By Rama Gaind.
| This is the second in a two-part feature on Cairns where you rediscover fun and some hope for tomorrow. |
Feel invigorated when you go to the lagoon on the Cairns Esplanade. Photo: Rama Gaind
Let sunshine be your favourite accessory as you continue your voyage of discovery in Tropical North Queensland. A short break means reveling in the wonders of the deep blue seas of the Great Barrier Reef. Some time should also be spent in Cairns, taking in the picturesque surrounds of a tropical forest, up and down the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, Karunda Scenic Railway and the Cairns Esplanade, lined with bars and restaurants, where there is a swimming lagoon.
The latter is a fabulous highlight – right in the heart of the city. This pool is a very popular picnic spot where you can swim, the children have a ball and the infinity pool effect is amazing!
The Cairns region is home to a number of interesting museums, including one dedicated to Captain James Cook, in Cooktown. There are also a large number of art galleries showcasing quality local artists, Indigenous artists and international work.
It was lovely to meet Rama Dhandli, a housekeeping supervisor at the Riley, a Crystalbrook Collection Resort, The Esplanade, Cairns. Photo: Rama Gaind
Check out attractions such as the Flecker Botanic Gardens, a wonderful showcase of tropical botany, visit the Cairns Performing Arts Centre. Why not zoom around the waters of Cairns on a jet boat ride, go on a luxury catamaran harbour and dinner cruise or visit an award-winning eco-tourism attraction called Hartley’s Crocodile Adventure.
A wander around the markets at Yungaburra or Rusty’s Market in Cairns also offers the opportunity to see, smell and taste the tropical north. Other destination options include Mossman Gorge , Barron Gorge National Park, Fitzroy Island, Green Island,
Atherton Tablelands Waterfalls and Rainforest Day Tour, Mulgrave River tubing, Paronella Park, Lake Barrine, Millaa Millaa Falls or travel to Port Douglas.
Cairns is Queensland’s adventure capital, so the city also has many tour companies offering scenic flights, cruises to the Great Barrier Reef, bungee jumping, skydiving, white water rafting and coach tours to the rainforest.
Share in the natural wonders of the World Heritage-listed spectacular and discover how best to explore the seven regions and five precincts that make up the Great Barrier Reef.
Share in the many wonders of the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef. Photo: Rama Gaind
Rich in biodiversity, it is the world’s largest coral reef system, stretching from the tip of Cape York in Queensland’s north, all the way to Bundaberg in the south. It can be seen from outer space and there’s a whole underwater world for you to explore with an abundance of marine life and tropical fish.
There are so many ways to experience the reef: dive it, snorkel it, sail it, sleep on it, kayak it, learn about it, fly above it … and that’s just for starters.
You can get wet ‘n’ wild by white water rafting down one of three mighty rivers: the Tully River, the Barron River or the North Johnstone River. White water rafting is fun and exciting. A visit to the stunning Atherton Tablelands promises to be one of stunning beauty, great differences and providing many opportunities to explore. In the highlands, you’ll come across crystal clear crater lakes, ancient rainforest, rugged outback, waterfalls, food, history, wildlife and more.
Riley, Crystalbrook
Costanza Soto with a door sign that’s 100% recycled at the Riley, a Crystalbrook Collection Resort. Photo: Rama Gaind
After (or in between) the time you’ve explored Cairns and beyond, look for accommodation that’s comfortable, and make your way to Riley, a Crystalbrook Collection Resort, The Esplanade, Cairns. It has understated elegance, contemporary design and a splash of fun. What’s more commendable is the resort is aware of ‘going green’ and the practice of sustainability.
My first encounter with Crystalbrook’s environmental policy starts from the minute of check-in (paperless of course), after being handed a wooden key card access to the room. When you stay at the Riley, I was supplied with a recycled wooden door that resembles a wooden poker-chip. Made from 100% recycled wood, these key card access tokens are your first clue that your Cairns holiday experience is starting in the means it intends to carry on.
Save on plastic with Crystalbrook’s reusable water bottles. The Crystalbrook Collection was one of the first hotel groups to swap out straws, disposable bags, takeaway containers and plastic water bottles for plastic–free alternatives.
In fact, even the coat hangers you find in each of the rooms are made from 100% pressed cardboard rather than the usual kind you find in hotel rooms.
Great to see recycled items in use at the Riley, a Crystalbrook Collection Resort, The Esplanade, Cairns: cartons for water, clothes hangers, doorknob hangers and room keys. Photo: Rama Gaind
As well, you won’t find any food wasted at the Riley, and through its very design and shape, it took engineers time to ensure the building reduced excess energy. Inside the rooms, you’ll find more obvious ways the design and architecture wage a war on hotel holiday waste.
Special Building Management System ensures the rooms sit at the same temperature – so you’re never too hot, never too cold. Smart technology kicks in – from the moment you check in your air conditioning cranks up so you walk into a cool room. Equally it works in reverse too, when the sensors recognise you’ve left the room, the air conditioning switches off to conserve energy. Ingenious!
In rooms, the paper compendium has been replaced with iPads and they’ve transformed the check-in and check-out process to be entirely paperless.
Last, but certainly not least, while the breathtaking Great Barrier Reef is incredible to see from above, the real magic happens underneath, with the underwater wonderland a sight to behold. Make sure you capture those special moments of you swimming with marine life over the colourful coral!
It’s been an amazing welcome back for the great escape – when we stayed more than a while – and relished our experiences with a playful outlook on life. Besides, the setting sun still whispers a promise for tomorrow!
DETAILS BOX
Great Barrier Reef
Riley, a Crystalbrook Collection Resort
131-141 Esplanade, Cairns City QLD 4870
T: (07) 4252 7777
