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Cairns

Lifestyle

Where we stayed, what we did and where we ate in Cairns

22nd October, 2021

Now that travel is once again on the cards I’m on the hunt for great travel destinations for families. I’m sure many of you are in the same boat, particularly when it comes to the long Christmas school holidays at the end of the year. Earlier in the year we took a trip up to Far North Queensland and paid a visit to Port Douglas, followed by Cairns and I can’t recommend both highly enough. With any spot we are planning to visit as a family I like to make sure that there’s plenty of things for the girls to do, activities that the four of us will enjoy together and something fun for the adults whether it’s a great restaurant or luxe day spa. If you’re looking for a tropical holiday close to home, check out my travel guide to Cairns below.

Where we stayed

We stayed at Bailey which opened in 2019, and it’s a gorgeous hotel located in the heart of Cairns’ CBD. We found it to be a really central location from which to base ourselves. We always try to be within close proximity to amenities such as cafes and restaurants whenever we stay somewhere as when travelling with kids it’s important to make getting from A to B as easy as possible. The rooms are fresh and modern, and I loved all the cool art around the hotel and in the rooms, Bailey also plays host to different exhibitions and activations. One of the things I loved about Bailey is their focus on sustainability. All the bathroom amenities are recyclable or compostable, there are also no plastic water bottles or straws and things such as room key cards and accessories are made from recycled wood.

The girls enjoying the lobby at Bailey

Heading out as a family

Enjoying the pool

What we did

We always love destinations that have lots of things for kids to do and this trip we were able to check out a range of different locations. We went to Cairns Aquarium which is only a few minutes’ walk from Bailey. It’s a great spot and something that I’m sure most kids would love to check out. Another fun place to visit is Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome. It’s a wildlife sanctuary which plays home to crocodiles, koalas and more. Plus there’s also an indoor ropes course which features everything from climbing walls to swings and even a zipline. It’s great if you’re after a bit of an adrenaline rush!

If however you just want to take things easy, definitely take a walk along the Esplanade Boardwalk. It’s quite picturesque and the perfect place to take a leisurely stroll. The kids loved the big stingray sculpture, which as you can see, they couldn’t resist taking a picture on.

If you want to explore a little further afield then you most definitely cannot miss seeing The Great Barrier Reef. We did a day tour and it was incredible. Pictures just don’t do the Reef justice. We ended up snorkelling which was a lot of fun. We weren’t able to do it from Cairns this trip but one thing to definitely add to your list is a day trip to see Daintree National Park. We went there from Port Douglas which is where we were before Cairns, but we would visit again as it’s just beautiful. The kids had a great time exploring and swimming.

Doing the ropes course at Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome

Taking a stroll along the boardwalk

Where we ate

When we discover a place we like to eat while we’re on holiday we tend to be repeat customers. And it was no different this trip. We went to dinner at Rocco and Paper Crane, both restaurants at Riley, a lovely hotel that’s across the road from where we were staying and really rated the food there. Rocco is a Mediterranean restaurant with rooftop bar. The view is great and the food even better. While Paper Crane is an Asian Fusion restaurant, with a Japanese, Korean, Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese inspired menu. Both delicious and both menus the kids really liked.

Sampling the local fare

One of the many delicious meals we enjoyed

This one too!

 

This post was produced in collaboration with Crystalbrook

Fashion, Lifestyle

BEHIND THE SCENES: CAIRNS AMATEURS

28th June, 2013

As part of my duties as National Ambassador for the 2013 Carlton Mid Cairns Amateurs Racing Carnival, I headed up to beautiful Tropical North Queensland to shoot video footage for the ‘1 Day in Paradise’ campaign. We shot in various locations including Turtle Beach, Cairns Lagoon and Cannon Park Racecourse where the Cairns Amateurs Carnival will take place on the 6th and 7th of September.

Cairns1 Cairns2 Cairns3   IMG_0073Cairns4 Cairns5 Cairns6 CairnsCairns7 Cairns8 Cairns9 For more info see cairnsamateurs.org.au

Racewear: Camilla and Marc and Nerida Winter millinery.

Photography: Colyn Huber