim in the rainforest crater of an extinct volcano, especially one filled only by rain. But that’s exactly what you will find on the Atherton Tablelands. Take a dip or kayak across the crystal-clear waters of Lake Eacham or stroll the 4km track around its rainforest-fringed perimeter. Prefer something more leisurely? Settle in for a lakeside Devonshire Tea at the heritage-listed Lake Barrine Teahouse. Nowhere else in Australia does a volcanic lake experience look quite like this.
Sunset hot air balloon over the Gulf of Carpentaria
Yagurli Tours
Catch golden hour like never before with a sunset hot air balloon flight over Gulf country. Think giant salt pans, blazing outback skies and cultural stories shared from the sky. Each winter, Balloon Aloft and Yagurli Tours team up in Burketown (Moungibi) to offer a sunset flight like no other. Thanks to the region’s stable weather and wide-open floodplains, Burketown is the only place in Australia where ballooning at dusk is possible and the views are nothing short of spectacular.
Visit an ancient inland reef turned limestone cave system
Trezkinn Cave (guided tour)
Trezkinn Cave (guided tour)
Pompeii Cave (self guided)
Pompeii Cave (self guided)
Mungana Caves (self guided)
Mungana Caves (self guided)
Sunset at Balancing Rock
Sunset at Balancing Rock
If you prefer your history told through the geology of a landscape, point your bonnet west to Chillagoe and step back 400 million years. From inside the Chillagoe-Mungana caves, you’ll discover a limestone cave system, which reveals a time when this now arid area was a shallow sea, complete with coral reef. Make the most of the three-hour drive from Cairns, by continuing onto Undara National Park for more ancient natural history.
Catch Morning Glory clouds roll across the Gulf
Via Facebook | Mary-Anne Langridge
Each spring, rare wave-like cloud formations known as Morning Glory clouds sweep across the skies of the Gulf of Carpentaria. This natural phenomenon can only be reliably forecast in one place on Earth, Burketown. These clouds stretch for hundreds of kilometres and roll through the sky like giant surf. Your best chance to witness them? September or October, with Savannah Aviation offering seasonal scenic flights to chase the view.
