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We've compiled the best of the best in Great Barrier Reef - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
A scenic section of the Bruce Highway locals call the Great Green Way links Cairns with Townsville, taking you through sugarcane, papaya, and banana plantations, past white-sand beaches and an island-dotted ocean. The 348-km (216-mile) drive takes about 4½ hours. Allow time to explore towns, parks, and rain-forest tracts along the way.
The historic Kuranda Scenic Railway makes a two-hour ascent through Din Din (Barron Gorge) and through 15 hand-hewn tunnels passing waterfalls en route to pretty Kuranda village. Travel in one of the original timber carriages in Heritage Class or enjoy a cheese platter and mango sorbet made from locally grown fruit in the lounge-style seating in Gold Class. Several tour packages are available, from full-day rain forest safaris, and visits to wildlife parks to simple round-trips combining rail and cable-car journeys.
