Since 2020, covid has slammed shut international borders and in (already isolated) Australia we’ve become a hermit nation. A forbidden land down under, ‘saved’ by sheer distance from everything else and padded by the safety of the Pacific and Indian oceans to keep covid out. Well, that’s how we started but then things became very confusing… We swiftly went from a ‘keep covid out’ to a ‘covid zero’ to a ‘control the spread’ to a ‘let it spread’ policy and, even now, domestic travel is only just possible. Individual states have become like sovereign lands, rules by different dynasties all requiring complex requirements to cross their heavily protected borders.
Despite all this, we planned a holiday in January 2022. At first, we started looking at going to Hawaii but realised we would have to fly to Honolulu via LA or San Francisco as the Hawaiin government would not accept an Australian covid test. So, we then looked into Fiji only to find we needed several covid tests at different intervals and it would cost us $1000 in covid test alone for the 4 of us! So… we figured, why not see more of our own backyard… So me, my wife Jen, our 7-year old daughter Lilly and our 1-year-old son Lewis, decided to travel to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef in Far North Queensland.
What to do in Cairns City
After having our covid-free noses cleared for take off at Sydney we board our flight… this is our first flight with Lewis, our one-year-old, and we’re not sure what to expect! After 3 hours, we land alongside volcanic mountains, vibrant green fields and emerald-blue ocean with a lofty bounce as we touch down on the humid runway at Cairns airport. We step onto the tarmac and the summer heat slams us. It’s a very different yet familiar humidity in Far North Queensland. It’s the same heat you experience in Thailand or the Philippines… We may not be in Hawaii or Fiji but it feels exotic and very, very far away from Sydney.
We take a cab from outside the terminal into Cairns city. It’s only about a 10 minute ride to the CBD and costs around $25. We check into the Cairns Pullman International and the crisp, air conditioned lobby is a welcome retreat. Our room opens onto a small balcony overlooking an oasis-style pool.
From our room on level 14, I can make out guests sipping colourful cocktails on banana lounges and I know that’s where we need to be. We spend many days and evenings frolicking in the hotel pool, making our way through the cocktail menu but there’s even a better place to swim in Cairns city…
Swim at The Lagoon
The Great Barrier Reef lies just beyond sight from Cairns city and the coastline is hugged by a deep green-blue ocean that narrows into a harbour. Several marinas stretch out into the bay as catamarans bob about waiting for tourists heading out to the reef. The water looks beautiful in Cairns but marine stingers are active most parts of the year which means you can’t swim from the mainland.
Luckily, there is a beautiful manmade lagoon right on the oceans edge. It’s a sandy bottom lagoon set among sprawling parklands with plenty of shade to escape the tropical sun. Giant fish sculpture fountains stand along the edge where the lagoon meets the ocean promenade spurting water which the kids love. There are many shallow areas and even some parts of the pool under shade sails which are perfect for smaller kids. It’s free to swim right up until 9pm in the evening and is close to many restaurants and bars that line the surrounding esplanade.
It’s the perfect place to spend a morning or an afternoon escaping the heat and having a dip with a sensational view.
Market Shopping
Due to covid, many shops are shut during the day. There are malls and arcades near the main esplanade but they are sparse and sometimes eerily quiet. However, at night (particularly towards the end of the week and on weekends) things do really come to life. A must see is the Cairns Night Market. This is an indoor market with a series of laneways to meander offering knick knacks and souvenirs. It also has some great, cheap food in the foodcourt at the back (on the esplanade side) as well as some little Vietnamese and Thai restaurants on the other side.
Eat Great Food
Eating in Cairns was sensational but, again due to covid, required some planning. We arrived as the omicron variant was knocking people out and many restaurants where either closed some days or operated on next to no staff. Despite the odds, we managed to find some great food. The main restaurant strip is along the Esplanade near the lagoon. A stroll along here will overwhelm the senses with everything from upmarket restaurants, and Casual alfresco dining to bars and night spots. If you head south of the Lagoon, along the water towards Shangri La there’s another set of waterfront restaurants. Here they’re a bit more upmarket but offer a more tranquil and exclusive outlook onto the harbour.
Our favourite restaurant along the main part of the Esplanade was The Raw Prawn. We had fantastic seafood, coupled with an extensive wine list and really friendly service.
Down past the main Jetty, towards Shangri La, you’ll find a marina. Mored close to the shore are 3 fishing trawlers converted into a fantastic casual dinning restaurant called ‘Prawn Star’. The prawns are sensationally fresh and they also have their own cold beer on tap. If you like spicy, be sure to ask for some sriracha and sit, enjoy eating prawns on a boat bobbing in Cairns harbour.
Our last favourite is off the Main Street, but an easy walk from the Lagoon called Soy Kitchen. This restaurant is opposite the Pullman Hotel and part of the Pullman Reef Casino. We love Asian food of any kind and the flavours here are fantastic. The menu has a diverse range of options with plenty of beers and wine to choose from at a great price.
Green Island
While there is a lot to do in Cairns itself, the main appeal is obviously the Great Barrier Reef. 45 minutes on a catamaran ferry from Cairns will get you out to the reef, one of the natural wonders of the world. There are many islands and many tours available and some of them are easier with kids than others. A nice and easy (yet incredible) option is Green Island.
As we arrive at the marina, there’s a buzz in the air as sunscreen-clad people mill about with their straw hats and snorkels, waiting to board one of the many boats heading out to different parts of the Great Barrier Reef. We’re heading out on the full day tour on the ‘Big Cat’ catamaran with Down Under Tours. The Big Cat is a large steel boat that will be our base of operations for the day. The ferry itself has two decks of air conditioned indoor space as well as outdoor areas. It’s pram friendly and we didn’t even need to fold the pram to board.
If you do have a pram, make sure you board the lower deck from the ramp at the back as that will be where you get off at the island. There’s also a (very crucial) bar onboard and if you’ve hired snorkel gear, you can collect it from the back of the upper deck. Grab your snorkel gear as soon as you board as it can get a bit chaotic later on. Lilly got a bit seasick during the trip however, moving outside on the lower deck in the fresh air cured that pretty quickly. If you do need seasick medicine, you can buy it at the bar on the boat. Just remember these medicines are preventatives, so you need to take it asap before you leave. Unfortunately they had nothing chewable so we gave the medicine a miss… Trying to get a 7-year-old to swallow a tablet is much more difficult than managing some nausea!
The best things about the Big Cat day tour is the boat stays docked at the island all day which means you can leave things on the boat and return for anything throughout the day on the island.
Soon into the trip, a small green mound appears on the ocean horizon and we realise we’re getting closer to Green Island. When we arrive, the bright blue of the water is almost blinding. We get off the boat and walk down the long pier toward the island beach. To our left we see large sea turtles and to the right, people float in suspended animation snorkelling in water as clear as glass.
Green Island Beach
We head to the beach to the right of the pier (facing this island). It’s a stunning beach with fine white sand and plenty of shade back from the beach amongst the scrubby trees. We bob about in the ocean, snorkelling around the beach. There are some fish to see but not a lot if you’re snorkelling close to the beach. If you’re a confident swimmer, the best way to snorkel is to enter the water towards the end of the pier and make your way back to the beach from there.
We remain setup in the same spot for the whole day and when the wind picks up and shifts in the afternoon, it’s easy to swim just around the corner from the beach (near the helipad) which becomes a little more sheltered. It was easy to carry the pram a short way from the boardwalk across the sand and we kept it in the shade under the trees the whole day. There is another swimming beach with lifeguards that’s further away from the pier, on the left side. You’ll see it as you get off the ferry. The waves weren’t big so we opted for the non-supervised beach.
Green Island Food & Shops
There is a resort as well as a few restaurants and a dive shop on Green Island. Just follow the path from the pier. We managed to get a burger, some fish and chips and even (really good) cocktails from the main restaurant which were served in about 30 minutes and the food was really tasty. Eating at the restaurant is alfresco but shaded in a cabana-style dining area under the rainforest canopy which provides welcome relief from the sun and some time to refresh and recharge.
There is another tour which includes access to the pool at the resort. However, I don’t see the point in going all the way to the Barrier Reef just to swim in a pool so we went with Big Cat Tours which didn’t include access. With Big Cat, there is an option to have a buffet lunch included which is served on the boat. We really wanted to spend as much time on the island (rather than the boat) so we didn’t include this option.
Glass Bottom Boat Tour
Our full day tour includes a glass bottom boat tour which is great for kids. Most tours offer this and snorkelling as an either/or however, I recommend opting for BOTH snorkelling and the glass bottom boat. The boat tour is only about 20 minutes long and the snorkelling gear provides a whole day of entertainment on the beach. at 10.30am, we board make our way down the narrow gangway and our glass bottom boat pushes away from the ‘Big Cat’ with a slap, clack and fizz of gentle waves.
Large fish follow us all the way (obviously waiting for the fish feeding part) and we glide over giant clams, corals, fish and sea slugs. Lewis (being only 1 year old) is a bit squirmy until he sees a giant fish at his little feet, and Lilly loves it the whole way.
Kuranda Skyrail, Village, and Scenic Railway
Another must-do day trip is Kuranda. If you do this as a tour like we did, it includes hotel transfers, the Kuranda Skyrail up to Kuranda village and the scenic railway back to Cairns.
Kuranda Skyrail Over the Rainforest
We board the large air-conditioned bus that picks us up from our hotel and make the 20 minute trip out to where the Kuranda Skyrail starts. We only queue for about 5 minutes before we’re asked to step up to a mat next to spinning gondolas that slow down to board before zipping away into the sky and up over the mountains. They look small but they are also pram friendly, and we can easily fit Lewis in the pram into the carriage without having to fold anything.
We gently swing as we leave the station and giant steel cables pull us up the mountain via a series of towers. The trip is 1.5 hours if you include the 2 stops for rainforest walks and lookouts. The first stop is mandatory as you must change gondolas but the second stop at Baron Falls is optional and you can just keep going. It’s a great view and a nice short walk so I’d recommend stopping at both.
We get out at the first stop and walk the short rainforest walk loop. The trees buzz and thrum with cicadas as beams of filtered sunlight break through the dense canopy in parts. We pause at two different lookouts where you can get some photos of the waterfall and valley.
The main way to re-board the gondola after both stops is via stairs, however you can just push the pram up the entrance ramp, leave it at the top, and then go back down and join the queue at the stairs. When you get to the top, the pram will be waiting and just jump back on.
Kuranda Village
By the time we arrive at Kuranda village, we’re a bit exhausted, thirsty and hungry. Lewis is tired so somewhere to sit, relax and refresh is a priority. We first pass the Kuranda Hotel which looks good and bustling with people. But, given this is the first place we see, our fear of missing out on a better option forces us to push on past it and further into the village.
Unfortunately, despite the hundreds of one-star Google reviews, we decide to go into the ‘Rainforest View Restaurant’. I don’t normally go out of my way to say anything negative but DO NOT eat here. The staff are just incredibly rude. Our priority was to put Lewis to sleep in the pram yet, even though the place was half empty, the waitress abruptly told us we have to take him out of the pram and fold it and put it in the corner. When I explained we needed the pram to put him to sleep, she stuck her head in the pram and said “he’s not sleeping!”. Needless to say we walked out. This place is a tourist trap and unless you want rude service and to spend all your time in the village waiting for bad food to finally arrive, don’t go. A friend of ours had a very similar experience on his trip back in April. Luckily we found friendly service, cold beer, and good food back at the first place we saw – the Kuranda Hotel.
I stay at the hotel and sip on a much-needed cold beer and wait for a schnitzel while Jen and Lilly hit the Main Street to shop the markets, tourist stores and the Kuranda Candy Shop which is Lilly’s favourite for obvious reasons. This is a great shop were you can watch them making, stretching and cutting the candy.
The village is nice but a lot is still closed because of covid and many of the shops cater for international tourists selling Australiana items. My thoughts are that this is a day trip that’s very much more about the journey: the Skyrail, rainforest and train, than the destination itself. My only advice (if you don’t like crowds – who does?) is to do what we did and get the last 3.30pm train back and get a later Skyrail up (10.30am). When we arrived, Kuranda village was packed with people waiting for the train but by 2pm, I was one of the only people in the main Street.
Kuranda Historic Scenic Railway
At 3pm, we meander down the hill and into the historic Kuranda Railway Station. The heritage train carriages line the old platform and people mill about. We find our car and put our things on our allocated bench seats in the antique wooden interior of the carriage. The train is a 1.5 hour trip with one stop at a waterfall lookout before alighting at Freshwater Station where you rejoin the bus that takes you back to your hotel. You don’t need to get a hotel transfer. You can stay on the train which terminates in Cairns City.
We lurch away from the station through narrow cuts in the dense rainforest. A narration about the history of the rail road plays as the train squeals around tight bends. We stop at the lookout which offers a different view of Baron Falls (the second Skyrail stop). The train stops here for about 10 minutes before blowing the whistle which signals us to get back on.
The next highlight is a waterfall that runs down the side of the mountain right next to the train. Here, the train slows to allow for photos. You can get a great shot of the train approaching the waterfall on out the left side of the train (2nd photo above)… then, move to the right side as you approach the falls to get a closer shot.
The whole journey offers fantastic scenery, mountain top views and a great experience as a final trip home.
Fitzroy Island
I think my favourite highlight of our family holiday was our trip out to Fitzroy Island. The island is only a 45 minute trip from Cairns and is the perfect, peaceful day in absolute, quintessential paradise.
We arrive back at the marina but this time we’re looking for Sunlover Cruises boat which will drop us off at Fitzroy Island before continuing it’s trip to a pontoon on the outer reef. This isn’t a day tour but really just a transfer. The ferry leaves at 9.30am and will drop us off 45 minutes later, only to pick us up on its way back to Cairns at 4pm. This means the ferry doesn’t remain at the island so you need to take all of your things.
Like the ‘Big Cat’ the Sunlover is a large, pram-friendly, air-conditioned boat with a bar. They sell snacks, cold beer and seasick medication amongst other things you might want for a day out on the reef. Fitzroy island is closer to the mainland and we hug the coast for most of our journey which provides sensational, mountainous scenery.
We arrive at the Fitzroy Island pier and it’s very tranquil. Unlike Green Island, there are no crowds of people jostling for shady spots. Instead, it’s just a pristine beach with people relaxing in the shade and bobbing in the silent ocean with nothing but the sound of the breeze rustling palm fronds. We setup under a palm tree not far from the wharf and hit the water. The sand at the beach isn’t as fine as Green Island… it’s chunky coral more than sand, but it’s even more spectacular overall.
We strap on our snorkels and have barely left the beach before we’re surrounded by colourful rainbow fish, clams, corals and even 3 baby sharks who keep doing laps along the beach. The snorkelling is simply sensational and much better than Green Island. Lilly is now also getting the hang of it and starting to really enjoy it. I push her limits heading out to some of the deeper areas over the reef and she just loves it. The amount of marine life is almost overwhelming.
After snorkelling and relaxing for a while, I take a walk down the path along the coast. There’s a 5-star resort here but it’s subtle and non obtrusive. Beyond that there’s a camp ground where you can pitch a tent and further down, small cabins you can stay in. The walk leads me through dense rainforest only to open up to mangroves and more white sand beaches that look like they’re taken straight out of a postcard.
Due to covid, we were told that nothing is open here. Staff on the Sunlover made it clear that there’s no restaurant for food and no bar so we’ve packed a picnic and made sure we bought some beers from the Sunlover’s bar just before we got off. Yet, to my delight, the bar at the resort is open and offers plenty of cool refreshments throughout the day.
This is a very different experience to Green Island. It feels like a remote picnic on your own island and I just love it! Next time we will stay a night or two here for sure. It’s such an easy, kid-friendly trip from Cairns yet you feel like you’re a million miles away.
Make sure to watch the video at the top of this page for more and follow Road Less Travelled on Facebook and Instagram for more family and kid-friendly adventures. And remember… Wander profoundly, travel deeply, surrender wholly or don’t go at all… Take the Road Less Travelled (with kids).