There’s no better way to escape the winter (and ice-storm) blahs then by heading to the Southern hemisphere where the cold weather is still months away;
My Aussie visit will bring me to Cairns, the jumping off point for exploring the Great Barrier Reef. It’s the largest in the world and is made up of over 3000 individual reefs and cays, not to mention hundreds of tiny tropical islands just begging to be explored.
While in town, I’ll be staying at the Shangri-La, because it’s right on the water in the Cairns marinaroll out of bed and right onto the catamaran we’ll be renting for a day of swimming, snorkeling and diving. Not all the Shangri-La’s rooms are as updated as they should be, but the suites are spacious with great views and, like I said, you cannot beat the location!
Just a few blocks away from the Marina, the accommodations at the Pullman Reef are pretty great. Closer to restaurants but farther from the water, the in-house dining and casino will give you plenty to do after a day on the water.
If you’re willing to travel a little outside Cairns city limits, the Alamanda Palm Cove (formerly the Angsana Resort) has nice beach-front accommodations with large one-and- two bedroom suites available Palm Cove is much prettier than Cairns itself but is also that much more removed from access to the reef and other attractions, so travel times will be extended if you choose to stay here.
There’s more to this region than just the marine life: just north of Cairns lies an incredible World Heritage site rainforest with trees that can be traced back to pre-historic times.
Buy a one-way ticket from Cairns on the historic Kurunda railway and arrive at a charming town in the midst of the forest, not only beautiful, but also fun to visit thanks to the cute little shops, restaurants, markets and art galleries that line its streets.
Kurunda can also deliver the Australian experience of tourist lorefeed and hold Koalas and Wallabies at Koala Gardens or take a rainforest riverboat cruise.
For your return to Cairns, hop aboard the Sky Rail, an incredible cable car system that travels just feet above the canopy of the rainforest, from the Kurunda station at 1100 feet above sea level down to Smithfield (just outside of Cairns), only16 feet above sea level.
From mountains to ocean and everything in between, Cairns and its surroundings appeal to almost every possible area of interest. Can’t wait to get there!