Any good road trip will take you on a scenic route along the coast at some stage. The California State Route 1 on the west coast of the United States is certainly one of the world's most famous scenic drives. In Europe, the spectacular Antrim Coast Road on the Causeway Coastal Route in Northern Ireland and a few magnificent spots on the French Riviera (Côte d'Azur) in France have a substantial tourist appeal as well. But what about in Australia? We often hear of the Great Ocean Road or the Grand Pacific Drive, but there are some others roads running along beautiful coastlines too. It is the reason why a drive on the Captain Cook Highway is highly advisable. If you are planning a road trip to the Tropical North Queensland, you should add it to your itinerary right now. Imagining it is the only place in the world where two UNESCO World Heritage listed sites meet, the Wet Tropics of Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef, you will certainly understand why we recommend it. This short drive of about 75 kilometres that connects Cairns with Port Douglas, between the Daintree Rainforest and wild beaches of the Coral Sea, is simply one of the most scenic drive we have had in Australia (photo).

What do you think? Have you found some breathtaking roads in Australia? What are the spectacular coastlines you would recommend? Share your favourite with us in the comments below!

We are about to leave Cairns and we have not posted our opinion about the city yet. How come? Well, it is mostly because we are trying to get off the beaten track. Cairns is dedicated to tourism and that is sufficient reason to explain why we have not really liked the city itself (unlike its neighbour Port Douglas). Cairns surrounding areas are really amazing: the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics of Queensland just to name a few. But here is what you can really expect to find or to do in Cairns:

• Tourists, a lot of tourists (and not necessarily the high-class ones),
• Hotels, hostels and many more accommodation, to accommodate all these people (Cairns Waterfront Backpackers is to be avoided while Gilligan's seems absolutely brilliant),
• Restaurants, to feed all these people (and not necessarily those in which food is good but where one can relax in a good atmosphere sometimes),
• Shops, to make all these people spend their money (and not necessarily those in which products are of good quality),
• Bars and nightclubs, to entertain them (it has not worked for us),
• Tour operators in abundance, to embark all these people on Great Barrier Reef tours and scuba diving trips,
• No swimming beach, but an artificial lagoon located on the Esplanade (photo).

In other words, Cairns is a little bit like Disneyland. By comparison, Western Australia's coastline is just as magnificent (if not more) with a more authentic atmosphere, in Coral Bay for example.

What do you think? Have you been disappointed by Cairns? What are your recommendations on things to see or do in Cairns? Which Cairns attractions need to be avoided? Let us know in the comments below!

We have been visiting Cairns area on a boat, gondola, train, bus... we are still missing a scenic flight experience. A Hot Air coach picks us up early in the morning in front of our downtown accommodation (Cairns Waterfront Backpackers, which is to be avoided at all costs!). After a one hour transfer, we are dropped in a field where two or three hot air balloons are waiting for us. Wow! It feels like being part of a balloon festival! For our first flight, we are going to fly high above the Atherton Tablelands spending thirty minutes in our balloon. Longer rides are also available. When we take off, then later when floating in the air, the sensation is unique. Everything seems so peaceful down there. The day is just rising. The landscape is picturesque. We spot a few kangaroos and wallabies bursting out the bushes. It is a bit cool, but when the long flame used to lift the balloon is burning, it gets hot really quickly. At the end of the ride, we gently land in another field. If you have the chance to be part of the last flight of the day, you even get a little bonus fun in the basket just before packing-up. Back in town, it is time for a well-deserved breakfast. This is really a fun experience! Hot Air also operates on the Gold Coast, in Brisbane and Port Douglas.

Part of this activity was paid by Hot Air.

Waterfront terrace. Tropical atmosphere. Very affordable prices. Looking for a relaxing place in Cairns for a drink, your lunch or your dinner? Look no further and let The Pier Bar & Grill, located at the southeast end of the Esplanade, look after you. This restaurant bar is open every day. The place is famous for its Sunday Sessions and its delicious pizzas ($5 pizza on Sunday night, what else?). This is certainly not a key place of Australian cuisine, but its great atmosphere will help you to forget about that. And we just like it the way it is!

iPhoneography Oz was a guest of The Pier Bar & Grill.

Dear readers, especially if you are a backpacker, open your eyes and read this (it works too even if you are not a backpacker)! Do you want to have fun in Cairns? We have found one of the best tours ever. Well we are not the only one since Barefoot Tours has been ranked TripAdvisor's #1 Activity in Cairns in 2010, 2011 and 2012! We do not want to spoil anything here, so we are not going to reveal all you have to expect from this really cooool day... What we can tell you is that with Matty, the colourful Captain, there is no time restrictions. You can enjoy throughout the day the beauty of the nature around you. Have you ever swum in volcanic crater lakes? Do you fancy washing your hair with a shampoo under a waterfall, just like on TV commercials? In the morning you can enjoy a tropical breakfast (included). Then you can have lunch mixing with the locals at a proper local Aussie pub (not included). No matter what, while staying in Cairns, you would be a fool to miss out on this adventure. Nevermind if you have forgotten your smile at your accommodation, Matty will bring a few of them back on your face.

iPhoneography Oz was a guest of Barefoot Tours.

It has been a long time since we planned to be in Cairns on 14 November 2012. Why? Because Cairns and Great Barrier Reef region is the only place in the world where the total solar eclipse can be seen on 14 November. Although, after having read this article, you will understand that Cairns was not the best place to see it... Seeing this natural phenomenon is rare, especially from land. It is only the eighth total eclipse of the twenty-first century. It is supposed to be visible along a strip of land about 200 kilometres wide which crosses the top of eastern Australia and the Coral Sea. Many eclipse-watchers took a flight to Cairns from all over the world. We are talking about 70,000 people coming for a two minutes glory of darkness. Special events such as Eclipse 2012, a huge hippie festival, and the Solar Eclipse Marathon in Port Douglas have been planned in the area to celebrate. But wait a minute, the sky is heavily overcast in Cairns! It might be 5 or 6 in the morning but the clouds are already up (are Mayans behind this one too?). Not the kind of eclipse we were expecting. We thought that a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon (not the clouds) passes in front of the Sun. Suddenly, a break in the clouds. We can see for the first (and the last) time the dark disk of the Moon obscuring the intensely bright light of the Sun. Asian tourists are hysterical and engage in an "Eclipse Style" dance (a dubious variation of Gangnam Style). A few minutes later, we experience a magic moment when the eclipse reaches its totality (even if we can not see it directly). It looks like someone somewhere just turned the light off. At this particular moment we understand why seeing a solar eclipse is an extraordinary privilege. Total darkness. Birds are lost. Then a few minutes later, they start to sing like they do in the morning. It is dawn again and the day can actually begin. So when is the next eclipse? 20 March 2015.

The original Kuranda Scenic Railway winds its way on a journey of approximately 1 hour 45 minutes from Cairns to Kuranda, the village in the rainforest where a rich assortment of interesting attractions and unique shopping experiences awaits you. This famous train experience will allow you to admire unsurpassed views of dense UNESCO World Heritage listed rainforest, steep ravines and picturesque waterfalls. Constructed between 1882 and 1891, it is still considered an engineering feat of exceptional magnitude. In the morning, the Kuranda Scenic Railway can be joined at Cairns Railway Station or Freshwater Connection. Journeys from Kuranda Station to Cairns run in the afternoon. The journey includes an English commentary which makes the experience really instructive. On the same day, it is possible to board the Kuranda Scenic Railway, shop in Kuranda, jump aboard the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and visit the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park. To discover all that the area has to offer, check these tour packages.

iPhoneography Oz was a guest of Kuranda Scenic Railway.

Kuranda is a town nestled in the middle of the Wet Tropics of Queensland, 25 kilometres from Cairns. We suggest you take either the Kuranda Scenic Railway or the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway to get there. Its atmosphere reminds us of Nimbin in New South Wales (minus the joints), with its many visitors, its local arts community and its many shopping opportunities. Actually Kuranda is a real open-air market. They certainly know how to deal with tourists there, but not sure about this mens collection made of kangaroo skin (photo). If you visit our facebook page, in the Queensland: The Complete Series album, you will find the latest bikini collection!

The Wet Tropics of Queensland are renowned for their exceptional scenic features, their natural beauty and their magnificent sweeping landscapes. They are recognized as one of the most fascinating natural areas in the world from an ecological point of view. These parks stretch along the north-east coast of Australia for some 450 kilometres, occupying ​​approximately 900,000 hectares (0.26% of the total land mass while they used to cover all of Australia a million years ago). Despite their small size, they are home to an incredible diversity of plant and animal species, including nearly 700 plants species found nowhere else on earth. Dating back more than 120 million years, they are the world's oldest continually surviving tropical rainforests which even were home to the dinosaurs! To ensure these world's remarkable natural wonders are protected and preserved, these rainforests were UNESCO World Heritage listed in 1988. Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, located a few kilometres north of Cairns, is the most scenic and environmentally sensitive way to visit Australia's Tropical Rainforests.

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway is a unique rainforest experience ten minutes away from Cairns and less than an hour from Port Douglas. Jump aboard a gondola cabin which takes you on an unforgettable journey over and through UNESCO World Heritage listed Tropical Rainforests. The view is spectacular. From there you can also see the Coral Sea and lush Cairns Highlands (photo). This adventure includes time at two mid-stations, where you can walk on these ancient tropical forests alone or with a guide. Allow up to 90 minutes to complete a one-way experience which ends in the picturesque village of Kuranda. It is possible to enjoy a return experience, but we suggest that you experience the Kuranda Scenic Railway for your return to Cairns. Skyrail opened in 1995 and has since won numerous international, national and regional tourism and environmental awards. Located a few metres from the Tjapukai Aboriginal Culture Park, we recommend that you book one of the Tours & Packages offered to visit both attractions.

iPhoneography Oz was a guest of Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.

A few months ago, we stayed amongst an Indigenous Australian community when we were in South Australia. If you have not had the chance to experience it but you still want to learn more about Aboriginal culture, here is your chance. On the outskirts of Cairns, the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park is an attraction not to be missed. The park managed by Indigenous Australians showcases different aspects of Aboriginal culture through dynamic presentations in which the public takes part. You will discover the medicinal value of bush tucker, learn how to throw a spear and a boomerang and you will enjoy professional theatre incorporating traditional Aboriginal culture with dancing, fire making and storytelling (photo). It is quite modern and touristy, but it is a great way to be introduced to the rich Aboriginal culture.

Part of this activity was paid by Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park.

There are a few islands found off Cairns that one can very easily visit for a day. Snorkeling and enjoying life without stress are on the menu, but know that the sun does not always show up in the area (photo). Raging Thunder offers a daily excursion on Fitzroy Island which is only 45 minutes from the port of Cairns. You can walk on this little paradise to explore its flora and wildlife (it is where we came accross a giant goanna!). The 360° view from Summit Island will take your breath away. The laziest of you can rest on beautiful unspoiled and uncrowded beaches, weather permitting. The tour operator offers various activity packages. We strongly recommend you to snorkel right off the beach to explore the amazing coral reef (stinger suit provided, it is sometimes better to look ridiculous than to risk your life). There are many turtles in the area. It is most likely that some of them would come and say hi. Not to miss any part of the show, you can also jump aboard their glass bottom boat tour while the kids enjoy the popular ocean trampoline. Going to Fitzroy Island is the perfect day trip, far away from the bustling city life!

iPhoneography Oz was a guest of Raging Thunder.

Goanna (known as Australian monitor lizard) is probably one of the most iconic creatures in Aboriginal mythology and Australian culture. Roughly speaking, it is a large carnivorous lizard found in almost all parts of Australia except Tasmania. A goanna has a powerful jaw along with five sharp claws at the end of each member. Feeling threatened, it could mistake you for tree and attempt to climb off the ground to safety. So be aware! Apart from that, it is not dangerous and will not attack you. That being said, we put our pride aside when we met this goanna (photo) on Fitzroy Island near Cairns. It was not far from measuring three metres (which is pretty huge) and did not seem to deviate from our path! Rather than challenging it, we walked off the beaten path!