I had a “winter wig out”. It was nine months post relocation south to cooler climes in Melbourne and I was deep in a winter funk. The fact that I had spent the entire winter caring for germy children, and being myself a host to a million germs didn’t help. The September school holidays were looming and I was desperate to get back to the sun, sand and all round bloody gorgeousness of Far North Queensland. Knowing that my husband didn’t have any leave owing from work I spontaneously booked flights up to Cairns for myself and three kids for what I know is a spectacular time of year in the far north, September. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I had made a gutsy move, booking a holiday on my lonesome with three kids aged 6 months, 4 and 6. I knew I had to pick a locale that would satisfy my own need to relax (as much as is possible with three young kids) and keep the kids smiling. That is how we ended up at Trinity Beach. If I had any doubts about the wisdom of my trip they were quashed the minute I set eyes on beautiful Trinity Beach the morning after our arrival. Gentle waves, palm trees, soft sand, and a light tropical breeze equalled instant mood lift.
Trinity Beach Far North Queensland
The beachside hamlet of Trinity Beach is fifteen minutes north of Cairns CBD and is a more relaxed, authentic beachside community than its neighbors Palm Cove and Port Douglas. Those of you that follow this blog will know that we tend to rush around and cram (perhaps too much?) activity into our travels, due in large part to one of my children requiring almost constant stimulation/excitement. I was determined for this to not happen on this trip instead seeking a beach getaway like those I loved in from own childhood – where we spent our time playing on the sand and in the water EVERY DAY. Thankfully Trinity Beach delivered. The gentle waves of the patrolled beach were just the right size for young kids to play safely. The most difficult time of each day? Co-ercing my little sand encrusted cinnamon donuts into the outdoor shower to wash off the sand. Oh, and enforcing strict sun protection to ensure they didn’t become burnt cinnamon donuts (by following these rules).
In the surf at Trinity Beach
Playing at Trinity Beach with Double Island in the background.
For those of you that want to make the most of all that beautiful Cairns and Far North Queensland have to offer while staying at Trinity Beach I have a few suggestions:
- Don’t be shy about visiting the Great Barrier Reef with kids. You and the kids will remember it forever. You can read about our experiences finding Nemo here.
- Hire a car and drive up the Captain Cook Highway to Port Douglas, or further to Cape Tribulation. Truly one of the most spectacular drives in the world. Thanks to Europcar for the use of one of their vehicles during our trip.
- Visit the Rainforest village of Kuranda.
- Check out the crocs at Hartley’s Crocodile Adventure.
View from the Captain Cook Highway between Trinity Beach and Port Douglas
One activity that we enjoyed while there (although I had to wait for my husband’s weekend visit as I couldn’t have done it alone) was the inflatable water play on Trinity Beach. Every weekend, weather permitting and outside of stinger season the water play area is open to the public at a cost of $10 for all day access. Getting up on those inflatables is not easy, is more than a little undignified for a woman my age, but was really very fun.
The where, whens and and hows of Trinity Beach.
When to visit: Trinity Beach is at its most glorious from May to October which also coincides with the time of year that the beach is stinger free. For more info on keeping kids safe from marine stingers check out this post. Airfares and accommodation prices go up steeply in the school holidays so if you do have the opportunity to visit outside of them you will get most value for money. Alternatively, travel as we did on shoulder season (my son missed the last three days of term) to secure a great airfare.
How to get there: Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar and Tiger Airways all fly from Sydney and Melbourne to Cairns. Qantas, Virgin Australia and Jetstar fly from Brisbane and the Gold Coast. International flights arrive into Cairns via Hong Kong.
Where to eat: Lunicos serves amazing Italian cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere. They catered to our soggy, post beach mob with a smile while simultaneously serving fine dining to well dressed customers a few tables over.
Where to stay: There are plenty of accommodation options. We stayed at Marlin Cove Resort a 4 star family friendly a short walk away from the beach and couldn’t have been happier there.
Self catering: There is a small shopping centre including grocery store in Trinity Beach but it is expensive. We hired a car which allowed us to do grocery runs. Alternatively Woolworths online will deliver to Trinity Beach.
I traveled on my lonesome with these young monkeys to Trinity Beach. In our hotel pool at the Marlin Cove Resort
Bubs on the Move provides tips and advice for parents traveling with small children including attraction and accommodation reviews. You can join us on Facebook or Twitter to receive updates to your news feed.
Disclaimer: Marlin Cove Resort offerred us media rates for our stay.
Great article & beautiful coverage of what is a very family friendly beach stay near Cairns. I especially like the “little sand encrusted cinnamon donuts” description of your kids at the end of the day. So True!!
Glad you had a lovely stay despite attempting the first part as a single parent – WELL DONE!!
Next time you’re in town I’ll have to make the effort to catch up in person 🙂
Thanks Kate and yes! Plan to come back in May I hope. Also contemplating whether I should be doing a bit of FIFO into Cairns for work (with the kids I know probably a crazy idea as they would have to come).
Oh fantastic! Yes, brave move, but we know you’re up to it.
Love how you have one of those who loves the constant stimulation. What do you do with him/her at home?
The number one reason I do so much out and about with my kids is because my eldest struggles so much with any independent play/being at home. He has been like it since he was a baby. My middle guy is a homebody so it is tricky to balance. Being at home is hard work frankly – it is much easier for us traveling as my eldest behaves better. He is just learning to read, so I think that will make things easier. Also he is just starting music lessons which I anticipate he will love. No easy fixes for the situation unfortunately. In school holidays I put him into holiday programs one or two days a week just for his own stimulation.
I laughed at the thought of myself clambering onto those inflatables. The thought of it being caught on camera is even worse. The pool at your resort looks very realistically beach like. Beach holidays are so much fun for families. Loved your sand encrusted cinnamon donut simile 🙂 My own memories of swimming and playing in the surf as a child was of sand in my bathers, lol.
Oh Jan – photos were NOT allowed of me climbing up onto the inflatables. And yes, there was sand in everyones bathers on this holiday too..
Love the inflatables D!! All of my kids would love those. I have two that need a lots of structure and stimulations (one with ASD and the other with ADHD) so active holidays r’ us too.
Seana I think quite a few family travel bloggers have kids that need lot’s of stimulation. It seems to be a really common theme. It is certainly the reason we are out and about so much.