Road trip of rediscovery

With travel restrictions easing, it’s time for this Cairns-based travel writer to open up the throttle and take a longed-for getaway close to home.

With travel restrictions easing, it’s time for this Cairns-based travel writer to open up the throttle and take a longed-for getaway close to home.

It’s early morning on a sun-blessed Saturday when the guttural rumble of an engine sends the neighbour’s labrador into a barking frenzy. My friend has got her hands on a ruby red Ford Mustang V8 GT convertible and we’re heading off on a longed-for road trip. As a travel writer who usually spends much of the year away from home, the recent lockdown has got my itchy feet twitching. With restrictions eased, I’m off on a girls weekend away, to savour the extraordinary treasures in my own backyard.

Day 1Bound for Port Douglas and accompanied by a soothing soundtrack of whooshing palm fronds and lapping waves, the Great Barrier Reef Drive cuts a swathe through two World Heritage icons - rainforest-clad McAlister Ranges on our left and the Great Barrier Reef islands on our right.The asphalt twists and turns as the wind whips my hair and sunlight dances upon a twinkling ocean. We stretch our legs at one of the many unnamed beaches and take the obligatory selfie with a Coral Sea backdrop at Rex Lookout, before turning into the coconut plantation denoting the entry to Thala Beach Nature Reserve (thalabeach.com.au), our glamorous digs for the night.Once a degraded sugarcane plantation on a coastal headland, since revegetated into native forest by a local eco-oriented family who built the resort 21 years ago, Thala’s attraction is its nature-based vibe. The porter gleefully takes the keys to valet park the Mustang before we ascend the curved staircase of the Main Lodge to reach Osprey’s Restaurant, set high amongst the treetops.We’re seated within arms’ reach of foliage which frames a view of cloud-capped mountain ranges tumbling into the sea all the way to Cape Tribulation on the horizon. Later, we’re lulled to sleep in our treehouse-style bungalow by the sound of gentle ocean waves lapping on the beach below, waking to birdsong at dawn.

Day 2Leaving Thala’s tranquillity behind, Port Douglas with its smart hotels, elegant boutiques and alfresco restaurants seems a metropolis by comparison. We pick up coffee and fresh-baked pastries at Grant Street Kitchen (grantstreetkitchen.com.au) before continuing north to the Daintree River.Not long after boarding a motorised punt, our guide points out a 4m-long saltwater crocodile called Scarface sunning himself on the bank. Equally terrifying and fascinating, these apex predators are the star attraction in these parts, alongside endangered cassowaries whose rainforest habitat lines the banks of the coffee-coloured river. (You’ll find multiple cruise operators on the river; try daintreerivercruisecentre.com.au or solarwhisper.com).Back in the Mustang, we leave the coastal plains behind and take the Rex Range Road which snakes its way up to the high country of the Atherton Tablelands. Peaking at almost 1000m above sea level, the Tablelands are all rolling green hills dotted with dairy farms alongside lush orchards and plantations of tea, sugarcane, corn, melons, pineapple and sun-kissed avocado and mango trees laden with fruit. Take a moment to support the local supply chain by picking up fresh produce at the roadside farm stalls.Lacing up our hiking boots, we follow the trail known as the Old Cairns Track for around one hour through the Wooroonooran National Park to emerge at the dramatically beautiful Windin Falls. Long a hidden secret among locals, Windin Falls has found social media fame thanks to its horizon-edge rock pool feeding a waterfall that plunges down into the Goldsborough Valley far below.Having worked up an appetite, there are plenty of choices for where to eat. Mungalli Creek Organic Cafe (mungallicreekdairy.com.au) serves light lunches featuring biodynamic local produce in an old farmhouse in the foothills of Mt Bartle Frere. Keeping it local is also the philosophy at Our Place restaurant in Yungaburra, where chef David Norton’s menu is influenced by his farmgate expeditions to source yoghurt and cheese, herbs, chocolate and berries - whatever tasty treasures are in season. Time it right and you can drop into the monthly Yungaburra Markets to pick up local produce and bespoke arts and crafts.Day 3After spending the night in the soothing rainforest at Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat (rosegums.com.au), we’re up at dawn to swoop through the purported 263 corners and switchbacks of the Gillies Range Road to reach Deeral, south of Cairns, and board the Turtle Islander, bound for the Frankland Islands (franklandislands.com.au). These five uninhabited islands fringed by coral reefs are the traditional hunting grounds for Mandingalby Yidinji and Gungandji Aboriginal people. Less visited than the region’s better-known resort islands, at the Frankland’s we snorkel over colourful reef and wander beaches untainted by human footprints.Returning to Cairns pleasantly salty-haired and sun-kissed, we head straight for Boardwalk Social at soon-to-open Flynn Hotel (crystalbrookcollection.com), the new ‘go to’ dining hot spot with market-style dining, live music, 36 beers on tap in a bright and breezy space occupying prime Esplanade frontage. It would be remiss to end a tropical weekend getaway without a drink that screams ‘tropical holiday’ so our final stop is Flamingos Tiki Bar (flamingostikibar.com.au). Here, it feels a little like we’ve stepped onto the set of a Gilligan’s Island remake with bamboo-fronted bar, retro style papered walls and cocktails served in oversized shells adorned with elaborate garnishes. What a way to toast the easing of travel restrictions and our new freedom to get out and explore. Cheers!

With local travel now permitted, Queensland is good to go. Click here to learn more about destinations near you.

Originally published as Road trip of rediscovery