Imagine accommodation with Barramundi that lurk in amongst ponds that wind through a ‘jungle zone’ complete with secret paths, bridges and fountains AND a table tennis table! PLUS Cookies upon check-in!! It’s obvious that family fun with a sprinkle of quirkiness is part of DoubleTree Cairns mission.

Clean Up Australia Day at Cairns Machans Beach. SAVE THE DATE for this annual clean up of one of your favourite hangouts that needs some TLC.

Bad Fishy is just that. A Bad Bad Fishy that gets you very WET WET WET!! As a jet boat experience this is to be slightly expected, But when you’re in the Tropics of North Queensland it is slightly welcomed too.

I always like to gain some perspective of places that I visit. Cairns, my hometown, is no exception. I love the way the mountains meet the coastline

The Great Barrier Reef is home to a myriad of corals and sea life that it is undoubtedly one of the most visited destinations in the world.

Most people dream of spending a day chilling on a Tropical Island BUT when you have an active family you need more on offer than just pristine beaches and a blue ocean.

There’s something about going bush, out of digital range 📲📺📡 (we can only hope) and setting up camp 🏕, hanging out around a campfire 🔥 and chilling for a couple of days (at least).

Ask any Cairns local where are the best playgrounds and you’ll undoubtably hear Muddies, The Pirate Shop, Figtree and Goomboora park. These are certainly fantastic playgrounds, but…

It would be quite easy to spend a week in Palm Cove and not leave, such is the appeal of this little seaside village.

Thanks to this you’ll find a heap of activities in Cairns and its surrounds that will entertain you and your kids and guarantee you fond family memories for years to come!

Sugarworld Gardens will forever hold a special place in my heart because our little Edmonton Mothers Group began meeting there beneath the raintree each week once our term at the health clinic was completed.

Divers Den is seeking new recruits for its kids' scuba program and what better way to get started than with a fun series of Aquamissions!

Muddy's is amazing, don't get me wrong. I do love the generous selection of playground equipment suited to a variety of age ranges and abilities. But...

If you stand in Cairns and look towards the hills chances are you’ll find Glacier Rock hard to miss. From most places in Cairns you can spot the large slab of rock-face that sits like a sentinel

“Ahhh, the serenity” said Rob my partner whilst we were paddling down the creek with Babinda Kayaking. This was just before our kelpie Archie decided that being in the water was more fun than being on a kayak.

With two juddery steps backwards I was off the Stand Up Paddle Board and taking a swim in the cool rainforest waters of the Barron River. Moments later I was back on the board trying to redeem myself as the Pro Paddler I had thought I was!

It’s hard to get the concept of crocodiles out of your head as you swim in the inky black waterhole at the bottom of Hartley’s Creek Falls. It doesn’t help that Hartley’s Creek Crocodile Farm is just down the road.

It’s not very often that I feel obliged to go out and make a BIG purchase after an Adventure BUT after completing a day kayaking with Pacific Watersports, a sea kayak is now on my shopping list!!

If you want BIG views, then you often need to put the effort in and do some BIG walks. Cairns is no exception and around the city there are some excellent walks that will get you up high enough for some really superb Cairns views (and beyond).

Off the beaten track from the main tourist hub lies an island just South of Cairns, but that’s just one of its highlights. Here’s my 5 reasons to go to Frankland Islands…