Green turtle swimming over Acropora coral reef, Cairns, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia

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Cairns & Far North Queensland

Far North Queensland is a remote tropical adventure where the Great Barrier Reef is tantalisingly close. It's a cliché, but the rainforest really does meet the reef up here. Steamy Cairns is the main traveller base and an obligatory stop on any east-coast itinerary. Divers and snorkellers swarm here – and to more upmarket Port Douglas – for easy access to the Great Barrier Reef. The cooler Atherton Tablelands – with volcanic craters, jungly waterfalls and gourmet food producers – is a short, scenic drive inland.


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A motorboat follows the curve of the Daintree River

Wildlife & Nature

Rainforest roads to Australia’s tropical frontier

Jan 31, 2020 • 15 min read

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