During our short stay we made two one-day excursions - one to the to the Reef and another to the mountainous rainforest retreat Kuranda. The picturesque village with its famous traditional markets is situated amidst the world heritage area at the Barron river and offers numerous attractions and guided tours. A special highlight was the nearby "Rainforeststation", a privately managed nature park, which conveys interesting and fascinating insights into the tropical rainforest and its wildlife as well as the experience of the aboriginal heritage and culture. Above all, the rides from and to Cairns by the historic Scenic Railway and the Skyrail cableway through and above the rainforest offer spectacular views of the Barron Gorge National Park scenery and the canopy of the rainforest.

Another highlight of our stay at Cairns was a cruise to the Great Barrier Reef. There were countless offers and, for the layman, it is difficult, to make a good choice, so it may be a good idea to make some enquiries and to question other tourists about their experiences before booking. We chose “Sunlover Reef Cruises” which takes you to a pontoon for a 4 – 5 hour stay at the outer reef from where all kinds of activities, including scuba diving can be chosen.