Today you could experience the famous Northern Beaches of Cairns, Smithfield Heights, Clifton Beach, Palm Cove, Ellis Beach, Oak Beach, Craigie and Alexandra Lookout. Maybe take a detour to the splendid heights of the Atherton Tablelands seeing Kuranda township (early stronghold of hippie culture in 1960s and now famed for art and craft workshops, cafes, daily market), visit Kuranda Markets, the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, or fly over the tree tops on Skyrail, see the 100 year old tunnels and bridges of the historic railway, visit Barron Falls, see the Daintree National Park (part of the three sections which compose the unique Wet Tropics World Heritage Area: Mossman Gorge, Cape Tribulation and Snapper Island), visit Mossman township or Mossman Gorge ( learn of the rainforest from indigenous Kuku Yulanji people, see some of the 430 bird species) or extend your day, driving to Cape Tribulation (beaches, reef tours, horse riding on the beach). Direct driving 67km (1 hour) .

Vibrant Port Douglas (the fishing village that grew up to be a world topping destination and marina for the rich and famous, breakfast with the birds or lunch with the lorikeets then wander the exhibits in a wildlife sanctuary, see history come alive at the Port Douglas Courthouse museum or place your bet on the nightly Cane Toad Races in the pub on Macrossan St), The Great Barrier Reef (cruises or seaplane flights out to snorkel the Reef), historic Mossman town (friendly working township, seasonal sugarmill tours, 'art deco' brightly coloured buildings, historic pub, roadside mango trees dropping fruit in season, enroute to Mossman Park), Mossman Gorge (meet the Indigenous owners and follow the walk trail, crystal waters tumble over gigantic boulders in the Mossman River and Rex Creek mid massive ancient tropical rainforests in the land of the Indigenous Kuku Ylanji people), Newell Beach, Wonga Beach (long, remote beaches), Miallo (Karnak Playhouse amphitheatre beside the lake created by Diane Cilento wife of Sean Connery aka 007, The Australian Muster Experience - an awesome, 'must do' outback cattle mustering experience with dinky di stockmen and women on a remote Aussie cattle station and real Aussie BBQ), Daintree Village (book your spot the croc tour with the experts, enjoy a real country lunch and see the locally made crafts and goodies - mozzie spray is de-rigeur now, and always read and heed all signs and notices), Wet Tropics World Heritage Daintree River to Cape Tribulation (1.375 km tall mountain Thornton Peak, tropical lowlands and the place on earth where the sea meets the tropical rainforest, awesome cable ferry across the croc infested river), Cape Kimberley Beach and Snapper Island, Cow Bay village (Daintree Discovery Centre), Cooper Creek (Daintree Entomological Museum, a must-do experience collection of butterflies, spiders and massive bugs), Cape Tribulation (tropical rainforest meets the ocean in dramatic style, see and heed and get a pic of "beware of the crocodile" signs and be alert for unique, shy cassowary birds crossing the road here in 'Godzone').

Today you could choose to visit Julatter, Mount Moloy, Biboohra, Mareeba, Walkamin, Tolga; see Tinaroo Falls, swim beneath the Millaa Millaa Falls, take a walking trail to Ellinjaa and Mungalli Falls (part of the 17km waterfall circuit), see Crater Lakes National Park (the amazing blue Lake Barrine and Lake Eacham, lakes formed in craters of ancient volcanos), discover coffee plantations and waving vistas of sugar cane fields, as far as the eye can see. Visit the famous Curtain Fig Tree (one of the most photographed trees in the world), watch amazing wildlife, laze in cool swimming holes or visit a spectacular Queensland historical museum close to Atherton. Direct driving 119km (1.40 hours) .

Kuranda (the village that grew from a 'hippy kid' into a 'chic and crafty young lady', home to Skyrail, the Kuranda Scenic Railway and central to World Heritage Rainforest), The Barron Gorge National Park (amazing waterfalls and wildlife). Birdworld (wander through the huge enclosed canopy with fabulous free flying birds), Kuranda Koala Gardens (time for a photo shoot with Australian wildlife), the famous Australian Butterfly Sanctuary (see awesome Birdwing Ulysses butterflies close up), Barron Gorge National Park , Wrights Lookout and Barron Falls (just 3km from Kuranda), Honey House Kuranda (taste honey fresh from the hive), Rainforestation Nature Park (just 5 minutes from Kuranda, take the traditional Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience, didgeridoo playing and dance, boomerang and spear throwing, native Australian animals, kangaroos, koalas, crocodiles, wombats, dingoes , cassowary), Mt Hypipamee Crater, Undara Lava Tubes, take a wider tour of the Atherton Tablelands, (waterfalls, wide vistas of cane fields in fertile farmlands, rich birdlife, variety of water sports) or the photogenic Curtain Fig Tree, (one of the biggest trees in Queensland), enjoy a friendly welcome and home-made morning tea in the townships of Ravenshoe, Yungaburra, Walkamin, Tinarro, Tolga, Millaa Millaa, Herberton, Kairi or Mareeba.

So many wonderful experiences today to choose from to make the most of your precious time, perhaps take in Millaa Millaa or Flying Fish Point and Innisfail, Mourilyan, Cowley Beach, Kurrimine Beach National Park, Bingil Bay, don't miss out magnificent Mission Beach with 14 km sandy beach (fringed by waving coconut palms), Wongaling Beach, Tully (with the highest rainfall in Australia and home of the Big Welly), Euramo, the Edmund Kennedy National Park, Bilyana, Cardwell and Hinchinbrook Island, Wallaman Falls (66km away, highest permanent waterfall in Australia, 268 meters high), Ingham (country town on the oceanside), The Paluma Range National Park, Mutarnee, Balgal Beach -Rollingstone, Bluewater. Direct driving 354km (4.15 hours) .

Vibrant Townsville (central to outback, reef, and wetlands, snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, enter the underwater observatory of the world's biggest captive reef and kids' touch pool at Reef HQ, walk to a wooden shipwreck at low tide at Thuringowa and view tidal ponds full of marine life, Kissing Point where sweethearts said a last farewell in the war years, one of the best used promenades in the world, Botanic Gardens, massive man-made pool, the North Queensland Cowboys rugby footy team), Magnetic Island (bushwalking, swimming, reef snorkelling, windsurfing, hire a bike), Alligator Creek (28 km south of Townsville, Bowling Green Bay National Park mangroves, mudflats and seagrass beds, turtles and dugongs), Burdekin Valley (90k south east of Townsville, Barra fishing, rich farmlands sugar cane, melons and mangoes), Ravenswood (88km sw of Townsville, historic old mining town), isolated Charters Towers (135km sw of Townsville, magnificent buildings from the boom time gold rush, Venus Gold Battery, Ay Ot Lookout and ghost stories, get a fossicking license and try your luck), Balgal Beach (54 km north of Townsville, white sand patrolled beach with stinger net) Paluma Range National Park (60km north of Townsville, Mt Spec and Big Crystal Creek flood plain, Little Crystal Creek deep rock pools, swimming hole and waterfalls), Ingham (110km n of Townsville famed for the bush-poet Dan Sheahan's epic poem, "The Pub with no Beer"), spectacular Wallaman Falls (150km north east of Townsville, Australia's longest single fall waterfall, cascading some 300m off the Seaview Range in the Girringun National Park) .