Tropical North Queensland a region of contrasts, diversity and natural beauty.

If rainforests, isolated beaches and the stunning Great Barrier Reef aren't enough to excite you read on to hear about Gary Hampton's love affair with the tropical north.

My affair with Cairns and Tropical North Queensland began 30 years ago. I say affair as ironically it wasn’t tourism that attracted me to Queensland but in fact a particular young lady whom I met holidaying in NZ. Anna was from Babinda, a small town 60kms south of Cairns. Such journeys frequently have a fairytale ending and 12 months later, married we returned to New Zealand. Often I wonder, particularly during the depths of the Canterbury winters, if Anna has really ever forgiven me for enticing her away from an area where one day is fantastic, the next perfect!!

In 1972 Cairns was a sleepy city, population around 30,000. Thirty years has seen expansion and construction of accommodation options, development of beach resorts, the birth of Port Douglas, a thriving cruise industry and features unique to the region like the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, an exciting travel option to Kuranda, gateway to the Tablelands area.

Refuge can be found at any one of the beach resorts along a 26km stretch north of the City. Travel 1 hour north of the city and you arrive at Port Douglas, born from the mangrove swamps and now a very trendy and popular destination in it’s own right, gateway to the Low Isles and the Great Barrier Reef.

But it’s food and climate that draw me back time after time. Huge king prawns, freshly caught barramundi, crab, Morton Bay bugs, add to that a huge array of exotic fresh fruits, like mango, pineapple, melons, star fruit, custard apples and passion fruit.