This tropical paradise with five-star resorts is just a three-hour flight from Sydney

Far North Queensland sometimes gets a bad rap. What with the heat and humidity, wet season, crocs and jellyfish, it can leave some people reluctant to make the trip.

But after visiting Cairns, Palm Cove, Port Douglas, the Daintree, Cape Tribulation and of course, the Great Barrier Reef, during a four-day road trip that was equal parts adrenaline-inducing and relaxing, it has left me savouring every moment and eager to return.

First, some facts.

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Far North Queensland, also known as Tropical North Queensland, is a region of the sunshine state that starts at Cardwell Range and stretches all the way to the Torres Strait – the northern most tip of Australia.

It is home to three World Heritage Sites, including the Great Barrier Reef.

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My action-packed three-night, four-day road trip started and finished in the region's unofficial capital, Cairns.

After an easy three-hour flight from my starting point of Sydney, my first point of business was to pick up the vehicle I had hired through Turo, which is often described as the 'Airbnb of cars'.

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Turo launched in Australia in December 2022. After setting up an account using the app I was able to choose my vehicle, and my host and I could contact each other via the app.

My pick-up was contactless, so my vehicle, a 2025 Jaecoo J7, was already parked in the airport car park waiting for me when I arrived.

The host had even prepaid 30 minutes of airport parking.

Pick-up was straight forward – I had to take and upload photos of the car to the app. Then it was time to hit the road.

First stop: Palm Cove

As well as getting from A to B, a road trip is a great way to visit multiple destinations.

I set off from Cairns Airport and headed north along the Captain Cook highway, which stretches from Cairns to Mossman. 

First stop was Palm Cove, an easy 30-minute drive. Had I wanted to, I could have turned off and headed to one of the beachside communities along the way, which are popular with tourists.

Palm Cove is a small beachside community known for its long jetty, which is a great place to cast a fishing line, and its stunning palm-fringed beach.

Accommodation ranges from holiday parks to five-star resorts and everything in between.

We headed to lunch at the popular eatery Vivo Palm Cove, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The lunchtime menu includes mains such as Nasi Goreng, Tiger Prawn Risotto of 'Skull Island' tiger prawns and Crab Tagliatelline.

Unable to choose just one, I shared the crayfish roll of local tropical crayfish, rosé aioli, iceberg lettuce and brioche, bun with fries and the seafood mezze – a selection of hot and cold tiger prawns, bay bugs, blue swimmer crab, WA scallops with mango jalapeno salsa, baby calamari 'piccolo fritto', caper and dill mayo.

Fuelled up, I grabbed a takeaway iced coffee and set off for Port Douglas, about 50 minutes away.

Along the way, I stopped at Rex Lookout, which offered spectacular views of the Coral Sea, and the aptly named Palm Field, a picturesque area known for its very Instagammable lush greenery and almost perfectly aligned palm trees.

Next stop: Port Douglas

Ten minutes later I arrived at my accommodation for the next two nights – the Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort & Spa.

This five-star retreat offers a resort experience coupled with apartment-style accommodation.

There are 130 rooms, consisting of studios, two and three-bedroom apartments, villas, and swim-out apartments.

A selection of 'beachfront' three-bedroom villas feature their own pools while luxury penthouses come with rooftop spas and barbecue facilities.  

The resort is centred around the resort's iconic 3000-square-metre central pool, which attaches to a secondary lazy river style channel servicing the swim-out apartments.

All apartments are privately owned but the resort is managed by Accor, which is currently managing a refurbishment program.

I stayed in a studio apartment which was yet to be upgraded. It featured a King size bed, large bathroom with spa bath and balcony.

While I did not have a swim-out room, I was metres from the main pool and all-important pool bar, which is open each day from 11am to 6pm and serves food and drinks.

After a long day of travelling I was keen for a little pampering at the onsite Vie Spa, where I was enveloped by a sense of calm as soon as I walked in.

I was booked in for a 30-minute upper body massage but the whole experience lasted close to an hour thanks to the after-massage refreshment in the spa's lounge area.

I was left feeling revived, refreshed and oh so zen, yet with enough energy to explore the rest of the resort, which is a five-minute drive from Port Douglas itself.

The resort, which is steps from Four Mile beach, feels secluded but is perfectly located to explore everything Tropical North Queensland has to offer.

Port Douglas itself has a range of shopping and dining options, but on the first night I dined at the resort's ALUCO Restaurant and Bar.

The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and prides itself on blending the fresh tastes of Tropical North Queensland with Mediterranean flair.

I chose an entrée of Heirloom Tomato & Bocconcini Salad, and a main course of local Barramundi, pan-roasted and served saffron Beurre blanc, grilled zucchini ribbons and lemon myrtle gremolata, followed by dessert of Lemon Myrtle Panna Cotta.

Next stop: Mossman Gorge

After starting day two with a buffet breakfast, I headed off for a jam-packed day.

First stop was Mossman Gorge, which is located 20 minutes from Port Douglas.

Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre is the gateway to the 56,000 hectare area within the World Heritage Listed Daintree National Park.

There, you can change into your swimmers and board a bus that takes you to the heart of the gorge.

I headed off on the Rainforest Circuit Track, across Rex Creek suspension bridge, before looping back to the famed swimming spot where you can cool off in the crystal-clear waters alongside ancient granite boulders.

Next stop: Cape Tribulation

There are plenty of things to see and do in Cape Tribulation but my destination was Treetops Adventure for an afternoon of ziplining.

Treetops promises a serene zipline canopy tour of the wonders of the Daintree Rainforest, but, for me at least, this was far from serene.

The adventure includes nine ziplines, ranging from 15 to 130 metres, which are suspended up to 15 metres above the ground.

This experience is not for the fainthearted, and after traversing all the way to the first platform I decided to back out. But after a quick pep talk from my guide, I decided to throw caution, and almost my lunch, to the wind and launched off.

The second last zipline was the longest, and possibly the scariest, and while I can't say I enjoyed the experience, I did feel a sense of accomplishment for facing my fears, and was rewarded with a pretty spectacular view from the lookout partway along the route.

After a long and hot ziplining experience, I headed straight back to Port Douglas, where the resort's vast pool and poolside bar were beckoning.

After a cooling dip and in-pool beverage, it was time to change and head to dinner at Nautilus Restaurant.

This fine-dining establishment is world-renowned and has hosted the likes of Kylie Minogue, George Clooney, Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson and even Bill and Hillary Clinton.

It is located in the heart of Port Douglas, yet its elevated position and open-air location makes you feel like you are dining in a rainforest.

Nautilus offers a five-course degustation menu, featuring yellowfin tuna tartare; seared scallops, pressed duck leg and grilled wagyu fillet followed by a choice of two desserts. I went with the signature mango souffle and I am not overstating it when I say it was up there with the most memorable and delicious meals I have ever had.

Final stop: Great Barrier Reef!

After another night in Port Douglas, I was up at the crack of dawn for the one-hour drive to Cairns, which included another quick stop at Rex Lookout.

I left my car and headed to the marina to board a boat for my final activity – a snorkelling adventure to the Great Barrier Reef.

One of the seven natural wonders of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site, the reef has copped a beating over the past couple of decades, worrying scientists.

But all is not lost, with the reef showing signs of regeneration in recent years.

You can access the reef from a number of locations in Tropical North Queensland, including Port Douglas, but I am back in Cairns as a guest of leading conservation organisation Citizens of the Reef.

In 2020, it launched The Great Reef Census, a people-power movement which invites everyone who visits the reef to help map it.

Much like Mission: Impossible, my job for the morning, if I chose to accept it, was to take as many photos that I could of the six sections of reef we visited while armed with a supplied GoPro.

This was less relaxing snorkelling experience and more Navy SEAL, but I was pleased I completed my task, which hopefully added to the blueprint of the reef being compiled by scientists.

After a morning of mapping the reef, we headed to Reef Magic's Pontoon for a buffet lunch and to learn more about reef conservation efforts.

I tried coral planting using a technique for restoring reefs using hexagonal steel structures that are placed on areas of coral rubble to provide a stable base for coral fragments to regrow.

Afterwards, I was invited back into the water to see how the technique is rebuilding damaged reefs.

Where to stay in Cairns

After a huge day, it was time to head back aboard Reef Magic Cruises' catamaran, where I enjoyed a beverage and snack from the well-stocked bar, before heading to my accommodation for the evening; the Pullman Cairns International hotel.

Described as a five-star oasis in the heart of Cairns, I was delighted to find it was all this and more.

My room was generously proportioned and well-appointed.

Had I wanted to, I could have visited the pool but instead I spent a couple of hours relaxing and unwinding ahead of drinks and dinner in the onsite Coco's Kitchen + Bar – a delicious ending to the day.

Yes, Tropical North Queensland is hot, but if you don't mind heat and humidity, which I found to be on par with Bali, Thailand, Fiji and even Noosa, you will find it bearable.

Yes, there are crocs and stingers during stinger season (November to May), but if you go in November like I did, you will find fewer crowds, no traffic, and be treated to an action-packed or relaxing holiday – which ever you choose – coupled with good food and great accommodation.

The writer travelled as a guest of Turo and Accor.