Great Barrier Reef

Lonely footprints on sandy white beaches, swaying sugar cane fields and an outrageously turquoise sea. I’m starring in my very own travel brochure. Tropical North Queensland is the epitome of life in the slow lane and thankfully, I can’t see it ever speeding up.

The view from our balcony at the Thala Beach Nature Reserve

Where to stay in Tropical North Queensland

The beauty continues at Thala Beach Nature Reserve; it’s almost shameless. Located on a private 145-acre peninsula between Cairns and Port Douglas, you’re ideally situated to explore the hinterlands, Daintree rainforest, Cape Tribulation and of course that infamous underwater world in Tropical North Queensland. Assuming you can bear to leave your own private oasis, of course. From their stilts, bungalows command vistas of the Coral Sea, forest, jungle and apart from your roommates, the only other companions are birds, butterflies, lizards and the odd possum and wallaby. Simply decorated, the spacious rooms feature all the trimmings with the crowning glory being the private verandahs beckoning a lengthy linger; especially if you’re treated to a tasty seafood picnic hamper.

Our beautiful chalet at the Thala Beach Nature Reserve

What makes Thala so unique however is its accreditation of eco-tourism where conservation and sustainability is a top priority and very apparent on arrival. Given the size of the property, you’d expect a huge chain resort to have been built here in Tropical North Queensalnd but instead you’re greeted with a retreat, in every sense of the word.

Built out of sustainable materials the timber bungalows, lodge, Osprey’s Restaurant, spa and Herbie’s Beach Shack (the only structure on the postcard-perfect coastline) are nestled into the vegetation. And as join the Star Gazing tour, I spend the night gazing up at the milky-way from the observatory, my star-studded night includes guests like the “Jewel Box”, Saturn’s craters and the Southern Cross.

Thala’s private beach

Bird watchers will be in their element with the extensive population which includes the Australian Brush-Turkey, ducks, quails, owls, herons, lorikeets, cockatoos, honeyeaters and there’s plenty of kookaburras to make fun of you. All activities are complimentary to guests and joining one of the Nature and Gildlife Walks reveals how alone you are not. The Coconut Odyssey tour is also unique while sea kayaking off Thala’s coast promises turtle spotting and sometimes dolphins and stingrays.

Even those not staying at Thala, drive from all over the region to partake in the activities and to dine among the treetop canopy and admire the views from Ospreys Restaurant where seafood is their specialty. You can work it off with a late-night swim in the pool’s grotto or have your masseuse do the job for you at the day spa.

Another incredible view, this time from Thala’s signature restaurant Osprey’s

Things to do in Tropical North Queensland

At some point the outside world will beckon and even though leaving will be a wrench, you’ll be royally rewarded. The best way to tour Tropical North Queensland is independently and you can pick up a hire car from the Cairns airport. A few minutes out of Cairns you’ll notice cable cars creeping up the rainforest-clad mountains. Add the Skyrail experience to your must-do list. Leaving from the Smithfield Terminal, the six-person gondolas stop at Red Peak Station and Barron Falls Station before arriving at Kuranda, aka “Village in the Rainforest.” Have your camera ready for the stunning rainforest and waterfall views on the ascent and leave plenty of time in Kuranda to explore the galleries, markets, cafes, walking tours, and wildlife sanctuaries. Get a different perspective from the river with a Kuranda Riverboat Cruise and take the steam train back to the flatlands.

If around on a Sunday, head about 30 minutes north from Thala along the windy Captain Cook Highway into Port Douglas for the Sunday markets teeming with hand-made products and local produce; don’t miss sampling the mangoes and sugar cane juice.

Sunday funday at Port Douglas’ markets

The Reef Marina in Port Douglas is the place to join a tour to the Great Barrier Reef and there are several companies to choose from. Quicksilver Cruises is one of the longest-running outfits and a smooth cruise on the Wavepiercer to the pontoon is done in air-conditioned style. Even if you don’t wish to get your feet wet (or travelling with little ones) you can still admire the coral, 1500 species of fish, plant life and even turtles from the semi-submersible submarine.

However exploring the Agincourt Reef, which is the very outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef, by snorkelling, scuba diving or ocean walking with a helmet is really what it’s all about. Return to the mainland in style with a scenic helicopter flight and views to adorn your Instagram feed. Fancy landing on your own deserted island instead? Reef Sprinter will get you to Low Isles in 15 minutes or join a luxury yacht with Sailaway for a full day experience or sunset cruise. For the truly decadent, join Charter World for an overnight stay with your own onboard chef and queue-less swims.

Rare koala action at Wildlife Habitat

Just out of Port Douglas interact with some of the natives at Wildlife Habitat in the grassland, wetland and rainforest habitats. Cuddle koalas, allow reptiles to slither over you, join the flitting birds on the boardwalks, including the large, flightless cassowary bird which may even join you for a stroll.

Once on the other side of the river, you’ll enter the Daintree forest and if you’re short on time the Daintree Discovery Centre with its aerial walkways, cassowary circuit, bush tuck trail and canopy tower gives a taste of what all the fuss is all about. After all, the Daintree is thought to be between 110 to 200 million years old with its primitive characteristics some of the most complex rainforest systems on earth.

Ferry crossing across the Daintree River

If I had all the time in the world I’d grab a sleeping bag and 4WD and just keep going north. But if you don’t have the luxury of an unlimited amount of time or a 4WD, about 2 ½ hours north of Cairns or 1 ½ hours from Thala you can still get as far as Cape Tribulation on sealed roads. There is a ferry crossing across the Daintree River able to carry about a dozen cars on one crossing; plus it adds to the adventure as once you cross the river it feels as though you’ve truly left civilisation behind. Just before the ferry crossing is eco-friendly Solar Whisper Wildlife Cruises equipped with a “croc cam” and onboard screens to see what’s really lurking beneath below.

Hit Cape Tribulation Road north; where the rainforest meets the reef. Park in the little town and take either the Kulki or Dubuji Boardwalks for prehistoric fauna which like something out of Jurassic Park. You’ll end up on Myall Beach, and its sandy white beaches all the way in Tropical North Queensland.

The Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) region covers 20% of Queensland and extends from Mission Beach in the south to Cape York and the Torres Strait in the north and Gulf Savannah in the west. TNQ is the gateway to the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics Rainforests – the only place on earth where the rainforest meets the reef. The region encompasses Cape York Peninsula and Torres Strait in the north, Cairns, Palm Cove, Port Douglas, Daintree, Cape Tribulation, Cooktown, Gulf Savannah, Kuranada, Atherton Tablelands, Mission Beach and Cardwell.

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Davidson Plum at Sunset Ridge

I’m not going to sugar-coat it, especially as there is already plenty of sweetness on Brett’s Outback Tasting Adventures through the Atherton Tablelands, about an hour from Cairns. But the 263 twists and turns along the Gillies Highway up into the Cairns Highlands, is not for faint-hearted – nor for the hungover or anyone with an aversion to car sickness or high altitudes.

Like any scenic drive, the views are the perfect remedy to any of these ailments, as is the anticipation of eating our way through the tropical Atherton Tablelands peppered with historic townships and majestic rainforests bearing fruit. Brett is a lively host and shares, “The food bowl of Northern Queensland is an untapped destination.”

The Atherton Tablelands

It’s easy to see why so many immigrants once recruited for the mining and logging industries didn’t return home and instead gave back to the land by cultivating cattle farms and orchards of mangoes, papayas, bananas, lychees, avocados, sugar cane, vineyards, coffee plantations and distilleries. The Cairns Highlands is alive with bounty thriving from bio-dynamic and organic farming principles and an unexpected yet delicious spot for a food tour through the Atherton Tablelands

Our first stop is at Sunset Ridge where I’m introduced to the tangy crimson flesh of Davidson plum. It’s easy to see why the owners Ken and Sue Pyke chose this spot with rolling views over the tablelands when they were looking for somewhere to live in 1987. They began with just 6 trees and now have 1,000’s of indigenous trees and plants over 33 hectares. We sample pork chipolatas and corn and zucchini fritters with their signature Davidson plum, apple and chilli jam, and complete the decadence with house-made pillows of marshmallow flavoured with rainforest delight, lemon myrtle and wild plum.

Some of the spoils at Rainforest Bounty

Leaving this gorgeous spot, we head to Rainforest Bounty who sustainably grow native rainforest fruits using organic farming methods. We’re treated to platters of native condiments such as Davidson plum and strawberry paste (likened to a quince paste), a plum and blueberry conserve, lilly pilly (aka rainforest berries) chutney with nutmeg, green mango and tamarind chutney, plum sauce and a Laos-inspired roasted chilli paste. This onslaught of flavours is paired with local cheeses such as macadamia cheese, vintage cheddar and camembert from Gallo Dairyland, who along with 16 types of cheeses also source some of the finest couverture for their chocolates.

Gallo Dairyland is also on the tour as is the iconic Humpy, a gourmet outlet stocking much of the exotic produce found in the region – I highly recommend the dried mango and roasted macadamia nuts.

A delicious pairing of chocolate and cheese at Gallo Dairyland

Brett dwarfed by Jacques’ coffee picker

Nestled at the base of Mount Uncle and set in a banana plantation with roaming peacocks, alpacas, donkeys and goats is the aptly name Mt. Uncle Distillery. The distillery is known for their barrel-aged rum, vodka, single malt whiskey and gin – the bushfire smoked gin is an intense ingredient for Bloody Mary’s or oysters.

But wait there’s more – a coffee stop at Jacques Coffee Plantation, Roastery and Café is followed by an inconspicuous platypus sighting and afternoon tea at the Australian Platypus Park. Dinner is a tasty mix of Italian meets Swiss cuisine at Nick’s Swiss-Italian Restaurant. After eating all day, Nick cheers us on with recommendations like the house-made pasta and Yodellers Delight specialty featuring smoked pork Kassler and frankfurter sausage.

The romantic Canopy Treehouses

We spend the night at the delightfully rustic and self-contained Canopy Treehouses, which are ideally situated in the region to collect goodies along the way to be prepared and savoured in the tree canopy or around the communal campfire. The eco-resort is set within 100 acres of ancient rainforest and teeming with wildlife (most of it welcome), including the resident cassowaries only found in Tropical North Queensland.

Fruits of Rainforest at the Canopy Treehouses

The following morning breakfast is a magical experience as the owners Clayton and Lucy Baird set up long tables around the campfire laden with bounty foraged from the forest floor, including Davidson plum, rare nuts and a range of berries and native spices. The buckwheat pancakes with kefir (fermented ricotta) with salted butter and honey stay etched on my palate months later.

Our last stop on the trail is Skybury Café & Roastery, a coffee and papaya plantation serving all things coffee and papaya related. It’s worth dispelling any pre-conceived notions you have about papaya, as the variety we grow in WA is less flavoursome compared to the sweet red variety grown in the Atherton Tableland’s ideal tropical growing conditions.

They handpick 220,000 kilos of papaya per week during the harvest season – to think they only planted papaya to supplement the income generated from coffee and to also provide shade to the coffee trees. They roast coffee every day and are one of the largest exporters of Arabica coffee in Australia. They also breed cows, which were originally brought in to control the weeds, making the beef very sweet and tender thanks to the rich antioxidants in their diet of papaya.

Talk about a delicious food tour through the Atherton Tablelands served up to the table(lands.)

There are direct flights to Cairns Australia-wide with Jetstar and Qantas and for more information about the region go to www.tropicalnorthqueensland.org.au  For your own taste of the Atherton Tablelands, many of the operators mentioned have online stores and ship Australia wide.

Carmen Jenner was a guest of Tropical North Queensland, Brett’s Outback Tasting Adventures and Canopy Treehouses. This article was originally issued in Menu Magazine Issue 28.

Craving more of Tropical North Queensland? Then check out Far Out, Tropical North Queensland

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