Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - For GBR portion of our trip: Whitsundays, Cairns or Port Douglas?

I've attached an excerpt from my trip report. I think it'll help ... (FYI, the first 28 photos are Sydney & the Central Coast.)
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The 40 minute drive up Captain Cook highway to our hotel was as beautiful as promised. I’d booked the Thala Beach Lodge (www.thala.com) based on the TripAdvisor reviews and the photos and description I’d seen on the hotel’s website. I had high hopes. It exceeded all expectations -- by a mile. This place is stunning and the service is impeccable.

While our bags were being taken to our bungalow we were ushered to a sitting area with breathtaking views of the coast and the Coral Sea and were brought a delicious fruit juice drink. Gawking at the multi-level rock pool and waterfall, and the panoramic views beyond, I felt as if I’d stepped into an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.

Each room is an individual bungalow set into the rainforest atop stilts. The package I’d booked at a “last minute” rate of $199 AUD/night was for the lowest priced room and included a “tropical” breakfast and a room upgrade—if available. (The regular price is $249/nt for a “Jungle Walk” room; $385/nt for a “Eucalypt” room.) We were indeed upgraded one level to a “Eucalypt” room that exuded understated elegance. I could have happily stayed on the balcony for the next three days. The view of the mountains was absolutely gorgeous—with glimpses of the sea beyond.

Apparently, the primary difference in the room categories is the location. The lowest priced “Jungle Walk” rooms are set close to ground level and their balconies are virtually surrounded by the lush rainforest vegetation—so they have no view to speak of—although I’d guess it’s also lovely to be literally amidst the trees and wildlife. I admit we adored our view from the top of the rainforest canopy and now that I’ve gotten a taste of it, I’d want it again next time—and I certainly hope there will be a next time.

We walked to the hotel’s beach, practically gasping at the views en route. The beach seems to go on forever and we strolled along the water’s edge admiring the jagged rock formations and the curving coastline in the distance.

Breakfasts were a highlight of the trip—not only because they were delicious and beautifully presented—but because the views from our table were nothing short of OMG. (Help! I’m running out of superlatives!!!) As if the coastline and mountains weren’t enough—there were countless lorikeets in the trees just beyond the railing. Typical of this hotel to think of everything; they had a bird bath and feeder set high in the trees to attract the little parrots.

The buffet breakfast included in our rate featured more than enough food for me: cold cereals (served with organic milk); artisan breads; mini croissants; crumpets; hard-boiled eggs; smoked salmon; cold meats, and outstanding Australian cheeses. The selection of fruits included exotic varieties I’d never seen before. (I grew especially fond of the dragon fruit.) There was yogurt, muesli, and berry coulis, pastries, and homemade mango and strawberry jams. For an additional $8 - $10 one could upgrade to add a hot breakfast such as an omelet or pancakes with bacon; grilled fish; or even filet mignon to supplement the buffet.

FYI, we’re not “foodies,” nor do I eat seafood, drink alcohol, or eat desserts. I do my best to eat my boring, healthy meals even when I travel. (Bear in mind that I typically travel 4 – 5 months each year, so it’s not a special event.) That said, dinner at the Thala Lodge restaurant was too expensive for my pockets. Appetizers were $18.50; salads $16.50; main courses $39.50; desserts $16.50. So you’d be looking at around $200 per couple WITHOUT wine or other alcohol. They offered an all-inclusive package deal (with all meals and wines) for $850/night per couple.

Fine dining isn’t important to us. We’re truly just as happy stopping at a local market and buying fresh sandwich meats, salads, carrot sticks and fruit for a picnic—or in this instance, sitting on our balcony, listening to the ocean and the birds, and watching the stars. By doing so, I felt like I was living like a multi-millionaire – while spending only $199 AUD/night (approximately $160 US).

One thing to keep in mind: the paths to the bungalows are quite steep and those who are not reasonably fit would need to rely on being driven by a staff member in one of the little carts every time they wanted to go to the restaurant, pools, or lobby. IMHO, the Thala Beach Lodge is a destination in and of itself—but most evenings the only thing to do is to borrow a DVD from their extensive collection or simply relax. So those who are looking for a party atmosphere might be happier staying in Pt. Douglas which is a typical beach resort town with loud, crowded bars (all with bands—and one with cane toad races (!), and wall-to-wall souvenir shops. For me, it would have been “okay,” but a completely different experience from the blissful romance of Thala.

Back to breakfast … it was hard to tear ourselves away from the coffee, the views, and the birds, but we had to get busy relaxing! Day One activities began with a stop at Mossman Gorge. Quite beautiful, but unfortunately, most of the hiking paths were closed so we were quite limited in how much we could see. But the swimming hole and surrounding area were well worth the visit. We continued on to Daintree Village where we stopped for a crocodile burger (!!!) and exceptionally delicious chips at Elenor’s. The croc tasted like a cross between chicken and pork. Tasty!

We decided to take a small electric boat, the White Ibis, to tour the river. It was a peaceful, relaxing way to spend an hour ($20/person). We spotted one croc head sticking up from the water; a snake; and some nice birds and butterflies. I had to keep reminding myself that I was not on the Disneyland Jungle Cruise.

We’d planned to continue on to Cape Tribulation, but it was getting late and we were tired, so we headed back, stopping to watch the sunset, while leaning against a palm tree on the beach in Port Douglas. Dinner was a tasty kebab in Port D followed by browsing in the shops.

On most days the hotel offers some type of activity, such as a guided nature walk or a presentation by a local Aboriginal. This particular night was “Stargazing.” A group of about fifteen of us were issued flashlights and binoculars, as well as bug spray. We followed our guide to a field where chairs and two telescopes had been set up. There weren’t nearly as many stars visible as I’d seen in NZ because the moon was quite bright. But I was able to get a great view of Saturn—with its rings, as well as quite a few constellations. It was quite a thrill. Our guide (Rose) is quite passionate and knowledgeable about her stars!

Next day: the Great Barrier Reef.

I’d been quite ignorant about how one visits the reef. When I began preparations I wasn’t sure if we’d be driving to the reef and staying on it—or flying out to it. (Kidding! I’m not quite that ignorant—but almost.) I eventually figured out that one stays either on the mainland or on an island and takes a boat out to visit a tiny portion of the reef for the day.

Knowing what I now know, it would have been a BIG mistake if we had stayed on one of the islands because beach and underwater activities are not our top priorities – and we wouldn’t have been able to explore the Daintree River and Park; Cape Tribulation; and so much more.

We decided on the Quicksilver, the largest boat sailing from the Port Douglas Marina to the Outer Reef. (It held more than 300 passengers.) We chose it because it takes you to a large pontoon that’s stationed by the reef. From the pontoon we’d be able to take a semi-submersible glass-sided vessel to tour the reef—or view it from an underwater observation deck—without actually getting wet. (We’re not divers or snorkelers.)

It was sunny and the sea was calm; the 90 minute ride to the reef was mostly smooth and pleasant, but most of the time we saw nothing but water. Upon transferring to the pontoon, a very nice buffet lunch was served. The quality and variety of foods were impressive—but I prefer my prawns without their heads attached .

The $199 (AUD) pp fare included coffee, tea and cookies in the morning; the buffet lunch; and coffee, tea, cheese & crackers, and fruit in the afternoon. Also included were snorkeling equipment; and unlimited rides on the semi-sub.

Wet suits to keep you warm in the water; lycra body suits (for protection against stingers—which were not a problem this time of year); and guided snorkeling and diving tours were available for an additional cost -- and were pushed heavily.

From the surface, the reef looked like no big deal and I thought the day was going to be a waste of time—but at least I’d be able to say I’d visited the GBR. Then we went in the semi-submersible boat and everything changed. The thirty minute ride was incredible, phenomenal; amazing; and beyond my wildest expectations. A magnificent underwater world awaited just below the surface. The varieties, colors, and shapes of the coral were mind boggling—and the fish were incredible. There were hundreds – if not thousands of fish – in every imaginable shape, size, and color. I was blown away.

I’ve never felt comfortable being up close & personal with fish so I didn’t think I’d want to snorkel. But getting a glimpse of what was below the water made me want to see it all—so on came the snorkel and mask. It was fantastic! The fish are used to being fed so they surround the snorkelers. It was mostly beautiful—but when I came face to face with an ENORMOUS Maori Wrasse (probably weighing much more than me—and much uglier) I decided to enjoy the wildlife from the observation area. It was an amazing day I’ll never forget. By the way … the Port Douglas Marina is absolutely beautiful and has some nice shops and restaurants.

Next day we decided to get an early start and head to Cape Tribulation, exploring the rainforest en route. It doesn’t seem very far on the map, but with winding, narrow roads; countless stops for photo ops, strolls on beaches; lunch, and more … it was a full day. A highlight was the spectacular views from Alexandra Lookout. The ferry ($19 RT) is the only way across the Daintree – other than swimming with the crocs. It’s about a 5 minute ride and the ferry goes back and forth all day until midnight.

We’d hoped to experience the rainforest by hiking—but there seemed to be no hiking trails and no roads other than the main highway. When we saw signs for the Daintree Discovery center we decided that walking along its boardwalks would probably be our only way to see the rainforest. The $33 admission seemed steep for what was offered, but we did enjoy it—especially climbing the tower to experience the various levels of the forest and canopy.

We’d hoped to spot some wildlife—especially one of the cassowaries that are supposedly all over the area. But alas, the only wildlife we saw was a lizard, a smattering of birds, and a few butterflies. For those interested in an educational rainforest experience this is the place. But the info was a little more than I cared to know The café had a lovely view and we enjoyed a sandwich and coffee—and headed back to the road.

When we arrived at Cape Trib our first stop was at Kulki lookout for photos. I’d heard how stunning Cape Tribulation was and it was very pretty, indeed. But we both thought it wasn’t all that much prettier than the beach at our hotel, or any of several other beaches we’d visited—and probably not worth the all-day drive. The only difference was that the vegetation on the surrounding mountains was more lush. We enjoyed a long walk with toes in the surf and lots of pix.

Heading back we made a spur of the moment detour at the Dubuji boardwalk—and finally got the rainforest experience we’d hoped for. We seemed to be the only visitors and it was the real deal—a little spooky, too. We walked about an hour through what felt like Jurassic Park. We just knew there were crocs in those swamps and cassowaries lurking around every corner—but our only wildlife spotting consisted of a couple of brush turkeys. It was fantastic hearing those sounds and being surrounded by truly primordial rainforest. I left feeling I’d had yet another amazing day.

We stopped to eat at a Chinese restaurant I’d remembered passing in Mossman, on the way to the Gorge. The town was soooo quiet, it seemed almost like a ghost town. We got back to our hotel tired from all the driving—but very happy.

No, it can’t be almost time to leave. But after walking on the beach and the nature trail at Thala Beach Lodge we had to bid a fond farewell to one of the most wonderful places we’ve ever stayed. By the way, we had beautiful weather (mostly sunny—and highs of 78 to 80 degrees) and couldn’t understand why everyone said it’s so humid in Queensland … until our last day. Ugghh. The humidity was a bit oppressive, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying our day. (Our flight back to Sydney wouldn’t leave until 7 PM.) We weren’t sure about visiting the Rainforest Habitat—but were lured in by the clever idea of having “Lunch with the Lorikeets.” (I wasn’t about to pass up that amazing breakfast included at Thala Lodge for “Breakfast with the Birds.”)

We LOVED the Rainforest Habitat. It was like being in the most beautiful park with countless kangaroos, wallabies, and the most spectacular birds I’ve ever imagined—all roaming free. The kangaroos are used to being fed (you can buy bags of food) and are friendly and tame. But even without food I was able to scratch and pet one big fellow for quite a while—and patted quite a few more. There were also koalas and crocodiles (in enclosures!). Being an animal lover, I was in heaven.

We lunched with the lorikeets for an additional $14. We had a couple of egrets on our table. One stole a piece of my leftover steak. Other tables nearby had quite a few parrots—but as the lunch continued, the birds had their fill and mostly flew away. Still, the lunch was surprisingly good and we enjoyed eating with our feathered friends. I ended a perfect afternoon with a 30 second-long cuddle with a koala for the obligatory photo op ($16).

We had a few hours left before we needed to be at the airport so we headed to the Scenic Sky Rail—but unfortunately, we’d missed the last ride of the day. So we wandered through the terrific gift shop at the Aboriginal park next door—and I played a didgeridoo. I’d say that each of the four-and-a-half days we spent in Queensland was terrific—and each one was filled with unique, memorable experiences.

After an uneventful flight back to Sydney we took the shuttle ($6) to the Stamford Plaza hotel which I’d booked on wotif.com as their mystery “Wot” hotel. It was fantastic and deserved its 4-1/2 stars. The flight home on Qantas was pleasant and uneventful.

I came home tired, but happy—and with more than 1,200 photos to help me relive the wonderful memories—and bore all my friends . When I traveled to Oz last year I skipped Queensland, thinking it was all about visiting the reef—and there’s no reason to go if you don’t dive or snorkel. I had a completely wrong conception. The entire area is exquisite—sort of like Hawaii, but with kangaroos, koalas, and lorikeets—and it offers enough scenic drives and activities to easily fill a week or more—even without setting a toe into the water. I’ll definitely return.

Here’s a link to some pix:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLan...localeid=en_US

I hope you enjoyed the report and that it will help some of you in planning trips of your own. Cheers!