Personally experienced by Veggie Travel Girl
Cairns, Australia Experiences
Cairns is one of the best destinations I’ve visited for combining ocean and rainforest adventures. I experienced the Great Barrier Reef from above and below the water, visited Green Island, and traveled into the rainforest around Kuranda by scenic railway and cableway. These are the Cairns experiences I’ve personally tried.
© VeggieTravelGirlSeeing the Great Barrier Reef from the air gives you an entirely different perspective on its incredible scale, colors and reef formations. As someone who loves experiencing destinations from above, this might be my favorite way to see the reef.
© VeggieTravelGirlExperiencing the Great Barrier Reef underwater was one of the most memorable ways to see this part of Australia — the most immersive way to experience the reef.
Snorkeling gave me another way to experience the reef from the water and see the underwater environment — a different experience from scuba diving, and a great option when deciding how you want to get in the water.
A day trip to Green Island is an easy way to combine island time with experiencing the Great Barrier Reef — a full day-trip option rather than just another reef activity.
A glass-bottom boat offers another perspective of the reef and is especially useful if you want to see underwater scenery without needing to scuba dive or snorkel. I did this as part of my Green Island day trip.
© VeggieTravelGirlTraveling into the rainforest aboard the Kuranda Scenic Railway — the journey itself is part of the experience, not just transportation.
Experiencing the tropical rainforest from above on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway — a completely different perspective from the railway, and it works especially well as part of a Kuranda day trip.
Exploring the rainforest aboard an amphibious Army Duck vehicle — another activity that combines naturally with a Kuranda day trip.
Featured itinerary idea
These experiences fit naturally into one Kuranda day trip. Combining the scenic railway and the Skyrail means experiencing the rainforest from two completely different perspectives.
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I’ve personally experienced every activity included in this guide, so this guide is based on my own time exploring Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef.
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