Perfect holiday in North QLD

Hi All
can anyone provide some suggestions on where to go for family holiday in North QLD, trying to put together, I have 2 teenage daughters. Any ideas?

Cheers, MTR
 
Hi P2P
We will be hiring a car, wanting to combine a relaxing holiday beside pool and sight seeing, will be looking at 10 days. Am from Perth.

Love to mix it with cafes, restuarants. Thanks for your suggestions, appreciated. WOuld also look at boating but I get sea sick looking at a boat, could only do couple of hours... tops.

CHeers, MTR
 
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Not being biased, but Townsville, Cairns and Mackay would be my top 3 picks.

Plenty of shopping in the 3 towns for your daughters and only a short boat ride out to Maggie Is (Townsville), reef (Cairns), Brampton (Mky).

If you're in to walking, all 3 towns have lovely natural walks close at hand and you could drop in and visit Airlie Beach from either Mackay or Townsville; 1.5hrs from Mky, 2.5 from Townsville.

Both Cairns and Townsville have casinos, and all 3 spots have lovely spots on or near the water to eat.

Cairns is offering some really cheap holiday deals at the moment, check out the QANTAS site for more details. We'll be heading up there in 2 weeks for a working break!

I'm from Mackay and lived in Townsville for 5 years while at uni. Happy to play tour guide, so any questions you have, feel free to ask!
 
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This sounds great, but my husband will not wear the shopping, too bad his out numbered, just have to leave him at the hotel.;)

Will check out flights

Cheers, MTR
 
Depends when you're heading to QLD, but it may tie in with the V8's racing in Townsville in 2wks time. There's also usually a powerboat race out to Maggie Is sometime in early August. Your husband may enjoy that? Failing that, stay at Jupiter's or the Reef casinos and send him downstairs with a pile of $1 coins! :(
There's actually pretty good fishing off the Strand in Townsville, you'd be surprised what you can catch!

Kingfisher Bay's a lovely place to stay too, you can fly in to Hervey Bay. Plenty of cheap property around there as well!!
 
Hi P2P
We will be hiring a car, wanting to combine a relaxing holiday beside pool and sight seeing, will be looking at 10 days. Am from Perth.

Love to mix it with cafes, restuarants. Thanks for your suggestions, appreciated. WOuld also look at boating but I get sea sick looking at a boat, could only do couple of hours... tops.

CHeers, MTR

MTR,

For our honeymoon last year we did a bareboat charter in the Whitsundays and it was amazing. Was a bit expensive, but we had a great time. I can highly recommend it.

Don't let the sea sickness stop you - I get badly motion sick and got over it by taking a sea sickness tablet each day. Worked wonders and didn't feel sick at all the for the entire week.

Neither of us had prior boating experience - I arranged to get my boating license before we went (just to improve my comfort factor - not necessary).

Regards,

Jason
 
Cairns is my pick, bit better for younteenage ones
Good beaches to the north via bus/car
Go out to the reef on day
chinese night markets
got to the rainforest
drive to the tablelands
 
Bloody love Nth Qld . We lived in Townsville and also Cairns for about 5 yrs , I miss it, send me some happy snaps .
I reckon Magnetic Island wouldn't be bad for family . It's safe, much more open and less commercialized than the others , it is still pretty commercialized though.
I got married on Daydream , hated it which was a bit of a shame but Airlies was very nice though . Daydream was just too restricting, rehearsed, small . Magnetic's very open , much bigger , you can wonder or moke all over the place , fairy over to Townsville any time .

Anyway , have a nice holiday where ever you end up.

Cheers
 
This is great feedback, now I have so many choices, Cairns sounds great and may be perfect for what I am after.

thanks all

Cheers, MTR
 
I'd take Whitsundays over Cairns anyday!!
The islands are so beautiful. But if you stay in Cairns there are places within easy drive, but Cairns itself is a bit bland.
cheers
Pen
 
Oh no, just when I thought I had it sorted..... different strokes for different folks. Could do both perhaps?
 
Great day trips out of Cairns (going there shortly for a few days).

Musts:
Sunday morning markets at Port Douglas
Drive as far as the bitumen goes up to Cape Tribulation - awesome rainforests
Mossman Gorge
Kuranda train and skyrail - touristy but very enjoyable
Atherton Tableland
Reef trip for a day

Enjoy!!
Marg
 
Hi All
can anyone provide some suggestions on where to go for family holiday in North QLD, trying to put together, I have 2 teenage daughters. Any ideas?

Cheers, MTR

Airlie Beach would be my pick, your daughters will love it as heaps of young people around and your husband will also enjoy the 'sights', plenty of cafe's and restaurants for you as well.

Another option is Gladstone and you could buy something while there as well:D
One agent when answering a questions about a house that looked over the refinery said "oh thats a positive it lights up like Disneyland at night" so the kids will love that and much cheaper than going to Florida!:eek:
 
BT, Tempting, side stracking it to Gladston, geeeez, it's getting tough, don't think the family will be feeling the love with this one.
I could also buy in Florida for less than half the price of Gladdy, come's with its own oil slick:(

Airlie Beach is on my list. Thanx

Marg
Pt Douglas and Reef on my list. Thanx

May have to extend this holiday just a tad.

If anyone wants to share any accommodation tips let me know, I am a 4-5 star type gal.

Cheers, MTR
 
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