The ultimate two week Cairns and Great Barrier Reef explorer itinerary
Itinerary
By Hannah Statham
You know those holidays where you walk away feeling like you need a holiday from your holiday? This is not one of them.
With two weeks to discover Queensland’s tropical north, you can luxuriate by taking your favourite holiday experiences slow, rather than powering through an itinerary at breakneck speed.
From reef and rainforest to Tropical North Queensland’s accessible outback, see North Queensland from all angles with this itinerary.
Day 1: Arrive into Cairns
Start your holiday in the means you wish to carry on, sliding straight into tropical time. Ditch the watch, turn off your notifications and check into the pioneers of sustainable luxury in Cairns, Riley.
From its Esplanade position, you won’t even need a car, with everything within your balcony’s line of site – whether it be Cairns’ bar scene or these foodie favourites.
For a true taste of the tropics, start your holiday with a seafood smorgasbord at Prawn Star, the trawler-turned-restaurant on the marina.
Overnight: Riley (or really, anywhere in this Cairns accommodation list)
Day 2: See the rainforest from new heights
Most people come to Cairns with two missions – see the reef and visit the rainforest – so it’s fitting your itinerary starts with aerial views over both.
Get a birds’ eye view over Cairns CBD, out to the reef and over the Wet Tropics Rainforest with Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.
Onboard Skyrail, you’ll glide over the Cairns central precinct of the ancient Wet Tropics, rising over 40.5m above the forest floor from the comfort of an airconditioned or open-air gondola.
It’s not all aerial rainforest encounters on this 1.5hour (one way) journey. There are two rainforest station experiences along the way, where you can explore the forest on foot, escorted by one of Skyrail’s rangers.
Disembark Skyrail in the rainforest village of Kuranda, whose leafy ‘burbs have played home to its famous markets, which have been trading continuously for more than 30 years.
Laden with local arts and crafts, you can return to Cairns with Skyrail, or mix up your return journey to home base via the Kuranda Scenic Railway to see why this two hour rail journey forms part of this list of rail rides you must try in Queensland.
Overnight: Riley (or really, anywhere in this Cairns accommodation list)
Day 3 – 5: Island hop your way to Fitzroy Island
For proof good things come in small packages, take one of the three ferries from Cairns to the pocket-paradise that is Fitzroy Island.
Your Robinson Crusoe adventure starts from the minute you arrive on this island, which consists of just one resort, two restaurants and a general store – but has enough natural assets to warrant two nights and three days’ worth of island time.
With fringing reefs surrounding Fitzroy Island, chances are good that you’ll have your head under the water for most of your time here.
Once your flippers tire out, you can retire to a glass bottom boat, stand up paddleboard or glass bottom sea kayak, or put your feet up entirely at a beach-front dining table at Foxy’s.
Overnight: Fitzroy Island Resort
Day 5 - 7: Return for the mainland and head for the hills
Join the early-rising turtles for one last snorkel before taking the early morning Cairns-connection back to the mainland and get ready to head to the hills.
You’ll need to collect wheels for the next phase of this adventure, as you graze your way across the Atherton Tablelands and beyond.
The hinterland of Cairns holds its own against the reef and rainforest when it comes to things to see and do – with a famous waterfall scene, gigantic curtain fig and two crater lakes that point to volcanic activity that occurred here 20,000 years ago.
It’s easy to work up an appetite for a plate of Atherton Tableland’s freshly made cheese or award-winning Botanica Australis gin when there’s waterfalls to chase, walks through 1000 year old kauri pines to be done and kayaks for paddling the inland lakes.
Overnight: Why not spice up your accommodation style and try one of these treehouses to stay even closer to the rainforest?
Day 7 - 9: Go underground and discover ancient lava tubes
For proof the landscape of Tropical North Queensland is more than palm trees and rainforest-clad mountains, motor down the Kennedy Highway towards the Undara Experience.
Your drive will be peppered with signs of the outback – termite mounds, vast horizons and sparse vegetation - which contrast the lush conditions you’ve been used to on the coast.
Follow this itinerary to connect the Tablelands with Undara, home to the longest lava tubes in the world.
With a guided tour, you’ll dip below ground level to explore the huge caverns that were once lava tunnels that expelled some 23 cubic kilometres of lava (that’s enough to fill Sydney Harbour three times over) over the landscape.
Undara is well-recorded as the largest and best-preserved lava tubes on the planet, with geologists predicting this landmark is more than 190,000 years old.
Overnight: A converted train carriage at Undara Experience
Day 10: Visit an ancient inland reef, turned limestone cave
Photo by @reubennutt
Rather than make a beeline straight for the coast, mix up your return journey by taking a detour to the Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park.
The geology transports you back 400 million years, to a time where the now arid Chillagoe was an inland sea, complete with coral reef.
Spend the day exploring this limestone cave system with a guided tour, which will wind you through galleries of Aboriginal rock art and jagged limestone outcrops.
Overnight: Chillagoe Accommodation Village
Day 11 – 13: Perch yourself between the palms
A three-hour drive is all that separates Chillagoe with the coastal town of Port Douglas, whose reputation has been built on its beaches, bistros and boutiques.
In a world that’s fast, you’ll find Port Douglas’ pace delightfully slow – whether it’s a walk along 4 Mile Beach, watching the luxury yachts bob on the horizon or browsing the homewares stores on the Main Street.
When you need a break from Port Douglas’ sun and sand, start working your way through this list of things to see and do – whether its discovering one of the world’s oldest rainforests with the world’s oldest culture at Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre or taking mere steps between two World Heritage-listed sites that collide at Cape Tribulation.
Overnight: Port Douglas, choosing anywhere on this list
Day 14: Rest, retire to Cairns and plan to repeat
Photo by @brodyoxenham
All good holidays must come to an end, and after fourteen days exploring the rainforest, reef and Tropical North Queensland’s outback, it’s likely you’re hearing more email notifications than you were bird calls in the rainforest.
As you make your way back to Cairns and homeward bound, why not start planning round two with these guides that will lead you to new Tropical North Queensland adventures:
