The Great Barrier Reef is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and was a huge bucket list item for us to explore. When researching the northern area of Queensland (where the reef is located), we realized that Cairns, Australia would not only give us incredible access to the reef but also allow us to explore the oldest rainforest in the world. It felt special to be able to visit these two incredibly different habitats from just one location.
We absolutely loved snorkeling in the warm waters around the Great Barrier Reef. (When it’s constantly above 80°F or 27°C, the water is really quite warm.) We got really lucky with the weather and the water remained glassy calm for our entire boat tour, making it easy to just float and watch the fish swim beneath us. With the changing tides, the reef was inches from the surface of the water in some locations. And being able to get so close to the reef by snorkeling meant that it was very accessible to people who may not have their scuba license. But it still made us think about the potential of getting our scuba license in the future and the world that would open up to us.
The bonus about being in Cairns was to be able to visit the Daintree rainforest. Its prehistoric nature is truly remarkable and made us think about our presence on Earth. The more we travel, the more philosophical we get… Well, read more about our thoughts regarding this surprising destination.
Destination Overview
Far North Queensland: Around Cairns, Australia
Visiting the Great Barrier Reef is regarded as a top destination in Australia along with Uluru and Sydney. Accessing the Great Barrier Reef is done through various destinations in the state of Queensland with the two most popular areas being the Whitsundays/Airlie Beach or Cairns/Port Douglas. When asking for local advice on which to choose most people recommend the Whitsundays if you want to pair sailing and relaxing on the beach with your visit to the reef. However, if you want to visit the world’s oldest rainforest to see saltwater crocodiles or cassowaries then Cairns is the right choice. There are also some people that say the underwater activities are better off the coast near Cairns/Port Douglas but for a non-expert both will be an amazing experience.
Cairns is the largest city in Far North Queensland and located where the reef meets the rainforest. Given the popularity of visiting the Great Barrier Reef the majority of tourism in Cairns is built around cruises to the reef. There are numerous variations of tour options including snorkeling, scuba diving, glass bottom boats, and even flying above the reef in a helicopter. Besides easily accessing the Great Barrier Reef there are also a variety of ways to experience the nearby rainforest. One option from Cairns is to ride the Kuranda Scenic Railway or Scenic Skyrail to the tourist town of Kuranda. Another option is to coordinate a full day tour to Daintree National Park’s Cape Tribulation.
A final popular attraction from Cairns is the Atherton Tablelands which are filled with amazing waterfalls. It is possible to coordinate day trips from Cairns to go to Atherton Tablelands, Daintree National Park, and the Great Barrier Reef. Alternatively renting a car will give the most flexibility and allow for staying in nearby towns such as Palm Cove or Port Douglas which have nice hotels and resorts for relaxing after touring.
Where to Read More
The Best Things to Do in Cairns from the Daintree Rainforest to the Great Barrier Reef
A sample itinerary for visiting Cairns, Australia, the place where the rainforest meets the reef. The best way to explore this varied and unique destination.
An Interesting Fact
Daintree is the World’s Oldest Rainforest
Daintree refers to the largest tropical rainforest in Australia and is believed to be somewhere near 180 million years old meaning dinosaurs have walked through it. Today there are dinosaur-like creatures such as the endangered cassowary and large saltwater crocodiles that inhabit this area along with unique plants and wildlife that make Daintree a must visit destination in Far North Queensland. It was one of the regions that the Avatar creative team visited for inspiration and ended up using the photos above the forest for the Pandora creation. Also showing the impressive nature of the region was when Sir David Attenborough said it was the place that surprised him most in the world because of its rainforest, reef, wonderful birds and extraordinary animals.
Besides visiting the Great Barrier Reef, a trip to the Daintree was the next highest on our list for things to do during our visit to Cairns. We considered renting a car for a self drive day tour but given it was a nearly 3 hour trip to Cape Tribulation we decided to book an all day tour. Our first stop on the tour was in the Mossman Gorge where we had an opportunity to do a short rainforest walk and swim in the Daintree River without any risk of saltwater crocodiles. It was an impressive start to the day but our next stop at the Daintree River Cruise had us feeling like we were transported back in time. While cruising on the river we were able to see a few saltwater crocodiles resting on or near the river banks. It was extraordinary to see this magnificent species that has been around for millions of years in such an ancient forest setting.
We then continued our day by taking a ferry to the other side of the Daintree River to continue exploring. Our final stop in the Daintree was at Cape Tribulation where we had the opportunity to do forest walks with a chance to see cassowaries. We did not have luck but on the drive back to Cairns there were a few cassowaries in the road. These massive flightless birds were the closest thing we have seen to resembling a dinosaur and a special end to a great trip to the world’s oldest rainforest.
Travel Tip of the Week
Snorkel at the Outer Great Barrier Reef of Cairns, Australia
When researching day trips to the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns the number of companies and the variations of tours offered were overwhelming. We wanted to do a snorkeling experience to have the best coral and fish viewing but did not know which to choose. After completing online research, we decided a tour to the Outer Great Barrier Reef would be the best viewing experience. Some tour companies only listed the names of the islands or dive sites they would frequent so it required searching on maps to determine where the tours went geographically. We found that any sites near Hastings Reef, Saxon Reef, and Norman Reef were far enough out that it would be a great destination for our day trip. This criteria helped us narrow down the list of tour options but there were still many reputable companies to choose from, which gave us confidence that no matter which we picked would be a memorable tour. We stopped at the Cairns Tourist Information Centre near the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon to receive their recommendations and ultimately had overlap with one on our list called Passions of Paradise which we booked.
Our tour included a morning snorkel, lunch on the boat, an afternoon snorkel, an educational talk, and a bar for drinks back to Cairns at sunset. Since we went during stinger season everyone had to wear stinger suits in the water but we were assured if we did get stung on our exposed face or hands that it would not be one of the poisonous ones. The dangerous jellyfish live close to shore in the warmer waters.
Our tour was filled with large groups of younger tourists that did not seem particularly interested in learning about the reef or maximizing their time in the water. However, the tour company still made sure that those who did want to spend the full time snorkeling were able to do so which allowed for us to have plenty of time swimming around without many others in the water. It was also a perfectly calm day at sea, which made it effortless to float slowly above the reef to take in all of the sea life below. At both of our dive sites around the Hastings Reef, the coral was beautiful and displayed a variety of colors. We saw many vibrant schools of fish and even were able to spot a few clown fish (Nemos) cleaning the anemone. While we can’t compare the snorkeling to any other locations, we had a wonderful experience at Hastings Reef and would return to the Outer Great Barrier Reef for future trips to the reef.
