Palm Cove, Far North Queensland

[jackruss]

Begging the advice of the friendly Banana Benders, ( are they that far North ?)

I am planning a break with the little woman and the two little ones ( 2 and 6 ), in Palm Cove and am after any opinions on the place.

Am looking for somewhere the kids can plan on the sand, maybe head out to the reef and go into some botanical stuff like the rain forest ( is that wood work related).

Am Planning to use my mountain of reward points for accommodation, but can't seem to find any true info on the town, is it just a surfers paradise a way north?

thanks

JR

[DanP]

Had my honeymoon there last year. Eat at the Reef House (Sebel), It's fantastic. It is nothing like Surfers. There's a lot less gimmicky touristy rubbish there. If you've got a car with you I highly recommend Palm Cove. If not, it's a bit out of Cairns and there's not that much in PC for the kids (unless you and yours like sitting on the beach or round the pool).

Quicksilver does reef trips from PC but is very expensive. You will find cheaper, but you'll have to get to them (Cairns or Port Douglas).

Dan

[jackruss]

woops forgot to mention. )

Flying to cairns, getting big hire car WITH aircond.

Aiming for around end of september, Just miss queensland school holidays.

So good restaurants, now thats my idea of a holiday )

[DanP]

We loved the restaurants in PC. Pigged out every night. Most of the restaurants were exceptional.

[namtrak]

Palm Cove is a northern suburb of Cairns. It's a nice spot but you wont be able to swim at that time of year (I dont think). You (less the kids) can fish of the end of the wharf.

If you head into town (about 10 min drive)The kids and swmbo will love the Esplanade pool and as a surprise take the kids for a walk along the boardwalk to a great playground setup about 500m along the boardwalk.

Definitely give Skyrail a go - maybe a bit beyond the 2 yo but the rest will love it. Kuranda is a better place to visit when the markets aren't on - but that can be a bit hard to manage.

For the swmbo the best markets up North are the monthly ones at Yungaburra (4th Saturday of the Month - I believe)

And rather than going onto the reef you might be better served heading out to Green Island - it's a bit dated but it's cheap and you can still snorkel and stuff. Take the sunscreen and a shade umbrella if its especially hot.

The drive up to Port Douglas along the Rex Highway is superb.

There are also heaps of free things to do up on the Tablelands - there was some stuff posted here a couple of months ago about things to do in FNQ which should give you a good summary.

Also Paronella Park down near Innisfail (about an hour south of Cairns) isn't so bad either

Have fun

[TassieKiwi]

Go up to Port Douglas on Sunday - brilliant market. If you don't want a car I'm sure the hotel would organise bus trips to and from - there are heaps to transfer people to the reef boats.

[jackruss]

thanks for the heads up.

Its so much better than the marketing crap on the web.

One question, why can't we swim at the beach? Is it the box jelly fish? Do they have warning signs to tell you when they are in, probably just wet the feet of the kids and enjoy the wave splashing , not planning any ironman swims!!

JR

[Rocker]

The season for box jellyfish is October to May. You should be OK in September.

Rocker

[Gingermick]

The season for box jellyfish is October to May. You should be OK in September.

Rocker

The weather is pretty good at that time of year too

[namtrak]

The season for box jellyfish is October to May. You should be OK in September.

Rocker

Yeh, I wasnt sure - but you would want to heed local advice on this one!!

[journeyman Mick]

Rule of thumb for box jellyfish is that you're safe to swim in any month without an "R" in it (May, June, July & August). Palm Cove is a patrolled beach and if there are stingers around there will be a stinger proof enclosure in the water.

Namtrak, don't know when you were last on Green Island, but I helped build a $55M resort there 11 years ago, I guess it might be a little dated now. If you have a car then a drive around the waterfall circuit on the tablelands is worthwhile. Also Port Douglas is a nice drive, if you want a really romantic drive, book a dinner in PD and drive there in the afternoon and catch the sunset on the drive. Closer by, you can check out Lake Morris (just behind Cairns) only 20 mins drive from Cairns Central, shopping mecca for SWMBO's plus movies for kids.

Mick

[Cliff Rogers]

G'day.

If you are into fishing, you can't do that off the PC jetty any more either, the buga's banned it.

I live in Cairns during the week & up on the southern end of the Tablelands on the weekend. I picked up 1.5kgs of tourist balist & sent it to Ian Hockings last month, I can do the same for you or you can wait for Hocko to come home at the end of the month & ask him what he reckons. He lives in Sydney too.

Reef, yes. If you have little kids, try Low Isles.

Skyrail & Karanda Railway, go up by Skyrail & come back on the train.
The Train leaves early to go up so you have to be up early. There's a Skyrail car leaving every couple of minutes all day. It's less than a half hour from Palm Cove to Smithfield where the Skyrail leaves from & there's a shuttle bus from the Train station back to where you leave your car. The shopping in Karanda has improved, it's more than cheap chinese crap markets, you can now buy some expensive Australian crap too. Nah, joking, it has improved.
There's an animal park of some sort & a butterfly santuary (gaol).

Cape Trib, the Daintree & the tablelands are the places to go to see the rainforest & wildlife. (and timber ) These would all have to be a day trip.
If you are looking for wildlife at the Daintree & north to Cape Trib, you will see more if you do one of the guided tours rather than drive yourself.

Rainforest Habitat wild life sanctury. (At Port Douglas, you can do breakfast with the birds there.) About 45 mins away.

Hartley’s Crocodile Farm. (on the way to Port Douglas) about 30 mins away.

There's also a Zoo between Palm Cove & Clifton Beach. About 10 mins away.

There is now a good big shopping centre at Clifton Beach so you don't have to go broke paying tourists prices at PC the whole time, also about 10 mins away.

There is a Timber Galery in Daintree villiage. A bit over an hour north.
There is a Timber Galery at Tolga on the tablelands. A bit over an hour southwest.

The Sebel Reef House does have a very good restaraunt BUT.... I'm not sure that it would suit a 2 & 6 year old. Cockies is very good for breakfast.

How long are you staying?

BTW, the bananas up here grow with bends in them, it is the southern ones that have to be bent so the shoppers think that they are the good ones from up here.

[namtrak]

.........Namtrak, don't know when you were last on Green Island, but I helped build a $55M resort there 11 years ago, .......

I had forgotten about that
- it was very unobtrusive though - and I guess I was more thinking of the crocodile farm!

If you are into fishing, you can't do that off the PC jetty any more either, the buga's banned it.

Bastards!! I used enjoy heading out there when swmbo had things to do in town - then I just had take the wobbly boot back to the car and sleep all the way home

The shopping in Karanda has improved, it's more than cheap chinese crap markets, you can now buy some expensive Australian crap too. Nah, joking, it has improved.

Thats good to hear - that was one trip we never went on guests with - we would just gave them directions

Rainforest Habitat wild life sanctury. (At Port Douglas, you can do breakfast with the birds there.) About 45 mins away.

Hartley’s Crocodile Farm. (on the way to Port Douglas) about 30 mins away.

We took the kids to the Habitat when we last up there and they went spare - bit of a pity that they got rid of the butterfly house though.

[jackruss]

thanks for the info.

Nothing like local knowledge.

Am planning for a week, have been doing the websurf on things to do, and Green Island gets the nod.

Seems like I need to pack abit more cash, everything seems about the $250 - 400, skyrail, boat trip.

Buggar about the fishing, was planning on escaping for a while.

Ah well, all good plans ...

JR

[DanP]

Rule of thumb for box jellyfish is that you're safe to swim in any month without an "R" in it (May, June, July & August).

Beach was closed when I was there (in late april), something to do with a 4m croc sighted at the beach...