The second largest state in Australia, Queensland spans over 1,727,000 square kilometres and boasts miles of white sandy beaches, lush rainforests and the world renowned Barrier Reef. This, when coupled with its climate temperatures and thriving foodie scene shows just why it is becoming an ever-more popular place to visit. We headed there recently to find out just what the fuss is all about…
Our Flights
The journey to Cairns, Queensland is a long one, starting with a 13hour 55 minute leg to Manila, then 6 hours 15 minutes to Cairns. We flew with Philippine Airlines in their standard class, and paid to spend time in their lounge for our stop-over in Manila (it’s definitely worth treating yourself if you can!)
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Onboard, they lend you an iPad for you to use the myPal App which is Philippines airlines free inflight entertainment service, offering you an extensive collection of movies, TV shows, and music. You can download this app before you fly on your own device (here) if you would prefer. Flights also include meals and alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages; the portion sizes are generous and as far as plane food goes, this ranks pretty high up there with the best of them. Overall, the thought of a 24-hour flight is a lot more daunting than it actually is. It didn’t seem that long at all and most people (including myself) slept the majority of the hours away.
Day One
We landed in Cairns, Queensland around 8am on Friday, trying to wrap our minds around the time difference (they are nine hours ahead.) To refuel after the long flight, we headed for breakfast at the lovely Dundee’s Restaurant on the waterfront harbour, a ten minute drive from the airport. As the name suggests, it is overlooking the waterfront, ideal if you are wanting to just sit back and take in the beautiful scenery, forgetting the hustle and bustle you’ve left behind. Night or day, breakfast to dinner it’s so peaceful, you are in total tranquillity. And the food is delicious! Their Italian sausages are to die for and after flying for 24 hours I could not have been happier tucking in to a hearty breakfast.
Once we finished our meals, we jumped in the car and headed to our first hotel – Castaways Resort & Spa. Located at the heart of Mission beach town and positioned opposite the sun swept sands of a 14km long beautiful, white sandy beach – I instantly fell in love. With 68 rooms, two pools, a spa, restaurant, gym and the friendliest staff I have ever met, what’s not to love? Everyone was made to feel right at home, there wasn’t one thing they could not do for us. If you are a couple or looking to stay away with your family or friends, Castaways Resort & Spa, Queensland will be perfect. As their slogan says – “paradise awaits you”.
After being in Queensland Australia for around 5 hours, I was about to embark on what I would say the biggest challenge of my whole journey yet; a 15,000ft sky dive. You can book this through SkyDive Mission beach, a short walk from the Hotel. (It’s best to book in advance to avoid disappointment.)
A sky dive is one of the most thrilling yet most scary things you will ever do in your life. Nothing will ever prepare you for when the moment comes to be thrown out of a plane 15,000 feet in the air! On the way up you sit quietly, feeling nervous and thinking about just what you’ve got yourself in to… then you jump and from that moment on it’s one of the best feelings in the world. You are falling at speeds of up to 160mph, your adrenaline is kicking and it is breath-taking (literally)! You free fall for around a minute before floating under a canopy for 5-7 minutes taking in the scenery and incredible views around you, then it is done within a flash and all you want to do is go back up and do it all again.
The staff at skydive mission beach were so friendly and professional, they went through each step of the dive putting us at complete ease. I paid for them to take a video and film my jump which is definitely worth considering (although you will have to fork out price to do so.) But then skydiving is something you will only do once or twice in your life and the video will stay with you forever. Plus watching yourself back is hilarious! Click here for pricing and to book yourself.
Try not to laugh too much but you can see my video below…
We finished the night off with a bite to eat at the local town and then headed to bed for a much-needed sleep. There are plenty of bars and restaurants in the area for you to discover and enjoy with something new to try each day of your stay in Queensland.
Day Two
After waking up in one of the most comfortable beds I’ve slept in in my life, I got dressed and headed to the car ready to travel to Charley’s Chocolate Factory. The closest I have ever been to a chocolate factory before is Cadbury’s world in Birmingham, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. As soon as we arrived, Charley himself greeted us and took us to the seating area and started to explain his journey into chocolate. Listening to Charley speak it was soon very apparent that he is a very inspirational entrepreneur. He started Charley’s chocolate less than five years ago and has already won multiple awards and become very well known throughout Queensland Australia – Many times we saw his chocolate being stocked in the different attractions throughout our trip.
Charley’s tour is an authentic and hands on experience. Learning about this history of chocolate and journeying through the process from tree to cutting open a cocoa pod was fascinating. The whole tour was very informative and after taking part in the chocolate tasting, I soon learnt that chocolate is an art. A bit like wine, you really have to nurture each step to be able to produce a product which is really something special.
Once we had finished our tour we took a 30-minute drive over to Paronella Park, Queensland’s most awarded attraction. A national heritage site set over 13 acres of land, Paronella Park was built in the 1930s by José Paronella from Spain who built facilities such as a castle, cinema and ballroom to provide entertainment to the public. Since then it has been damaged by a fire, cyclone and several floods meaning it is uninhabited and nature has taken over, leaving a place of immense beauty.
Steeped in history its crazy to think that this was once a Spaniards castle where guests would roam around, enjoying the beauty of the rainforest. Now reclaimed by the jungle it’s a place of magic and beauty; nature has taken control and has brought something unique and incredible. With a waterfall descending over the rocks to the lake below, a castle full of ivy, tropical gardens, fish to feed, exotic plants and a 45-minute storytelling tour, it’s truly remarkable. A photographer’s heaven, words can not describe how beautiful Paronella park is. It’s like a fairy-tale, beauty surrounds you on every corner. If you’re making a day of it, they have their own cafe where you can sit and enjoy a lunch surrounded by nature.
We rounded off the day with dinner at Castaways Resort and Spa, soothed by the sounds of breaking waves from the beach beyond.
Day Three
We commenced our third day in Queensland with breakfast at Castaways Resort and Spa, preparing for a busy day ahead.
If you are a water enthusiast and would like to dive in the most stunning setting, then you must travel to Mission Beach dive for the ultimate scuba experience. It’s a whole days’ worth of excitement and definitely worth your time, plus it’s only 5 minutes away from Castaways Resort and Spa. We were lucky enough to take part in two 10 metre dives with a fully qualified instructor. As you dive down a metre at a time into the depths of the ocean, life slowly becomes surreal. Life in the ocean is so peaceful and serene, a myriad of fish swim by and the coral is so vibrant and picturesque. As you hang in the water, motionless you might see a small shark swim past (but don’t be alarmed as they are no more threatening than the turtles gliding alongside.)
A tropical buffet lunch with tea, coffee and snacks is provided on this trip along with masks, snorkels, fins, all your dive gear, wet suit and your snorkel briefing. All instructors are fully trained padi professionals and know exactly what they are doing, making you feel at ease throughout your whole dive.
We spent the day exploring the waters and finished off with a dinner in the town before packing up our belongings ready to head to a new Hotel the next day.
Day Four
Today we headded to the Canopy Rainforest Treehouses and Wildlife Sanctuary in Tarzali. This was an hour and 30-minute drive (definitely worth it) and to make the most of the journey we decided to visit a few destinations along the way.
First, we stopped off at Milla Milla falls to see some of the most photographed falls in Australia. Here you can walk or drive the circuit and view the beautiful scenery. It’s a great way to immerse yourself in natures habitat and take a break from the busy city life. If you have your swimming costume you can take a dip in the water (be warned it’s very cold!) and even go under the waterfalls themselves. Plus keep an eye out for some of the wildlife, you may spot a Ulysses Butterfly and platypus later in the afternoon.
If you love your soft cheeses, yoghurts and cheese cakes, you must stop off at Mungalli Creek Bio-Dynamic Dairy Farm. We had the pleasure of meeting one of the owners and having lunch on their outdoor sitting area. Family run like Charley’s Chocolate, they have won over 120 awards and medals for their high quality dairy produce. The lunch is delicious, the cheese fresh with a lovely texture, the yoghurts light and refreshing and the cheese cake smooth and divine. It’s the ideal stop before heading to the Canopy Rainforest Treehouses. Plus, you can buy your breakfast items and take them with you for in your treehouse the next morning (I really would recommend this).
As mentioned above, our accommodation was the canopy treehouses – a collection of treehouses nestled together within the rainforest. Our treehouse was warm, cosy and inviting, encapsulating vibes of the traditional Australian rainforest married with contemporary luxuries. The bathroom contained a spa bath for your personal sanctuary, a separate shower and crystal amenities to treat yourself. Two bedrooms are available, both snug and inviting with comfortable double beds, the walls decorated in wooden panels and adorned with pictures and large windows looking out to the wildlife. Being a self-catering treehouse the main living area has a fully functional kitchen with a fridge and freezer for you to store you daily meals in and a spacious living-room with a fabulous corner sofa, wood fireplace and tv for evening entertainment (Once you are done feeding the wildlife of course!)
One of the greatest charms the canopy tree houses offer is the wildlife, this is an opportunity to immerse yourself with the wild in their own habitat. In the night wallabies and possums will visit you for their evening feed where you can get up close and feed them some bananas (these are provided for you). Parrots appear in their numbers chirping away for some bird food (again provided) whilst Cassowaries try to steal all the food away from them all. One morning I woke up and Rex (the local Wallaby) was waiting by the balcony door wanting some attention – a very unique experience! It’s a spectacular way to see the rainforest and one I would certainly do again. I couldn’t recommend this highly enough.
We rounded the evening off by cooking dinner in the kitchen and relaxing to the sounds of the rainforest.
