Tropical North Region

Tropical North Queensland is a vast region which covers an area of over half a million hectares beginning in the south from Mission Beach, north to Cape York Peninsula and west across the Tropical Tablelands and Gulf Savannah to the Northern Territory border. This region is made up of reefs and islands, through to beach and coastal wetlands to mountains, tablelands and Gulf Savannah grassland. The major centre is Cairns, a tropical town with irresistible markets and shopping arcades. North of Cairns are the beaches such as Palm Cove, Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach and Ellis Beach where palm trees hang lazily over the sandy beaches. Further north is the resort town of Port Douglas and continuing on you find the spectacular Mossman Gorge, World Heritage listed Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation. North of Cape Tribulation is the area Cape York and the Gulf Savannah renowned for its rugged coastline and wild and sparsely populated wilderness. West of Cairns is Kuranda and the beautiful Atherton Tropical Tablelands and travelling further west you come to the Gulf Savannah with its rich history of gold rushes, bushrangers and wandering Aboriginal tribes. South of Cairns is the Cassowary Coast including Mission Beach.

Visitor Information

Climate

Cairns and Tropical North Queensland has glorious weather boasting a beautifully mild winter, delightful shoulder seasons, and a hot tropical summer which the locals refer to as our Green Season.

What you can expect when you visit TNQ:

What to bring

Casual, lightweight clothing that will protect you from the sun is suitable for most of the year. A jacket or warmer clothes may be required for the evenings. Smart casual is suitable for most restaurants, bars, hotels, and resorts. A hat, swimwear, 30+ water resistant sunscreen, sandshoes or comfortable walking shoes are also recommended for most day time activities.

Restaurants and Dining

The Restaurants in Tropical North Queensland consistently rank very highly in Australia. The thriving tourist industry in Cairns attracts world renowned chefs to our fair region and our uninterrupted access to fresh local products ensure\s first class dining experiences year round.

In Cairns we recommend the following restaurants, Because we've eaten there::

Beach Safety

Superb and picturesque beaches can be found just a short drive from Cairns city. It is very important to heed warning signs when swimming n our region. Please always swim between the red and yellow flags when applicable and follow instructions from life savers. Swimming at beaches is possible all year round with the months between June and September being the highlight. Between the months of October through April most beaches have netted swimming enclosures for you to swim in to ensure that marine stingers don't disrupt your holiday enjoyment.

Destinations

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's greatest reef system, stretching more than 2000km along Queensland's north-east coast. As the world's largest and most complex reef system, it has thousands of individual coral reefs and hundreds of continental islands, reef islands and cays, small bare sand cays, and permanent vegetated cays.

Exploring the Great Barrier Reef is both exhilarating and easy. You can snorkel or scuba dive with equipment provided and a trained crew on hand to assist, or view the reef from the comfort of a semi-submersible or underwater observatory. Swimmers and non-swimmers are catered for or take a scenic flight in a plane or helicopter. There is easy access to the outer reef and islands from points all along the coast, to suit your style or budget.

Information courtesy of Tourism Tropical North Queensland

The rainforests of the Wet Tropics, regarded by world authorities as a living museum of flora and fauna, are World Heritage listed. Bushwalking along well maintained trails, camping overnight (with permits), Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander interpretive heritage tours, Ranger-guided walks, all terrain vehicle tours and full commentary by qualified biologists are some of the many ways to fulfill your rainforest discovery dreams.

Many operators offer excellent one day 4WD nature safaris north to Daintree and Cape Tribulation National Park, and west to the Tropical Tablelands however the region is so diverse you may wish to spend days and nights absorbing the magical ecosystems and delicate balance of nature.

The World Heritage Daintree Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef meet between the coastal stretches of the Daintree River and Cape Tribulation to showcase a panorama of breathtaking beauty and exceptional biodiversity.

For over one hundred and thirty-five million years the Daintree Rainforest, a world renowned living museum, has evolved a richness of rare and primitive flora and fauna that is not paralleled anywhere on the planet.

Most of the rare and beautiful rainforest inhabitants are nocturnal, so it is advisable to join one of the night time wildlife excursions which offer spotlighting and local naturalist guides. A wide range of accommodation is on offer for extended stays, with after dinner spotlighting walks one of many in-house activity highlights.

To the south of Cairns, bordered by the coastal lowlands, is the 79,500 hectare Wooroonooran (Bellenden Ker) National Park. This Mission Beach region, one of the last great habitats of the cassowary bird is ideal for bushwalkers and nature lovers. Good walking tracks - with varying degrees of difficulty - are plentiful, cascading waterfalls, fern-fringed swimming pools, swift running streams and rivers present natures theme park. Along with trekking and bushwalking, white water rafting is a spectacular way to experience the wonder of the rainforest. A must-see for birdwatchers is a visit to the nearby Eubenangee National Park, a wildlife sanctuary where over 170 different bird species have been recorded.

Information courtesy of Tourism Tropical North Queensland