Cairns Family Holidays

Yungaburra Markets this weekend!

2009-09-23T20:18:00.006+10:00

I'm looking forward to going along to the Yungaburra markets this weekend, I love the old fashioned charm of this monthly market, with the stalls filled with home made crafts, home grown vegetables and freshly prepared jams and preserves.

The Yungaburra Market is the biggest and oldest market on the Atherton Tablelands, just west of Cairns.

On one day each month, local producers gather on the commons in the middle of the historic village of Yungaburra to sell fresh produce, flowers, local wines, wooden furniture, clothing and just about anything else you can think of.

From January to November, the markets are held on the 4th Saturday of the month. The December Market - usually the biggest of the year - is specially scheduled to ensure it falls prior to Christmas eve.

The Market runs from 7:30am to 12:30pm.

Whitsundays reef festival

2009-09-22T08:32:00.000+10:00

1. Adventure Whitsunday Park Fun 2. Shute Harbour 3. Adventure Whitsunday Playground 4. Adventure Whitsunday Pool 5. Gloucester Island from Hydeaway Bay 6. Bicentennial Walkway 7. Hydeaway Bay 8. Airlie Beach Markets

Now in its 8th year, the Reef Festival is a vibrant and colourful celebration of the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsundays. The festival aims to highlight the unique Whitsunday lifestyle, and is a celebration of the local community.

The Whitsunday Reef Festival was started in 2001 as a celebration of the region's wonderful natural assets. It is a four day festival consisting of a fireworks extravaganza, live music on the beach, Comedy Gala, Fashion parade, Sand Sculpting competition, Street Parade, family fun day, starlight movies at the Airlie Beach Lagoon and much more. The event is organised by a dedicated committee of local volunteers representing small businesses and organisations in the Whitsundays, and runs on the generosity of local business sponsorship. A must do on the Whitsundays' social calendar.

The festival will be held from 15th - 18th October 2009, for full details of the festival program visit www.whitsundayreeffestival.com.au

The Cassowary Coast: Warrina Lakes

2009-09-21T19:30:00.003+10:00

An interesting place to visit while you're exploring the Cassowary Coast is Warrina Lakes. Here you'll find a great playground, small botanical garden and a charming lake with water lillies, ducks and turtles.

Just minutes from the centre of Innisfail, Warrina Lakes has all the facilities you need for a great day out with the kids, there are barbeques, picnic tables, shady trees, toilet facilites and a large undercover area. The recently installed playground is fully fenced and great for children of all ages, with slides, tunnels and plenty of climbing features. Smooth pathways through the gardens are very pram friendly and are great for bikes or scooters too.

Innisfail is an hour south of Cairns, famous for its distinctive Art Deco architecture and riverside location, you'll also find the Australian Sugar Museum, the Johnstone River Crocodile Park, Paronella Park and the Ma:mu Canopy Walkway nearby.

Get set for summer

2009-09-17T12:41:00.005+10:00

It's already warming up here in Cairns and with school holidays just around the corner we'll be heading to the beach every other day so we're getting set for summer.

We love these sweet sunhats from EJKids {above} and cute swimwear available from SwishLily

Your cheeky monkey has a special offer on summer products today only, so be quick!:

HERE COMES SUMMER!

1 x Garfield Sports Sipper Cup

1 x Cheeky Monkey Children's Legionnaires Hat - Yellow

1 x 500ml 30+ Spray On Sunscreen - Aussie Owned and Made

1 x 125ml Bloc Bite Sunscreen and Insect Repellent in One - Aussie Owned and Made

RRP approx. $49
TODAY THE PACK IS $25

Look out Summer here we come!

Sunsafe fun

2009-09-16T19:34:00.006+10:00

Being sunsafe is essential when you're enjoying the Great Barrier Reef so we've discovered some great products to help your kids look great but be sunsafe too.

We love these cute sunshirts from Babes in the Shade.

For play clothes we love Agoo, the Agoo range is sunsafe guaranteed with 50+ UV protection.

The Agoo range is available to buy online at www.trifleshoppe.com

Babes in the Shade sunshirts are available online at www.babesintheshade.com.au

Photo Friday: Travelling Family

2009-06-12T06:50:00.004+10:00

This picture is of our friends, the Rhodes family. Three years ago they set out on a journey with their then 2 children. They sold everything, their house, their furniture, all of their whitegoods, bought a 4wd and a camper trailer and hit the road. They wanted to see Australia but they had no set time to return home to Perth or a firm decision either way that they actually would.

They drove all the way from Perth in South Western Australia north to Darwin, a 4 400 km trip, stopping along the way to explore all sorts of interesting places in between. They stayed in Darwin for a few months, working here and there and also exploring the Northern Territory with Darwin as their base. They enjoyed Darwin but keen to see more of Australia they kept travelling.

They fell in love with Tropical North Queensland as soon as they had arrived and decided to settle here. They bought a house but they continued to travel, taking a 3 month trip south to see the rest of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

They returned and soon after had a new baby, this didn’t stop them travelling though and they did a number of short weekend expeditions to local places like Magnetic Island, Lake Tinaroo and Undara. This is a picture of them camping at their favourite beach, Etty Bay.

Before too long the gypsy spirit seemed to call to them again though and it was time for them to leave. So they packed up everything rented out their home and headed out on the road again. They’re currently somewhere between Boorooloola and Kalgoorlie - I think - and are on their way home to Perth some 6217km away.

We loved getting to know this inspiring, adventurous, free-spirited, travelling family and hope we can come and visit them in Western Australia sometime soon too!

Travel Tips Tuesday: Journey Jottings

2009-05-12T12:57:00.003+10:00

Read our review of these gorgeous maps here

Photo Friday: Sea Salt Beach House

2009-05-07T21:14:00.011+10:00

Every once in a while you come across a place where you can truly relax. A place where there’s just as much for children to enjoy as for parents and a place where you can feel like you’ve come ‘home’ even though you’re away. ‘Sea Salt Beach House’ is that kind of a place. Read more

From the moment we arrived we felt welcomed by this modern and inviting tropical home. The home is spacious and airy with lots of natural light provided by the gorgeous French doors and large sliders which open out to the decks, courtyard and gardens.

Parents particularly mothers, will appreciate the attention to detail in the overall design as well as the individual features, furnishings, accessories and inclusions.

Details such as the elegant chandelier above the timber dining table, the water feature in the colourful courtyard, the collection of mirrors throughout the house, the fully equipped modern kitchen, the luxurious bathrooms, the tropical style rattan chairs on the front deck over looking the pool and little surprises such as the Martha Stewart Dinnerware and a pair of ornamental birdcages in the garden are delightful and help to give this holiday house a more personal, homely feel.

Sea Salt is exceptionally family-friendly, and has been designed with children and families in mind. It sleeps 8, is really well designed and caters for everybody. For families travelling with babies there is a highchair, cot, change table and even a potty. For families with primary school aged children there is a bright and spacious playroom with an assortment of toys, games and colouring activities. For older children there is a DVD player and swimming pool. For blended families or families travelling with grandparents there is plenty of room so everyone can spread out and have their own space.

There’s plenty to see and do in the nearby area as well. The Clifton Beach Shopping Centre is just down the road, the fine restaurants and exquisite boutiques of Palm Cove are a 5 minute drive away. For families with young children the award winning Cairns Tropical Zoo, is within walking distance from the house and a number of walking trails, parks, playgrounds and sandy beaches are also very close by.

Sea Salt Beach House is at Clifton Beach, 20 minutes North of Cairns, Queensland.

This post is part of a collection of travel photos from around the world,
visit http://www.deliciousbaby.com/ to see more great family-friendly pictures and stories.

Scooter Escapades

2009-05-06T17:07:00.009+10:00

Our weekend activities at SeaSalt Beach House were a perfect mix of relaxation, wildlife encounters and family fun. Read more

I had packed our scooters as an afterthought but was so glad I did as we found lots of interesting paths and trails for kids to explore.

Wordless Wednesday - Kangaroo kids

2009-05-06T13:24:00.004+10:00

Boyd's Forest Dragon

2009-05-05T16:37:00.008+10:00

We've certainly had a wildlife filled few days since my last article! We stayed at the stunning SeaSalt Beach House (pictures and story coming soon...) and took an amazing tour with 'Gone Wild Safaris' in search of platypus, possums and wallabies and we also visited one of our favourite wildlife parks the 'Cairns Tropical Zoo'. Read more

Photo Friday: Halloran's Hill

2009-05-01T08:21:00.007+10:00

Kids love the adventure playground at Halloran's Hill

Unique public art is a feature of the Halloran's Hill picnic area

Native wildlife, like this red-legged pademelon, are often seen here

The rainforest walking trail is great for families with children to explore

The play area features a number of different activities including this path with animal footprint trails

Halloran's Hill is one of my favourite spots to for for a picnic in the Cairns Highlands. It's a little off the beaten track, as you drive through the streets of Atherton to find it, but once you get there its certainly worth the effort. Read more

This post is part of a collection of travel photos. Head over to delicousbaby.com to see some more family-friendly travel photos from around the world.

Wordless Wednesday: The big mudcrab

2009-04-29T14:14:00.007+10:00

Is this Australia's largest crustacean?

Photo Friday: Exploring Cooktown

2009-04-23T22:23:00.013+10:00

The quaint Grassy Hill Lighthouse

The amazing view of Cooktown & the Endeavour River from the Grassy Hill Lookout

Finch Bay

Alex enjoyed exploring the Cooktown museum

The Cooktown Musuem

These are some photos from our recent trip to Cooktown. We would have liked some more time to explore this unique area but we did get to see a few interesting places. They have a great museum where we learnt more about the Aboriginal culture as well as Cook's landing and European settlement of the region, the view from Grassy Hill is exquisite and we could see all the way to Alkoomie Station. We also enjoyed exploring Finch Bay just a short walk from the leafy avenues of the Cooktown Botanical Gardens and the local Visitor information Centre which includes an interpretive area, a gallery, giftshop and cafe.

This post is part of a collection of travel photos from around the world coordinated by Debbie Dubrow visit www.delicousbaby.com to see more great travel photos.

Aboriginal Australia - Guurrbi Tours

2009-04-17T11:13:00.012+10:00

Guurrbi means – my special place - a place of reflection and calm where you can be at rest. Wangaar-Wuri is certainly this. On our recent trip to Cooktown, Alex and I joined a tour with Willie, our guide, and he invited us to travel through the traditional homeland of his family.

Along the way we experienced what life was like for the Aboriginal people who lived here. Willie showed us gumnuts which become whistles, fibres which can be used to make baskets, flowers which become a candle wick, green ants which can cure coughs and colds and leaves which become soap! Read More

Photo Friday: Outback Cattle Station

2009-04-17T08:24:00.008+10:00

Alkoomie Station is a working cattle farm located about an hour west of Cooktown. Located right at the top of the Mount Dickson Escarpment the views from Alkoomie Station are absolutely amazing. You can see the township of Cooktown, the bush covered rolling hills and green valleys to the North and the South of the property as well as the ocean and on clear days even the Great Barrier Reef.

This post is part of a collection of travel photos called Photo Friday organised by Debbie Dubrow of Delicious Baby for more great family-friendly travel photos and stories from around the world visit http://www.deliciousbaby.com/

Kids go free to the Great Barrier Reef

2009-04-03T20:11:00.007+10:00

Kids go free to the Great Barrier Reef these School Holidays and all through April.

This tour takes you out to Moore Reef for a full day outer reef experience. The outer reef is where you'll see the best coral and there are a number of great activities for children of all ages to participate in while you're there:

The touch tank & marine biologist's talk helps children to learn about the reef
The children's fully enclosed shallow swimming area is perfect for under 5's to paddle in
The Underwater observatory allows non-swimmers to see the reef without getting wet
The semi submersible takes you on an underwater tour of the reef
Glass bottom boats
Fish feeding

Click here to find out more about this great deal.

Kids Go Free Wildlife Safari deal

2009-04-03T19:36:00.006+10:00

Gone Wild tours are offering one child free with every two paying adults these school holidays! On this tour you'll have the chance to see friendly Rock Wallabies, amazing birds of prey, and you'll go looking for wild platypus. After a delicious dinner you'll go on a night tour in search of possums, banidcoots, pademelons and other nocturnal wildlife.

Tour Itinerary

1.30pm - Depart Cairns

1.50pm - Henry Ross Lookout for great views over Cairns

2.20pm - The Termite Fruits & Vegetable Stall to taste some seasonal fruit

2.50pm - Granite Gorge Nature Park to hand feed the rock wallabies

3.30pm - Go In Search of Wildlife on the way to our next destination

5.00pm - Bonadio's Mabi Wildlife Reserve

5.05pm - Birds Of Prey & Animal Show

5.30pm - Spot a Platyous on the banks of the Barron River

6.00pm - Dinner Time

7.30pm - Rainforest NightWalk

9.30pm - Return to Cairns

This offer is valid until 28 April 2009. Click here to find our more

Ravenshoe Steam Train

2009-04-02T06:50:00.006+10:00

'Capella' the Ravenshoe Steam Train runs most Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30pm. This historic train takes you on a short journey from the township of Ravenshoe in Cairns Highlands region to the rural community of Tumoulin where the train stops for afternoon tea then turns around and goes back! Read more

School holiday fun

2009-04-02T05:54:00.011+10:00

Here are my top 10 fun ideas for kids to do in the Tropical North region these school holidays:

Show your kids the Great Barrier Reef – Kids go free to Moore Reef (during April)

Spend the day at beautiful Green Island or Mission Beach

Take a walk in the rainforest – there are lots of great walking tracks, swimming holes and waterfalls. Some of our favourite spots are:
· The Waterfall Circuit
· The Misty Mountains
· Local swimming holes

Get wild – head out to one of the Wildlife parks our favourites are:
· Johnstone River Crocodile Park
· Cairns Tropical Zoo
· Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve

Discover Queensland’s No 1 attraction – Paronella Park in the Cassowary Coast

Learn more about indigenous Australian culture at Tjapukai or on a guided walk with Guurrbi Tours

Go camping at Lake Tinaroo

Step back in time on the Ravenshoe Steam Train

Visit the outback and spend a couple of days at Undara

Explore the Cairns Highlands – we recommend a visit to:
· Crystal Caves
· Lake Barrine
· Mungalli Creek Dairy

The magical Crystal Caves

2009-03-28T19:54:00.008+10:00

The Crystal Caves in Atherton are an excellent place to take your budding geologists to! Here you’ll find amazing crystals, precious stones and fossils. It’s a man made cave and is actually more like a museum with interesting pieces dating back millions of years. Read more

This post is part of a collection of wonderful travel photos featured at Delicious Baby, please click the link to see more great family travel pictures from around the world. A big thank you to Debbie at DeliciousBaby.com for organising this.

Photo Friday: Cassowary crossing

2009-03-26T20:16:00.014+10:00

This photo was taken just outside of Innisfail in the Cassowary Coast, an hour south of Cairns.

Cassowaries are an endangered species of birds found in northern Australia and Papua New Guinea. They live in the rainforest, melaleuca and mangrove forests and need to eat a wide range of fruits to survive. The father cassowary raises the chicks and stays with them until they are almost a year old. Read more

wordless wednesday - gecko

2009-03-18T22:30:00.001+10:00

Undara Mates Rates

2009-03-13T17:28:00.003+10:00

Undara has a special offer for Queensland visitors. Discounts of up to 60% available on accommodation. Family railway carriages available for just $90 per night, down from $225! Camp sites are just $36 a night and 4 person swag tents are $60 a night.

Undara is a unique outback experience and a great place for families to explore. Visit Undara.com.au for more info

Mission Beach

2009-03-12T20:22:00.007+10:00

Mission Beach is a long sandy expanse of shoreline just waiting for you to explore it, although it's a popular destination you'll often have the whole beach to yourself for building sand castles, chasing crabs, running, splashing around or just relaxing. Read more

This article is part of Deliciousbaby.com's Photo Friday fun. For more great family-friendly travel photos from around the world click here