DESTINATIONS QUEENSLAND AUSTRALASIA RIGHT:
Quicksilver pontoon,
Agincourt Reef
FAR RIGHT: Daintree
National Park BELOW:
Catamaran to Fitzroy Island
clownfish shimmered past, green turtles came to greet me, and an array of fascinating sea creatures dazzled like iridescent underwater stars. Seeing the reef from the air by
GETTING THERE
Philippine Airlines
flies daily from Heathrow to
Manila on its new Airbus A350-900. Passengers
can connect to Brisbane using the direct Manila- Brisbane service that launched in
March, flying four times per week. The Brisbane flight is operated on PAL’s new Airbus A321neo. London to Brisbane in economy class starts at £599, while business- class fares start at £2,399.
philippine
airlines.com
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travelweekly.co.uk 13 September 2018
helicopter was an equally breathless experience. As the pilot dipped and dived, the colours of the reef popped and exploded into a palette of dreamy greens and blues. GBR Helicopters has a 30-minute Reef Discovery tour from £223 from Port Douglas or Cairns.
w INTO THE WILD Tropical North Queensland isn’t just about the Great Barrier Reef, though. Not content with one World Heritage Site, the mighty Daintree Rainforest is also located here. Thought to be around 165 million
years old, it is one of the oldest rainforests in the world. As we began our trek across this ancient ground, a labyrinth maze of knotted trees seemed to whisper memories of long ago.
As the helicopter pilot dipped and dived, the colours of the reef exploded into a palette of dreamy greens and blues
We heard about the primitive
flowers that lived when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and about the elusive cassowary, a huge prehistoric bird with almost mythical status. Only a privileged few ever see the endangered bird, with its shaggy black feathers and electric-blue head. It is thought that its odd, helmet- like casque is used to detect the low vibrating ‘infrasound’ made by other cassowaries over long distances. A day cruising the Daintree River introduced us to more of the region’s
infamous residents. “Keep your fingers inside the boat,” our guide warned, and before long, we spotted a cunning character on the riverbank, showcasing evolution in its purest form. The crocodile was perfectly camouflaged into its surroundings, looking more like an innocent log than a cunning predator. Billy Tea Safaris offers a one-day
Daintree, Cape Trib and Bloomfield tour, including Daintree River cruise with morning tea, 4x4 drive, rainforest walk, barbecue lunch and afternoon tea, and a visit to Cape Tribulation beach, from £115 per adult.
w TROPICAL HIDEAWAY For clients wanting a real castaway experience, Fitzroy Island is located just 18 miles off the coast of Cairns. We reached it via a thrilling journey on the high-speed catamaran, run by adventure travel provider Raging Thunder Adventures (from £44 for
PICTURES: TOURISM AND EVENTS QUEENSLAND; MATT HARVEY; BRISBANE MARKETING; TOURISM PORT DOUGLAS AND DAINTREE
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