Cairns 3 Days Help

[ShamrockFL]

We will be staying in Cairns for three days at the beginning of October and have booked into the Floriana Guest House on the Esplanade. OK - Yes/No? :) :(

 

Our thoughts for the three days are: Day 1 Trip to Kuranda using Scenic Railway and Skyway. Day 2 Trip to Great Barrier Reef for snorkeling (no diving). Day 3 Trip to Daintree. :D

 

Any advice on the GBR trip? Are there any favorite tour companies that are better than others? What should I look for? Would you wait until you get there to book or book ahead?

 

I would also like some advice on tours to Daintree as I haven't done a lot of research on this yet. Is this worth a day or is there something else we should be doing instead? What things would you inlcude in this trip and which tour companies are best?

 

Would really appreciate any advice to make our three days as enjoyable as possible. :confused: Thanks.

[AJ W]

We will be Cairns, probably staying in Port Douglas in February after the Oceania Jan. 24 cruise Auckland to Sydney. We heard that the Quicksilver Catamaran, Kuranda rail and skyrail, and the Daintree River and rainforests are day trips not to be missed. If you have information about guides and tours-small group or individual, please let us know. ...just beginning to research this.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Arline & John

wolff711@aol.com

[tomtal]

We are in Cairns for 4 days 6-11 December. We have booked via Viator Cairns in a day - Kuranda. This takes in the Kuranda Scenic Train, the Kuranda markets, the Skyrail cableway and then transfer to the helicopter depot for a 30 minute heli flight over the Outer Reefs of the GBR. After the flight,we transfer to the vessel Osprey for lunch, snorkeling or swimming. Transfers to and from our hotel are included (we are staying at Rydges Tradewinds, Cairns). This is a very full day but will leave us free to visit the GBR again, which we shall probably decide upon when in Cairns. One of the days we would also like to spend in Port Douglas. From Cairns, we are flying to Ayres Rock and the Sound of Silence dinner prior to returning to Sydney for a further couple of days prior to leaving for a few days in Singapore on our way home to the UK. The planning is really exciting - look forward to hearing what you have arranged also.

[rpetrillo]

HI

You definitely want to visit Kuranda - well worth the trip. Daintree is also very nice (take the river tour to see crocs and other wildlife).

 

When in Port Douglas go to Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary. Wander through four different and unique environments that depict over 180 species of the surrounding rainforest, wetlands, woodlands and grasslands. Walk among and feed kangaroos and other animals in a natural habitat. Pet a koala and get a great photo op.

 

Also they have a Breakfast with the Birds program which was a lot of fun.

[ErinH1]

We visited Cairns & Port Douglas last January prior to our cruise. For an all-day Daintree trip I can highly recommend Gary's Safaris, we did the Cape Tribulation tour:

http://www.garyssafaris.com.au/site/cape-tribulation/

Gary is an encyclopedia of knowledge. A very enjoyable day with just one other couple. Highlights were Mossman Gorge, a visit to a waterfall & swimming on private property, lunch at a restaurant in Daintree, a stop at the beach where the rainforest merges, and a river boat cruise on the Daintree to see Crocs (we didn't see any, just the biggest flies you will ever encounter so be sure to wear bug repellent the entire time!).

 

We waited to book through the hotel when we got there, and almost all tours were sold out except for Gary's. From my research prior to the trip another tour operator, Tony's Tropical Tours, gets rave reviews. Most of these tours leave from Port Douglas so you may have to find a way to get yourself there from Cairns.

[AJ W]

Thanks for all the information. We will stay 4nights and have 3 days to do tours: Kuranda/ CapTrib, Daintree, Mossman,/ GBR cruise. Can we combine any of these for a 3 night 2 day stay? Haven't booked anything yet. Decided that the best spot is to stay at a Hotel in Port Douglas: Mantra treetops Resort & Spa- Anyone ever stay there?

Ayers Rock- How can I book the Sounds of Silence dinner at sunset and the sunrise breakfast? Is one night stay enough? Which hotel? How is the Sails in the Desert?

We are going Feb. 13.

Appreciatively, Arline& John

You may write: Wolff711@aol.com

[ShamrockFL]

Ayers Rock- How can I book the Sounds of Silence dinner at sunset and the sunrise breakfast? Is one night stay enough? Which hotel? How is the Sails in the Desert? We are going Feb. 13.Appreciatively, Arline& John You may write: Wolff711@aol.com

 

You can book everything through www.voyages.com.au i.e. dinner,hotel and breakfast tour. On that website you will find several morning tour options. We are just there for one night and are staying at Sails in the Desert. Very expensive, but not much more than the lesser rated options. If you want to wait, I can give you feedback when we get back in mid-October. Although on second thoughts, I would go ahead and book the dinner at least. Last month I was told it was sold out for the night we wanted in October, but then it opened up. Maybe you should book the hotel too as you can always cancel if you change your mind. We are doing the Spirit of Uluru tour in the morning for sunrise and a tour by vehicle around the rock before flying out again.

 

I'll be interested to see if you get any suggestions for combined tours in Cairns. Thank you to those folks who responded and gave suggstions.

[BonBon86]

Hi,

 

I'm a local of Cairns...

 

Firstly, the best company to travel to the reef I've found is Quicksilver. The outer reefs are more pristine and less travelled, but cost more. Your choice, but I would avoid Green Island if you don't want crowds.

 

You can book when you get here, the season is almost over so there should be a spot. If you don't want to risk it, then book ahead of course. You may have to wear a stinger suit as it is almost stinger season. not the prettiest of things but it is better than getting stung.

 

The Kuranda Train and Skyrail you can book when you get here, the train is never full and the skyrail doesn't have huge queues.

 

The Daintree is a long way from Cairns, but it is worth the trip. The road you take also goes through Port Douglas and is a very scenic road.

 

Also consider stopping at Hartley's Creek Crocodile Farm on the way north, it is a interesting tour and you get to see crocs up close in natural environments.

 

Bronwyn

[SelectSys]

We will be staying in Cairns for three days at the beginning of October and have booked into the Floriana Guest House on the Esplanade. OK - Yes/No? :).

 

I don't know the specifics regarding this property, but everything you list as activities are north of Cairns. I didn't think the center of Cairns looked all that great as a place to stay. I would suggest Palm Cove (we stayed there) or up even further in the Port Douglas given you want to go to Daintree and the Quicksilver boat departs from Port Douglas.

[Rosslyn]

I don't know the specifics regarding this property, but everything you list as activities are north of Cairns. I didn't think the center of Cairns looked all that great as a place to stay. I would suggest Palm Cove (we stayed there) or up even further in the Port Douglas given you want to go to Daintree and the Quicksilver boat departs from Port Douglas.

 

I would definitely stay in Port Douglas rather than Cairns!

 

Wonderful place in PD to eat called Nautilus http://www.nautilus-restaurant.com.au/ This would require a pre-booking, but the food and the ambience is memorable to say the least. I also agree that most of the attractions are closer or as close to Port Douglas.

[ShamrockFL]

We just returned from our trip to OZ. At the risk of hurting lots of people's feelings, I would say it was good, but not great. As a comparision, if I knew then, what I know now, I would much rather spend three weeks in Europe! But it was different and some parts we loved. Let me give a few comments on our Cairns stay, as that was the purpose of this post to begin with, and it may be helpful to those who are preparing to go. Like many people we had three things scheduled for Cairns - GBR, Rainforest, Kuranda. This is simply our opinion, (we are entitled to one, aren't we), so please don't get upset - we understand that you may disagree - just do it nicely.

 

Cairns: Stay in Port Douglas. It is a much nicer town and any trips you want to do can be done from there just as easily. You are actually closer to the rainforest for that trip. Cairns is not on the "must see" list by any stretch of the imagination. The airport just happens to be there.

 

Kuranda: Contrary to popular opinion, this is not a "must". The scenery on the trip is nice, but the town is a tourist trap - one souvenir shop after another. Due to a change in plans we had to go there on the first day we were in Cairns and therefore had no reservations. We were able to get on the train up at 9:30 and back at 3:30, but could not get the Skyrail either direction. So you probbaly should try and book this at least a day ahead. At the time I was buying the tickets at the station around 9 am, I could hear other ticket agents telling people that they had to return at 2:30, that the 3:30 was full. By the time 2 o'clock arrived, we were wishing we were on the earlier train!

 

GBR: Fantastic. We used Osprey which we thought was OK. There are probably better, but to their credit, on the morning of our scheduled trip they allowed us to postpone for 2 days later. Granted we had also scheduled our Daintree trip with them, but they could have been nasty and stuck it to us as we had prepaid. At this time of year it doesn't seem as though there is any problem booking when you are there. Whoever you do the trip with, this is not to be missed.

 

Daintree: Very good trip. Nice drive. Surprisingly good lunch - I asked one of the waiters what it cost for someone who wasn't with a tour group, and was told $22. Crocodiles were hard to find on our Daintree River cruise, but whose fault is that - you can't dictate to these animals when to appear, but the cruise was enjoyable.

 

Other non-related areas: Uluru: I know there was someone on this thread who sounded as though their only experience at Uluru was going to be the "Sounds of Silence" dinner etc. If that's true, you are in trouble. The reference in the advertising for this trip to seeing the sunset on Uluru, with the changing colors etc. is a ripoff. You are not inside the National Park area for this event, consequently both Uluru and the Olgas are like peanuts on the horizon. I don't really know how far away we were, but we were lucky to be able to see the rocks, never mind any changes in color. Besides on the sound advice of the didgeridoo player, we turned our backs on Uluru in the distance, and watched the sunset behind the Olgas - in the distance. Fortunately we had also scheduled the sunrise tour which took us inside the park and up close - much more enjoyable. That being said, I will say that the dinner per se wasn't bad (not $149 pp worth mind you), and the setting under the stars was beautiful. The talk afterwards about the stars was also very good.

 

Sorry folks. Just telling it like we saw it!! Oh, and by the way - you know the old saying about bringing half as much clothes and twice as much money as you think you'll need. Whoever wrote that, must have had Australia in mind - this place is not cheap. Be prepared. The exchange rate is just a minor concern - prices are high no matter what rate you get.

[tomtal]

Thank you so much ShamrockFL for your prompt review. It really was very interesting and very informative - even though probably not as positive as I wanted to hear! Very nice though to get such an honest review. I found your comments on Ayres Rock particularly interesting. We are only staying the one day and going to the Sounds of Silence dinner. I had heard that not all the venues were near the Rock and have requested one that is but nevertheless your review makes me think of taking the sunrise helicopter flight (if I can persuade DH!!). Do you know if anyone else did this and, if so, what they thought? Also I wonder if this would need to be pre-booked. And - finally - the flight from Ayres Rock to Sydney is around mid-day so time must be a consideration.

[Annatoo]

We just returned from our trip to OZ. At the risk of hurting lots of people's feelings, I would say it was good, but not great. As a comparision, if I knew then, what I know now, I would much rather spend three weeks in Europe! But it was different and some parts we loved.

 

GBR: Fantastic.

 

Daintree: Very good trip.

 

Sorry folks. Just telling it like we saw it!! Oh, and by the way - you know the old saying about bringing half as much clothes and twice as much money as you think you'll need. Whoever wrote that, must have had Australia in mind - this place is not cheap. Be prepared. The exchange rate is just a minor concern - prices are high no matter what rate you get.

Shamrock....good effort when you are no doubt jetlagged :rolleyes: All in all I think you had a wonderful holiday travelling from Sydney and surrounds to Daintree, GBR ...and inland to Ayers Rock. Really a whirlwind look at OZ. Did you go Whale Watching?

3 weeks in Europe gets you through about 10 countries with relatively short trips....no Great Barrier Reef - no Daintree River with wildlife and Crocs (sorry you didn't see them).....and no Desert Interior with the history of Ayers Rock....no Humpback Whales :p

Of course everything is always dearer in "tourist areas".....although prices have rocketed in NZ and OZ with petrol doubling the last 2 years....and OZ being in drought for 4 years :eek:

Do hope you appreciate all you experienced once fully recovered from jet lag....and trust you have lots of photos :D

[ShamrockFL]

Tomtal: I don't know who has control of the Sounds of Silence dinner sites. I had no indication that there was any choice of site or that it varies from day to day - you may be right. I'm afraid I don't know anyone who took the helicopter flights, but they were certainly in the sky that morning - that may be a good option. Whatever you do, I would concentrate on making sure your tour activity takes place inside the National Park confines - otherwise you're just too far away. You might be better off looking into the tours conducted by the Anangu people themselves. I would serioulsly reconsider the dinner. As we drove out in our bus, we did see people who were probably from the campground area just going up to sit on top of some mounds not very far from the hotel to watch the sunset, and probabaly stay there to appreciate the night sky afterwards at no cost. There is a supermarket in the complex from which one could easily pick up picnic supplies for the evening and have just as good a view, the only thing one would miss would be the talk given on the stars. Big savings on the $149 price tab - almost pay for your helicopter ride!! The Sydney flight leaves at 1:40 and the connecting shuttle bus from the hotel is at 12:10. If you are back from your tour early enough in the morning and want to spend some time at the pool, the hotel will give you a key to a hospitality room which you can use after you check out - that's at 10 am. You can change and shower there before you leave. Incidentally, dress for the dinner, if you still decide to go, is anything you want - all the way down to shorts and t-shirt.

 

Annatoo: Yes we did go whale watching but could only get to Nelson Bay. We didn't see any humpbacks but did see some Minke? whales, which I gather they hadn't had around there for a few years. They were smaller but I gathered that their sighting was apparently a big thing. There were also quite a few dolphins that were very playful. It was a nice trip. We particularly liked any of the coastal areas that we visited and really liked Sydney. My thoughts on Europe weren't quite on the whirlwind tours which we have done in the past, but the thought that kept recurring was - I could be spending a week in each of Vienna, Prague and Budapest, and what a blast that would be. Ironically my wife was thinking along the same lines, but her thoughts ran towards - how many cruises could we have gone on instead! For that matter, I don't know why we sell ourselves short in this country and why so many of us, myself included, have this overwhelming desire to head overseas for primarily scenic tours, when we have such a diversity of scenery here on our doorstep that so many of us have never seen. And quite seriously, having been to Europe many times and now to Australia, I have to say that the US is without a doubt, one of the least expensive countries in the world in which to vacation. It really is a bargain - not just because of the exchange rates, but most things are really less expensive here. And for the Brits who come here, they must think they died and went to heaven because of their rate of exchange alone. I mean $2 for one pound, that is obscene! Interesting that you mentioned the jet lag. We thought we were doing quite well, (we returned to our home at midnight on Tuesday), having been "on the road" about 30 hours, but today we don't know what hit us! Things will get better.:)

[tomtal]

ShamrockFL - thanks for your input once again. Now it's time to think - but still do want to do the dinner as it will be a completely different experience. However, may think of viewing the Rock from the hotel at sunrise if we decide not to take the heli tour. Like you, I have wondered why we spend so much time and money touring other countries when our country has so much to offer. I, personally, think the British Isles cannot be beaten and although born in London, my heart never misses a beat when I visit the centre - so beautiful, so majestic. We therefore tour our own country as often as possible - last year the North of England, the Lake District, Scotland, next year the South West, etc. etc. It is not too far for us to visit Europe which we also do, although not quite so frequently. That being said, America, Australia and New Zealand are united by a common language and we feel really close with these countries - dare I say 'more British!!' So Oz and NZ - can't wait, only 4 more weeks and here we come!

[ZSandy25]

Shamrock,

Thank you for you review, we will be in OZ 2/08 for a few days before boarding ship and cruising on to NZ. We have the dinner booked and have the morning open and free, your input about getting closer will have me looking at options, thanks.

 

We are looking forward to our trip to Uluru, I know some things don't always "fit" when travelling, but we always try and find the positive in whatever situation we are in, so on we go for our grand adventure. Chances are I will never see these things again.

 

Your input was very informative, we want to make the right decisions about what to see and get the most out of our time while there.

 

Come to the beautiful state of Michigan for a visit, we have a lot to offer.

 

Sandy