10 undiscovered Cairns highlights that most visitors miss

The Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest are absolute musts when you visit Tropical North Queensland – and for good reason. Delve a little deeper, however, and you’ll find some lesser-known sights and experiences that could be just as rewarding.

Josephine Falls

The natural rock waterslide at Josephine Falls is an underrated attraction.Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland

With so much focus on the region’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed sites, the Atherton Tablelands can sadly end up being overlooked. But the fertile plateau, an hour or so’s drive inland from Cairns, is brimming with beautiful crater lakes and cascades, which can be found along the 100-kilometre-long Waterfall Circuit. Millaa Millaa Falls and Ellinjaa Falls are particularly pretty, but the highlight would have to be careening down the natural rock waterslide at Josephine Falls. See barefoottours.com.au

Wunyami Cultural Tour

Isaac Cassady leads an Indigenous tour on Wunyami (Green Island).Credit: Angela Saurine

Plenty of tourists make the day trip out from Cairns to Green Island. What most don’t realise, though, is that this is the only one of the 900 islands on the Great Barrier Reef that offers an Indigenous tour. Led by Bindaburra-Yidinji man Isaac Cassady from the Black Seahorse gift shop, guests on the Wunyami Cultural Tour hear Dreamtime stories and learn how to find bush food and traditional medicine on the island. See blackseahorse.com.au

Cardwell Spa Pool

The lush Cardwell Spa Pool entices visitors for a dip.Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland

The turquoise waters of this natural swimming hole are about as enticing as they come, so it’s worth making the journey to Cardwell for a dip. The colour of the rock pool, about180 kilometres south of Cairns, is enhanced by the mineral-rich water that seeps through from under the ground. The shade can vary greatly depending on the time of the year, and indeed the time of day. See tropicalnorthqueensland.org.au

Undara Lava Tubes

The Undara Lava Tubes were formed about 200,000 years ago.Credit: Sean Scott/Tourism and Events Queensland

One of the longest lava tube cave systems in the world can be found in Undara Volcanic National Park, about 300 kilometres south-west of Cairns. The geological wonder formed nearly 200,000 years ago when a volcano erupted and lava flowed down a dry riverbed, leaving hollow tunnels under the rock crust. There are a few tours to choose from, depending on the degree of adventure you’re seeking. See undara.com.au

Paronella Park

Visit a 1930s castle flanked by gardens and lush rainforest.Credit: iStock

An eccentric Spaniard’s vision to build a castle and ‘pleasure garden’ in his adopted homeland in the 1930s can be seen in all its glory during a visit to this attraction, about 100 kilometres south of Cairns. Sure, it sounds a little strange, but the tale is kind of charming. It can be heard during a storytelling tour that meanders around the property. It’s even cooler to visit at night when you can search for glowing mushrooms among the foliage. See paronellapark.com.au

Frankland Islands

The Frankland Islands can be reached by boat from the little-known town of Deeral.Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland

Chances are you’ve never heard of this group of islands, which can be accessed via a boat trip from the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town of Deeral, about 40 kilometres south of Cairns. The experience begins with a cruise through the rainforest down the Mulgrave River, but the big pro is that it’s the shortest ocean crossing to the Reef in the area, with the islands lying just 10 kilometres off the coast. See franklandislands.com.au

Talaroo Hot Springs

Vistors can kick back in a private soaking pool at Talaroo.Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland

The steaming pools and travertine terraces of this geothermal oasis are a welcome sight for road trip-weary wanderers tackling the Savannah Way, which links Cairns with Broome in Western Australia. There’s a communal bathing pool that you can hop in after a guided tour, but it’s much better to splash out on a 40-minute immersion in one of the four private soaking baths. See talaroo.com.au

Crystal Cascades

Crystal Cascades is a sublime picnic spot.Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland

Psst… want to know where the locals swim? It’s at this secluded freshwater swimming hole at Freshwater Creek, less than 20 kilometres south-west of Cairns, where a few small waterfalls flow over granite boulders into inviting pools. It’s around a 1.5-kilometre walk through the rainforest to get to the ethereal-like setting, with nearby barbecues, picnic tables and toilet facilities helping to make it a pleasant place to while away a few hours. See tropicalnorthqueensland.org.au

Cape Tribulation Great Barrier Reef tour

Snorkel the famous Reef without the masses with Ocean Safari.Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland

If you want to see the Reef at its most pristine and without the crowds, head north to Cape Tribulation. With little agriculture, there’s no pesky chemicals running into the Reef. Instead, the mangroves of the Daintree Rainforest act as a filter. It only takes around 30 minutes to get to Mackay Reef aboard the 25-passenger eco-accredited Ocean Safari, and once you get there you can step straight off a sand cay into an underwater paradise. See oceansafari.com.au

Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park

The epic Bauhinia Cave in Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park. Credit: Tourism Tropical North Queensland

Unleash your inner Indian Jones exploring the labyrinth of caves that run through this national park, about 250 kilometres west of Cairns. Rangers lead daily tours to three of the most impressive caverns, which feature chandelier-like limestone rock formations, ancient marine fossils and Indigenous rock art galleries. Some have electrical lighting, while for others you’ll need to carry a lamp, which only adds to the sense of adventure. See parks.des.qld.gov.au

The writer travelled as a guest of Tourism and Events Queensland and Tourism Tropical North Queensland.