6 unmissable adventures the whole family will love in Tropical North Queensland

From crocodile spotting on the Daintree River to swimming with turtles at the Great Barrier Reef... this is where Australia's natural playground shows off.

Leah Goulis

4 min read

July 8, 2025 - 12:20PM

Lifestyle

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While Sydneysiders continue to freeze their way through the beginning of winter, Queenslanders are enjoying the best of both seasons.

"It's not too hot and not too cold around this time of year, it's great!" a local boasted.

After one too many overpriced milkshakes at the Gold Coast theme parks with kids aged 10 and 12, we decided it was time to travel up to Tropical North Queensland to discover a different playground Australia has to offer.

With Cairns and Port Douglas as our home base, we set out to embrace nature in all its wild, wonderful, and occasionally muddy glory.

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Checking out the Great Barrier Reef. Image: Leah Goulis / Kidspot

The itinerary was jam-packed with every must-do activity I read about before leaving Sydney. While most of them kept us well entertained, there were six standouts that every family should experience.

1. Visit the reef

If you're heading up to Cairns, chances are you're planning on visiting the Great Barrier Reef. Booking a day trip can be a little overwhelming, so my suggestion would be to find one that heads out to a private pontoon and make a whole day of it. We booked with Sunlover Reef Cruises, which included a day out on the Sunlover Moore Reef and a visit to the picturesque Fitzroy Island - also on the must-do list (a little more on that below).

While stationed at the outer reef, you can choose a heap of different activities at an additional cost - including a guided snorkel tour, scuba dive, helicopter ride, or a seawalker dive. If you just want to do your own thing, the giant water slide will provide hours of entertainment.

An adult ticket will set you back $295 while a child is $169.

Off to the Daintree Rainforest. Image: Leah Goulis / Kidspot

2. Embrace the natural theme park

As well as the world-famous reef, Tropical North Queensland is also home to the gorgeous Daintree Rainforest and Mossman Gorge.

To explore both, we took a half-day trip with Daintree Discovery Tours ($129 per adult and $114 per child) which included a quick trip along the Daintree River to spot some crocodiles in the wild.

With a guide by our side sharing fun facts, we strolled through the rainforest and took a dip in the fresh water at the Gorge. Don't worry, it's too cold for crocs here!

Buuuuuut they weren't too far away, which brings me to my next 'must-do' activity.

Croc spotting on the Daintree River. Image: Leah Goulis / Kidspot

5. Play 'spot-the-croc' …. safely!

North Queensland is home to many crocodiles, and while the kids will definitely want to see one sunbaking in the wild, you'll want to do it safely.

Daintree Discovery Tours combines a trip to the rainforest with a few hours on the river, looking for the big scaly guys. And what a thrill it is when you do spot one!

Our guide, a local who knew every twist in the river, pointed out massive crocs on the bank like he owned the place (which, let’s be honest, he probably does).

Sweet treats - at the Australian Chocolate Farm and Sugar Cane farms. Image: Leah Goulis / Kidspot

3. HOLD a Koala

Anyone in New South Wales will whine and tell you how we can't HOLD Koalas in our state. Oh, but you CAN in Queensland, and we sure knew that!

To get up close to the cuddly creatures, we visited Cairns Koalas and Creatures. We met with little Milly, who was the sweetest Koala and dead keen on cuddles.

While the wildlife centre, located in the heart of Cairns, was where every tourist knows they can pose with a koala in their arms, it's also home to a heap of reptiles, who are just as keen to make friends with your little ones as Milly was.

Admission with a souvenir photo with a koala will set an adult back $56, while an adult is $48. Well worth every penny!

Up close with Milly the Koala and her reptile mates. Image: Leah Goulis / Kidspot

4. Visit a farm

We're a family who loves any opportunity to pick our own produce or visit a farm, so it was no surprise to me that my kids were begging to get out of the car and check out the sugarcane farms up close.

As tempting as it was to cut off a cane to sample, we decided a visit to a chocolate farm was the best way to enjoy a sweet treat from one of the local farmers.

The Australian Chocolate Farm is located just outside of Mossman, and we sat in on a tour that took us through cacao trees and the process of making the best stuff in the world. The tour ended with a sit-down sample session, which left us a little more knowledgeable and satisfied.

Sweet treats - at the Australian Chocolate Farm and Sugar Cane farms. Image: Leah Goulis / Kidspot

6. Chill out at Fitzroy Island

An option when booking a Sunlover Cruise and just a 45-minute ferry ride from Cairns, Fitzroy Island was our family's version of paradise.

Think crystal-clear water, coral reefs close to shore, and little fish swimming at your feet. We spent hours lazing on the beach while the kids explored around Nudey Beach and the rocks. Our tour also included a buffet lunch, which of course, was most appreciated after a long morning of swimming and exploring.