hkrcac

Hi,

I would like to know whether we could stay at Palm Cove and cover all the attractions -GBR,Rainforest,Daintree etc. or is it advisable to stay at Cairns for a few days and then stay at Port Douglas for a few more days. We are just covering Cairns and Port Douglas over a 10-12 day period.Please advise.
Thanks. I really appreciate your suggestions and help.

hkrcac

pat_woolford

Hi, Palm Cove is the most northerly beach of Cairns and is a good base for just about everything. Not far from Skyrail/Kuranda train, reef trips which leave from Cairns pick up at accommodation and its on public bus route to Cairns city which certainly has more night life.

If a beach is important it would be a wiser choice than Cairns city, which is a harbour with deep water anchorage for ocean-going liners and doesn't have a sandy beach. Although it does have a large, stinger-proof man-made swimming lagoon.

Port Douglas is about 30 minutes closer to Daintree than Palm Cove. From Palm Cove its easy to get to Atherton Tableland (you could see this advertised as "Cairns Highlands&quot which a "must do" for wildlife, waterfalls, tropical highland rainforest areas and some wonderful locally grown produce. With 10-12 days in area, you'd certainly have time to spend a couple of days in this area.

South of Cairns is more world heritage rainforest which such gems as Josephine Falls and Babinda Boulders - Frankland Islands are one of the best kept secrets south of Cairns - and further south but doable for a day trip is white water rafting on Tully River.

You'd have time to venture further inland to outback country, Undara Lava tubes which are fascinating or Chillagoe, an old mining town with a vast cave system.

Just a few suggestions, there's much more ...............

JohnFitz

I defer to Pat's wise advice . I regard her as the expert on the area and her tips to me last year were invaluable .We stayed with friends in PC for nearly 2 weeks last June and it was perfect for getting around although we hired a car.Also see some of the other waterfalls up in the tablelands such as Emerald ( they are all welL mapped) Crystal Cascades just out of Cairns heading North and visit the crater lakes around Yungaburra . Lovely old town with a nice market weekly or monthly - just can't recall now .Also there is now a good supermarket at Clifton Beach if you are self catering which is just before PC .

Saltuarius

hkrcac,

Pat is once again spot on! However if you have that much time why not have two bases, Palm Cove on the coast for most of the time and one on the Atherton Tablelands. The Tablelands is the place to go for wildlife, Rock Wallabies, Tree-kangaroos, Platypus and so much more. Don't forget to plan in a nocturnal tour if you are into wildlife. Day trips to Undara for the lava tubes and Chillagoe for the limestone caves are easier from there too.

hkrcac

Thanks for all your responses.Will stay at Palm Cove.

Karen246

To be honest I would give Palm Cove a miss and stay at Port Douglas. You can then tour up to the Daintree, Cape Trib etc, out to Mosman Gorge. Then I would stay at Mission Beach which is south of Cairns and do the tablelands - eg Youngaburra, Milla Milla Fallas etc. We stayed at Palm Cove for a couple of nights but ended up leaving and going to PD. I just found Palm Cove a little artificial, though the location is sensational. Only my opinion though.

pat_woolford

Can't see why Palm Cove is considered "more artificial than Port Douglas", they're both tourist areas, both have enormous Sea Temple resorts, if you like that sort of thing, and Palm Cove is significantly smaller. Palm Cove has retained the magnificent hundreds-of-years old melaleucas along its esplanade and most of its accommodation is beachfront, much of Port Douglas' isn't.

Its still perfectly feasible to travel to Mossman Gorge, Cape Tribulation from Palm Cove and much closer from Palm Cove to Crystal Cascades (you need a car) which is Mossman Gorge without the tourists.