Taste of Paradise
Tropical North Queensland
Lets list what I love about Cairns Cairns - reef, rainforest and other obvious beauty; beaches, rainforest, colourful markets, contemporary clubs, cocktails, cappuccinos and cool people.
The city is renowned as the 'gateway to the Great Barrier Reef', but the region presents everything quintessentially Australian including rainforest and the Outback, within one easily navigated area. In my view though, the best thing about North Queensland is that there's plenty of fun, adventure and tasty treats to be had that will not break the bank.
This fertile country is a thriving hub for locally-grown harvests, boutique wineries, delectable chocolate and coffee producers, and is quickly becoming a necessary pilgrimage for the health-conscious and organic or vegan-obsessed. It's entirely viable to indulge in an inexpensive sensory adventure in these parts; visit the foodie source, sample produce, and photograph picturesque scenery along the way, which is exactly what my partner and I did.
Our only problem was where to start. That's when I turned to a recent discovery, a handy free app called Taste Paradise, which piqued my interest because it solved the planning for us, and focuses on two of my great loves: travel and food.
The concept couldn't be simpler. Download the app, spin the plate and choose your own adventure. The featured 'food trails' outline five delectable itineraries which enable a traveller on any budget to see − and eat or drink − their way through the very best on the North Queensland menu, including restaurants, markets, wineries, cafes, farms and plantations. Hire a car in Cairns and follow the maps and descriptions to delightful destinations. You could choose the Coral Coast trail which winds throughout the city's special culinary experiences towards Palm Cove; the Rainforest road en-route to the Daintree and its bountiful natural offerings, or the Cassowary Coast option to experience authentic local sugar, banana and tropical fruit plantations as well as traditional country pubs, bush and secluded beaches south of Cairns.
We combined a variation of two trails − Savannah Tablelands and Misty Mountains − up into the hills beyond Cairns to the Atherton Tablelands. Just one tank of petrol kept us cruising along on this approximately 200 kilometre round-trip, beginning and ending in Cairns, and travelling to Kuranda, past Mareeba, through Atherton towards Malanda and down the Gillies Highway to the city again. The scenery is ever-changing − ageless rainforest, dusty flat plains, fruitful pastures, mountainous trails, lush sprawling valleys, lakes, waterfalls, palm trees; a picture-perfect expedition of wild and natural landscapes.
Alongside an endless feast for the photographer's eye, there are plentiful opportunities for foodies, from mango wines, and more traditional reds and whites, to cheese, nuts, honey, chocolate, coffee, fruit, vegetables, ice-cream, beer and spirits − all produced from under our feet; even the famous Nerada tea plantation is up here.
Not only can you taste-test a variety of products, but you'll learn a little about what you're eating or drinking too, as well as interesting history surrounding the location courtesy of the friendly, passionate staff at each stop. For example, at Jaques Coffee Plantation we learnt how the world's favourite beverage comes to life, and how the Jaques family evolved their coffee production prowess across several continents and generations.
There's an abundance of scrumptious locations for everyone to discover in Tropical North Queensland. Plot preferences utilising the app, and you'll not only locate attractions you might never have known existed, but your taste-buds will thank you and you'll drive away with a wealth of distinctive insights and travel stories too.+
