At a Glance

A laid-back yet vibrant city, Cairns is the gateway to this incredible World Heritage-listed region. From here, connecting with nature goes deeper. Learn about and experience the local Indigenous culture and explore the rainforest nearby. Discover sophisticated coastal dining, shopping and sprawling untouched beaches. This is also your gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and there are amazing eco-accredited operators to take you to learn about the reef creatures and even participate in some conservation. The Daintree River has boat tours where you can see stunning wildlife including crocodiles, eat locally-made ice-cream and there are specialist guides for spotting native animals like cassowaries. A lifetime isn't long enough to see everything this destination has to offer ... there's a reason why it's considered to be among the oldest and most diverse natural landscapes in the world. 

Nearby

A trip to the Top End can be combined with travel to:

• ● Cape York
• ● Cooktown
• ● Daintree
• ● Cairns
• ● Port Douglas
• ● Northern Great Barrier Reef
• ● Atherton Tablelands
• ● Daintree
• ● Mission Beach
• ● Townsville

When to visit

Any time of the year other than cyclone season is good to visit. Bushwalking and cycling are pleasant in the Atherton Tablelands, particular during the winter months. Spring and autumn are popular with nature-lovers, as weather is warmer and animal activity highest. It is also slightly less crowded. .    

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Climate

From May to July, maximum temperatures are about 30 degrees when it is also driest. Temperatures climb steadily later in the season. The Atherton Tablelands is considerably cooler and very visitable during the dry and shoulder seasons. Cyclones occur most commonly in the first quarter of the year. 

Live Interview playlist

Watch our interview with Peter Eldred, manager of the Daintree Discovery Centre. "Cassowaries are the most exciting encounter", says Peter, "and will have whole groups from the café rush outside to see them". Meet Clay Baird whose family manages Canopy Treehouses in the lush and cool Atherton Tablelands nearby and Roderic Rees, owner of Cairns Adventure Group who has a passion for mentoring local youth into guides and shares with us his deep knowledge of the rainforest's ecology.

Webinar

Meet our travel specialist and learn about the diversity of things you could do in the region.

Films about the people, nature and places 

A playlist of videos from our National Landscapes Nature Series, featuring the people, wildlife and places of the Wet Tropics ecosystems, Daintree, Port Douglas and Atherton Tablelands.