Forum Thermomix
Welcoming Center, Management and General Chat => Chit Chat => Topic started by: jaclom on May 05, 2011, 03:10:37 am
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I am off to Cairns in July with family.. 3 kids, 7-10-13.. We're staying in a family friendly resort..
So, should I hire a car? We are only away for 7 days, and want to make the most of our time.
I am not big on 'organised tours', preferring to visit places ourself. I am wanting to go a barrier reef tour though, it will only be snorkelling (due to kids).
What are the "must sees"? I don't mind driving to see things (hence need for the car probably?)
Any advice greatly appreciated!!! I've been to the Sunshine and Goldcoast before- I love them!! So hold out great expectations for the North!!!
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You've gotta do the Skyrail and Kuranda train. You should be able to get a courtesy bus from resort. Go up on the train and come back on the Skyrail - well worth it. ;)
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Thanks Nay-Nay. Do you need a car to get around Kuranda once you are there? I imagine it to be a bit like Montville in Glasshouse Mountains?
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Yes, if you can hire a car that's the best way to see the area! There's so many beautiful places to see around Cairns - waterfalls, crater lakes, beautiful scenery, coffee & chocolate factories (with free tasting!!)... oops, those are all on the Tablelands!! ;D (That's where I live!) If you go up on skyrail and hire a car at the top you can go for a drive around the Tablelands - don't miss the southern end, it's the prettiest!! ;)
And definitely go to the reef - I recommend this tour: Passions of Paradise (http://www.passions.com.au/). It's a smaller catamaran/yacht than the great big boats, and much nicer!! Holds about 70 people instead of going on a boat of 200-300 people. And they sail on the way home - no motor - so relaxing. I booked some friends on it (with small children) and they LOVED it!!! You get all your food included, snorkelling, 10 minute intro dive, seafood buffet, etc, and it's not too expensive.
Hope you have a great time!! :)
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I agree with Nay Nay, definately up on the train and back on the skyrail. It's smaller than Montville, you'll be able to walk around easily. Also with the Barrier Reef trip, we went to Cairns for our Honeymoon 7 yrs ago, we did a reef tour and went for a cheapish tour but were quite disappointed. We thought a reef trip is a reef trip, but not so. The coral was really bland and not many colourful fish etc, nothing like you see in the postcards. After talking to locals we discovered we had only gone to the inner reef, and we should have gone on an outer reef tour, that's where you see the magical colours and fish. The outer reef tours are of course quite a bit more expensive but better than being disappointed. Do some research online before you go. At least knowing this, you will have some foresight into why the prices are so dramatically different (something I wish we had of known in advance).
Hope this helps.
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Wow Thanks! I have contacted Passions of paradise already to book a cruise!
I am a little confused, Quirky, you said to hire a car up the top of the skyrail. Debbie, you said to walk around.. I think I will hire a car in cairns, but would obviously leave it behind the day we catch the skyrail / train. Would I be missing out terribly if I did not have a car at Kuranda?
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I just meant hire a car so you can see the whole Tablelands, not just Kuranda (which is very small, you won't need one there). I'm actually not sure if you can hire a car in Kuranda, probably have to hire one in Cairns - sorry to confuse you! Maybe do the train up and the skyrail down one day (that's just to Kuranda), and another day hire a car and drive up the south end so you can do the waterfall circuit and see the crater lakes! Worth the drive, takes about an hour and a half to drive up from Cairns. (Yucky windy road, so don't read in the car or... well, never mind. :P )
I'm so glad you've booked with Passions - you'll see the REAL reef, not the worn out bits close to the mainland :)
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Lucky you. It is a very beautiful part of the country. I would think a car was essentila to tour the tablelands. The waterfalls and scenery are really something.
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Thank you so much!! We will hire a car from the airport :D
Confusion was all mine Quirky!!! I lack common sense sometimes! (it's not so common really is it?)
I am so excited now! I like to go away and have some sort of itinerary in mind.. So far,
Passion reef cruise (1 day)
Kuranda via sky rail and train (1 day)
Waterfall circuit drive (1 day) Is this the tablelands???
Thanks for the suggestions- keep them coming!! (My hubby will be impressed!!!) :-))
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Yay!! Yes, waterfall circuit (and crater lakes & coffee & chocolate & dairy farms is the Tablelands!!) ;D
You can drop by Quirky Jo's cafe too if you like - it's in between the waterfalls and the crater lakes! :D (That's what my kids call our place!) :D ha ha
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HI jackom.
Not sure how much time you want to spend in the car and how far you want to drive. We've had a couple of holidays in this area (have some friends who live in Port Douglas). The first time we did a lot of tourist stuff and loved it Sky rail was amazing, but try and pick a day when the weather is fine as you wont see much if it's cloudy or foggy. Didn't think much of Kuranda at the top, too touristy for me. There are some beautiful waterfalls about and if you have the time a drive to Mossman gorge (about 20mins from Port Douglas) gives you a taste of the rainforest wihtout having to travel all the way to the daintree up higher. There is a walking track through Mossman gorge and it's simply stunning (make sure you take some roll on deodorant though - for leeches - makes them fall off straight away). In Cairns they have a great waterfront water park for the kids to muck around in (and it's free!!) but I think they do cleaning on a Wed morning so avoid that time if you can. There is a croc farm somewhere too which we didn't do but have heard it's good fun. All depends on how busy you want to be. We found a car was very handy both times we've been up there, but you can make do without as lots of the tourist attractions provide shuttle services. Have a great time
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Well, what do you think of the Thermomix Travel Agency jackom ;D ;D There is nothing that this forum can't help people with, gotta love that. Enjoy your holiday as much as the planning of it. We were up there 15 years ago and did some of the things the girls have told you about.
Took MIL along and her favourite thing was going to an All-you-can-eat seafood restaurant - do you still have places like that up there Jo?
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Yes! Charlie's in Cairns is a great all-you-can-eat seafood restaurant that is VERY popular! Good tip, JD!!
Yes, you can find out about just about anything on this amazing forum!!! ;D
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Oh fantastic!! Is Charlie's still there!!?? :o :D
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Yes, that's the one Jo - amazing that it is still there. How long ago do you remember it from Nay Nay?
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I can't remember it NOT being there - seems like forever! And still has great long lines of people waiting for dinner on weekends... :)
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All the things mentioned above are great to do . The drive to Port Douglas is worth it and stop off at Mossman Gorge and one of the little beaches north of Ellis Beach is a nice break. That time of year is best for beaches as the freshwater creeks, althougth beautiful are often very cold. Tablelands with the waterfalls and Lake Eacham, Lake Barrine is great. Just a day to hang around Cairns with the Esplanade and Lagoon. Enjoy some fresh prawns from a local seafood shop on the Esplanade. There are some great rainforest creeks and walks south of Cairns too such as Behana Creek, the Boulders, Josephine Falls and the Golden Hole. All lovely and cool at that time of year. If you want another day at the beach then Palm Cove or Yorkeys Knob is a nice spot where you can take along your own BBQ. Whilst on the reef you may like to try and introductory dive. It's amazing once you are under the water. Snorkelling is great because you can spend so much time on the water, but diving is another world. Regardless of what you do, you and your family are sure to enjoy your time up this way.
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have to agree with JD there is nothing this forum cant help people with...lol...am yet to get up that way to show DH the area and I havent been there since i was little...i spend most of my time with my family on the sunshine coast and down sydney way visiting friends etc when we are in oz..definately have to visit some of those places next time! :)
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Wow!! My travel plans have been arranged and at no cost!! Even an invitation (Thanks Quirky Jo!!) We may take you up on the offer!! By the way, I cooked your fried rice tonight (in between checking your answers!!) It was a hit!! Leftovers will be in the girls' lunchboxes tomorrow!! I can't believe how good it tasted all steamed!! The Basmati is so sensational in the thermomix..
Looking forward to Cairns!!
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Yay, glad you liked the fried rice! so easy.
Feel free to drop in (if I'm home that day!) ;D Just let me know when you're coming!
I hope the weather's good for you - it's beautiful at the moment, hopefully it'll last!
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Yes, that's the one Jo - amazing that it is still there. How long ago do you remember it from Nay Nay?
It was definitely there when I lived and worked up there when I was 18 (a whole lifetime ago) and we went there while on our honeymoon 15 yrs ago this year! Ellis Beach was my favourite when I was a kid cause it had the best of both worlds I loved - The rainforest meets the beach - it always looked like a scene on a cast away island but it has got very touristy and busy since I remember it from family holidays as a kid. Hope you have wonderful weather up there and get out of this cold weather that is coming. ;)
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Actually it's cold up here this morning! But Cairns would be lovely - just the Tablelands is a lot cooler. You'll need a jacket for up here. We've all got long sleeves and jackets on this morning, but it will warm up soon since the sun's out. :)
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:) Hi, I am on the Tablelands too, not far from Jo.
A must see for you, and do the waterfall circuit. Lake Eacham, Lake Barrine.
Are you staying at Cairns coconut Resort, its the best place for families with kids.
Palm cove and Ellis beach on the way up to Port Douglas are great.
Not much else to add, but have a great time.
Robyn
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:) Thanks everyone!!! Lots of ideas to now plan our itinerary!! ;D
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Hello everyone,
our holiday to Cairns seems so long ago! The weather was perfect, no rain until the last day, and 26 degrees- warm enough for the kids to swim! Wow what a week. My hubby was VERY impressed with my organisation! (Thanks thermo family!)
Train up to Kuranda and Skyrail back stopping at each of the stations. The guide at one of the stations was so informative and loved telling the kids about the rainforest! Passions of paradise was AWESOME! We had the only children on the cat, Ben had the patience of a saint and took my 7 and 9 year old snorkelling while the elder daughter and I went off ourselves. The scuba dive was AMAZING!! The coral and sealife is something else- Mother Nature at her best! We went jungle Surfing at Cape Tribulation- A MUST DO!! Upside down on a cable through the rain forest ;D Loved that one! Huge hit with everyone, even the DH scared f heights! Waterfall circuit was sensational, though DS and I christened the hire car :'( Cairns markets on Saturday morning good, Port Douglas markets a little too busy for me! Mossman gorge was stunning and the walk well worth it.
Wow, we had such a great time. We stayed at Palm Cove, in a self contained apartment overlooking the golf course. Simply beautiful and an easy stroll to the beach and cafe strip. Thanks again everyone. Quirky Jo, thanks for the invite, we were so busy though and I think it best for DH to keep things simple!!
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:) Great that you had a good time.
I love living here in paradise.
Robyn
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Jaclom, sounds like you had a great time. We were up there about 20 years ago and did a few of those places - it sure is a wonderful part of the world.
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will be doing that part and others for our next trip to oz...DH hasnt seen much other than sydney, melbourne and the sunshine coast lol...already started talking about it but it will be a while in the planning stage :)
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I wondered how you went, Jaclom! I hoped you'd let me know if you wanted to drop by, and completely understand not having time!! I think I got really busy about that time too, and have hardly stopped since! (Hence my not being on here much :( ) Glad you enjoyed your trip!! :)