Cairns Family Holidays

Yungaburra Markets this weekend!

2009-09-23T20:18:00.006+10:00

I'm looking forward to going along to the Yungaburra markets this weekend, I love the old fashioned charm of this monthly market, with the stalls filled with home made crafts, home grown vegetables and freshly prepared jams and preserves.

The Yungaburra Market is the biggest and oldest market on the Atherton Tablelands, just west of Cairns.

On one day each month, local producers gather on the commons in the middle of the historic village of Yungaburra to sell fresh produce, flowers, local wines, wooden furniture, clothing and just about anything else you can think of.

From January to November, the markets are held on the 4th Saturday of the month. The December Market - usually the biggest of the year - is specially scheduled to ensure it falls prior to Christmas eve.

The Market runs from 7:30am to 12:30pm.

Whitsundays reef festival

2009-09-22T08:32:00.000+10:00

1. Adventure Whitsunday Park Fun 2. Shute Harbour 3. Adventure Whitsunday Playground 4. Adventure Whitsunday Pool 5. Gloucester Island from Hydeaway Bay 6. Bicentennial Walkway 7. Hydeaway Bay 8. Airlie Beach Markets

Now in its 8th year, the Reef Festival is a vibrant and colourful celebration of the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsundays. The festival aims to highlight the unique Whitsunday lifestyle, and is a celebration of the local community.

The Whitsunday Reef Festival was started in 2001 as a celebration of the region's wonderful natural assets. It is a four day festival consisting of a fireworks extravaganza, live music on the beach, Comedy Gala, Fashion parade, Sand Sculpting competition, Street Parade, family fun day, starlight movies at the Airlie Beach Lagoon and much more. The event is organised by a dedicated committee of local volunteers representing small businesses and organisations in the Whitsundays, and runs on the generosity of local business sponsorship. A must do on the Whitsundays' social calendar.

The festival will be held from 15th - 18th October 2009, for full details of the festival program visit www.whitsundayreeffestival.com.au

The Cassowary Coast: Warrina Lakes

2009-09-21T19:30:00.003+10:00

An interesting place to visit while you're exploring the Cassowary Coast is Warrina Lakes. Here you'll find a great playground, small botanical garden and a charming lake with water lillies, ducks and turtles.

Just minutes from the centre of Innisfail, Warrina Lakes has all the facilities you need for a great day out with the kids, there are barbeques, picnic tables, shady trees, toilet facilites and a large undercover area. The recently installed playground is fully fenced and great for children of all ages, with slides, tunnels and plenty of climbing features. Smooth pathways through the gardens are very pram friendly and are great for bikes or scooters too.

Innisfail is an hour south of Cairns, famous for its distinctive Art Deco architecture and riverside location, you'll also find the Australian Sugar Museum, the Johnstone River Crocodile Park, Paronella Park and the Ma:mu Canopy Walkway nearby.

Get set for summer

2009-09-17T12:41:00.005+10:00

It's already warming up here in Cairns and with school holidays just around the corner we'll be heading to the beach every other day so we're getting set for summer.

We love these sweet sunhats from EJKids {above} and cute swimwear available from SwishLily

Your cheeky monkey has a special offer on summer products today only, so be quick!:

HERE COMES SUMMER!

1 x Garfield Sports Sipper Cup

1 x Cheeky Monkey Children's Legionnaires Hat - Yellow

1 x 500ml 30+ Spray On Sunscreen - Aussie Owned and Made

1 x 125ml Bloc Bite Sunscreen and Insect Repellent in One - Aussie Owned and Made

RRP approx. $49
TODAY THE PACK IS $25

Look out Summer here we come!

Sunsafe fun

2009-09-16T19:34:00.006+10:00

Being sunsafe is essential when you're enjoying the Great Barrier Reef so we've discovered some great products to help your kids look great but be sunsafe too.

We love these cute sunshirts from Babes in the Shade.

For play clothes we love Agoo, the Agoo range is sunsafe guaranteed with 50+ UV protection.

The Agoo range is available to buy online at www.trifleshoppe.com

Babes in the Shade sunshirts are available online at www.babesintheshade.com.au

Photo Friday: Travelling Family

2009-06-12T06:50:00.004+10:00

This picture is of our friends, the Rhodes family. Three years ago they set out on a journey with their then 2 children. They sold everything, their house, their furniture, all of their whitegoods, bought a 4wd and a camper trailer and hit the road. They wanted to see Australia but they had no set time to return home to Perth or a firm decision either way that they actually would.

They drove all the way from Perth in South Western Australia north to Darwin, a 4 400 km trip, stopping along the way to explore all sorts of interesting places in between. They stayed in Darwin for a few months, working here and there and also exploring the Northern Territory with Darwin as their base. They enjoyed Darwin but keen to see more of Australia they kept travelling.

They fell in love with Tropical North Queensland as soon as they had arrived and decided to settle here. They bought a house but they continued to travel, taking a 3 month trip south to see the rest of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

They returned and soon after had a new baby, this didn’t stop them travelling though and they did a number of short weekend expeditions to local places like Magnetic Island, Lake Tinaroo and Undara. This is a picture of them camping at their favourite beach, Etty Bay.

Before too long the gypsy spirit seemed to call to them again though and it was time for them to leave. So they packed up everything rented out their home and headed out on the road again. They’re currently somewhere between Boorooloola and Kalgoorlie - I think - and are on their way home to Perth some 6217km away.

We loved getting to know this inspiring, adventurous, free-spirited, travelling family and hope we can come and visit them in Western Australia sometime soon too!

Travel Tips Tuesday: Journey Jottings

2009-05-12T12:57:00.003+10:00

Read our review of these gorgeous maps here

Photo Friday: Sea Salt Beach House

2009-05-07T21:14:00.011+10:00

Every once in a while you come across a place where you can truly relax. A place where there’s just as much for children to enjoy as for parents and a place where you can feel like you’ve come ‘home’ even though you’re away. ‘Sea Salt Beach House’ is that kind of a place. Read more

From the moment we arrived we felt welcomed by this modern and inviting tropical home. The home is spacious and airy with lots of natural light provided by the gorgeous French doors and large sliders which open out to the decks, courtyard and gardens.

Parents particularly mothers, will appreciate the attention to detail in the overall design as well as the individual features, furnishings, accessories and inclusions.

Details such as the elegant chandelier above the timber dining table, the water feature in the colourful courtyard, the collection of mirrors throughout the house, the fully equipped modern kitchen, the luxurious bathrooms, the tropical style rattan chairs on the front deck over looking the pool and little surprises such as the Martha Stewart Dinnerware and a pair of ornamental birdcages in the garden are delightful and help to give this holiday house a more personal, homely feel.

Sea Salt is exceptionally family-friendly, and has been designed with children and families in mind. It sleeps 8, is really well designed and caters for everybody. For families travelling with babies there is a highchair, cot, change table and even a potty. For families with primary school aged children there is a bright and spacious playroom with an assortment of toys, games and colouring activities. For older children there is a DVD player and swimming pool. For blended families or families travelling with grandparents there is plenty of room so everyone can spread out and have their own space.

There’s plenty to see and do in the nearby area as well. The Clifton Beach Shopping Centre is just down the road, the fine restaurants and exquisite boutiques of Palm Cove are a 5 minute drive away. For families with young children the award winning Cairns Tropical Zoo, is within walking distance from the house and a number of walking trails, parks, playgrounds and sandy beaches are also very close by.

Sea Salt Beach House is at Clifton Beach, 20 minutes North of Cairns, Queensland.

This post is part of a collection of travel photos from around the world,
visit http://www.deliciousbaby.com/ to see more great family-friendly pictures and stories.

Scooter Escapades

2009-05-06T17:07:00.009+10:00

Our weekend activities at SeaSalt Beach House were a perfect mix of relaxation, wildlife encounters and family fun. Read more

I had packed our scooters as an afterthought but was so glad I did as we found lots of interesting paths and trails for kids to explore.

Wordless Wednesday - Kangaroo kids

2009-05-06T13:24:00.004+10:00

Boyd's Forest Dragon

2009-05-05T16:37:00.008+10:00

We've certainly had a wildlife filled few days since my last article! We stayed at the stunning SeaSalt Beach House (pictures and story coming soon...) and took an amazing tour with 'Gone Wild Safaris' in search of platypus, possums and wallabies and we also visited one of our favourite wildlife parks the 'Cairns Tropical Zoo'. Read more

Photo Friday: Halloran's Hill

2009-05-01T08:21:00.007+10:00

Kids love the adventure playground at Halloran's Hill

Unique public art is a feature of the Halloran's Hill picnic area

Native wildlife, like this red-legged pademelon, are often seen here

The rainforest walking trail is great for families with children to explore

The play area features a number of different activities including this path with animal footprint trails

Halloran's Hill is one of my favourite spots to for for a picnic in the Cairns Highlands. It's a little off the beaten track, as you drive through the streets of Atherton to find it, but once you get there its certainly worth the effort. Read more

This post is part of a collection of travel photos. Head over to delicousbaby.com to see some more family-friendly travel photos from around the world.

Wordless Wednesday: The big mudcrab

2009-04-29T14:14:00.007+10:00

Is this Australia's largest crustacean?

Photo Friday: Exploring Cooktown

2009-04-23T22:23:00.013+10:00

The quaint Grassy Hill Lighthouse

The amazing view of Cooktown & the Endeavour River from the Grassy Hill Lookout

Finch Bay

Alex enjoyed exploring the Cooktown museum

The Cooktown Musuem

These are some photos from our recent trip to Cooktown. We would have liked some more time to explore this unique area but we did get to see a few interesting places. They have a great museum where we learnt more about the Aboriginal culture as well as Cook's landing and European settlement of the region, the view from Grassy Hill is exquisite and we could see all the way to Alkoomie Station. We also enjoyed exploring Finch Bay just a short walk from the leafy avenues of the Cooktown Botanical Gardens and the local Visitor information Centre which includes an interpretive area, a gallery, giftshop and cafe.

This post is part of a collection of travel photos from around the world coordinated by Debbie Dubrow visit www.delicousbaby.com to see more great travel photos.

Aboriginal Australia - Guurrbi Tours

2009-04-17T11:13:00.012+10:00

Guurrbi means – my special place - a place of reflection and calm where you can be at rest. Wangaar-Wuri is certainly this. On our recent trip to Cooktown, Alex and I joined a tour with Willie, our guide, and he invited us to travel through the traditional homeland of his family.

Along the way we experienced what life was like for the Aboriginal people who lived here. Willie showed us gumnuts which become whistles, fibres which can be used to make baskets, flowers which become a candle wick, green ants which can cure coughs and colds and leaves which become soap! Read More

Photo Friday: Outback Cattle Station

2009-04-17T08:24:00.008+10:00

Alkoomie Station is a working cattle farm located about an hour west of Cooktown. Located right at the top of the Mount Dickson Escarpment the views from Alkoomie Station are absolutely amazing. You can see the township of Cooktown, the bush covered rolling hills and green valleys to the North and the South of the property as well as the ocean and on clear days even the Great Barrier Reef.

This post is part of a collection of travel photos called Photo Friday organised by Debbie Dubrow of Delicious Baby for more great family-friendly travel photos and stories from around the world visit http://www.deliciousbaby.com/

Kids go free to the Great Barrier Reef

2009-04-03T20:11:00.007+10:00

Kids go free to the Great Barrier Reef these School Holidays and all through April.

This tour takes you out to Moore Reef for a full day outer reef experience. The outer reef is where you'll see the best coral and there are a number of great activities for children of all ages to participate in while you're there:

The touch tank & marine biologist's talk helps children to learn about the reef
The children's fully enclosed shallow swimming area is perfect for under 5's to paddle in
The Underwater observatory allows non-swimmers to see the reef without getting wet
The semi submersible takes you on an underwater tour of the reef
Glass bottom boats
Fish feeding

Click here to find out more about this great deal.

Kids Go Free Wildlife Safari deal

2009-04-03T19:36:00.006+10:00

Gone Wild tours are offering one child free with every two paying adults these school holidays! On this tour you'll have the chance to see friendly Rock Wallabies, amazing birds of prey, and you'll go looking for wild platypus. After a delicious dinner you'll go on a night tour in search of possums, banidcoots, pademelons and other nocturnal wildlife.

Tour Itinerary

1.30pm - Depart Cairns

1.50pm - Henry Ross Lookout for great views over Cairns

2.20pm - The Termite Fruits & Vegetable Stall to taste some seasonal fruit

2.50pm - Granite Gorge Nature Park to hand feed the rock wallabies

3.30pm - Go In Search of Wildlife on the way to our next destination

5.00pm - Bonadio's Mabi Wildlife Reserve

5.05pm - Birds Of Prey & Animal Show

5.30pm - Spot a Platyous on the banks of the Barron River

6.00pm - Dinner Time

7.30pm - Rainforest NightWalk

9.30pm - Return to Cairns

This offer is valid until 28 April 2009. Click here to find our more

Ravenshoe Steam Train

2009-04-02T06:50:00.006+10:00

'Capella' the Ravenshoe Steam Train runs most Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30pm. This historic train takes you on a short journey from the township of Ravenshoe in Cairns Highlands region to the rural community of Tumoulin where the train stops for afternoon tea then turns around and goes back! Read more

School holiday fun

2009-04-02T05:54:00.011+10:00

Here are my top 10 fun ideas for kids to do in the Tropical North region these school holidays:

Show your kids the Great Barrier Reef – Kids go free to Moore Reef (during April)

Spend the day at beautiful Green Island or Mission Beach

Take a walk in the rainforest – there are lots of great walking tracks, swimming holes and waterfalls. Some of our favourite spots are:
· The Waterfall Circuit
· The Misty Mountains
· Local swimming holes

Get wild – head out to one of the Wildlife parks our favourites are:
· Johnstone River Crocodile Park
· Cairns Tropical Zoo
· Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve

Discover Queensland’s No 1 attraction – Paronella Park in the Cassowary Coast

Learn more about indigenous Australian culture at Tjapukai or on a guided walk with Guurrbi Tours

Go camping at Lake Tinaroo

Step back in time on the Ravenshoe Steam Train

Visit the outback and spend a couple of days at Undara

Explore the Cairns Highlands – we recommend a visit to:
· Crystal Caves
· Lake Barrine
· Mungalli Creek Dairy

The magical Crystal Caves

2009-03-28T19:54:00.008+10:00

The Crystal Caves in Atherton are an excellent place to take your budding geologists to! Here you’ll find amazing crystals, precious stones and fossils. It’s a man made cave and is actually more like a museum with interesting pieces dating back millions of years. Read more

This post is part of a collection of wonderful travel photos featured at Delicious Baby, please click the link to see more great family travel pictures from around the world. A big thank you to Debbie at DeliciousBaby.com for organising this.

Photo Friday: Cassowary crossing

2009-03-26T20:16:00.014+10:00

This photo was taken just outside of Innisfail in the Cassowary Coast, an hour south of Cairns.

Cassowaries are an endangered species of birds found in northern Australia and Papua New Guinea. They live in the rainforest, melaleuca and mangrove forests and need to eat a wide range of fruits to survive. The father cassowary raises the chicks and stays with them until they are almost a year old. Read more

wordless wednesday - gecko

2009-03-18T22:30:00.001+10:00

Undara Mates Rates

2009-03-13T17:28:00.003+10:00

Undara has a special offer for Queensland visitors. Discounts of up to 60% available on accommodation. Family railway carriages available for just $90 per night, down from $225! Camp sites are just $36 a night and 4 person swag tents are $60 a night.

Undara is a unique outback experience and a great place for families to explore. Visit Undara.com.au for more info

Mission Beach

2009-03-12T20:22:00.007+10:00

Mission Beach is a long sandy expanse of shoreline just waiting for you to explore it, although it's a popular destination you'll often have the whole beach to yourself for building sand castles, chasing crabs, running, splashing around or just relaxing. Read more

This article is part of Deliciousbaby.com's Photo Friday fun. For more great family-friendly travel photos from around the world click here

What to do in Cairns, Australia

2009-03-12T12:55:00.006+10:00

This is a photo from my guest post 'What to do in Cairns, Australia, with kids' over at US family travel site DeliciousBaby.com I've also included a selection of some of my favourite restaurants and activities in the Cairns city guide over there.

Mungalli Creek Dairy - Cairns Highlands

2009-03-10T15:51:00.007+10:00

The Mungalli Creek Dairy is one of my favourite teahouses in the Cairns Highlands region. They make all their own milk, cheese and yogurt at the dairy and supply their award winning and popular organic and biodynamic products across Australia. read more

Let's Get Wild!

2009-03-07T07:47:00.005+10:00

Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve is a 35 minute drive west of Cairns and just 10 minutes from Kuranda in the Cairns Highlands region.

The Safari Reserve has exotic animals from India, Africa, Asia and America. They have hippos, lemurs, monkeys, emus, cheetahs, bears, rhinos, tigers and the stars of the park - a pride of lions! Read more

Congratulations Paronella Park!

2009-03-03T20:52:00.005+10:00

Congratulations Paronella Park! No 1 in RACQ top 150 must-do's in Queensland.

Read our family-friendly review of Paronella Park here

The Waterfall Circuit - Cairns Highlands

2009-03-01T06:16:00.009+10:00

The calls of rainforest frogs, birds and cicadas greet you as you arrive at beautiful Ellinjaa Falls, the first stop on the Millaa Millaa waterfall circuit. Read more

Photo Friday: The Curtain Fig Tree

2009-02-27T17:13:00.010+10:00

The Curtain Fig Tree is enormous!

I remember visting often as a child, with it towering above me, in those days it wasn't fenced off and children would play hide and seek amongst the tendrils. Read more

Discover the charm of Kurrimine Beach

2009-02-26T10:02:00.007+10:00

Kurrimine Beach is a great place to go for a day trip or a family holiday. It's a lovely 'undiscovered' beachside community making it a perfect for a place to go to if you're wanting to get away from it all and relax. When the tide is out, there's amazing rockpools to discover, where you'll find starfish, little crabs and all sorts of other interesting creatures.

Kurrimine Beach is in the Cassowary Coast region about an hour and a half drive south of Cairns and just 20 minutes to Mission Beach, 15 minutes to Paronella Park, 30 minutes to the Mamu Canopy Walk and 30 minutes to the Johnstone River Crocodile Park. Family-friendly places to stay include Kurrimine Beach Holiday Park or Pelican Waterhole.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-25T11:49:00.000+10:00

North Queensland Baby and Children's expo 7-8 March

2009-02-22T12:10:00.006+10:00

The North Queensland Baby and Children's Expo will be held on 7 and 8 March 2009 at Cairns Convention Centre. The Expo will feature special guests Playschool's Jay Laga'aia and Australian parenting expert Pinky McKay and a host of great children's entertainment.

The Feast of the Senses - 20 -29 March

2009-02-22T12:00:00.006+10:00

The township of Innisfail celebrates its annual 'Feast ot the Senses' every March. The Festival showcases the diverse local products and fresh produce that this lush agricultural region has to offer, particularly the numerous tropical fruits grown here such as rambutans, lychees, mangosteens, papaya, bananas, jackfruit, durian and dragonfruit. A number of events are held during the 9 day program culminating in the colourful family-friendly market day on Sunday 29 March.

Read more about the Feast of the Senses here.

Why travel with kids?

2009-02-21T13:42:00.010+10:00

"Is there a magic difference between the reasons for travelling with/without kids?" is a question I was recently asked by fellow Twitter user and Professional Independent Traveler Craig Martin

Well yeah isn't it obvious, was my immediate answer but on second thought I realized there was a lot more to it and in fact a whole host of different reasons why you would (or wouldn’t!) choose family travel over solo travel. Read more

Photo Friday - The Big Mango

2009-02-20T12:06:00.006+10:00

I'm not sure why but it seems we do love BIG things in Australia!

This is one of my favourites 'The Big Mango', located in Bowen, Queensland. You may have heard of Bowen as a lot of the filming for Baz Luhrmann's film 'Australia' happened here, the fictional property 'Faraway Downs' is in fact not too far from this wonderful Australian icon. Bowen is famous for its delicious mangoes and this is their tribute to that achievement!

This post is part of a collection of travel photos featured at Delicious Baby, please click the link to see more great family travel pictures from around the world. A big thank you to Debbie at DeliciousBaby.com for organising this.

Peace

Outback Country, Rock & Blues Weekend 17 -19 April 2009

2009-02-20T11:27:00.007+10:00

The Outback Country, Rock & Blues Festival is a 3 day weekend of over 16 hours of live music in one of the most unique settings in Tropical North Queensland. Situated in the outback just west of Cairns, Undara is an amazing destination where you can see the remnants of ancient volcanic activity and giant lava tubes. The landscape out here is so different from the coast, as you drive through look carefully for the places where the lush rainforest becomes the great Australian bush.

The Outback Country Rock & Blues Weekend is on 17 -19 April 2009. Early bird tickets are $89.00 and that includes shows on Friday and Saturday night, and the Sunday Recovery. There are going to be some brilliant artists performing and it should be a really good weekend. Camping, or swag tents are available for the weekend, and you can self cater or eat in the restaurant.

Cairns Regional Gallery

2009-02-19T14:00:00.004+10:00

Cairns Regional Gallery has an excellent permanent collection of local artists work as well as travelling guest exhibitions. Exhibitions include Indigenous art, installations, sculpture, photography and both traditional and abstract fine art paintings. Read more

The Wonderful Whitsundays

2009-01-23T10:34:00.011+10:00

1. Conway Beach 2. Shute Harbour 3. Whitsunday Lodge B & B 4. Cedar Creek Falls 5. theBicentennial Walkway 6. Lunch at Montes Reef Resort 7. Goanna in Conway Ranges National Park 8. The island view from Shute Harbout Lookout.

We were recently down in Australia’s Whitsundays region and I have to admit there’s a lot to love about this beautiful region as we discovered whilst exploring Airlie Beach, Conway National Park, Dingo Beach and surrounds with the kids! Read more

Flecker Botanical Gardens

2009-01-22T15:27:00.008+10:00

The Flecker Botanical Gardens, Cairns are a beautiful place to visit. There is a superb collection of tropical flowering plants, both native and exotic, to be seen here.

My kids love exploring the gardens and playing hide and seek amongst the greenery. There are always interesting little creatures for them to spot too, like butterflies, dragonflies and frogs. Read more

Discover the magic of Australia's outback

2009-01-13T08:24:00.005+10:00

About 2 hours west of Cairns, the landscape gets drier and the lush rainforest becomes the bush, and before you know it you're in the outback. You'll find places like Chillagoe with its amazing limestone caves and aboriginal artwork, the healing thermal waters of Innot Hot Springs, the ancient volcanic lava tubes of Undara and Mount Mulligan and the historic Tyrconnell Gold Mine. Read more

Photo Friday - Island Life

2009-01-09T16:37:00.002+10:00

This picture is a favourite of mine, of my youngest son taken at Russell Island a coral island of the Great Barrier Reef in the Franklin Islands group not too far from Cairns, Australia.

The island has a large natural lagoon, pictured here, which has coral, sea cucumbers, little crabs, fish and seastars, its quite shallow so its perfect for kids to explore. The island also has a large hill covered with thick rainforest, with a trail which takes you right up to the unmanned lighthouse at the top and has gorgeous views across the ocean and back to the coast. It's quite an adventure climibing the track though as it is often overgrown by wait-a-while and other vines, and populated by huge golden orb spiders and large colonies of noisy bats!

Peace

Exploring the Misty Moutains

2009-01-05T19:55:00.004+10:00

We visited the beautiful Misty Mountains recently for a picnic and a swim at the South Johnstone Campground. We were so enchanted by the rainforest that we ended up spending the day exploring the area. Read more

Green family travel in Australia

2009-01-04T10:09:00.003+10:00

Fancy green family travel in Australia? Cairns Family Holidays offers exciting family-friendly packages in tropical North Queensland

One package is cruises by Big Cat Green Island Reef Cruises, which has received the highest level of certification in Eco Tourism Australia’s Climate Action Certification Program. On Green Island, families can experience lush, tropical island life and the spectacular Great Barrier Reef.
The carbon neutral company reduces emissions and offsets remaining ones through Greenfleet Australia. Passengers can also offset their carbon footprint at cruise check-in.
For more info, visit Cairns Family Holidays online.

Article courtesy of Traveling the green way

Muddy's Playground, Cairns Esplanade

2008-12-28T19:23:00.003+10:00

If you're looking for free family fun in Cairns then don't miss Muddy's Playground! Located just minutes from the centre of town on Cairns Esplanade this playground features a number of great play areas for children of all ages and all abilities.

Spurwood Springs Farm Stay

2008-12-23T17:22:00.003+10:00

Spurwood Springs Farm Stay is a great choice for families wanting to experience authentic life on a working farm. You’ll have the opportunity to ride a horse, help feed the animals and see working dogs in action as they herd the cattle. They have heaps of animals here including dogs, dairy cows, beef cattle, ducks, goats, sheep, horses and chooks.

Read more

By the Lake

2008-12-23T07:30:00.002+10:00

Beautiful Lake Tinaroo in the Cairns Highlands region is a great place for a family getaway. As its such a large lake, there are plenty of places where you can stay right on the lake, including holiday houses, caravan parks and resorts, if you have your own camping equipment you can also stay in the camping grounds of the Danbulla National Park. Read more

Mamu Rainforest Canopy Walk

2008-12-21T16:34:00.002+10:00

Mamu Canopy Walk is an hour and 30 minutes south of Cairns in the Palmerston section of Wooroonooran National Park

The canopy walk is great for children of all ages. They'll enjoy exploring the rainforest as they walk through cool, green, leafy paths and along suspended walkways allowing you to experience the canopy up close. Climbing the tower will be a highlight for the adventurous, as you travel up several flights of stairs to an amazing view which looks out to breathtaking views of the Johnstone River Valley, the surrounding mountain ranges and nearby regions. Mapping information is provided on the interpretive signs you go past on the way back showing where you are in relation to Cairns city, the highlands and the coast. Read more

Summer Sunsafety Essentials

2008-12-18T11:45:00.002+10:00

The Australian sun is harsh all year round so protecting our children’s skin is always important. Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world, and two in every three Australians develops skin cancer at some time during their life. Sun damage which occurs in the early years can lead to serious problems later in life but can be avoided by taking a few easy preventive measures. Read more

See the Great Barrier Reef with kids

2008-12-17T09:33:00.002+10:00

Still on my list of must-sees in the wider world is the Great Barrier Reef, but I've been warned many times that I'll just have to wait until my children are older... and here we are with another one on the way. Friends and family members who have made it out to the reef have cautioned me from their own experiences that it’s a long monotonous haul just to get out there, involving small speed boats, choppy waters, etc., and then of course everyone abandons the boat to take to the water. In other words, it’s no place to take a baby.

Think again. If you’re considering a family vacation in Australia, don’t rule out an excursion to the Great Barrier Reef just because you have a baby, toddler, or any assortment of very young children along for the ride. With a Sunlover Reef Cruise, your entire family (even the non-swimming members in diapers) can enjoy a leisurely daytrip from Cairns to the outer Great Barrier Reef in total comfort with family-friendly amenities, including stroller-friendly decks.

Children who aren’t ready to test the open waters can enjoy finding Nemo with a guided viewing of the coral and its creatures from a “semi-submersible” and glass-bottom boat. They can also touch some of the unique marine animals they’ll see in a marine touch tank onboard. And when they’re finished with that, let them enjoy the children’s wading pool on deck while you relax at sea.

Parents may enjoy taking turns with their snorkels or taking advantage of Sunlover’s included introductory and certified scuba diving, plus world famous Seawalker Platform Helmet Diving (extra fee). All snorkeling equipment is provided, along with a hot buffet luncheon including fresh seafood, and afternoon tea.

Children under 4 years old are always free on Sunlover Reef Cruises, and from now through the end of January 2009, children 4 through 14 years may cruise free with paid adults. Find out more at the sites for Sunlover Reef Cruises and Cairns Family Holidays.

For more info: See more family-friendly vacation ideas and read reviews of family attractions in Australia’s Tropical North Queensland in this helpful section at Cairns Family Holidays. For help planning travel overseas with a baby or young child, check out Shelly's book Travels with Baby: The Ultimate Guide for Planning Trips with Babies, Toddlers, and Preschool-Age Children..

Article by Shelly Rivoli Author of 'Travels with Baby' Read More

A walk in the park

2008-12-15T21:32:00.002+10:00

Love nature? Well you’ve come to the right place! Tropical North Queensland has a range of beautiful walking trails that take you through World Heritage Listed National Parks, where you’ll find amazing wildlife, spectacular waterfalls and pristine beaches. Each of the tropical north regions has walks suitable for families of all levels of fitness and ability. Read more

Where should I take my two year old?

2008-12-15T07:00:00.003+10:00

I’m often asked by Mums, ‘where should I take my two year old?’ Travelling with toddlers is hard work, they are absolutely gorgeous but they’re probably the most challenging travel companions you could have! Read more

A sweet escape

2008-12-14T06:12:00.002+10:00

Imagine a hot summer’s day, the sweat literally dripping off you, a scorching sun, humidity at 94 % and no escape from the endless heat haze that covers the day.

There’s only one thing for it you need to swim you need to find somewhere cool and green, a place with crystal clear water, gentle breezes, tall shady trees and butterflies…

Fortunately I know just the place, read more