As the VP of Marketing and Sales at Swain Destinations, I have been lucky enough to travel with Swain Destinations many times, both for educational purposes with our partners in destination, and with my own family on immersive trips exploring new destinations and cultures.
I recently had the immense pleasure of taking a small group of our Travel Advisor partners to the most beautiful and luxurious parts of Tropical North Queensland, including Palm Cove, the Daintree Rainforest, the Queensland Outback, and Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef. Together, we were on a mission to get a better understanding of why Queensland has become one of THE most popular destinations amongst Swain Destinations’ travelers.
Our itinerary was exactly what you’d hope from a true luxury experience in Australia’s Sunshine State; adjusting to the time zone on the beach in Palm Cove, followed by a bit of rainforest exploration in the Daintree, the perfect amount of time in Queensland’s outback, swimming with sea turtles on the Great Barrier Reef at Lizard Island, and wrapping it up in the super outdoorsy city of Brisbane.
Starting in Palm Cove was ideal. Even though June is peak season for Tropical North Queensland, the beaches are never crowded, so my jetlag was totally in my favor as I was able to have the beach almost completely to myself first thing in the morning. Winter in Queensland is very mild, so even at 7am, leggings and a tank top were fine for a morning walk.
From here, we made our way to the Daintree Rainforest to stay at Silky Oaks Lodge, perched above the Mossman River. The wildlife sounds of the canopy, paired with the sometimes delicate and sometimes heavy flowing sounds of the river, leave no mistake that you are in the rainforest.
But this is not just any rainforest, this is one of the world’s oldest living rainforests – with trees that predate the dinosaurs.
The lodge itself is beautifully done, just how you’d hope a lodge set in the canopy to be appointed, with hammock outside your sliding doors and an outdoor bath from which to enjoy the cacophony of jungle sounds – as long as you don’t mind a cockatoo or two looking on from above.
And speaking of wildlife, we spotted adorable padymelons and the rare and intriguing looking Tawny Frogmouth during our stay, which was a treat.
It was then time to make our way to the Queensland outback in serious style. Our group of ladies took a helicopter from the rainforest, over the Tablelands, and to our destination – Mount Mulligan Lodge.
The interior of the rooms at Mount Mulligan are Outback chic, just beautifully put together. And the views in this region of Australia are absolutely breathtaking. Each room comes with an electric cart or buggy, depending on your vernacular, and the common space of the lodge has a pool, a weir for kayaking, a restaurant and bar. The approach to dining is fabulous – the chef is highly focused on local, seasonal produce and the meals are planned based on the lodge’s guests’ dining requirements and preferences.
We got to drive some offroad vehicles into the expansive outback and learn a bit about the region’s history and culture, and even take in a beautiful morning’s sunrise from atop a hill to see how the sun kissed the Outback as it rose above the horizon, which was truly special. The sundowners up at the Sunset Bar were so much fun.
From here we took another quick hop by helicopter from the lodge to Cairns airport, where we would board a small aircraft and get experience one of the most scenic flights possibly in the world – over the Great Barrier Reef to Lizard Island.
Lizard Island is truly an island paradise. With some of the best reef snorkeling available right off its beach, as well as sea turtles grazing in the shallows where the seagrass grows, a stay here provides some of the most relaxing adventure you can find.
I was enamored with the giant clam garden, getting to see sea turtles up close without them seemingly having a care in the world, and I loved the Sea Darts that Lizard Island provide which help you to get deeper and scoot around the water more quickly when snorkeling.
After rainforest, outback, and reef it was time to wrap up our trip in the very cool and laidback city of Brisbane. You can read all about my time in Brisbane here . It was so easy to see just why Queensland has become so popular amongst Swain Destinations’ travelers with the combination of its unique cultural heritage and the trifecta of Australian wilderness: reef, rainforest, and outback. And now, with United Airlines offering direct flights from San Francisco to Brisbane, the Sunshine State has never been more accessible or popular.
Get inspired to start planning your own Queensland adventure by having a look at some of our suggested itineraries.
