Family Adventures in Cairns: Rainforests, Villages & Waterfalls

PART 1 - Cairns, Karunda Village & and Cairns Waterfalls

Exploring Tropical North Queensland: A 2-Week Adventure from Cairns

Tropical North Queensland is a stunning region where the lush rainforest meets the sparkling blue waters of the Coral Sea. As the perfect starting point to explore destinations like Port Douglas, Palm Cove, and Cape Tribulation. Cairns offers an abundance of natural beauty and outdoor adventures.

My partner and two girls spent two blissful weeks in Tropical North Queensland during the winter season, when temperatures averaged a comfortable 27°C daily. From walking through ancient rainforests to snorkelling the iconic Great Barrier Reef, this holiday was one to remember. Whether we were lazing on pristine beaches, visiting popular tourist hotspots, or simply taking in the foliage and wildlife, Tropical North Queensland delivered an unforgettable escape.

In this blog post, I'll share details of our 2-week Tropical North Queensland itinerary in two parts, highlighting the region's top natural attractions and outdoor activities we did as a family.

Hopefully, this will inspire your own adventure in this remarkable corner of Australia!

Accomodation and Transport in Cairns

We stayed at the Cairns, Holloway Beach Resort. ( 15 minutes from the airport) It was a very short walk from the beach and had a cafe right across the road as well as public BBQ’s. It was clean, quiet, affordable and had a pool , which we lived in for most of time there. Management were lovely and even had our Coles online order in our fridge when we arrived.

To get around we relied on public transport while in Cairns, it was easy to get around via bus and a much cheaper option too, the kids thought it was a bit of an adventure.

Kuranda Village - Full day

Our first full day in Cairns was spent at Kuranda Village. A unique destination town that feels worlds away from the coastal city. To reach Kuranda, we took the Kuranda Scenic Railway, a 2-hour train journey that winds through the ancient rainforest and stops at the impressive Barron Falls for a leg stretch and look before arriving right there in the town.

We saw as much as we could fit in before catching the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway back into Cairns. It was a jam packed day and I think 2 days would be perfect to really appreciate just how much this amazing town has to offer.

Walking Trails:

The highlight for me was the walking trails. Walking through thick, tropical rainforest with a fresh juice in hand was incredible, and the excitement of maybe seeing a cassowary was a but of fun too, although we didn’t spot one in there. A lot of the walks are easy and boarded, so they suit most fitness levels. My favourite was the Jurum Creek River Walk. It winds through rainforest and crosses Jumrum Creek where we all put our feet in.

See different trail walks here

Jurum Creek River Walk in Kuranda village — Jurum Creek River Walk

Markets: The Kuranda rainforest markets were absolutely buzzing - so many cool cultural knick knacks, fresh juices, and tasty food options, you'd never go hungry! We had fun browsing around before heading off to hit the rainforest trails.

Butterfly Sanctuary

The Kuranda Butterfly Sanctuary, just a short walk from the train station, was a highlight of our visit. Home to over 1500 tropical butterflies, we spent time in the aviary waiting for the colorful insects to land on us. It was also interesting to see the caterpillar breeding area and observe the different stages of the butterflies' life cycle. We could have lingered for hours amidst the gentle fluttering of wings.

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway

After a huge day of exploring on foot we decided to catch the Skyrail back rather than the train for something different. This was much more exciting than I expected. It was scenic, smooth and involves stop offs in different areas to explore the forest floor at Red Peak and Barron Falls. We caught an Uber once arriving back in Cairns.

Holloways Beach - Cairns

The resort that we stayed at was just next to Holloways beach, only 10 minutes from Cairns. We spent a lot of time relaxing, walking and finding coconuts here. There are BBQ’s and a playground for the kids.

Waterfall exploring - Atherton Tablelands.

To make the most of our time in Tropical North Queensland, we signed up for a jam-packed day tour to visit some of the region's top natural attractions around Cairns. Departing early from our hotel, the tour whisked us away to places like the Babinda Boulders, Josephine Falls, Millaa Millaa Falls, the massive Curtain Fig Tree, and Lake Eacham. It was incredible getting to see so many stunning spots in a single day, but we did feel a bit rushed at times, wishing we had rented a car instead to explore at our own pace. Still, the guided tour was a great way to get an overview of Cairns' waterfalls.