Paronella Park is a charming place nestled amongst heritage gardens and 13 acres of lush Australian rainforest situated on the banks of the crystal clear waters of Mena Creek, south of Innisfail. The ruins of the Spanish mansion feature prominently on the grounds of Paronella Park, as do several other distinctive structures that were designed and built by the original Spanish immigrant of Paronella Park – Jose Paronella in the 1930s. Visitors can explore the beautiful gardens via a series of winding paths and bridges that snake through the forest and castle ruins. Well worth the visit.
Mission Beach proved to be a very pleasant place to stay for a few days. Great beach walks and the water in the pool and sea was a very warm 28.5 degrees.
We boarded the Skyrail in Kuranda and made our way over tropical rainforest to our destination at the Caravonica Terminal near Smithfield. The Skyrail spans 7.5kms over pristine tropical rainforest. Gliding a few metres above the tropical rainforest canopy in a comfortable gondola cabin, we relaxed and enjoyed the stunning tropical rainforest scenery, panoramic views of the Cairns’ tropical region and the glittering waters of the Coral Sea. There are two rainforest mid-stations, Red Peak and Barron Falls, where we explored the amazing environment from the forest floor on boardwalks where we able to view scenic look-outs over the Barron Falls.
Crystal cascades is great place to visit and is only a short drive from Cairns. A series of small freshwater waterfalls hidden away in the rainforest make up the Cascades. The waterfalls run over smooth natural rock waterslides into deep swimming holes. Cool clean water makes for a safe and refreshing swim.
The Warbirds Adventure museum is a great place to visit and perhaps even take a joy flight. Plenty of memorabilia to see and read. A great place for aviation enthusiasts.
I decided to take an aerobatic/scenic flight in a Chinese Nanchang trainer plane. The plane is owned by Warbirds Adventures Mareeba. We took off from Mareeba and headed towards North Cairns, then returned to Mareeba, where we commenced the aerobatic component. This was a sensational adrenalin pumping experience.
This was the last touristy thing we did prior to crossing the Daintree River and heading back down to Cairns. It was certainly another beautiful view overlooking the Daintree Rainforest.
The Daintree Rainforest Discovery Centre is a great place to visit. There is a spectacular aerial walkway which enables visitors to take a leisurely stroll through the conopy of the dense tropical rainforest. For the fit, there is a 23m high 'canopy tower' to climb and view the enormous range of flora. The tower is quite unique in that it has 5 viewing platforms that look out over the rainforest canopy and beyond.