how long for a quality minimum stay ...is three days enough?

no

Especially if three days included day of arrival and departure it is making it more than tight.

Like that gives you really only one day for say a trip to the reef if that is main intention of the trip, and depending on arrival/departure times, bugger all time for anything else, most attractions involving some travel away from Cairns.

No, its not. If that time frame is including arrival and departure days, and assuming one full day is to be allocated to reef, it gives you absolutely no flexibility with weather, which is the most important element in a reef trip.

But it would help if you outlined your interests and let us know if Cairns is your only stop in FNQ.

Ok planing on a reef trip and a jungle trip........ 4 or 5 nights?? yes, it's the only stop as I'm going to NZ for the rest of the trip...thank you so much..Is it difficult to plan a trip with the weather and still get a reservation??

"..Is it difficult to plan a trip with the weather and still get a reservation??"

It takes bad stormy or cyclonic conditions in region before reef trips get cancelled, so that depends on when you're thinking of going.

Small reef operators such as Wavelength do cancel in rough weather, some of the larger ones don't. Mostly though, its OK to book on arrival, if one operator is full, or not running on that day, you're bound to find another suitable trip. Either the reef operator or tour desk at your accommodation will be happy to give correct weather information.

By "jungle" assume you mean rainforests, day tours run to Daintree in north, Wooroonooran Nat Park to south, there's the Kuranda Scenic Train/Skyrail from Cairns, and you should spend at least one day in Atherton Tableland. A very good little day tour which takes in Tableland and rainforest highlights is www.northernexperience.com.au and www.wildernessecosafaris.com (max 7 passengers) takes you into deep rainforests well off the beaten tourist tracks. Both pick up in Cairns or its northern beaches.

i think I would want to do reef magic and Wait-a-While tour?.....I need to find a place thats jungly to sty where there are good places to eat .......how do wilderness safai and northern experience differ?

"I need to find a place thats jungly to STY where there are good places to eat" (my emphasis)

Is this so you can 'pig out'.

Rose Gums Retreat may be to your liking for this on the Tablelands. I haven't stayed at any of the coastal places recently.

rose gums is an hour and a half away.....No i want to stay not more than 30 min from cairns...kewarra beach resort?

Hmmm!, when is this again!, and yes do get your ETA organised and seeing as you're stopping in Auckland, don't keep an apple from a planes meal in your bag for later on or that'll cost you dearly over there [and here too, possibly]

Thank you but speak american to me as I dont understand Australian.LOL bushranger what do you mean?

On your other thread you asked about a visa.
. an ETA will do you for a holiday
. I see now you're heading Cairns way in March - going to be nice and humid if not stormy - might be worth waiting until you get there to see what the weather is like before booking.
. Also seeing as you stop in Auckland, some airlines give out apples as part of a meal and you would not be the first one to put it away for later and then forget - a little beagle dog may come along with his nose twitching beagerishly and it could well cist you about NZ$200 as a fine.

A whole plane load came off one time and a whole heap all had to pay the fine for one measily apple forgotten!

Comprehendo! - np fresh fuit and declare any food, even a choclate bar to be safe.

hypatia, I did answer you on another thread where you were asking about Kewarra Beach Resort.


Kewarra Beach is a northern beach suburb of Cairns, about 20 mins north of Cairns Airport, which is about 10 minutes north(ish) of Cairns city and is on public bus route from Cairns. So, 30 mins max. It's on many acres of well established tropical grounds, its about as "jungly" as you'll get without going much further afield. Also beachfront with public stinger net directly outside resort.

Wait a While's Tableland trip starts in afternoon and extends into night for nocturnal wildlife spotting, it will get you back to your accommodation at around midnight.

Both Northern Experience and Wilderness Eco safaris are day trips out of Cairns (or its beaches); as explained on their websites, the former takes you to Lake Barrine with boat trip, Curtain Fig at Yungaburra, Millaa Millaa Falls, lunch at Mungalli Falls, Paronella Park, Innisfail, and stops for swimming and walk at Babinda Boulders. The latter is non-scheduled, the operator takes you off-road into highland rainforests and chooses what he thinks will be the best route of the day in terms of wildlife and terrain.

Bushy-really?!!!! good to know...i will try and remember!!!
I quess Ill stay at kewarra but it is expensive...
thats sounds good pat...northern experience sounds fun! thanks can you guys help me with my Australian...is there a site???

Why don't you stay with Pat Woolford in her B&B where heaps of Fodorites have stayed over the years including myself recently just before Xmas. She can do all your bookings and tell you exactly where to go for the best of what the area has to offer.
Her B&B website is www.lilybank.net.au ( I will just check that in a moment to be sure)

No I am wrong with the website - its.. http://www.lilybank.com.au/
All the good tours pickup from her place and there are some really great eating places just a short walk from there. Lovely homestyle, relaxing accommodation with the added advantage of the most knowledgeable person to have looking after you - so is her husband Mike too by the way.

Hypatia, here's the Northern Experience website Pat posted earlier:
www.northernexperience.com.au

I think you'd love Kewarra Beach resort http://www.kewarra.com/beach-resort.html

See if you can get one of their specials - I read somewhere they're offering something like $150 which, if you're converting to USD, would be bargain basement at the moment!

the rate on site was 240 and Im assuming thats AU...where did you see that?

yes I did forget it was AU so more reasonable.....what do they call us greenhorns in OZ