Places to Explore

• Cairns

  Tourism is the lifeblood of Cairns (pronounced Caans). The city makes a perfect base for exploring the wild top half of Queensland, and tens of thousands of international travelers use it as a jumping-off... (more)

• Magnetic Island

  More than half of Magnetic Island's 52 square km (20 square mi) is national parkland, laced with miles of walking trails and rising to a height of 1,640 feet on Mt. Cook. The terrain is punctuated with... (more)

• North Coast Islands

• North of Cairns

  The Captain Cook Highway runs from Cairns to Mossman, a relatively civilized stretch known mostly for the resort towns of Palm Cove and Port Douglas. Past the Daintree River, wildlife parks and sunny coastal... (more)

• Townsville

  Townsville and its adjacent twin city of Thuringowa make up Australia's largest tropical city, with a combined population of around 160,000. It's the commercial capital of the north, and a major center... (more)

• The Whitsunday Islands

  The Whitsundays are a group of 74 islands situated within 161 km (100 mi) of each other, 50 km (31 mi) from Shute Harbour, the principal mainland departure point, though some boats depart from Airlie Beach... (more)