Queensland ~ Australia travel pictures & information
Trinity Beach, Cairns, Daintree & Port Douglas
I'd come to Far North Queensland, Australia, to see a friend recently moved to Trinity Beach, just north of Cairns. I'd flown direct to Cairns from Hong Kong (about a 10 hour flight), rather than route through Sydney, which would add 7 hours to the trip. Look for routings via Brisbane, too, to save a few hour's flying time. From Cairns, I flew to Sydney, and on to Adelaide to take a tour to Kangaroo Island off the southern coast, with its Remarkable Rocks and wildlife. See my Cairns travel story about my travels through Queensland north of Cairns -- Trinity Beach, Daintree , Cape Tribulation and Port Douglas. To pronounce Cairns the way the Aussies do, say Kanz.
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Trinity Beach Near Cairns  Cairns is about a 3 hour flight north from Sydney, and Trinity Beach is a 15 minute drive north of Cairns. Australia has more signs posted in more places, so get used to them. Some are overkill (such as no martini drinking on Sydney trains -- darn!) but these ones along the beaches in Far North Queensland warn of the area's many hazards, and tell how to get medical help. Read these carefully. Indigenous dangers aside, Queensland Beaches are among the most beautiful and inviting in the world. See Queensland Beaches for a list and the location of all the beaches, including the wonderfully named 'Yorkey's Knob'.) |
Marine Stinger enclosure on Queensland Beach  The blue floats mark off the swimming area enclosed by netting designed to keep out marine stingers. (This view is looking towards Double Island from the Palm Cove Beach.) Mind you, every so often, large waves theoretically carrying the little menaces washed over the booms and into the 'safe' area. |
Cape Tribulation Daintree Rainforest  Cassowary warning sign: One should indeed be 'wary' of these birds, which the signs describe as large and mean tempered. (I am not surprised they are an endangered species.)
Should you meet one on the road, do not make eye contact, but rather back up slowly and try to get behind something large, like a tree or a bus, say, lest they fly at you with their sharp talons. Several businesses at the Daintree River ferry crossing into the park offer free maps, Dragonfly Cafe and Daintree Connection (Croc-spotting river cruises). (It's 117 kilometres (73 miles) from Cairns to Daintree). |
Signs of the Cassowary  As we drove past yet another of the many speed bump and cassowary signs along the park road, we did a double take: Some wit had written the word 'Before' on the cassowary sign, and the speed bump warning sign, had added 'After' and drawn a cassowary 'head'. (The sign is in the dark spot -- sorry it's difficult to see.) Given the Aussie sense of humour, I'd bet this road sign artist was born and bred Down Under.
For information, go to cassowaries. (I noted this site also has a photo of these two road signs, but the caption gives the impression they are legitimate signs, i.e. unadulterated. If that's true, then it makes me a tad hesitant to see what signs are used to denote crosswalks.) |
Giant Crocodiles -- in concrete  Another warning sign at Daintree Crossing, this time for crocodiles (stingers, cassowaries, crocodiles -- we hadn't even gotten to the cane toads and snakes!). After all these warnings of creatures that can seriously ruin your day, you begin to see how Cape Tribulation got its name. |
Hang gliding (parasailing) above Queensland Beaches  The beaches line the entire coastline, and are amongst the loveliest in the world, dangerous wildlife excepted. Of course, during the marine stinger season running from November to May, you enter the water at your own risk. Here, we stopped along the winding road to catch the cool breeze in late afternoon, and to watch several hang gliders. |
Green Island boat tours  Full day or half-day tours leave for Green Island, which lies 27 kilometres (17 miles) off the coast. Green Island is the only coral cay with a rain forest. The crossing from Cairns takes about 45 minutes by high speed boat. This is a great look at the barrier reef, but with the security of a bit of actual land under your feet -- a good spot for those who are not fond of very deep waters. |
Green Island day trip from Cairns  As we arrive from Cairns, we can see that other tour boats are already docked at Green Island, which from this angle, looks smaller than it is. There is a five star hotel (Green Island Resort), a few shops and food stalls, and a very lovely swimming beach, replete with genial lifesavers. Since this island is some distance from the mainland, it is deemed relatively stinger-free year round. |
Underwater views at Green Island Queensland from glass bottom boat  Once at Green Island, tours transfer to a submersible for a brief tour (20 minutes or so) around the reef near the island. After that, there'a another hour or so allotted for snorkelling in a lagoon or swimming in the warm waters at a separate beach before returning to Cairns. Full day tours would, of course,allow for more leisure time on the island. |
Palm Cove shops & cafes  Great beaches, lovely hotels, and interesting shops full of clothing, shoes, art and more -- well worth at least an afternoon's visit. Better yet, stay a week! Reef and rainforest tours can be booked at several locations here. Palm Cove is 22 kms (14 miles) north of Cairns, not far if you want to head into town for the day.
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