Family holiday to Cairns

[Ngala]

Hey All!!

I just had a bright idea to go on a family holiday to Cairns. I havent spoken to DH about it but I am sure he will agree since we never went on a honeymoon and were meant to go to the Cooke Islands in October but now the couple is having a baby so they need to postpone it til next year. So, I am dieing for a holiday!!

I would like to plan for September has there isnt much rain during this time, or so a website said! And September should give us plenty of time to save. We would also be taking Avaleigh with us.

Sooooooooooooooo.. I am pretty much after any recommended accommodation, that also children can stay too. It can be anything from apartments to hotels and resorts and probably priced between $100 - $200 per night.

Thanks!!

[Visitor7]

September is a great time of year to come to Cairns. Not too hot, not much rain either.

Where are you thinking of staying? Cairns CBD or close by? Beaches? Port Douglas? Will you have a car?

Cairns CBD or close by, you have heaps of options. Motels/resorts in the cbd, hundreds to choose from there. There's a great family resort called Cairns Coconut Caravan Resort which is about 10km south of Cairns. It's a great place.
Beaches, check out Palm Cove or Trinity Beach.
Other options are Port Douglas (about an hour north of Cairns) or the Atherton Tablelands.
Kid friendly though, Cairns or the beaches is probably the best option.
September is coming into our peak season, so best to get things booked if hubby says yes.
If there's anything else you need to know, let me know.

[Ngala]

Thanks Jodi!!

My sister suggests to say in Port Douglas. She is trying to think of the places that she stayed at. When does the high season for North Queensland start? And when are those real bad jelly fish around Queensland??

DH just suggested we go to Lady Elliot Island cause they do a diving accommodation package.

[Beach Mama]

Hey V - the jellyfish season is October to June. We were there in January, so it was in the peak season and it was fine, we swam in the netted area but mainly in our pool, and we still went snorkelling!

We stayed in PD at a place called Coral Apartments which I've just done a quick search on and they are about 185 a night in Septemeber. They are nice clean, air-conditioned apartments with a kitchen. The pool is lovely and has a shallow section for kids. They hire out bikes too which we used heaps - it was about a 10 min walk to the main street so it was nice to walk off those yummy dinners and drinks and about a 5 min bike ride!

We loved that it was less commercial and touristy than Cairns, although we did visit Cairns and Kuranda for a day, and also did the Daintree and Cape Trib too.

Hope that helps and you have made me want to go back - I just loved it up there!!! Have fun planning!

[Visitor7]

Stinger season is November-May, but usually only lasts until March.
Check out tropical australia website, it's pretty useful.

As for lady elliott island, the whitsunday's is a beautiful place. We stayed at Long Island for a week just before I had NIna, and it's a great family resort, as are most of them.

[Beach Mama]

Oooh the site I looked up said Oct - June sorry not sure which one it was now but Ive checked again and its seems the one I looked up is wrong! Sorry!

ETA - it was the Queensland beaches site- under stingers if you want to have a look!

[Visitor7]

Go figure, the Cairns City Council website says Nov-May, but the tourism website says Oct-June!! I'd probably play it safe and say Oct-June then!

Also check out tropical north queensland website ngala.

ETA: and keep an eye out for crocs, lol!! Don't want to scare you off or anything, but you've got to aware that they're around.

[Ngala]

Thanks again Jodi and Tan! lol yeh I would say stingers are from Oct-June too!! And thanks for the tip on the crocodiles. Would be cool to see one but I am sure I will freak out and hubby will probably want to touch it! LOL J/K..

I got no idea where to go!! Everywhere looks so nice. We might need to spend more than I first thought.. I would like to stay on one of the islands but then I think maybe on the main land it will be better cause there would be more places to see and if we can still travel to the islands if we want to..

Ahhh I dunno!! Too many options. I know that I am going to put this in to the too hard pile cause I always do that!!

I found a nice place up in Cape Tribulation called the Cape Tribulation Beach house.. They do cabins for $179 per night.. but cant work out if that is per person or for TWO people.. This is what it says.. Price ( 2 pers ) $179p/n. So would that be $179 for the both of us or need to double it? Gosh I must sound really dumb at the moment but these rates always get me!!

Jodi - You must LOVE living in Cairns!! I would love to live there hey, so many things to see and do and it must be truly beautiful

What about the Lakes Cairns Resort & Spa? Do you know if that is any good Jodi?

[Beach Mama]

Hey V - Cape Trib is pretty remote, depending on what you want to do you might like to be closer to different things you can do as a family?? If not then that sounds lovely! I would say that price is for the 2 of you!
Good luck deciding on what you are going to do!

[Ngala]

Yeh I thought Cape Trib would be a bit remote but if we get a hire car we should be able get out of there and see some places.

Hopefully today will be a bit better with decided and I may get an idea of what the prices will be like..

[New Dawn]

I would say if you are wanting to see cape trib I would say you should stay in Port as its nice and family orantated(sp?) plus that way you could drive down to cairns if you wanted to and drive up to cape trib but most tours offer free transport and everything that leaves out of cairns will also tour out off Port... I think that Port is more like a hoilday place iykwim but that could be because I live in cairns so dont see it as a hoilday just see it as the place I live, But we love to go up to port and visit the market up there very worth a look... I have know I idea where to stay up there sorry but most place are pretty good with kids so dont think you will too much of a problem..

As for swimming I would say stick to the pool ( there was a croc swimming in the nets on the weekend ) I dont ever swim in the beach but I do know people who do though.... ( but I came from Darwin where you just cant ever swim dew to crocs lol)

[Visitor7]

Ditto to everything Tali has said.
The Daintree is probably too isolated from everything if you're going to stay there.
My suggestion would either be Port Douglas or Cairns.

As for The Lakes, that's a gorgeous place to stay. DH and I stayed there on our wedding night.

Cairns is a beautiful place. I come from Sunshine Coast originally, so the beaches there are a lot nicer. TBH, I don't go swimming here. I hate the beaches and the fact that there are stingers and crocs. We have a pool at home, so that does me just fine. But I have seen a lot of the sights, and definitely worth a trip over here.

[Ngala]

I always imagined Cairns and north Queensland to have beautiful beaches like the Whitsundays. The only swimming we will be doing is probably diving!! And in the pool. I would like to have atleast 1 full day of diving while over there, mosty places I am looking in to offer baby sitting so hopefully we will be able to go and do it.

Atleast I narrowed my selection down to Cairns or Port Douglas. I know the place in Cairns to stay (The Lakes) and now got to find something in Port Douglas. I know that when I call mum tonight (she travelled up QLD coast last year I think) she will suggest a totally different place!!

I would love to travel up the coast... How long would it take to travel from Brisbane to Cairns, stopping at some towns on the way up and spending a night or two in some of the really nice towns??

[Visitor7]

We travel to Brisbane yearly, and usually allow 4 days travelling time. That allows us to stay somewhere overnight each night, and have a look around at some places. We usually drive between 5-9 hours in a day. It's about 1600km or so distance.

[diva det]

sept is the best time to go up to cairns!
not too hot , SE have finished and no stingers! Hopefully the rain would have stopped by then as well as it is soo wet up there at the moment!
My nan lives at Clifton beach and love it there are its not to commercialised, half way between palm cove and cairns and the beach is beautiful.
there are heaps of apartments to stay in, there is the Novatel resort at Palm Cove which is great, but not sure of the prices
Definately a nice relaxing place to go, but no good if you are looking a doing heaps of things that amuse you and the kids. You have to drive to see things, and make the fun yourselves!
Kuranda by skyrail is beatiful and then come back by train.
Port Douglas is nice
Green Island for a day tour, or Fitzroy Island
there is the Pool in town at the espanlade for fun as well
The beaches are oh so beautiful and the scenery of the forrest meeting the sea is just breath taking!
Enjoy your trip!
odette

[chrysalis]

V a girlfriend and I stayed in Palm Cove at the Novotel about 2 years ago it is in between Cairns proper and Port Douglas so you would need to hire a car but the accom was very nice, family friendly, a lot cheaper than some of the other options around.
Enjoy!
Cheerio
Belinda