Bask in nature’s power
Don’t think just because summer is over, waterfall chasing just goes away. In fact, you’ll often be able to experience the full force of Barron Falls through Autumn as the rains continue to replenish the land.
After the summer rains have turned the landscape a vibrant green, the rejuvenating rains continue through this period, generally lessening as autumn goes along. The landscape is lush, the creeks and rivers are full of water and waterfall chasing is spectacular.
It’s a great time to stay in the rainforest or to get the adrenaline pumping on a white water rafting trip. Leaves don’t fall in tropical autumns, they grow.
Don’t think just because summer is over, waterfall chasing just goes away. In fact, you’ll often be able to experience the full force of Barron Falls through Autumn as the rains continue to replenish the land.
Autumn swims are a daily ritual in the tropics. Float under emerald green rainforest canopies and delve into wild swimming holes that are clear, full and in their prime.
In tropical autumn we count raindrops instead of leaves. Splash through puddles, dance in the rain and see the rainforest come alive with glossy raindrops in all of its green glory.
With gushing waterfalls, it should come as no surprise that this is a prime time to get the adrenaline pumping.
Take a white water rafting tour down the Barron or Tully Rivers, surrounded by World Heritage Rainforest. Or for something more relaxed but equally as fun, float down Mossman River on a River Drift Snorkel tour.
When the rains are a pourin’, the rainforest starts calling. If you’re more of a relaxed traveller, perch up in a rainforest and enjoy the downtime and the soothing rain.
While you don’t have to wait until the rain pauses to get out and about – tropical rain is warm and refreshing – you won’t necessarily have rain the entire time and you can get out and about to explore the rainforest at its prime.
From around April, the outback “reopens” after summer and with it, an extraordinary experience like you’ve never seen. The rains have painted the landscape green, instead of its usual earthy warm tones making it an incredible time to explore.
Swimming holes have replenished, wetlands are full of wildlife and you’ll find a sense of calmness that only exists in rural and remote areas of Australia.
Towards the end of autumn, as rains become less frequent, the iconic Cardwell Spa Pools return to their more placid blue state.
Sweet tropical produce remains in abundance through this period. Stock up on local fruits at markets or roadside fruit stalls.
Always take care at swimming holes and waterfalls and heed the advice from National Parks. Only swim where it is safe to do so and never venture into flooded waters. Sometimes it’s safer to admire from afar.
Glide above the canopy with Skyrail Rainforest Cableway on a misty day. There’s nothing quite like venturing into the clouds watching the rainforest disappear into the undergrowth below.
Marine stingers may be present in coastal waters through autmn. It’s recommended you wear a protective suit to help shield you from the sun and to minimise the risk of jellyfish stings.
Start planning your Tropical North Queensland itinerary.
When it rains, activities pour in Cairns. See why Cairns shines all summer long with this wet weather activity guide.
This summer, swap your inner city stresses for cool, rainforest rejuvenation, checking into one of these accommodation providers in the rainforest.
Rocky, wild, and undeniably dramatic, Barron Falls has a regal presence that is suitably fitting to its moniker. Whether you witness it as a scenic trickle in winter or as a mist-filled force in summer, Barron Falls deserves a spot in your tropical travel itinerary. Get ready to chase the ultimate waterfall with this guide to Barron Falls near Cairns.
The Atherton Tablelands are the kind of place you want to take at your own pace. Jump in a car and head inland to tick off these must-do experiences.
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.
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.
Cardwell Spa Pool is a naturally-fed, seasonal creek that shot to stardom on social media in 2016. Ever since, people have been adding it to their holiday itinerary but there are a few things you might not know about this idyllic swimming spot.
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.
Get to know our famous forest, which spans 8940 square-kilometers and covers more ground than Samoa, Luxemburg and Puerto Rico, with this list of 10 things you didn’t know about the Wet Tropics.
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.
Flying into Cairns, you can see the city’s close proximity to the rainforest so you know don’t have to go far to explore this wonder. In fact, you can even find it in an inner-city suburb.
Tropical North Queensland’s Wet Tropics World Heritage Area is a landscape of astonishing beauty and biodiversity. Immerse yourself in this national treasure, the oldest tropical rainforest on earth.
Kids restless and suffering cabin fever? Let them release that pent-up energy by ziplining over a crocodile, exploring underwater coral gardens or venturing through the Southern Hemisphere’s largest butterfly sanctuary.
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.
This summer, swap your inner city stresses for cool, rainforest rejuvenation, checking into one of these accommodation providers in the rainforest.
If you’re into adventure and nature, point your compass south and explore Cairns’ under-the-radar southern corridor – a region of breathtaking natural beauty with a whole lot of country charm.
Plan a roadtrip around Tropical North Queensland
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 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 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 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 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 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 itineraryCheck out what’s on in autumn.
Book fair, author meet and greets, book launches, book sales in the literary heart of the tropics.
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