The Undara Experience

Venture into Outback Australia with the Undara Experience, in Tropical North Queensland. Explore the oldest lava tubes on the planet, sleep in refurbished train carriages and enjoy bush walks surrounded by wildlife.

Located 260km south-west of Cairns (or a 3.5 hour drive), the Undara Experience is located in the Undara National Park, a private enterprise operated by the Collins family, the earliest white settlers in this locality whose cattle have grazed in the area since 1862.

The Undara Experience was created to showcase the lava tubes located on the Collins’ family property in 1987, protecting the formations for future generations by developing a sustainable visitor experience.

Visitors to Undara can stay on the property in a range of accomodations that suit all budgets and preferences. To see the lava tubes, visitors must book into a tour, which ensures the numbers passing through the tubes are kept to a sustainable number and keep the ecological impact to a minimum.

Like many visitors to Undara, we arrived at the property in the early afternoon to check into our accommodation. We stayed in the rail carriage rooms, which are all restored turn-of-the-century Queensland Railway Carriages.

For a truly unique experience, the rail carriages cannot be beat.

There is a swimming pool on the property for some cooling down and several bush walks to take if you are after some exercise and wildlife spotting. We saw plenty of wildlife around the swimming pool as well as in the bush.

The star attraction is, of course, the lava tubes, which are 190 million years old. Over 300 roof collapses have been detected from the air, which should equal 300 caves – however only 69 have been discovered, and leaving the majority as yet unexplored. David Attenborough, upon visiting Undara, proclaimed it to be one of the most unexplored geological features on earth.

Tours at the Undara Experience

There are three tours offered by the Undara Experience, of which we enjoyed two – the Big Sky Sunset Iconic Australian Wildlife and Archway Explorer Lava Tube Tour.

Big Sky Sunset Iconic Australian Wildlife

This tour takes visitors by mini bus through the bush to enjoy the sunset over the bush with sparkling wine and cheese and a highly knowledgable guide to point out the iconic wildlife easily spotted along the way, as well as the history of the land. We saw plenty of pretty face/ whip tail kangaroos, eastern grey kangaroos, swamp wallabies and wallaroos as they came out at dusk.

After the sunset, visitors are taken to the mouth of a lava tube to witness one of the most memorable experiences imaginable – thousands of tiny insect-eating micro-bats emerge from the darkness to find food. Waiting for them at the entrance are pythons and brown tree snakes hoping to catch a meal. Up to half a million micro-bats swarm out of the tubes each night to hunt for insect, returning at dawn.

Archway Explorer Lava Tube Tour

This is the the ultimate tour of Undara’s lava tubes. It’s takes two hours to complete and runs from mid-March to October – bookings essential. The tour picks up visitors in a mini bus and drives them to the lava tubes, through the arid, red landscape into the lush rainforest that has grown out of the mouths of the lava tubes.

Each tour visits up to three sections of lava tubes, which are easily accessible however do contain staircases that need to be descended and ascended again. An accessible lava tube with a chair lift is available for those who cannot use stairs.

The Archway Explorer Lava Tube Tour was an experience was breathtaking. There was something very “Indiana Jones” about descending down into the lava tubes through a collapsed roof, where a lush forrest of greenery has sprung up, and greeted by swarms of tiny Common Australian crow butterflies and yellow greasies butterflies. Birds, insects, butterflies that live in the collapsed section can be found nowhere else in the region.

Wind Tunnel Explorer

This tour takes two hours to complete and runs between April and September. A tour for the adventurous, it allows visitors to explore the lava tubes in their rawest form – by scrambling over rocks with less infrastructure. Expect uneven surfaces, not suitable for children under five.

Families at Undara

Kids are very welcome at Undara. Lover of trains, caves and wildlife all find their way to this magical place and enjoy its wildness. While there are no specific family tours, the guides tailor their talks to the visitors present.

Food at Undara

There is a restaurant in the main settlement serving dinner each night. The food is hearty and wholesome and a welcome end to the day.

Breakfast is served over campfire, a traditional billy tea with a choice of hot and cold food.

Where to stay at Undara

There are several options for staying on the property.

Railway Carriage Accommodation

Stay in a beautifully restored railway carriage. Each carriage has its own bathroom. There is an accessible carriage available. 

Pioneer Huts Accommodation

The pioneer huts are modern cabins each with their own bathroom, private verandah and air conditioning. 

Swags Tent Village Accommodation

Glamp in the bush in one of these large, permanent tents, which are close to a central amenities block. There is an undercover camp kitchen available for use with hot and cold water, free gas barbecue, fridge, gas hot plates, picnic tables and chairs. 

Safari Shelter

The large campground area is perfect for groups with their own tents, vans and motor homes. It has a separate amenities block available, access for mobility impaired guests and a dedicated undercover camp kitchen with hot and cold water, free gas barbecue, picnic tables and a private campfire.

Motorhome, Caravan Park and Camping

There are 11 drive-up camp sites (tents, small vehicles and camper trailers), 38 powered van sites (22 drive-through, 16 reverse-in) and 26 un-powered van sites available in this are, with individual campfire pits/barbecues on some sites and firewood available for purchase. This section of the property is surrounded by bush, and located close to amenities blocks.

Find more things to do in and around Cairns.

Undara Experience
Undara Volcanic Park, Savannah Way QLD
undara.com.au

I was hosted during my time at Undara by Tourism Tropical North Queensland. Get more info on things to do in Queensland here.

The Canopy Treehouses, Cairns

Stay in a treehouse nestled in the rainforest and get up close to Australian wildlife at the Canopy Treehouses in the Cairns Highlands, Queensland, Australia. 

The Canopy Treehouses offers six extremely private treehouses set in 100 acres of rainforest, teeming with wildlife. 

In the rainforest, visitors can find wildlife such as cassowaries, rare Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos, endangered green possums, platypus, turtles, red-legged pademelon, wallabies,  coppery brushtail possums, northern bandicoots and birds including Victoria’s riflebirds, king parrots, spotted catbirds, honeyeaters and finches.

The eco-friendly treehouses are perched high in the rainforest canopy on the banks of the Ithaca River. 

There are three different accommodation options.

We stayed in one of the five self-contained timber and glass treehouses. Each treehouse has two bedrooms (one on the lower level and one in the “attic”), fully self-contained kitchen, spa bath and balcony with a BBQ and hammock. Other amenities include washing machine and dryer, telephone, DVD and TV. Each treehouse sleeps two to six people. 

The bedrooms contain either a queen or two single beds, perfect for families. 

Each treehouse is built on stilts, with the washing machine and dryer located on the ground level, where you can park your car under the treehouse, Up the first flight of stairs is the first floor , which contains the bathroom, living area, kitchen and bedroom.

The second bedroom can be reached by walking up another flight of stairs into a kind of garret room. Note that the second bedroom doesn’t have a complete wall (the wall is balcony height so you can look into the living area) or door so might not be suitable for smaller kids or two couples. 

The treehouses are thoughtfully stocked with kitchen and laundry supplies, to make your stay that bit more comfortable. 

If you need a bigger treehouse, the Bower House is the three bedroom treehouse, located on top of a ridge on the backing onto the rainforest, with valley and rolling green countryside views. 

As well as the standard features of the other Treehouses, the Bower House has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, (one including a double spa).

The third accommodation option is the Rainforest Unit which is attached to the main building, looking across the lawn to the rainforest. It has two bedrooms with a queen and single beds and is located at ground level, providing assisted wheelchair access.

Guests can take a walk around the beautiful rainforest and enjoy the serenity of the bush. We particularly enjoyed the river with its abundant turtle population.

We were lucky enough the next morning to meet one of the resident cassowaries as well as the pademelons at dusk. 

The Canopy Treehouses is located 90 minutes drive from Cairns.

Check out things to do in Cairns.

Find things to do in the Atherton Tablelands.

Read about things to do in Cairns.

Swim at Mossman Gorge.

Visit the Daintree Rainforest.

Catch a ride to Fitzroy Island Resort.

Swim on the Great Barrier Reef at the Frankland Islands. 

The Canopy Treehouses
Hogan Road, Tarzali, Queensland, Australia.
Phone : +61 7 4096 5364
Email : stay@canopytreehouses.com.au
Online :canopytreehouses.com.au

Step back in time at Paronella Park

Paronella Park is a heritage-listed tourist attraction. It is located 120km south of Cairns at Mena Creek, in Tropical North Queensland, Australia.

The park has a special story that has to be heard to be truly understood for the visinary project that it was, when its founder, José Paronella, embarked on his dream to build a castle in the 1930s. 

When Paronella Park opened to the public in 1935 it was a true marvel for the day, with a hydro electric generator, castle, tennis courts, bridges, waterfalls and a tunnel, surrounded in a range of 7,500 tropical plants, that have since become a lush rainforest. 

Paronella Park has been the winner of multiple Queensland tourism awards, is State and National Heritage listed and is a National Trust listed property. 

The park is privately owned by Mark and Judy Evans, who bought the park in 1993 and have been slowly bringing it back to life with renovations and events. 

To visit Paronella Park is to step back in time and marvel at the ingenuity and determination shown by one man, who had a dream.

On arrival at Paronella Park, visitors are taken on a 45 minute storytelling tour of the highlights of the park. At the end of the tour, visitors are free to roam the grounds and feed the fish and turtles who live in the lake.

At night, Paronella Park shines brightest when the String Family performs original compositions against the magically lit cafe building. Check the website for the String Family’s performance schedule. This inspiring performance is part of the night tour. 

Getting to Paronella Park

Self drive

paronellapark.com.au/getting-here/self-drive

Coach tours from Cairns

paronellapark.com.au/getting-here/coach-tours-from-cairns

Where to stay

paronellapark.com.au/getting-here/where-to-stay

Paronella Park
1671 Innisfail Japoon Rd, Mena Creek
Hours: Daily, 9:30am-7:30pm. Closed Christmas Day.
Online: paronellapark.com.au
Get Directions. 

The best things to do in Cairns (with or without kids)

Cairns is the gateway city to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef in tropical Far North Queensland. The perfect base for exploring the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree and attractions in Far North Queensland, there are plenty of reasonably-priced accommodation options, restaurants, grocery stores and Cairns attractions in this small city. We found plenty of things to do in Cairns and the surrounding regions to spend at least a few weeks exploring everything there is to do in tropical Far North Queensland.

Cairns attractions

Cairns Aquarium

See the marine species who inhabit tropical North Queensland while keeping your feet dry at the Cairns Aquarium. The aquarium is dedicated exclusively to the habitats, animals and plants found in Australia’s Wet Tropics – the region which borders The Daintree Rainforest and The Great Barrier Reef. Explore 10 North Queensland ecosystems and 71 exhibits showcasing how magnificent and unique the creatures in this part of the world are. 

Spot the endangered Freshwater Sawfish, marvel at Grey Reef Sharks and watch the Humphead Maori Wrasse in awe. Daily animal feeding sessions and the hands-on touch tanks will keep the kids enthralled.

Read more about visiting Cairns Aquarium.

Frankland Islands day trip

The pristine Frankland Islands are located 10km offshore, 45km south-east of Cairns. Surrounded by healthy coral that is teeming with sea life, a day trip to the Frankland Islands is one of the best and easiest ways to explore the Great Barrier Reef.

The Frankland Islands day trip is a great option for families with younger kids in particular or people who want a day of varied activies on the reef rather spending most of the day on a boat or snorkelling on the reef, or who are prone to seasickness but still want to see the reef.

Read more about our experience visiting the Frankland Islands.

Fitzroy Island day trip or longer stay

Fitzroy Island is a tropical paradise with lush rainforest and unspoiled beaches, accessed by a 45 minute ferry ride from Cairns. Take a day trip to the island or stay for a few nights. 

Read more about our experience visiting Fitzroy Island.

Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre

Located on Fitzroy Island, the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre (CTRC) is a volunteer-run, non-profit organisation dedicated to rehabilitating sick and injured turtles, brought in from the Great Barrier Reef and Cape York Peninsula. You can visit the CTRC when day tripping or staying on Fitzroy Island. Bookings are required to visit the CTRC which can only be made once you have arrived on the island. 

Read more about our experience visiting the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre.

Cairns Esplanade

The beachfront boardwalk leads to a variety of recreational facilities that are free to use. 

Cairns Esplanade Lagoon

The city of Cairns has no beaches. Instead, it has the gorgeous Cairns Esplanade Swimming Lagoon which is right on the waterfront. The lagoon is a stunning spot for a swim, and with flat water and plenty of shallow areas is perfect for swimmers of all ages and abilities. 

There are picnic tables and 12 barbecues nearby and plenty of grassy parkland and trees to sit under. The Cairns Esplanade Lagoon is a top Cairns attraction for a very good reason – it’s perfect for swimming in year-round, needing no wetsuit in stinger season like the ocean.

Muddy’s Playground

This fantastic playground has fenced areas, a splash playground, flying fox, sound chimes, track ride, rope bridge, slides, mouse wheels, play houses, story telling areas, see-saw, trick track and puzzle games. Muddy’s Playground is one of the top Cairns attractions for families and it’s easy to see why!

Read more about Muddy’s Playground.

Healing Garden Playground

The Healing Garden is opposite Cairns Hotel and includes features to assist with balance and harmony such as bamboo which is seen as a symbol of strength and healing colours throughout the play area – pale violet to sooth soothe emotional distress and bring calm and yellow to help strengthen the mind and to assist with nerve pain.

Fun Ship Playground

The Endeavour Fun Ship playground opened in 2006. The maritime-themed playground is located BBQ Sandpiper and picnic tables. It includes lots of climbing elements that lend themselves to nautical play.

Toilets are located a short distance to the north west of the Fun Ship Playground.

Skate Plaza

Boarders and bladers will love this skate park which includes a large bowl area.

Bouldering Park

Suitable for all ages, the bouldering area is a large rock surface with climbing grips on it.

Beach Volleyball

There are four international standard Beach Volleyball Courts.

Fitness Stations

There are several fitness stations located on the Esplanade. 

Petanque Court

Pétanque is a boules sports, where players roll their boules/balls towards a target ball.

Multi-use court

Multi-use court is located within the Northern Esplanade Activity Precinct opposite Cairns Hospital.

Fig Tree Playground

Located on the south end of the Esplanade, near the Marina, the Fig Tree Playground is a beautiful, natural climbing structure wrapped around a fig tree. It’s shady, thanks to the tree, and encourages climbing, running and sliding.

The location is beautiful too, right on the water. There are toilets nearby and the path that leads north up the Esplanade to the Lagoon and Muddy’s Playground.

Read more about Fig tree Playground.

Green Island

Take a day trip to stunning Green Island and snorkel with tropical fish and turtles. Day trips leave from Cairns Marina. Green Island is a 45 minute boat ride from Cairns, making it a good option for a day trip where most of the day is spent on the island enjoying a variety of activities. A day trip to Green Island is one of the most popular things to do in Cairns and is suitable for all ages.

Get more information about Green Island day trips. 

Great Barrier Reef Pontoons

Another option for seeing the Great Barrier Reef is with a day trip to one of the reef pontoons. We decided against this option as it takes a lot longer to reach the pontoons than Fitzroy, Green and Frankland Islands and as we suffer from sea sickness and had a child with us who wouldn’t have enjoyed a long, rough boat trip.

If you are a strong snorkeller or diver, or want to see a large variety of sea life deep in the ocean, then a reef pontoon could be a good idea for you. Regardless of which option you choose, a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef has to be on your list of things to do in Cairns!

Things to do in Cairns and the surrounding region

Josephine Falls

Josephine Falls is a tiered cascade waterfall located in Wooroonan, Cairns, in Tropical North Queensland. 

The falls are an hours drive south of Cairns, in the foothills of Queensland’s highest mountain range, Bartle Frere. 

Read more about our experience at Josephine Falls.

Atherton Tablelands

The Atherton Tablelands is a lush, fertile region around 1.5 hours drive south-west of Cairns. Renowned for its tumbling waterfalls and abundant wildlife, the Atherton Tablelands makes for a great day trip or longer stay to explore everything that is on offer.

Highlights to the Atherton Tablelands include chasing waterfalls, visiting the Tolga Bat Hospital, seeing the 500-year-old Curtain Fig Tree, spotting the rare Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo at the Nerida Tea Plantation and a delicious trip to Gallo Dairyland.

Read more about our experience visiting the Atherton Tablelands.

Kuranda Village

Kuranda is a mountain village that has become a popular tourist attraction near Cairns. It’s a great place to take kids as there are several attractions all close to each other. Hold a koala, feed free-flying birds and dance with butterflies all in the same day in Kuranda.

Kuranda Village is accessible by car, however it is a popular destination to reach by taking the Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.

Get more information on things to do in Kuranda Village.

Kuranda Scenic Railway

Winding its way through the World Heritage-listed Barron Gorge National Park, the Kuranda Scenic Railway is an unforgettable journey through hand carved tunnels and spectacular scenery. The Kuranda Scenic Railway runs between Cairns and Kuranda Village.

Get more information on taking the Kuranda Scenic Railway.

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway

The iconic Kuranda Skyrail Rainforest Cableway is an immersive journey through and above Australia’s World Heritage-listed tropical rainforest. It runs between Smithfield Terminal, around 20 minutes out of Cairns, and Kuranda Village.  

Get more information on taking the Kuranda Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.

Mossman Gorge

Located in the southern part of the World Heritage-listed Daintree National Park in Far North Queensland, Mossman Gorge is part of the traditional homeland of the indigenous Kuku Yalanji people.

Our time at Mossman Gorge was the highlight of our entire trip. We loved is so much we visited twice.

Mossman Gorge is around 80km north of Cairns and 5km from the nearest town of Mossman. It’s also about a 20 min drive from Port Douglas. It is easily reachable by car or as part of an organised tour.

Read more about our experience at Mossman Gorge.

Daintree Rainforest

Visit the oldest rainforest in the world! The Daintree region begins at Mossman Gorge and continues over the Daintree River and north to Cooktown. A day trip the Daintree is doable from Cairns however it is a long day and you will see more if you stay in the Daintree itself like we did. 

You can self-drive the Daintree in a regular car or take a tour.

Read about our experience in the Daintree Rainforest.

In the Daintree we stayed at the Daintree Ecolodge. Read about our experience at the Daintree Ecolodge.

Port Douglas

Beautiful Port Douglas is a gorgeous resort town close to the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest. Located only an hours drive north from Cairns, it’s a fab base for exploring the area, or just relaxing for a few days on the beach. 

Read more about things to do in Port Douglas.

Paronella Park

Paronella Park is a heritage-listed tourist attraction. It is located 120km south of Cairns at Mena Creek, in Tropical North Queensland, Australia.

The park has a special story that has to be heard to be truly understood for the visinary project that it was, when its founder, José Paronella, embarked on his dream to build a castle in the 1930s. 

Read more about visiting Paronella Park.

Undara Experience

Venture into Outback Australia with the Undara Experience, in Tropical North Queensland. Explore the oldest lava tubes on the planet, sleep in refurbished train carriages and enjoy bush walks surrounded by wildlife.

Located 260km south-west of Cairns (or a 3.5 hour drive), the Undara Experience is located in the Undara National Park, a private enterprise operated by the Collins family, the earliest white settlers in this locality whose cattle have grazed in the area since 1862.

The Undara Experience was created to showcase the lava tubes located on the Collins’ family property in 1987, protecting the formations for future generations by developing a sustainable visitor experience.

Read more about the Undara Experience.

Cairns accommodation

We stayed in two hotels during our time in Cairns.

Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort

The Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort is a newly renovated hotel in the heart of Cairns. The combination of a superb lagoon pool and recently refreshed rooms, combined with its excellent location close to the esplanade, marina, restaurants, supermarket and Cairns Aquarium make this an excellent choice of accommodation in Cairns, particularly for families.

Read more about our experience at the Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort.

Pullman Cairns International

The Pullman Cairns International is a grande dame of a hotel, with a majestic soaring lobby which makes for a very impressive entrance. 

The breakfast buffet at the Pullman Cairns International was sensational and worth staying at again just for this added benefit.

Read more about our experience at the Pullman Cairns International.

Riley, a Crystalbrook Hotel

The Riley is a brand-spanking new hotel that features bright, light and stylish rooms, and a 1,000-square-metre lagoon-style pool. It has to be the most beautiful pool in Cairns.

The rooms are so quiet, comfortable and beautiful that you won’t want to leave – unless it’s to head to the pool!

Read more about our experience at Riley, a Crystalbrook Hotel.

Canopy Treehouses

Stay in a treehouse nestled in the rainforest and get up close to Australian wildlife at the Canopy Treehouses in the Cairns Highlands, Queensland, Australia. 

The Canopy Treehouses offers six extremely private treehouses set in 100 acres of rainforest, teeming with wildlife. Located 90 minutes drive out of Cairns, the Canopy Treehouses is a great option to base yourself for a few days and explore the region.

Read more about our experience at the Canopy Treehouses.

Cairns weather

Far North Queensland is known for its hot and humid summers and mild, dry winters. We’ve visited in both and found January to be unbearably hot and humid but a pleasant swimming temperature, and July to be pleasant to explore the region, but a bit cold in the sea and pools. I would suggest considering what activities you want to do while you’re in the tropics before selecting a season to visit.

Summer (December – February)
Average temperatures range from 23.6 – 31.4°C (74.5 – 88.5°F). The wet season begins in December, with most of the area’s annual rainfall (around 2000mm / 78.7″) soaking the region in these months. When we visited in January, the skies opened daily around 4pm with a massive amount of rain. While the average daily temperature might not look too high, it is HUMID as anything!

Autumn (March – May)
I would suggest the shoulder seasons (spring and autumn) as ideal for visiting Cairns if you want to swim in warmer water without the high humidity that summer brings. The average daily temperatures range between 21.5 – 29°C (70.7 – 84.2°F), with the rain starting to subside from April onwards. The area can be windy however until August. 

Winter (June – August)
Winter is peak tourist season in Cairns, mainly due to the lower humidity, low rainfall and no stingers in the ocean. We found the temperatures perfect day to day, however swimming pools are not heated so we found them chilly, and the we needed wetsuits to swim in the ocean due to the cold temperature (for us!).  Average temperature in winter range from 17.5 – 26°C (63.5 – 78.8°F).

Spring (September – November)
The end of the dry season has temperatures ranging from 20.5 – 29°C (68.9 – 84.2°F). Humidity starts to build with the start of the west season at the end of spring. November is an amazing time to visit the reef to see the annual coral spawning.

Daylight Savings Time
Queensland does not observe daylight savings time. The time zone in Queensland is Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST), UTC +10.

Sea temperature
In summer, the average sea temperature at Cairns’ northern beaches ranges from 28.9 – 29.4°C (84 – 84.9°F). In winter the average sea temperature is 23.8- 24.5°C (74.8 – 76.1°F).

Stinger season

Stinger season (or jellyfish season) falls between November and May in Cairns and Port Douglas. It is advised to wear stinger suits in the water from November onwards (sometimes even October), as box jellyfish and Irukandji (the smallest of the box jellyfish family) can be deadly if you are stung.

The region’s beaches are lined with stinger nets and on the Great Barrier Reef, while the risk of marine stingers is low, stinger suits are recommended and are available for hire on tour boats.

Keeping sun safe

The sun in Queensland is intense, even in winter. The Ultraviolet (UV) Index can be high and cause extreme sunburn, so look in the local weather reports for the UV index, which describes the daily solar UV radiation intensity.

Wear SPF30+ sunscreen and reapply regularly, particularly after swimming. High quality sunscreen is available in supermarkets, convenience stores and pharmacies. Where possible choose reef-safe sunscreen. 

Choose sun-safe clothing like light, loose shirts and dresses that cover the shoulders, chest and arms, and wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. Sunburn up here is no joke and can land you in hospital.

When choosing swimwear, consider longsleeved swimsuits for girls, longsleeve rashies for boys and adults. Not long do they prevent sunburn, they also eliminate the need for excessive sunscreen which is good for neither the skin nor the reef.

Looking for more things to do in Cairns, or for more Cairns attractions? Check out the official Tropical North Queensland site.

Pullman Cairns International

Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort

The Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort is a newly renovated hotel in the heart of Cairns. The combination of a superb lagoon pool and recently refreshed rooms, combined with its excellent location close to the esplanade, marina, restaurants, supermarket and Cairns Aquarium make this an excellent choice of accommodation in Cairns, particularly for families.

We stayed in a newly renovated room with two double beds overlooking the pool. Rooms are also available with a king bed. The elevator on our floor went directly to the car park for easy luggage transferral.

The hotel is slowly being renovated and some parts of the hotel are the older rooms and do not have direct elevator access to the car park. I would highly recommend when booking requesting a new room with access to the parking. Even if you aren’t self driving, the rooms that have access to the parking garage are easiest to reach from the lobby as well.

Our hotel room included internet, a large TV, balcony overlooking the pool and fridge. There is a small Woolworths supermarket a few blocks from the hotel where we bought supplies and put them in the fridge for snacks.

Other hotel features include:

Large free-form lagoon pool with sandy beach
Swim up bar
24-hour reception and porter service
24-hour room service
Valet laundry, dry cleaning and in-house guest coin laundry
Gymnasium
Undercover car parking at $9 per day
Conference / function facilities
Broadband Internet in the rooms (charges apply, free to members so sign up!)
Tour desk
Foreign exchange
Babysitting on request

The lagoon pool is incredible and our favourite feature of the hotel. I found the pool was a bit cold for me when we visited in July as I am extremely cold sensitive and the pool isn’t heated, however the kids at the resort didn’t mind and spend hours in it, particularly loving the free pool noodles and floats.

We loved the Beach Club next to the pool where we happily ordered cocktails and food while the kid swam. The Moku Swim Up Bar is the only swim up bar in Cairns!

The Beach Club menu is the same as the Terrace Bar, however the Beach Club opens at 11am and closes early, while the Terrace Bar is open from 4pm – 10:30pm.

If you’re after an indoor dining option, Moku Bar & Grill opens daily at 6pm and offers a different island-inspired menu, designed to share.

Breakfast is served daily in the Moku Bar & Grill. I loved the custom omelette station. There were plenty of healthy choices as well as fun “holiday” food. 

Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort
122 Lake St, Cairns City QLD
https://www.novotelcairnsresort.com.au/

Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre

The Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre (CTRC) is located on Fitzroy Island, near Cairns in far north Queensland, Australia. CTRC is a volunteer-run, non-profit organisation dedicated to rehabilitating sick and injured turtles, brought in from the Great Barrier Reef and Cape York Peninsula.

We visited the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre during our two-night stay on Fitzroy Island. You can read about our stay at the Fitzroy Island Resort here.

The Great Barrier Reef is home to six of the world’s seven species of sea turtles, many of whom are threatened by natural and human factors. Spoiler: it’s mostly human behaviour that’s harming the turtles.

Turtles arrive suffering at CTRC suffering from disease and/or injuries caused by boats, discarded fishing gear or have eaten plastic after mistaking it for food. “Floaters disease” is a very common ailment that turtles are brought in with, where air is trapped between the shell and body, making it impossible for the turtle to dive underwater and feed itself. If not treated, turtles with “floaters disease” either starve or are eaten by predators. There are also a number of turtles brought in from the Cape York Peninsula suffering horrible injuries from getting entangled in discarded fishing nets. The injuries are often so bad that the turtles can’t be saved. 

The CTRC has been doing amazing work in its 15 years of operation, with the success rate in rehabilitating turtles and returning them to the wild has improved from 20-30% to ~85%. Satellite tracking of these released turtles has shown that even after long periods of rehabilitation that once released the turtles do well, some quickly covering very large distances in the ocean.

CTRC relies on the generous donations from supporters and volunteers to continue their excellent work.

Visitors to Fitzroy Island can take a tour of the CTRC. The tours are limited to 15 people and are available to book on the day of the tour only, once you are physically on the island. Resort guests can book at the hotel reception. Day trippers can book at the General Store. Tours book out extremely fast so make it the first thing you do on arrival if you are day tripping to the island, or book it first thing in the morning if you are a resort guest. The turtles can have “rest” days where the tours are not run, so call Reception on (07) 4044 6700 ahead of booking your trip check that the day you’re visiting isn’t a rest day.

The tours run daily from 1pm, and are approximately 45 minutes in length. Often if the tours are booked out, additional tours are added. Tours cost Cost: $11.50 Adult, $7.00 Child (4-13 years), infants free of charge.

Our turtle tour experience

We took the turtle tour and were so glad that we did. We were given an excellent tour by Azri, the resident marine biologist. He gave the group an incredibly educational tour, talking a lot about the reasons turtles ended up at the CTRC and what we can do as individuals to protect the turtles (don’t use plastic, recycle rather than contribute to landfill, don’t release helium balloons). 

The tour is a fantastic way for kids in particular to learn about how their actions contribute to harming turtles so they can make good decisions as they get older. We learned about the effects of turtles eating garbage – it traps air and makes the turtle float to the surface unable to dive for food and protection, resulting in “bubble butt” or “floaters disease”.

While the situation for our turtles is quite grim the tour is also uplifting and positive as the educational component also focuses on the turtle species and lots of fun facts about them.

Kids are encouraged to ask all their turtle questions and we learnt lots of interesting details such as how old do turtles get, how big do they grow (Leatherbacks, the largest, grow up to 2m, and green sea turtles are the 2nd largest), where do they lay their eggs (Heron and lady Elliot Islands and how many eggs to do they lay at a time (100!). We learned how to tell male and female turtles apart (males have long tales, females short), and so much more.

There were seven turtles in the facility when we visited, only only one of which was able to be viewed due to her healthy condition – she was almost well enough to be released back into the wild. 

At the end of the tour kids get a special certificate to take home and remind them of their tour and to be a good turtle ambassador. It was an eye opening experience for us adults on the poor situation for turtles, as well as extremely interesting for the kids – particularly the older ones.

Note that there is a lot of talking and listening required on the tour and nothing in the facility to be played with. Turtles can’t be touched! I would suggest the tour for kids maybe aged 6+ or younger if they have good listening skills and won’t get bored from all the talking.

cairnsturtlerehab.org.au