Port Douglas, Australia – Discover Tropical Queensland
Australia’s idyllic Port Douglas is justly renowned as one of the world’s most beautiful places to relax, unwind and cast your worries to the sea. This unique tourist destination sits adjacent to Tropical North Queensland’s two World Heritage Sites — the fabled Great Barrier Reef, and the majestic Daintree Rainforest. As home too to Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas boasts one of Australia’s most picturesque locations for sailing, wind surfing, kite-boarding, and surfing.
The pristine surroundings of Port Douglas were originally settled thousands of years ago by the Kuku Yulanji tribe. The English first encountered its astonishing beauty when Captain James Cook was mapping the eastern coastline of Australia in 1770, during his initial voyage to the continent. In fact, Port Douglas was an unexpected stop for Cook and his crew, for they ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef, and had to delay their voyage for more than seven weeks in order to repair their ship, the Endeavour. Cook thus named this bay Cape Tribulation, because, he noted in his journal, “here began all of our Troubles”.
These days, such troubles are no more than poignant history in Port Douglas, with the Reef now well-marked and carefully conserved. Its protection allows visitors a unique and breathtaking opportunity to experience an incredible underwater world. Discovering the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef system — its 35 million hectares embracing 900 islands and 3000 individual reefs — is one of the hallmark travel opportunities of a lifetime. This is an organic structure so large that it can be seen from outer space – composed of billions of coral polyps, it is home to an extensive variety of underwater wildlife including whales, sea turtles, starfish, eels, and dolphins. It is, quite possibly, the best place to go diving or snorkeling in the world.
Back on shore, the Daintree Rainforest rivals its aquatic counterpart for beauty and mystery – a fascinating, immaculate ecosystem that is home to 430 bird species, giant tree frogs, sugar gliders, bandicoots, and estuarine crocodiles. Here you will find the largest range of plants and animals in the world, all within easy access of the Port Douglas beachfront. In the mood for a swim? The forest’s cool, green Mossman Gorge, a series of freshwater swimming holes in its midst, represents the perfect photo opportunity. Explore the history and depth of the Daintree by taking a jungle tour, riding horseback, or a river cruise.
The highlights of Port Douglas, however, go well beyond natural wonders, outstanding though they are. Macrossan Street, bisecting the heart of the city, boasts a range of great restaurants, cafes and shops, as well as a fun nightlife scene. Four Mile Beach, which is conveniently just a few meters southeast, is a stunning sandy coastline — ideal for indulging in a wide range of water sports, or simply a leisurely bike ride.
The adventures and sights of Port Douglas though will no doubt take their toll, and the Rydges Sabaya Resort provides you with a tranquil haven to unwind and rejuvenate. Newly redeveloped in 2007, the resort features fresh, well-appointed guest rooms and apartments, a lagoon-style pool, tasteful new restaurant, and large banquet facilities. Offering a warmth of service that reflects both the relaxed Port Douglas lifestyle and Rydges’ sense of fun and energy, the hotel is just a stone’s throw from the southern rim of Four Mile Beach – making it all the easier to start relaxing on your Port Douglas vacation.
A Great Barrier Reef Vacation On Heron Island – Part 1
A Great Barrier Reef Vacation on Heron Island is a unique experience. Heron Island is a small coral cay right on the Great Barrier Reef Australia, where you can snorkel straight off the beach amidst teeming marine life on an endless multicoloured coral reef.Heron is not the place to visit on your Great Barrier Reef Vacation if you need sophisticated nightlife, or a multitude of daytime activities, because the emphasis here is on the natural attractions and exploring the island..The reef walks will teach you about the unique ecology of the Great Barrier Reef. Added to this is the abundance of bird life especially Noddy Terns.In the evenings there might be live entertainment, or you can dance or just have a pleasant drink at the Pandanus Lounge. You will find the food is excellent with a, huge breakfast buffet, and three dinner buffets every week.For more Australian Vacations and information about the Great Barrie Reef, go to http://www.worldwidevacationspots.com/categories/Oceania%26%2339%3Bs-Hidden-Hotels/Australia/
Top five places to see in Australia
When considering a vacation to Australia, many people think first of Uluru, otherwise known as Ayer’s Rock. After this has been slotted into the agenda, they begin to explore other possibilities, sometimes with a degree of uncertainty. The most popular destinations also include such as Sydney City and the Great Barrier Reef situated along the coast of Queensland. Visiting family and friends is an option, and a trip to Canberra is quite common. Special interests might lead you to consider a specific city that indulges in such. Alternatively, a travel agent might make suggestions as to what you might be interested in seeing. Other choices include sports and theater events, museums, catching a favorite band in concert, and taking a cross-country train trip.
Uluru is situated almost in the middle of Australia. It has been the most popular destination for vacationers for decades. Officially recognized as an Aboriginal site, there are currently a few restrictions in place. However, a number of visitors are taken here daily, hopefully with respect of the Aboriginal culture. Ayer’s Rock is a large reddish colored stone formation of Aboriginal importance. There are numerous, if expensive, travel options from most capital cities, including plane, bus, and train. Hotels and campsites are both available close by, with guided tours to view or climb offered at varying prices.
Sydney City remains the most popular city to visit, though the capital Canberra is also a destination well admired. Both are situated on the Eastern half of the country, and a train trip between the two cities takes four or five hours. It is often an option to visit both cities, therefore. Sydney has taller buildings, older style architecture, and more history behind it. It has ample sightseeing opportunities with a harbor full of ferries, the AMP tower observation decks and restaurants, and a strong efficient public transport system. Canberra is full of government and politics, but it also has good restaurants, parks and gardens, a large lake, hot air balloon rides, and many museum and gallery style attractions. Tours of Canberra and parliament are available in many ways, from cheap circle route bus trips to fully narrated coach trips from private companies.
The Great Barrier Reef is found off the coast of Queensland, which is also famous for its long stretches of golden sands and tall luxury hotel complexes. Fine dining is available in the area, and many options to see the reef. Snorkeling
The Top 5 Holiday Destinations
The heap of anguish caused by the claustrophobic city life can only be eradicated when you take a stride down the blue beaches of Australia or relax at the foot of Christ De Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. When life demands too much and you want to escape from this mundane world, take a flight to one of your desired destinations and spend the holiday there with your loved ones. Give yourself a chance to enjoy the gorgeous Greek Island, scintillating Cuba or the magical Thailand. The unparalleled exquisiteness of the five top destinations below is alluring visitors to feast on the amazing beauty.
1. Australia – Whitsunday Islands
The spectacular scene of Australia has made it the suitable holiday destination for people from all over the world. The very thought of the coral reefs, lush rainforests and the amazingly warm ocean water would chill you up and you won’t be able to resist the charm of holidaying in this country. Whitsunday coasts and islands seem to have been naturally tailored to quench your need of getting lost in the soothing greens and serene blue of the water. The Islands are centrally located on the Queensland Coast where almost all flights have been given access. The airport is about 40 minutes away from the Airlie Beach and leisure can be enjoyed to the full extent. Apart from this Island particularly, Australia is encompassing within itself a wide Array of holiday zones. The Gold Coasts, Hunter Valley, Sunshine coast, the wonderful Sydney and so on. At Whitsunday, you will get the opportunity to select resorts and hotels of your choice. The availability of the peaceful ambience, spas, swimming pools, gardens and other amenities will vary with the denomination of the accommodation you choose. The exciting Great Barrier Reef, the stunning beauty of the Proserpine River and the luxury yachts are bound to drive you ecstatic. Holiday packages to this Island will seem to be incomplete, as you will fall in love with Whitsunday forever.
2. Brazil – Rio de Janeiro
It may be the outstanding color of its beaches or the magical sound produced by the forests that has made the creation of samba music possible in Rio de Janeiro. The high-spirited people of this state make Brazil one of the liveliest places on earth. Those of you who are fond of sports must take your family to this city to enjoy the essence of sports and sporting spirit. The intense cultural life of ravishing Rio includes mind-blowing music and heart throbbing belly dances. The state is the pride of Brazilians for it includes within it, theaters, clubs, museums, beaches, gardens, forests, lagoons and the memorabilia of the World War II. Winter is full of events and it would the best time to take a flight to Rio and give your life a new refreshing turn. Hotels and inns are available at your fingertips, which you can reserve even via the Internet.
3. Greek Islands
If you are a travel freak then you must spend your next holiday at the Greek Islands, which are about 22 in number. Mykonos would take you down the memory lanes with the windmills turning the pages of history. Affordable hotels and excellent services are designed to make your visit very pleasurable. Naxos is the island of churches, Venetian castles and homes just opposite to the nightlife culture that Rhodes can give. Lesvos is a perfect destination to soothe your tired mind and eyes. Wildlife, restaurants, spas and greenery can cheer you up for the rest of the hectic year ahead. Most of the islands here are breathtaking and you can zoom through the clouds directly or can halt in mainland Greece and then move ahead. Accommodation places are always ample, just prior booking is essential.
4. Cuba
Vigorous salsa, mind-blowing architecture, exciting tropical beaches and the swashbuckling nightlife can be the most apt phrases to describe Cuba – the dream destination for most people. Relaxation coupled with luxury is going to make your holiday in Cuba one of the most memorable experiences. This unique and safe Caribbean Island has got a historic importance of its own. Fishing or sailing in a tranquil ambience can reinvigorate you to your fullest. The journey to Cuba would revitalize you, shedding all the lethargic loads that you had been carrying so far. Your stride through the Las Terrazas will enable you to relish the flora and fauna. The coffee at a famous Cafetal restaurant would make you nostalgic, and sips at the Darquiri cocktail at Tropicana Cabaret are definitely an enchanting experience. Ecological tours of the Western Cuba can also be a sumptuous and momentous moment for you. If you are looking for cheap eats and lodging, you can find it at this top holiday destination.
5. Thailand
Thailand gains prominence as one of the hottest tourist sports for the sky kissing mountains, green meadows, multi-colored orchids, fascinating native handcrafts, coupled with the tropical climate. The country is well known for the hospitality, and the local food is also superb to taste. For the active traveler, this can be the ideal spot to spend the holidays. Travel packages booked earlier can make your journey to this place an interesting one. Bangkok is the main gateway to Thailand where the international airport is situated. The religion followed in this country is Buddhism and everywhere place you visit, you are going to find information pertaining to Lord Buddha. The elephant conservation center, wildlife sanctuaries, Thai crafts and the fruit carving are simply wonderful. The capital Bangkok is of great prominence due to the natural beauty that it ensembles. Makha Puja, Flower festival, Pattya festival and the Sonkran festivals attract throngs of visitors every year to this country. For a cool escape, the southern beaches are a definite hot spot and are not to be missed, Phuket having the biggest tourism numbers followed by Koh Samui.
Holidaying in any of these top destinations will leverage the stressful life you live and will have to resume to after some days. Visits to these heavenly places will make your experience meaningful and you will find a new spirit to restart your life. So, keep aside all hesitations, pack your luggage and set off for the dream destination that you had been longing for so far!
Top five places to see in Australia – Part 14
October 17, 2009 by admin
Filed under Restaurants
Australia; the top five places to see.
I think you could say most cities are the same round the world, so we will count them out and look for the unique natural wonders Australia has to offer for the tourist.
The travel brochures also come up with the Great Barrier Reef, the Red Centre, the Top End and Kakadu, the Twelve Apostles, the Cable Beach at Broome, but I am going to suggest five totally different places as the top five.
Number one would be the Western McDonnell Ranges west of Alice Springs. From the air these rocky uplifts appear as a series of ripples rather like a set of waves in the ocean and the colours and formation are spectacular, the colours ranging from gold to purple to blue, and then the sunsets and sunrises, orange red and yellow. If you have hired a van, try to find the free parking area about half way along the road from Alice Springs to Glen Helen Gorge. If you are lucky you can stop in isolation for a week and even experience dingoes coming round. Albert Namejira, the famous aboriginal painter exhibited around the globe, completed many of his landscape masterpieces here. The contrast between the white ghost gums and the rich ochres of the surrounding red and orange and brown mountain ranges has to be seen to be believed. Go to the Ochre Pits, Glen Ormiston Gorge, Stanley’s Chasm and Glen Ellery Water hole and you will see truly Australian scenery.
Number two, the outback of Queensland. Wide open plains where the wedge-tail eagles fly and the dinosaurs have long been buried. In fact at Richmond and Hughenden you will see remains you won’t believe. This part of Australia was once a vast inland sea and the Kronnosaurus was a cross between a giant crocodile and a giant pleosaur. It was so big that it would have eaten T-Rex for a morning snack! You can see a model of the original which was taken to America in the 1920’s. There are not many real dinosaur relics around these days and this area will afford this for you and you may be able to see a series of dinosaur footprints or go on a local dig.
Number three is the snowy mountain area of N.S.W., where you can see the most colourful mountain scenery and river systems as well as take in some snow if you arrive in winter. There are wild brumbies and cattlemen who graze their herds on the high plains and old gold mining settlements. Excellent trout fishing occurs in the rivers and lakes here and there are sheep properties and gum trees and cattle and real glimpses of the Australian
Places to visit in Australia – Part 9
September 6, 2009 by admin
Filed under Restaurants
Australia is such a vast continent that most visitors will only ever manage to scratch the surface of what this country has to offer. As the oldest land in the world, what makes Australia unique is its Aboriginal culture, it’s wildlife (most of which you won’t find anywhere else) and some of the most amazing geographical landscapes and features. So, given the huge scale of the place, what are the best places to visit that will give you a flavour of what Australia is all about?
Must-see’s for the first time visitor
Australia’s best known icons are: Sydney (the Opera House), Uluru (Ayers Rock) and the Great Barrier Reef. Sydney may be just like any other major city with great shopping, entertainment and restaurants but what makes it different is that it has views like no other. Set around a huge and fabulous harbour, it is so picturesque that everywhere you look there are vistas worthy of photographs. And, not only that, but in Sydney you can spend the morning pavement pounding around the sights of the city centre (Opera House, Harbour Bridge, The Rocks) and still have time to hit one of its beaches in the afternoon. Sydney will show you the modern metropolitan face of Australia but a trip to Uluru will show you the flip side. Out in the middle of the huge red desert you will get a sense of the vastness of the country and just how rugged and harsh it’s outback environment is. Also, if you spend some time in Alice Springs you will come in to contact with it’s indigenous people who account for less than 5% of the population and are therefore not very visible in the cities. The other major icon for first time visitors is the Great Barrier Reef, probably best accessed from Cairns where you can also visit World Heritage listed rainforest and other attractions. The Reef itself is over 1000-kilometres long so even if you’re an avid scuba diver you’ll only be able to see a small portion but you will be left thrilled by the coral and marine life/
Places to visit for returning visitors
Beyond these top 3 icons Australia has enough sightseeing to last several months of travelling but the most notable areas to see are:
1) Western Australia – Perth is the most isolated city in the world with beautiful beaches and lifestyle. Outside of the city you can take a culinary tour of the Margaret River vineyards and swim with dolphins or go diving on Australia’s less visited reef system.
2) The tropical Top End has jumping crocodiles and world-renowned national parks (Kakadu & Litchfield).
3) Melbourne & The Great Ocean Road – this is the nice and easy fly/drive choice with great cafes, restaurants and shopping followed by a scenic drive along the south coast to Adelaide
If after all that travelling you just want to laze about on beaches you’ve definitely come to the right place. Australia has an abundance of glorious white sandy beaches; some busy but most deserted. In fact, Australia has so many great beaches that you’ll definitely find one to suit all tastes ie. city beaches, surfing beaches, upmarket/resort beaches, off the beaten track beaches etc. You name it; they have it.
Palm Cove Holidays & Accommodation
If you are starting to think about where you would like to go for your next holiday have a serious look at visiting the Palm Cove in the Cairns region in Australia. This is one place where all the world’s best natural attractions are clustered together and complemented by top class accommodation. Palm Cove lies in Australia’s far north and enjoys a superb tropical climate. Here is a place where tropical rainforests meet the Great Barrier Reef and the result is spectacular. Palm Cove and Cairns Accommodation has a wonderful and colourful history, and its wide streets today, are a product of the necessity for lots of room required to turn around a bullock dray. Earlier last century the city was put on the map by famous American game fishing aficionado, Zane Grey, who visited the region on a regular basis chasing the giant Black Marlin that are still prevalent in the area today. Game Fishing charters are readily available.
There are so many things to do around Palm Cove that it is nearly impossible to experience them all. A trip to the Great Barrier Reef is essential. There are a number of experienced operators including Sunlover Cruises, Quicksilver Cruises, and Mike Balls dive adventures. Obviously there are many others to choose from including day tours and extended tours in all manner of boats and yachts. Some of these cater for the specialist dive market and some just for a family’s fun day in the sun. The Daintree rainforest lies just to the north of Palm Cove and Port Douglas Queensland and there are numerous day tours and accommodation options to allow you to visit or stay as long as you like. Take a tour that visits the historical town of Cooktown and returns along the spectacular coastline past Cape Tribulation. Here you will experience some of the world’s most pristine rainforests in one of the few remaining places where they run right to the sea. Another region that must be seen is the Atherton Tableland. Many Tours run into its rich hinterland to the many places of interest that exist here. This area can also be visited via the Ariel cable car that runs from Cairns to the town of Kuranda. You can take the Skyrail up and return on the conventional railway back which will take you on a spectacular ride past the Barron Falls and return through the rainforest.
Accommodation in Palm Cove and its surrounding area comes in all shapes and sizes. Here you will find everything ranging from top quality backpacker hostels right through to the most luxurious resorts that you can imagine. In Palm Cove there is a wide range including a number of resorts and apartments clustered along the Esplanade. These are within easy walking distance of this resort townships amenities. Such places as Mantra Amphora Resort, The Sebel Beach club, The Sea Temple Palm Cove resort, The Oasis resort, Sanctuary resort, and Angsana Resort are some of the most sought after. Just to the south of Palm Cove is the beautiful kewarra Beach Resort which has absolute beach frontage and features separate holiday cabins set in a rain forest setting.Tthe resort towns of Palm Cove, Trinity Beach, Clifton Beach, Yorky’s Knob and Port Douglas are all within easy reach. There are some spectacular accommodation options here also including the Sea Temple Port Douglas, Mantra Heritage and Aqueous, The Sebel Beach Club Port Douglas and Breakfree Portsea Resort. Other resorts in the area include Thala Beach resort and the Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Cairns has an international airport and can be accessed from many overseas destinations. There are also many domestic flight options if you want to make Palm Cove part of a full Australian holiday including some of its other iconic destinations such as Ayers Rock and the Sydney Opera House.
Taking A Look At The Cities In Australia
I have got a question for you, mate: Where can you find desert, tropical rainforests, woodlands, grasslands, swamps and more than 10,000 beaches? The lingo might have given it away, but the answer is Australia! The 3 million square miles of this country is filled with diverse landscapes, exotic wildlife, rich culture, unique local cuisine and some of the best surfing in the world!
The Australian wine, beer, fresh seafood and local delicacies are world-renowned, so be sure to bring your appetite! With so much to explore and experience, it helps to know a little about each major city, so you can plan your tour of Australia accordingly.
Queensland Australia is a territory in the southeast corner of Australia that encompasses destinations like Brisbane, Cairns, Port Douglas, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine coast, the Great Barrier Reef and the outback region. The 70 kilometer stretch of Gold Coast City is sometimes called “the theme park capital of Australia,” housing Dreamworld, Movie World, Sea World, WhiteWater World and the Wet N’ Wild Water Park. Additionally, you can hang at Surfers Paradise, visit the behemoth Q1 tower, shop the bohemian markets, visit Australian wineries and eat delicious fresh seafood.
In the welcoming city of Cairns, you can snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, relax on the beach, shop duty-free, hike through lush tropical rainforests, see national parks of Green and Fitzroy Islands, ride on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway or Kuranda Scenic Railway, experience flora and fauna at the Flecker Botanic Gardens, or take a stroll along the Esplanade, which is bordered by cafes and the Coral Sea. In Port Douglas, you can get a great view of the Great Barrier Reef, shop at Macrossan Street and the Sunday Markets in Anzac Park, visit the sugar cane farms of Mossman, or hike through the Daintree Rainforest, where impressive flora and fauna prosper.
While in Australia, you’ll want to see Brisbane, which is the capital of Queensland. Here, you’ll want to catch some local music, since Brisbane was hailed by Billboard as one of the “Top 5 International Music Hotspots” in 2007.
If art and culture are your cup o’ tea, then you can also visit The Queensland Museum, The Queensland Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), The Queensland Performing Arts Complex, The Brisbane Powerhouse, the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts and the war memorials in Anzac Square.
Adelaide is a highly esteemed city in South Australia, known for its history of British Lutheran colonization, its miles of green space, Rundle Street restaurants, Hindley Street nightlife, the Festival of Arts and the Fringe Festival, Barossa Valley Australian wine, the South Australian Museum, the Art Gallery of South Australia, the Central Market, and the Tandanya Aboriginal Cultural Institute. This epicenter of culture can entertain and amuse for days or even weeks of your trip to Australia.
The attractions in Australia may vary, but you can find memorable restaurants and shops in every metropolitan city. For a more off-the-beaten-path experience, Australians recommend a visit to the outback. Tourist attractions include national parks like Mount Augustus and Kakadu, as well as Alice Springs, Birdsville, Uluru (Ayers Rock), Coober Pedy, Devils Marbles, Katherine River Gorge, Kings Canyon (Watarrka), The Olgas (Kata Tjuta), the MacDonnell Ranges, Mount Isa, Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame, Monkey Mia and the town of Broome. In the outback, geographical wonders are everywhere and roaming kangaroos, camel and dingos can sometimes be spotted, which is sure to make your trip one-of-a-kind.
Cairns Restaurants For A First Date, Valentines Day Or Someone Special
May 8, 2009 by admin
Filed under Restaurants
Cairns is about 1700 km (1057 miles) north of Brisbane in Far North Queensland, Australia. Cairns is considered by many as a stepping stone to the Great Barrier Reef, Cape Tribulation and the Atherton Tableland. The gorgeous town of Port Douglas is another 30 miles north. Cairns is a popular tourist destination for travellers of all budgets. Cairns has a population that is fairly transient in nature, and as such, many institutions, including restaurants, are aimed at the one off visitor.
OK, so you have been on chat with your online dating potential romance. Now you have planned to hook up. Where to go for a meal? Well, if you are one of those lucky people based in Cairns there are about 200 restaurants for you to choose from. We have trawled through the multitudes to present you with a short list of fine (probably expensive), different (novel), and good value eateries.
Fine Dining in Cairns:
Oliver’s Australian Fine Cuisine, Abbott St, Cairns, is a truly romantic and elegant eatery. Their award winning chef combines Aboriginal traditional food stuffs with modern Asian and European cuisine. Tamarind Restaurant, Sofitel Reef Casino, Wharf St, Cairns, requires an advance booking to ensure a table. This fine restaurant is considered to be truly elegant and additionally, intimate in atmosphere. The menu is a meeting of the best of both East and West cuisine. The Sebel Reef House, Williams Esplanade, Palm Cove, has been for many years considered one of the most elegant restaurants in the area. This restaurant has it all: food, service and location, all of them exquisite. Far Horizon’s Restaurant, Veivers Rd, Palm Cove, is an award winning restaurant that combines a true beach front location with exquisite cuisine. Very romantic.
Unusual Restaurants in Cairns:
For those diners looking for something a little different, we thought these three eateries were worthy of a mention due to their individuality. No ho-hum with these restaurants! Atriums, Holiday Inn, the Esplanade, Cairns overlooks a rain forest atrium featuring a stream with barramundi. The menu features contemporary Australian and seafood, both in buffet style and a la carte. The new Casa de Meze, the Esplanade, Cairns, will provide you with a meal and a salsa dancing display. This restaurant features steak, seafood and pasta, and on Saturday nights you can have a free salsa lesson. This restaurant is quite noisy, but offers lots of fun. Perrottas at the Gallery, the Regional Gallery, Cairns, has a contemporary Italian/ Mediterranean menu. This restaurant has a fantastic location, and believe it or not, is the only real all outdoors eatery in Cairns.
Cheap Eats in Cairns:
Due to the plethora of backpackers in Cairns, there is no shortage of cheap restaurants. Many cheap eateries are however, attached to backpacking hostels. Where to go for an inexpensive meal that might still offer some atmosphere? The Banana Leaf, the Esplanade, Cairns is situated in a fantastic location opposite the lagoon. Their menu features very reasonably priced modern Asian cuisine. Istanbul Turkish Cuisine, Shields St, Cairns, features authentic Turkish food at inexpensive prices. This affordable restaurant is very welcoming and has a lovely cosy atmosphere which is ideal for couples. Marinades, Spence St, Cairns, has extremely helpful staff, and is a fun restaurant with a very affordable and authentic Indian menu.
Online dating and hooking up in Cairns has never been so easy. With the help of this article you can ensure that your first date will go just that much more smoothly.
Car Hire: Queensland Coast Drive
May 5, 2009 by admin
Filed under Tourists Attractions
Many associate Australia with the arid desertscapes familiar from much Australian iconography: Ayres Rock, outback and endless dusty cattle ranches. Queensland is different: the north-eastern reaches of Australia fall within the tropical zone.
A coastal drive from Cairns to Port Douglas is a good way of experiencing the best of what the region has to offer. From the UK it is possible to fly directly to Brisbane. From there it is easy to take a connecting flight to Cairns, the main hub in northern Queensland.
Car hire in Australia need not be expensive and although there is a train connection up to the Kuranda Nature Reserve the car affords greater freedom to explore. Cairns itself is a likeable place and there is enough here to justify at least an overnight stop. The lively Esplanade is packed with restaurants and bars and is thronged with revellers in the evenings. Otherwise there is a regional gallery exhibiting Australian art and, more unusually, there is a museum on the history of the flying doctors (the medical service, not the daytime soap). Cairns is also something of a Mecca for bungee jumpers. Those who enjoy the sensation of falling secured only by a piece of elastic are well served here: there are several operators peddling these thrills from purpose built platforms.
Once the car hire has been sorted out it is only an hour’s drive (60 miles) up the coast to Port Douglas. On the way, the Kuranda Reserve protects swathes of rain forest. There are campsites here with basic amenities. Rangers offer guided tours through the forest with good chances of seeing fresh water crocodiles,”freshies”, and turtles.
Port Douglas is an idyllic small community framed between forested slopes, endless beaches and the Great Barrier Reef. The four mile beach is a real draw of course but many come here to check out the reef either on a day cruise or through a supervised scuba dive. Most of the reef is a designated marine reserve, unique in the scale of its coral growths and richness of its sea life (innumerable species of fish, numerous sea snakes). So called “wonky holes” feed these reefs with nutrient rich fresh water which fosters the growth of the coral although pollution from agricultural run-off is a constant and growing threat.
Cheap car hire in Australia allows a certain flexibility in terms of shaping an itinerary. If time allowed, it would be quite possible to deposit a vehicle hired in Cairns back in Brisbane for those ready for a 1400 mile stretch. Spread over a few days this would convey the real vastness of Australia.
20.3.2008
