Cairns is known as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, but it doesn’t stop there. The city is in the heart of Queensland’s tropical north and is brimming with sumptuous cuisine, dripping with cultural experiences and bursting with epic adventures in the natural paradise. If you’re keen on a quick tour of this tropical haven, here’s our itinerary for a 48-hour weekend escape. Whether you’re looking to explore the forest or the sea, this itinerary has options for you. So pack your bags and let’s get to paradise.

Heading out on a Friday with an earnest buffer of time to explore what the area has to offer, you can time your flight (three hours from Sydney, three and a half from Melbourne or two and a half from Brisbane) to suit a launchpad arrival, checking bags into the hotel and immediately heading out, or to a more relaxed integration: squeezing into sandals and a deck chair to watch the sunset.

Either way, you’d better chart a course to your accommodation first. Our pick is Crystalbrook Flynn, both for its central location and quality as a hotel. If you want a smooth integration into the Cairns way of living, drop your bag off and grab a quick drink or bite on the ground floor Boardwalk Social bar, where a spot of people watching on the boardwalk across the road will reveal that things move at a slower pace here.

If you want to dive headfirst into adventure, book in for a Deadly after Dark Sunset, Canapes and Culture Tour with Mandingalbay Tours. Departing at 5.30pm from Cairns Marlin Marina, your Mandingalbay Yidjinji guide will bring you to the wetlands and mangrove forests of East Trinity Reserve, an Indigenous Protected Area, for a two-hour showcase of the history and traditions of the Mandingalbay people of the Yidinji Nation with light canapes and a four-course dinner, returning to Cairns at 7.30pm.

If you’d prefer to stay within the main city for your first night, there are plenty of good choices here too. Our recommendation? The local icon Salt House, perched on Marina Point (a short 10-minute walk from Crystalbrook Flynn). Here you can dine on an indulgent menu of locally sourced produce in a stylish setting, with a special spotlight given to local seafood. Crystalbrook Flynn’s own eateries are also local favourites, with Flynn’s Italian serving generous portions of local produce inspired by the area’s history of Italian immigration, while the Whiskey and Wine Bar pairs cocktails, a diverse wine list and small bites with open air and ocean breezes.

Images: Crystalbrook Collection, Tourism and Events Queensland, Tourism Tropical North Queensland

Now, the adventure begins in earnest. The world is your oyster, and Cairns is bringing with potential. If you passed on the sunset tour of Mandingal Bay, you can head out for their other main tour, the three-hour hands-on eco tour. Beginning with a 9am departure for a river cruise, you’ll travel into the Trinity Wetlands with a local guide, with a morning spent getting quite literally hands-on with country on a forest walk and introductions to bush food and tools, concluding with a morning tea before you head back down the river to Cairns.

If the ocean is calling (not the beach, you’ve probably observed by now there is no swimming beach in Cairns, on account of the toothed and tentacled predators that call the shallows of the Coral Sea home) — you can get an all-in-one Great Barrier Reef (GBR) experience via Reef Magic Cruises. Departing at 9am sharp, you’ll travel to the Outer Reef and the Reef Magic Pontoon, and you’ll have around five hours to enjoy complimentary snorkelling, glass bottom and semi-submersible boat tours, marine biology talks and a buffet lunch. For an extra fee, you can add on scuba, helmet diving or scenic helicopter flights.

Reef Magic puts special care into revitalising its slice of the GBR, Moore Reef. The pontoon itself is powered by solar and wind, and actively works to restore local coral populations. You can take an active role in that restoration too, if you book on a dedicated Reef Recovery Day — all of the usual activities are on offer, but you’ll also get to assist marine biologists in tying coral fragments to biodegradable ‘reef stars’, which will then be submerged to add to the living reef below you.

If you want to get close to the ocean but stick closer to dry land, a middle ground is available. Jump on board the Fitzroy Flyer ferry to explore Fitzroy Island. The island is surrounded by a reef system that forms part of the northernmost GBR. The ferry departs Cairns at 8am, 11am and 1.30pm and takes around 45 minutes to arrive at the island. Once you’re there, hike up the bush walking tracks, like the lighthouse and summit walks, for reef views, or keep to the coast and trek to the secret garden and the iconic Nudey Beach.

Alternatively, you can snorkel, dive or kayak along the reef system close to shore. Transport back is limited, so if you don’t want to get stuck overnight on the tropical resort (how tragic), be sure to grab a returning ferry. The last one leaves at 5pm, but try to catch the one at 12pm to make the most of your time in this tropical paradise.

If you’d prefer to stay clear of the sea entirely, any local will tell you there’s plenty of fun to be had inland. A multitude of waterfalls and natural swimming spots can be found in the mountains and forests ringing the city — but be crocwise. Crocodiles can be found in water hundreds of kilometres from the sea, especially in low-lying rivers, lakes, creeks and lagoons, so observe any safety precautions and signage and be sure to research the local crocodile risk ahead of time if you plan on swimming in a specific area.

Now, if you’d prefer to stay entirely dry, spend your Saturday exploring the ancient World-Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest. The rainforest is over 135 million years old, making it the oldest in the world and the largest in Australia. At over 100 kilometres (about a 2.5-hour drive) from Cairns, it makes for a good road trip from the city for the day. You can either rent a car and drive up the coastal Cook Highway and take in the scenery, or book a day trip tour.

The tropical rainforest grows along the Daintree River all the way down to the shoreline of the Coral Sea. Take the cable ferry over the Daintree River to Cape Tribulation village and the rainforest proper. Spend the day exploring the ancient rainforest’s walks, freshwater swimming holes and keeping an eye out for colourful locals — like the flamboyant cassowaries.

If you still have it in you when you arrive back in Cairns by boat or car, stretch your legs and explore the shorefront with a walk along the Cairns Esplanade. The entire walk is about 2.5 kilometres and features numerous public artworks as well as great views of the ocean and the Cairns Lagoon.

No matter how you’ve chosen to spend the day, you’ll likely be starving by now. For a no-fuss and easy meal, visit the Cairns Night Markets — open every day from 4.30–10.30pm — to pick up some locally made goods or food. Otherwise, stroll up the Esplanade to Paper Crane by Crystalbrook Riley, where local Queensland produce gets a pan-Asian makeover inspired by the cuisines of Japan, Thailand, Korea, China and Vietnam.

Images: Tourism Tropical North Queensland, Tourism and Events Queensland, Alec Jones

It’s your last day in the tropical paradise of Cairns. You’ll want to pack in as much as you can on your last day. After breakfast at the hotel, head on over the Rusty’s Markets for some fresh fruit and local produce for snacking throughout the day.

If you opted for the rainforest yesterday, perhaps you will spend the morning on Fitzroy Island before spending the rest of your time exploring the cultural venues of the local city such as the Cairns Museum, Art Gallery and Botanic Gardens — take the Red Arrow walk for epic views across Cairns. However, if you’re more interested in getting your heart rate pumping, check out Skypark and get your adrenaline rushing with the highest multi-person swing in Australia, or take a leap of faith with the 50-metre bungy jump.

If the Coral Sea was your choice for Saturday, get a taste of the rainforest with the Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail. Board the historic and beautifully refurbished train bound for Kuranda. The train meanders through the rainforest clinging to the mountainside passing spectacular waterfalls and stunning gorges. Explore Kuranda village with its wildlife experiences at the Koala Gardens, Birdworld and Butterfly Sanctuary, shop at the markets and enjoy great eats at the local restaurants and cafes. Return to Cairns on the epic Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. Enjoy panoramic views of the rainforest from above as you glide along the canopy in the glass-bottomed gondola. While en route, the gondola will descend into the rainforest for you to see the boardwalk of the loop trail of Red Peak and Barron Falls — where you can check out the historical precinct and get views of the gorge and waterfall at The Edge Lookout.

Toast your epic tropical weekend with a glass of wine and something tasty to eat at Flynn’s Italian. Choose between truffle ricotta bruschetta, pistachio-crusted sustainably caught tuna and burrantina with aged 24-month Tomewin Farm prosciutto. Reminisce about your epic adventures over a charcuterie board while enjoying the in-house gallery exhibition before bidding farewell to paradise.

Images: Tourism and Events Queensland, Crystalbrook Cairns

Additional words by Orlaith Costello

Concrete Playground travelled to Cairns as a guest of Tourism Tropical North Queensland.