Cairns and surrounds

Cairns, Palm Cove, Port Douglas, Daintree Rainforest, and the Atherton Tablelands

The northern part of Queensland is sometimes referred to as Tropical North Queensland or TNQ for short and its main gateway is Cairns.  While there are many access points to the Great Barrier Reef the principle ones are Cairns and just a bit north of there a cute little port town called Port Douglas.  Other subregions include Palm Cove, a little beach town halfway between Cairns and Port Douglas, and the World Heritage listed Daintree Rainforest which is further north still.

Moving west from Cairns as you climb the escarpment into Australia’s interior you come to the Atherton Tablelands which is a wildlife rich area dotted with small agricultural towns and tea plantations.  One of the more interesting animals encountered here are tree kangaroos.  These are kangaroos that are adapted to climbing and you can actually see them up in the trees.  Other notables include platypus, rock wallabies, and trees that look like they are growing upside down.  For those interested in more than just the Great Barrier Reef and especially if they have an interest in wildlife in the wild 2-3 night up there before or after their Cairns/Port Douglas experience can make a lot of sense.