THE REGION
Innisfail is the heart of the Cassowary Coast.
You owe it to yourself to experience this magnificent region that contains all the natural tropical beauty that makes the Far North so unique. Between the hustle and bustle of Cairns and Townsville lies the Cassowary Coast!
The Great Barrier Reef, World Heritage Wet Tropics Rainforest, offshore islands, golden sandy beaches, cool mountain streams, waterfalls, mangrove everglades, crocodiles, cassowaries, butterflies, fishing, tropical agriculture, history, culture – we have it all.
Connected by the Bruce Highway this area from Innisfail in the north to Cardwell in the south, is one of the wettest in Australia, consequently, it is also the greenest. The high rainfall means that the rainforests are lush in the true sense of wet tropics, the mountain streams are cool and clear.
The best part of the World Heritage Rainforest in this region is its easy accessability – you don’t need a 4WD – just turn off the highway and visit places such as the Mulgrave Valley, the Boulders, Josephine Falls, Mt. Bartle Frere, the Palmerston National Park, Mission Beach, the Tully River and Cardwell’s Forest Drive. It’s easy on your vehicle, easy on your body and easy on your wallet. Many well marked walking tracks of varying difficulty are located throughout the entire region.
You know those golden sandy beaches overlooking the magnificent Coral Sea that you came to the Far North to experience but couldn’t find, well turn off the highway and check out places like Bramston Beach, Ella Bay, Flying Fish Point, Etty Bay, Cowley Beach, Kurrimine Beach, Bingil Bay, Mission Beach, Tully Heads and Cardwell. Long stretches of clean golden sands with, in most places, the rainforest literally fringing the pristine beaches. Sit back under the shade of a palm and soak in the true tropics.
When you think of the tropics you invariably think of islands and the Great Barrier Reef. Did you know that along the Cassowary Coast we have over 25 offshore islands? The most famous of these are the resort islands of Dunk, Bedarra and one of the world’s largest island national parks, Hinchinbrook. The islands offer everything from idyllic isolation to full on resort excitement. Access to them is varied with commercial cruise operations and water taxis servicing the most popular. For complete freedom you can bring your own boat or maybe charter a houseboat or yacht.
The Great Barrier Reef is only 50 minutes away making the Cassowary Coast the closest mainland access in Queensland. Numerous cruise operators and charter boats travel to the reef daily giving easy access to this wonder of the natural world.
Scuba dive, snorkel or view in comfort in glass bottom boats and semi-submersibles the truly spectacular underwater world of colourful corals, surreal bêche-de-mer, anenomes, turtles.
This area boasts some of the best recreational and sports fishing in the world. The ocean and local rivers teem with mudcrabs and endless varieties of fish from the much sought after barrumundi to the plentiful species of exotic reef fish.
For the self-drive visitors accommodation varies from National Park camping grounds, caravan and tourist parks, hotels, motels and resorts. All the major shopping supermarkets have centres throughout the region. Restaurants are many and varied catering for all variety of tastes and pockets.
