The misses is on board and were planning on visiting next year.

The first week will be hers so to speak. She wants to go to the great barrier reef. I need a spot that has a good mix of things to do. Outdoor activitys, shopping, dining etc. Just looking around on the net Cairns seems to be the spot. I'm worried it might be too "touristy"?
Are there better options?

Cairns is very touristy but anywhere on the coast and with access to the GBR is. Have a look at Port Douglas.

https://www.visitportdouglasdaintree.com/

Or the Whitsunday Islands/ Airlie Beach

https://www.airliebeach.com/

There are a lot of little towns (And one big one that being Townsville) in between those two but they are agriculture based. I lived in Townsville a couple of years ago and like its beach walk but Cairns has a LOT more restaurants and things to do IMO.

If your in the Brisbane area for any length of time drop me a line.

You going hunting anything?
Be a shame to be that close and not
go to the NT for a few buff at least.

George

Oh yeah,
I have three goals for down under. Catch a GT, barramundi and shoot something.

I doubt it will be buff though. There over priced in my opinion.

Im looking at:
Rusa
Fallow
tahr
chamios

Rusa and Fallow in NSW. The other two will require a trip across the ditch.

Depending on the time of year you decide to visit you could easily access a good hunt for Chital (Axis) Deer or Rusa and hogs, if you are staying in the Cairns region BUT it will cost you some time, travelling AND some $$.

My original plan was to go to NZ. for Tahr. If I go during the rut though its to cold for the wifey.

So we decided to do the first week or so at the reef. Ill get in a day of fishing or 2. The wife is heading home and ill have the second week to go fish / hunt.

I'm looking for something I haven't already hunted. And something I cant get in the U.S. That's what led me to the 4 animals listed above.

It is attractive to hunt Rusa in the cairns area just to avoid extra airport time.

Anyone have any direct experience with a Rusa guide in the area?

Don't know about the hunting around Cairns but there are some good guides in the Hinchinbrook area. You'll be able to get your GT and Barra there.

Seeing you’r already in Cairns my suggestion would be to go on a guided hunt in Cape York for rusa (and boars and scrub bulls and dingoes if interested). You would also be able to fish for barramundi and just enjoy an iconic Australian wilderness landscape.

Sent you a pm Thunder Head.

If you go to Cairns hire an overnight boat to take you out to the GBR. If you are scuba certified, so much the better but you can see plenty just snorkeling.

Just don't go out on a boat with Bakes...

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
If you go to Cairns hire an overnight boat to take you out to the GBR. If you are scuba certified, so much the better but you can see plenty just snorkeling.

Just don't go out on a boat with Bakes...

What is wrong with Bakes?

Walter shared a tent with him for 21 days in a very remote area.

Only one complained was Tony!

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
If you go to Cairns hire an overnight boat to take you out to the GBR. If you are scuba certified, so much the better but you can see plenty just snorkeling.

Just don't go out on a boat with Bakes...

What is wrong with Bakes?

Walter shared a tent with him for 21 days in a very remote area.

Only one complained was Tony!

When I first met AAZW I took him fishing on a creek I've never been to. I got a little lost when the sun set and I had no idea where the boat ramp was It was quite an adventure

quote:

Originally posted by Bakes:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
If you go to Cairns hire an overnight boat to take you out to the GBR. If you are scuba certified, so much the better but you can see plenty just snorkeling.

Just don't go out on a boat with Bakes...

What is wrong with Bakes?

Walter shared a tent with him for 21 days in a very remote area.

Only one complained was Tony!

When I first met AAZW I took him fishing on a creek I've never been to. I got a little lost when the sun set and I had no idea where the boat ramp was It was quite an adventure

In fairness, it wasn't exactly a creek - more like a water labyrinth. I have to give him a good ribbing about it every chance I get.

MsAZW still talk about what a wonderful host he was and it was great to finally meet Ms Bakes last August for dinner in Brisbane.

We did exactly what you are talking about when in Cairns.

I'll research it a bit, and post it this weekend.

Barra fishing, croc farms, GBR, Daintree, had a hell of a good time.

Reef was overrated, saw more fish in the Red Sea.

OVERRATED!! HOW DARE YOU SIR ...The reef is GREAT...its right there in the name!

There was as several thousand pound grouper as big as a VW bug that they were hand feeding. Never saw that in the Red Sea, but


We stayed at the Australian retired military hotel in Trinity Beach. You had to have some affiliation with the Australian military to stay there. I was in the US military stationed in Australia and they let us stay there.


I would say you want a hotel with a pool, as the beach is 100% unusuable to swim in.


We rented a little 4x4 that just barely fit all 4 of us, and was fine. We already lived in Australia and I was farly adept at driving on the left side of the road in the right side of the car.


You will want a car, relying on taxi's, bus, Uber, whatever will be a pain in the ass and massively expensive, unless you take some sort of all inclusive tour.


We fished at a fish farm like this, and then I fished on my own. https://www.hookabarra.com/ I actually only caught two fish here. Thought it would be fish in a barrel, but there was quite a bit of challenge to it. We were there several hours and they just weren't biting.

I caught nothing else while on my own. On the beach or while waiting on the ferry to the Daintree.

Here are some other fishing options. https://www.fishingcairns.com....ing-charter-options/

We did at least 2 or 3 zoo type things and went to this croc farm:
https://crocodileadventures.com/ The croc burgers are great!

Family had a good time at all of it.

Go to the Australian Aboriginal cultural center and then go back and catch the night show. That was great, super touristy but we enjoyed it.

The Kuranda skyrail, butterly farm, train, and all that was also awesome.

Go to the Daintree Discovery center, and the if you are up for it take on the guided tours offroading into the Daintree.

My wife considers it to be our best vacation as a family.

Not sure if you have researched prices in Australia, but things are expensive there. Not like Switzerland, but it is challenging.

Anyway the Cairns/Daintree/GBR trip ought to be fantastic. We miss Australia, I spent my last 3 years in the Navy stationed at the Embassy, we couldn't figure out jobs after I retired or we would still be there today.

One last suggestion.

A lot of people pickup a campervan in Cairns and drive it to Darwin. Some stopping at Ayers Rock and Alice Springs on the trip.

If you don't have a schedule, and have more time on your hands I would consider this as well.

One last thought, I would only do a top end Australia trip May-September focusing on June, July and August. As that is the coldest part of the year. It will be mid 70's to mid 80's in Cairns then.

Can't climb Ayres Rock anymore, its going to be closed...apparently the Black Fella's don't want it to happen.....

Of course they don't, it is worth too much money as a tourist trap.

Same reason you can go to the waterfall in the Daintree, even though it is some kind of sacred site.

We miss Australia, but the PC thugism of the left must be more rampant in 2019, than it was when we left in 2014.

Are GT's on the reef at all times of the year? Is there a best time to fish for them?

Good info for when I go back

quote:

Originally posted by Thunder Head:
Are GT's on the reef at all times of the year? Is there a best time to fish for them?

Yes pretty much mate.

quote:

Originally posted by Big Wonderful Wyoming:
We did exactly what you are talking about when in Cairns.

I'll research it a bit, and post it this weekend.

Barra fishing, croc farms, GBR, Daintree, had a hell of a good time.

Reef was overrated, saw more fish in the Red Sea.

So which part did you rate? The GBR is 1400 miles long, half the land area of the state of Texas, 3000 individual reefs + No.1 for marine diversity- its in all the books. I'd say its more likely your tour guide was overated

To the OP I'm from the Cairns region. For general touring there is a bit to do. Reef, snorkelling, island hoppping, big game fishing , inland fishing, hunting-hmmm probably more north in the Cape York area. A bit south is world's oldest rainforest, similar climate and density to the Amazon. Worlds two wettest Mountains, Bartle Frere and Bellenden Kerr, 30-36ft of rain a year, hiking trails and water falls etc.

Couple of negatives, the area is not well developed for trails, hiking, climbing, canyoning etc of you are decent level. Unfortunately the southern parts of the state where the Capital is get most of the funding.

A lot of crocodiles in the waterways. When I was a kid most of the local coastal waterways were safe. Now with hunting bans on them the last few decades we have lost most of them to the crocs, even some of the beaches are risky( Dont worry if you go diving etc they will take you far enough out its safe). We would like to cull them back to 1980's levels just around the towns( can't even do rowing regattas here in the rivers anymore) but the city folk 1000 miles away control the politicians vote and they are fairly left wing when it comes to guns and culling.

Climate wise- probably avoid any great holiday deals between December and April, this is the rainy season which has a 3 pronged issue of either being monsoon rains/floods in some areas, high temps and humidity which can slow down a lot of outdoor activity and some chance of cyclones( hurricanes).

April/may the temperature everything 'usually' clear and temps drop about 10 degrees to about 90F and our winter(middle of year) is about a nice 60F-80F most of the time, much less rain as well. Its a lovely time to visit from then on but keep in mind also the busier season as a lot of Australias 'grey nomads' ( retired folks with motorhomes and trailers etc) will come north to enjoy it.

Big Wyoming is correct, the prices here are pretty bad. I try and explain to fellow Australians how badly we get raped on everything from appliances to vehicles having lived in a few countries, but they don't get it. However the US dollars value will buffer some of that for you guys.

Feel free to PM me for more information, I work abroad but if I am in town for your trip would be happy to meet up. I don't have a boat for fishing , more into hiking, if you want a walk up a local mountain or to some rock fishing one day, we might be able to work something out