{"id":108,"date":"2013-08-04T00:28:16","date_gmt":"2013-08-04T00:28:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.nz\/stories\/taking-kids-to-the-tropical-north\/"},"modified":"2022-04-21T00:03:30","modified_gmt":"2022-04-21T00:03:30","slug":"taking-kids-to-the-tropical-north","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.nz\/stories\/taking-kids-to-the-tropical-north\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking Kids to the Tropical North"},"content":{"rendered":"

Is the cold winter weather getting you down? Every year my family and I escape the winter chill with a tropical getaway. One of our favourite parts of the world is Tropical North Queensland \u2013 short flight times, no passports needed, beautiful beaches, the Great Barrier Reef, lots of sunshine and so much more.\u00a0Cairns<\/a>\u00a0is a popular jumping off point for exploring the north. Don\u2019t get stuck here though – two destinations that Expedia families love visiting are Port Douglas and Palm Cove \u2026 and for good reason.<\/p>\n

Port Douglas<\/h2>\n

Only 50 minutes north of Cairns, Port Douglas is a popular base for exploring the UNESCO World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest.<\/p>\n

Port Douglas itself is a wonderfully laid back family friendly place to relax and unwind. Four Mile Beach is patrolled by surf life savers and from November \u2013 May a stinger net swimming enclosure is in place to provide a safe swimming environment. The cafes and restaurants are very welcoming of children so you can relax and enjoy a meal out.<\/p>\n

There are several great family friendly accommodation options. Take trendy tweens to\u00a0QT Port Douglas<\/a>,\u00a0which offers two bedroom villas, a cool pool and a Moonlight Cinema running through to the end of October, with regular kids flicks on the program. If you prefer to self cater, try the\u00a0Rendezvous Reef Resort Port Douglas<\/a>\u00a0for two and three bedroom villas with free internet, kids pool on site, a kitchen and laundry facilities.<\/p>\n

The main attractions of Port Douglas, however, are the amazing excursions available to reef and rainforest.<\/p>\n

Snorkelling:<\/strong>\u00a0There are several family friendly trips out to the Great Barrier Reef \u2013 many are on cruise liners which go out to a pontoon in the middle of the reef. The\u00a0Wavedancer Low Isles Cruise<\/a>\u00a0is aboard a luxury catamaran. It zips out to a secluded island where the whole family can frolic on the beach or in the water. Kids under 3 are free and there\u2019s snorkelling gear and floaties available for toddlers and older. It\u2019s a full day on the water but the staff look after you with morning and afternoon tea and a buffet lunch on the beach.<\/p>\n

Kuranda Scenic Railway: <\/b>This is top of my list for our next trip north! The Kuranda Scenic Railyway and Skyrail Tour<\/a> is a great way to do the scenic loop. You\u2019re picked up from your hotel (in Cairns or Port Douglas) and taken to the Cairns train station. The train climbs through the rainforest all the way to Kuranda, the hippy-friendly town famous for markets, tie dye t-shirts and Devonshire teas. You\u2019ll head back down to ground aboard the Skyrail, the cablecar sliding down through the rainforest canopy, with a stop at the CSIRO Interpretive centre and a great boardwalk through the trees.<\/p>\n

Rainforest:<\/b> The\u00a0Daintree Discovery Centre<\/a> is a lovely way to give children a taste of the magnificent Daintree Rainforest via a boardwalk, 23 metre high canopy tower and aerial walkway.<\/p>\n

For children aged 6 and over the\u00a0Aboriginal Cultural Experience<\/a>\u00a0would be a lot of fun as a family outing. Spend an evening in the middle of the rainforest and learn all about authentic Aboriginal culture through theatre, music, storytelling, and food.<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Is the cold winter weather getting you down? Every year my family and I escape the winter chill with a tropical getaway. One of our favourite parts of the world is Tropical North Queensland \u2013 short flight times, no passports needed, beautiful beaches, the Great Barrier Reef, lots of sunshine and so much more.\u00a0Cairns\u00a0is a… Continue reading Taking Kids to the Tropical North<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":994,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,5,2,4,6],"tags":[25,204,59,205,206,207,208],"authors":[],"class_list":["post-108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adventure","category-destination","category-experiences","category-explore","category-oceania","tag-australia","tag-cairns","tag-family","tag-great-barrier-reef","tag-palm-cove","tag-port-douglas","tag-queensland","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTaking Kids to the Tropical North | Expedia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.nz\/stories\/taking-kids-to-the-tropical-north\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Taking Kids to the Tropical North | Expedia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Is the cold winter weather getting you down? 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