This week I enjoyed an international blog swap with UK based Sarah Ebner who authors the Family Travel Times. Sarah wrote a fantastic article about visiting London with kids, full of local know how. In return I wrote an article about exploring the Great Barrier Reef with kids for her site: Stretching almost…
We have three weeks left living in one of the most beautiful regions in Australia. We arrived with a seven month old baby and are now leaving with a five year old and a three year old. I really hope that we come back, again and again to introduce the region to our new bub,…
I love being able to expose my kids to experiences they will remember and that will positively influence their worldview. They loved seeing marine turtles in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park off Green Island. Unfortunately all resident species of marine turtle in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park are considered threatened. The Reef HQ…
Situated within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Green Island is a favourite day trip for snorkelers setting out from Cairns. Early this tropical winter we overnighted at the Green Island Resort, giving us extra time to explore the coral cay during a king tide. The term ‘king tide’ isn’t a scientific term, however it is…
With an upcoming trip to Townsville in August I was keen to get some advice from a local. Jan at Budget Travel Talk lives in Townsville and blogs about her travels far and wide. Some of her beautiful photos of Townsville were inspiration for us to organise our trip to North Queensland’s hub. She…
This is a story that I’ve enjoyed researching. Every time friends visit Cairns I make a point of snooping out their accommodation. How much space do they have? What facilities are there? What did they pay? It seems to be pretty hit and miss. Friends that had paid a fortune were unable to use their…
Situated between Cairns and Port Douglas, Palm Cove has no shortage of accommodation options. My own approach when choosing accommodation for our family is to lean very much towards venues that make an extra effort to cater to families with kids. We stayed at the Novotel Resort Palm Cove for a quick weekend getaway and,…
I know that many families come to north Queensland for the tropical beaches. Families planning a visit to the tropical north should not overlook the varied wildlife experiences that are available as well. Drawing on my last five years up north I have written an article, published on family traveling website stradun.net that details the best…
I have been reflecting on simple pleasure recently, especially those that we enjoy in Tropical North Queensland. We are blessed with a collection of rainforest swimming holes across the far north and particularly enjoy them during stinger season (October to May) when the beaches are off limits. The stunning Milla Milla Falls are located 873…
How important it is to encourage kids to engage with simple pleasures. I worry for my own mobile, high tech kids that they will forget to take joy in quiet moments. One simple pleasure that they are are mad for is feeding kangaroos and wallabies. Most wildlife parks and zoos in Australia offer this…