Travel Australia Podcast by The Feel Good Family

Tropical North Queensland: Our Top 5 Stay & Play Favourites!

• Paul Guerin & Katie Guerin - The Feel Good Family • Season 2025 • Episode 250

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Planning a Tropical North Queensland escape that actually delivers on wonder, value, and ease? We’ve mapped a five-stop itinerary that blends wild rainforest, oceanfront camping, family-friendly resort energy, and a bucket-list day on the Great Barrier Reef. From a humble farm stay near cane fields to a manicured palm-lined village with a world-class pier, we share what to book, what it costs, and how to make every hour count.

We kick off at Newell Beach Farm Stay, a low-cost, pet friendly gem minutes from a classic palm-framed shoreline and an easy launch point for the Daintree. Think boardwalks, butterflies, cassowary sightings at a safe distance, and simple treats like Daintree Ice Cream. Then it’s Ellis Beach, where you can camp on the sand and drive the spectacular Captain Cook Highway to Hook-A-Barra for accessible, catch-and-release barramundi thrills that work for newcomers and keen anglers alike.

If “set and forget” is your style, Cairns Coconut brings resort-level fun to a caravan park: pools, splash zones, mini golf, movies, and more, with tour bookings at reception. For a quieter reset, Creek’s Edge Park at Mossman offers minimal sites, a clear-swimming creek, friendly hosts, and a true jungle trek to a private waterfall that feels like a secret chapter in your travel story. We wrap at NRMA Palm Cove Holiday Park—big sites, a fresh resort pool, and that iconic foreshore—then head offshore with Reef Magic to Moore Reef. Expect five hours on the outer reef, semi-submersible views, guided snorkelling, all gear provided, and marine biologists who turn curiosity into new favourites.

We’ve also included a practical RV summer checklist so your aircon, fridge ventilation, batteries, tyres, and spare keys are ready before peak holiday chaos. Fewer breakdowns mean more reef time, more rainforest hush, and more chances to watch the kids light up when the fish hits the line.

Love the journey and want more like this? Follow the show, share it with a mate planning a Queensland road trip, and leave a quick review so others can find us. What’s your must-do in Tropical North Queensland? We’d love to hear it.

Subscribe to Jasperoo - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCceGx3esRSQBYZfWvf4KVtw


Our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/thefeelgoodfamily has a new destination video every Tuesday night at 7.30pm (AEST). We would love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram and our website www.thefeelgoodfamily.com


Our Family Travel Australia Podcast is now LIVE and available on all podcast platforms, with a new episode aired every Friday night 8:30pm [AEST].


SPEAKER_04:

Welcome to the Travel Australia Podcast. We have Paul, Katie, and Jasper from the Fieldwood family. Join us as we explore this great country of Australia, its people, places, and cultures.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, it's the original Travel Australia podcast and all the latest coming news.

SPEAKER_02:

Right, free travel, product reviews, interviews, and so much more. Thanks for joining us.

SPEAKER_04:

This week we share the top five tropical North Queensland play experiences, from free experiences to low-cost camps, and a couple of those higher-end experiences of the spectrum. Now is the time to plan your adventure for 2026 and beyond. Plus, in RV news, the summer travel checklist. It's gotta be a good one.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, this will be a jam-packed episode with so much goodness from up there in stunning tropical North Queensland. But Paulie, I think you're forgetting something. Before we start, we've got a little celebration to be had.

SPEAKER_04:

Oh yeah, baby. We are celebrating our 250th podcast episode.

SPEAKER_02:

How awesome is that? I mean, oh, we just we love doing this podcast. I'm sure if you've been a long time listener, you will know how much Paul and I love getting on the mics and talking all things travel and family and daily life and philosophy and all the other tangents that we can go off on and discuss. And it is so fantastic to be able to share that with you. So thank you for tuning in each and every week.

SPEAKER_04:

Yes, that's where I was going next, Katie. A big thank you from our family to you and yours. Uh, it has been an incredible six-year journey to pump out 250 episodes, remarkable achievement for us. Uh, but we can't do that without listeners. So thank you so much for for joining us on this journey. A couple of really cool stats that I that I got sent through to me when uh they send you this congratulations email. And it is that we have been listened to in 170 countries.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow, that's amazing.

SPEAKER_04:

And territories. I didn't know there were that many.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

And uh and to date, five thousand one hundred and thirty-six different cities around the world have tuned in.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow.

SPEAKER_04:

Uh, and we have also achieved uh the incredible stat of being in the top five percent of podcasts globally through our host uh Buzz Sprout. So wow, I'm just buzzed about that.

SPEAKER_05:

Like you did there.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, thank you to everyone out there. We appreciate you being a part of f of our journey and uh hopefully we're adding value to yours.

SPEAKER_02:

Fantastic. Do you know? I think what we need to do, Paul, is we need to start giving a shout out to those countries and cities each week. We'll just pick off a handful and shout out to our listeners all around the world because that is pretty humbling and pretty cool.

SPEAKER_04:

I love that idea, and that can definitely be a part of our podcast moving forward. All right, now this week we're gonna be sharing our tropical North Queensland top five stay and play. In here are some absolute gems. The feel good finds that will absolutely make your day, okay, and your stay. So let's get through those. Now, what we're gonna do, we're gonna count down from five to one.

SPEAKER_01:

I love it.

SPEAKER_04:

And it is the stay, so where we're staying, and then also the play. What did we do when we stayed?

SPEAKER_00:

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and look, we should say there is an abundance of amazing places to stay and play when you are in tropical North Queensland. And this list has been uh uh brought together over a number of visits over the years, and our real favourites, the real highlights, the best of the absolute best that have stood out to us.

SPEAKER_04:

Fantastic. Now we're about to count down. You can count down with us as you're listening. Uh one request we we've I don't think we've ever done this, maybe once in our 250th fifty episodes, and that is to ask you, the listener, to get on and give us a five-star review. If you want to give us a five-star review. If you don't, that's okay. But we would love that support. And uh yeah, if you can take that time on whatever platform you're listening to, we can't wait to see your comments. You can also send us an email now through podcast platforms. So if you've got a question, make sure you reach out and we will get back to you.

SPEAKER_02:

That is great, Paulie. Uh what is that thing that you used to say? Or maybe it's what your dad used to say, but it's like, you know, if you love us, that's right. We are the Travel Australia podcast. So if you've got a five-star review in you, then definitely leave that for the Travel Australia podcast by the Feel Good family. And if you don't love us and it's anything under a five-star review, then we're called the and he comes up with like some other crazy name.

SPEAKER_04:

The traveling willbury. Yeah. Sorry if there is a traveling Wilbury out there. Um, we love you. Right oh, here we go. Counting down five. It is Newell Beach Farm Stay, hosted by Tink. Tinker Bell?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

We love this day.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, and Tinkerbell is not her name. In fact, her name is Tequila, which I absolutely love. And she is a vibed young lady who looks forward to welcoming all of her guests to her property. Now, this is quite an unassuming little property. It is, as the name suggests, a farm stay. You are basically uh off-grid camping around a dam in one of their beautiful paddocks, surrounded by uh cattle roaming in the other paddocks, cane fields as well, and then incredible views out over the mountain ranges. And you are literally within a five-minute drive to beautiful Newell Beach that is just lined with those, you know, you think about tropical North Queensland, you see pictures of those palm trees that are bending out and swaying over the ocean. This is Newell Beach. Yes.

SPEAKER_04:

It really is. And some of the best fish and chips you'll find. Yes. If you love fresh, locally caught Spanish mackerel, which we do, uh, that's the place to go. And just sit there on the beach. Uh now remember and never forget that this is croc country.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes.

SPEAKER_04:

It's easy to see how people become complacent in these locations because they are the picture perfect postcard. Be croc wise.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely. And that goes for anywhere in northern Australia. Basically, you know, once you you kind of get to that tropic of Capricorn and above Paul, I would say you need to be on high alert near any body of water. Yeah. Um, and particularly along the beaches here in tropical North Queensland, it's that it's that really unfair part of it that the beach is pristine and palm tree lined with crystal clear water, and it's just begging you to get in and take advantage of So are the crocs, can't you? Well, the crocs are too, and they're not alone because at various times across the year, particularly during the the summer months when you do want to cool off, you've also got the marine stingers to look out for. Now, getting back to Newell Beach Farm Stay, uh, Tink's property from$35 a night. I mean, you can't really get better than that.

SPEAKER_03:

Da da da da da da da da da da Yeah. Is that the tequila? Tequila.

SPEAKER_02:

Hey, hey, hey. Now you will find Newell Beach Farm Stay on Hip Camp, so you can book there. I do believe you can also arrive and pay cash into an honesty box at the front gate as well. Cash is king. Well, say a little tip between us and you cash is slightly cheaper than booking on Hip Camp. Of course it is, Katie. Mm-hmm. There are fire pits. It is pet friendly, it is family friendly. The kids will love playing in the dam. I believe there are some barramundi in that dam as well that you can also have a bit of a uh fish for. And you will just love the peace and quiet. We were there on our own and it was fantastic.

SPEAKER_04:

Oh my gosh. We had an outdoor, outback, open air cinema. We projected onto the back of the van. Just brilliant experience, one of our favourite locations up here in the tropics.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes. Oh, um Paul, I should say it's pet friendly as well. So your fur babies and your four-leggeds can go with you.

SPEAKER_04:

We love that. Okay, where to play? You are so close to the Daintry. Uh, this is World Heritage Listed. In fact, there's the Great Barrier Reef, also World Heritage Listed, and then the Daintree Rainforest, the oldest rainforest in the world. They collide. This is the one place where the reef meets the rainforest. So to explore the Daintry, get up to Cape Tribulation. Now, the ferry across the Daintree River is$51 return for a car. Okay, so it's up there. But you want to make sure that you're going for the day to stay and play. Or you can camp over there. You can take your caravan over there. Okay. Highlights for us Daintree Ice Cream Company. Oh yum. So good. The vibrant Ulysses butterfly popping their vibrant blue against the greens of the rainforest. We love that.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely spectacular.

SPEAKER_04:

Daintree Tea Company.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh yeah, fantastic. If you love a cup of tea, go and pick yourself up some fresh Daintree tea. And if you're lucky enough, we've actually seen them harvesting a number of times. We've been there, which has just been great.

SPEAKER_04:

So good. And they also have Daintree Tea Company honey.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes.

SPEAKER_04:

One of our favourite boardwalks is the Magic Botanical Boardwalk. And that is where you have a pretty good chance of seeing the elusive Cassawary in all of its powerful Jurassic glory.

SPEAKER_02:

Mm-hmm. And now look, this is incredible. And even as Aussies and people who have been around native wildlife for a lot of our careers, seeing an animal like this in the wild is just every single time a goosebump moment. But again, keep your distance. They are not the friendliest of wildlife.

SPEAKER_04:

No, look, they're angry and they can kill you.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_04:

True.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, exactly. But we had the pleasure of seeing one fairly up close from the boardwalk who came down and cooled off his little feet in the water.

SPEAKER_04:

Look, I I just had this moment in my head, you know, 5,136 cities, 170 countries of people going, so far they're not making this place sound very appealing. The castle can kill you, the crocodile's going to kill you, and if it doesn't, the stingers are going to get you.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

Book now.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, welcome to Australia. It is amazing. We are so blessed here in Oz to have such an incredible array of wildlife and environments to explore.

SPEAKER_04:

Last tip Cape Tribulation Safari Lodge Cafe. Great lunch option. Again, I think I had a Spanish mackerel tacos.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, yum, stop it. You're making my mouth water.

SPEAKER_04:

Righto, number four, let's move on. Ellis Beach Oceanfront Holiday Park Paradise.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, look, we've spoken about one incredible beach, Newell Beach, to another. And Ellis Beach really is, I think, the big brother for Newell. It seems to be a lot of bigger beach. It is even patrolled as well. So uh you can, you know, have that knowledge knowing that there are lifesavers there at Ellis Beach, which is fantastic.

SPEAKER_04:

Should you get taken by a crop of all castuary or stinger? There's someone there to help you.

SPEAKER_02:

Not painting a good picture here, Paul. Okay, let me fix that picture for you. There are palm trees aplenty, swaying in the breeze. There is beautiful white sand, again, that turquoise water. And at Ellis Beach, Oceanfront Holiday Park, you can camp right on the beach. So you can go to sleep at night listening to the lull of those waves gently lapping at the shores. We absolutely loved it.

SPEAKER_04:

It is sensational. Uh the footage we got here with our Nike hammocks in between those, you know, it's almost like they've perfectly placed these palm trees, yes. Isn't it? It's like Disney came along and went, Oh, we could make this look perfect.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, hang on. What's the width of that hammock? Right, let's make these palm trees fit.

SPEAKER_04:

Yes, exactly. Uh now, powered sites.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, so$60. That's right. From$60. Bearing in mind it is a caravan park, so prices will fluctuate during peak times.

SPEAKER_04:

Excellent. And I think unpowered from about$45. So pretty bloody good value in our opinion. It is pet friendly.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes. So good.

SPEAKER_04:

So good. And across the road is the Ellis Beach Bar and Grill. This place is packed on the weekend, most of the time. That's when it's busiest. So you may need to either rock up early or try and get a booking.

SPEAKER_02:

Yep, great advice, Paul.

SPEAKER_04:

All right. Now the only downside is really how tight these sites are.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, particularly in the unpowered section. The powered section, not too bad, pretty standard of a caravan park. But if you are wanting to be in the unpowered section with the sand under your feet, then just be prepared that you will get a little friendly with your neighbours.

SPEAKER_04:

Alright, now our play as part of this stay and play is hookah barra.

SPEAKER_02:

You heard me right.

SPEAKER_04:

Yes. They they don't use the word guaranteed, but I don't know, you'd have to be incredibly unlucky not to be able to catch and release one of these prized barramundies. Now it is an hour up the road back towards Port Douglas, uh, just past Port Douglas, just past Mossman, but the drive journey is spectacular. It is in the top 10 drive journeys around the world. Okay, that's how good this Captain Cook Highway between Palm Cove and or Ellis Beach, and really the daintry is absolutely breathtaking scenery.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, definitely. The drive alone is an experience. But hookabara, look, it wouldn't matter if you're a complete newbie to fishing or you're an experienced angler, you'll love the hookabarra experience. They provide all of your gear. There are, gosh, I don't know how many ponds, Paul, full of barramundi of all different sizes. And just having the opportunity to have one of their staff members go through with you, teach you the techniques for Jasper. It was his first real opportunity with a rod in his hand and seeing his face when he reeled in a barramundi that was almost as big as him. And he, you know, he he had the fight with it and felt the pressure on his body and and had that whole reward after effort.

SPEAKER_04:

His little heart just absolutely beating, you know, like a like a snare drum. And then to again watch that adrenaline rush when he landed and then got to hold it. Mm-hmm. And I mean, they pref they just provide all the gear, they provide all the knowledge, and they provide really friendly stuff to make sure that you are keeping the barramundi safe, secure, and then you release it. Or you can take it home and cook it yourself at market value price.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, absolutely. But all in all, a fantastic experience. Every single one of us loved it, and every single one of us reeled in a number of barramundi.

SPEAKER_04:

Okay, the website is all the W's hook H W O K A Barra, B-A-R-R-A-C. That easy. Get on, check it out. You'll love it. Number three, big four Ingenia Holidays Cannes Coconut. Who comes up with these names? Seriously. But there you go. It is the Cannes Coconut, is probably how it's best known.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

But this place is, as Jasper said, Disneyland for kids as far as a caravan park goes.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, look, it's Disneyland for kids and big kids, as far as I'm concerned. This is somewhere that we've heard lots about over the years from other travelling families who just have raved about this location. And it's always been somewhere that for whatever reason we've had to bypass. Well, this time we were determined to stay and stay and play. You can. You really don't have to go anywhere else. Now, it's less than 10 minutes from the Cairns CBD. They've got all the kind of accommodation options you could think of or dream up, uh, including the unpowered and powered sites. It is pet friendly. They even have a dog agility park there for you to run your four-legged around if they uh This is amazing.

SPEAKER_04:

I I think for those out there that are listening to this particular podcast, everything has been pet friendly so far.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and it's a big thing we get asked about the pet friendly uh campgrounds and experiences all the time. It is becoming far more popular in Australia to travel with your four-leggeds.

SPEAKER_04:

My favourite sign when it comes to the rules and responsibilities of entering our caravan park is when it says Pets welcome, and then in brackets it says well-behaved pets. And I love that. I I don't really know if I've ever met many pet owners who haven't said, Oh no, no, he's he's really good, he loves kids and he's really great, you know, and then the next thing, wow, wow, and you just think and I sp I don't know. Do you know what I think? I don't know if they're all that well behaved, some of these pets.

SPEAKER_02:

We've never seen a sign that says kids welcome well-behaved kids.

SPEAKER_04:

That's true. Yeah. Should be.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. Okay, anyway, let's talk about the Cannes Coconut. This place is amazing. All right, so what do we get to? It is pet friendly. Um, look, the price is up there. We paid$84 a night. That was for two adults and one child. It is a caravan park, but it's more than a caravan park. It, as Paul said, it's like taking your caravan to Disneyland. So um we're in low season. You can expect those prices to rise quite dramatically over peak season and school holidays. But here's why the play is you don't have to leave the park.

SPEAKER_04:

There you go. That's right. There are, I don't know, three different pools. There's an adults-only pool, there's kids' rooms, there's a movie theatre indoor, there's an outdoor cinema, there's two jumping pillars. I don't know why you need two.

SPEAKER_02:

There's a splash park, there's mini golf, tennis court, basketball courts, there's a huge adventure playground, other indoor, outdoor movies, as you mentioned. There's giant chess, uh, there's a little coconuts area for the really, really little kids.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, cute.

SPEAKER_02:

There are so many activities here to keep every single family member entertained.

SPEAKER_04:

You can even hire a themed golf buggy to get around if you're really lazy art and you don't even want to walk. Because the place is pretty large. Uh, but I mean that's that to me is crazy. If you're wanting to leave the park, they have this wall in reception of every tour operator that you could think of, from the the tiniest little family operated business to the big guys, and you can book everything right there with reception. Yeah. And they have like a half a dozen people on that reception. This place is is amazing.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, look, it's it's like a tropical island resort stay, but in the heart of Cairns. And to be honest, I I don't think you would leave. You'd maximize your time there. It's what you're paying for, all of those activities at your fingertips.

SPEAKER_04:

Yes, and the website there, just visit injuniorholidays.com.au. All of these notes as far as location and connection and how to get in touch will be in the show notes. Number two. Oh, this is good. We're getting to the good end, I think. Creeks Edge Park Mossman, bordering the Daintry National Park. Totally wow.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, look, this is what we refer to as the little hidden gem, although we've been promoting Creeks Edge for a number of years now and have become uh quite good friends with Annette and Wayne, who are the owners of this spectacular property. And people will say, well, it's not so much a hidden gem anymore, but it certainly feels like a hidden gem based on its location. It is just outside of Mossman, as Paul mentioned, bordering that spectacular Dane Tree rainforest, the oldest rainforest in the world. Now, what is so special about Creek's Edge is the environment and that they've kept the sites to a real minimum. So they do have a powered section, and I believe there are five or six sites there. And then on the other side of the creek is the unpowered section, and again, there's about five or six sites there. So you really don't feel like you're jammed into a big caravan park because you don't want to feel like that in this incredible environment. And then of course, there is the crystal clear creek that runs through the property that you can swim in. I mean, be warned, it is fresh. It is fresh, isn't it, Paul? But it is absolutely uh spectacular water, and that just, I mean, in this environment is just so beautiful. Now, the prices we think are amazing. So for a powered site,$45 a night includes power and water hookup. Unpowered,$35 a night. There are fire pits on all of the sites. Yes, it is pet friendly. Yes, it is family friendly. And yes, there are bathroom and laundry facilities and camp kitchen facilities in both the powered and unpowered sites.

SPEAKER_04:

Look, it's chalk and cheese to the um that co cans coconut.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes.

SPEAKER_04:

But but I guess what you you're getting here is that it's chalk and cheese. Yes.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_04:

But you have natural assets opposed to man-made entertainment.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes.

SPEAKER_04:

And so if that's your thing, you want the peace and quiet. Uh you want to have that absolute exhale moment. And again, we were able to put our Nike hammock right between those rainforest palms over the creek. Jeez, what a what a spot.

SPEAKER_02:

It is beautiful. It is a working cattle farm, so you've also got the opportunity to uh go with Annette and feed the bulls, or the kids can, if they've got any potty calves, the kids can go and give the potty calves a drink of milk. And it's just really lovely. Annette and Wayne, great hosts. And you're only 25 minutes to Port Douglas if you feel like a bit of fancy schmanchy or going to the beach.

SPEAKER_04:

And we did. We went and walked amongst the hobnobs of of Port Douglas. Yes. And we did have a night out. It was wonderful. But gee, it was good to go back to that quiet, chilled environment.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, so quiet. Absolutely. What did we do to play, Paul?

SPEAKER_04:

Now I've got to say though, a couple of things, okay? The place is so beautiful and naturally stunning that you don't have to leave.

SPEAKER_05:

Correct.

SPEAKER_04:

So your play is all here. Jasper had his Subalu electric scooter in the creek. Get on, watch our YouTube show, The Feel Good Family, uh, or visit our website, thefeelgoodfamily.com and check this little device out. It is so incredible. Everyone that sees it goes, how do I get my kid one of them? Well, actually, the one we have is a family one, so it it's good for adults or kids. I would say that now that Jasper's nine, he he's able to use it better. Any younger than nine, it you wouldn't have kind of the strength to last very long. Yeah. Whereas this is perfect for these sort of environments or out on the reef. Incredible. You can use a feel good discount code if you see it there on our website and that'll get you five percent off.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, so good.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, incredible. Our our feel good code or CAPS F D E L G Double O D, probably sounds obvious, can be used across any of the products that we love, trust, and recommend. We've tried and tested them, we've bought them and they work. So, yeah, so you can check that out for yourself. Uh, and little turtles come out at night.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, yeah, so beautiful.

SPEAKER_04:

So cute. Now, the unique part of this state is that it does border the oldest rainforest in the world, as you said, 135 millions million years in the making. And there is a private waterfall. It the hike is only accessible through the property. Uh, we're not allowed to give directions to it.

SPEAKER_02:

You have to be Do you know what's so funny? Even if we were allowed to give directions to it, we couldn't tell you what to do because the rainforest is so thick and just dripping with life. You literally are following coloured tags that Annette and her family have put on trees to guide you through the forest. So even if we could, we'd be like, um, yeah, well, you know, just look for that.

SPEAKER_04:

It it is a jungle adventure. Like this is seriously like something you see on those old black and white Attenborough beginnings.

SPEAKER_02:

It's amazing.

SPEAKER_04:

And it it is amazing. And then you get to this private waterfall and you you're probably the only ones there. Every time we've been, we have been the only ones there. Yes. It is a true adventure. So your mobility, if it's a question or your knees, may not be the experience for you, but Annette would be able to discuss with you when's safe to go and when's not. Uh wow. Totally wow. And we just I I I would go back and stay just to go there.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely. And personally, I think it's it's one of those well, you tick off your bucket list, we've hiked through a jungle to get to a private waterfall. But it's also one of those memories that I know for us, it's one of those things that even when we're really, really old and gray pool, we'll look back on. It's it's coming up quickly. Oh dear. We'll look back on and we'll remember that experience over, you know, we've been blessed and how grateful are we to do all of the experiences we get to do as we travel around. But this particular one, the simplicity of it, but the absolute epic nature of it will stay with us forever.

SPEAKER_04:

There's one part where we have to pass Jasper between ourselves because you're using a rope to cross the river. This raging river and man, adventure.

SPEAKER_02:

It's it's thrilling and exhilarating. And I tell you what, when you get back to camp after you've achieved the hike and had that time at the waterfall, you know you are alive.

SPEAKER_04:

Oh yeah. And don't we love that? As my dad used to say, any day you're breathing is a good day.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_04:

Right, oh, it sounds like he's no longer breathing. I didn't mean it like that. He's still very much breathing. Yes. Maybe panting nowadays. All right. Drumroll, please, Katie. The number one stay and number one play in tropical North Queensland goes to NRMA Palm Cove Holiday Park. Uh the website there is NRMA parksandresorts.com.au forward slash palm cove. Forward slash. You can check that out. Just go to NRMA Code. Google it. Yeah, yeah, Google it. Uh this is on the Captain Cook Highway. And this is literally heaven on earth. I just it is, I think because it's so manicured, you are 100% immersed in the tropics when you stay at this park, but you have all of the luxurious facilities and resort style pool, and then that palm cove at your doorstep. Wow.

SPEAKER_02:

I think palm cove would have to be one of the prettiest places around Australia. Definitely. It is again that incredible ocean front with the the palm trees. It reminds us a lot actually of Waikiki in Hawaii with that same sort of manicured beach front where it's spectacular lush green grass, more palm trees than you can count. And then you've got the beach and the water. Now, Palm Cove does have a safe swimming net that comes out at certain times of the year, a stinger net, so you can go for a dip in the water there. And then it has a village vibe to it that is still quite enough to make it not feel overwhelming. A lot of these little hidden gems around Australia, you know, somebody talks about them and they get really busy and all the tourists come and it just is this bustling. I think Byron Bay is a perfect example of that, Paul. Twenty years ago Byron Bay was just this tiny little town that nobody knew about. And now it is just the drive to even get into Byron Bay, you can be sitting in traffic for an hour just to even make it into town. It is a mecca. Palm Cove still has that village vibe to it. And yes, it can feel busy, but it doesn't feel overwhelming.

SPEAKER_04:

Now let's talk about the cost. Okay.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay.

SPEAKER_04:

It was$194 for two nights. That's for Katie and I and little Jasper Roo. And we were lucky to get in.

SPEAKER_02:

We were, actually. We we weren't uh booked that far in advance and it made the phone call and sort of, you know, prayed to the caravan park gods that they'd have a site for us.

SPEAKER_04:

Now this is outside of school holidays, so it's only going to go north from there. What are you paying for? Palm Cove.

SPEAKER_02:

You absolutely are the location.

SPEAKER_04:

Location, location, location.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

So be be prepared for that. If this is, you know, you're just hearing this and you're just going, nah. Just too out of reach. We would say book early, go and do it and experience it, and then make your judgment. Because for us, you know, even before we, I guess we knew what park code was like. But post the experience, we'd stay and pay and play again every day of the week. We'd love it here.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, absolutely. Just the feeling of waking up here. And they've done a great job with the park. The sites are big. The park is manicured, as Paul said. The new resort pool is just sensational.

SPEAKER_04:

And if you love your fishing, bam. Straight across out the front is the Palm Cove Pier. It is one of the best fishing posts in northern Queensland.

SPEAKER_02:

Amazing.

SPEAKER_04:

Right-o. What is our play, Katie? The number one pick for play in the total tropical North Queensland, of course, has to be the World Heritage Listed Great Barrier Reef. We chose Reef Magic as our tour operator, a full day on the outer reef. It's the newest pontoon on Moor Reef. It's a 90-minute cruise from Cairns. Stunning water conditions the day we went. You get just over five hours out there on the reef. Okay, the highlights, a semi-submersible, glass bottom boat. They're snorkeling. They provide all the gear. And I mean all the gear, including wetsuits.

SPEAKER_03:

Yes.

SPEAKER_04:

Including stinger suits if you want full-body stinger suits. Yep. Uh there's the fish feeding. Jasper again using that Sioux Blue across the reef. It was just one of the most incredible family outings. We put this in our top three tour operators' tour experiences as a family. That's not completely out of like it's still affordable, I think. Like it's I think it was$300 each for us. And uh from memory, I think it was$215 for Jasper. So still sub thousand dollars for a bucket list experience for three of us. Normally these bucket list experiences are a thousand bucks plus each.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes. Yeah, definitely. No, I agree with you, Paul. I think if you're in tropical North Queensland, you have to experience the Great Barrier Reef in some way. And this is a fantastic way to do it, to have a full day tour. I mean, for Jasper, this was his first real introduction, particularly to the outer Great Barrier Reef, to get him out there snorkeling. From the moment he was in the water, he had now this is hard to do when you've got a snorkel in your mouth and a mask on your face, but a big smile on his face. And we literally had to drag him out of the water. He just did not want to get out of the ocean. He just was enthralled by looking at the coral, looking at the fish. He just it even that alone, just that made the day incredible.

SPEAKER_04:

The place is bursting with life, which I have to say they're doing an incredible amount of work out there as far as their conservation and environmental practices. Part of your fee goes to the national park and the management of it. This marine park. Look, besides the experience of the natural assets and the water and the boat rides and all of that, I mean you can you can value add to this as helicopters, scuba diving, you know, the sub sub subascular.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, yeah, the guided snorkel tours. There's so many things.

SPEAKER_04:

So many more things. But our day was very full. The buffet lunch was stunning and had seafood and salad and dietary requirements were met for everyone. But the staff were outstanding. Having, I think, four marine biologists so that Jasper could go up and look through the microscopes. Yeah, and learn the science of it all and understand what's happening.

SPEAKER_00:

Best day at school ever.

SPEAKER_04:

Incredible. And then on the way home, we get a little tap on the shoulder, maybe because we're the feel goods, but Captain Francis would like to see Jasper in the wheelhouse, please. And he goes up and let Jasper drive the boat back in. It was just an awesome experience. The website is reefmagic.com.au. Book it. Book early. Uh I believe over the summer months. Uh still spectacular out there. The water temperature is just over 30 degrees Celsius, which is remarkable. And I think there is I know there's discounts at the moment.

SPEAKER_03:

Yes.

SPEAKER_04:

I don't want to say 20%, but I think that's what it is. So you can check that out for yourself. But there you go. There's our top five. Wow.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, absolutely. Wow. And look, as we mentioned at the top of the podcast, still so many things uh to do and see in tropical North Queensland. So won't be our last visit, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_04:

Oh no. And Reef Magic, but you you couldn't get sick of going and doing it. Yeah, true. Okay. Let's move on, Katie. RV News. We have seen uh quite a lot of information coming through the different industry channels right now about having the summer travel checklist. Now, last week we did a top five action plans specific to summer storms and cyclones. So if you miss that, go back and listen to that. It's fantastic information. This one is really around your gear and being prepared. It's the busy time for travel, which means that if it hits the fan, something breaks down, something goes wrong. But the chances of you getting it fixed like that are pretty slim because it just due to the capacity and actually who's not on holiday. You know, a lot of these these guys and girls and these trades are also on holidays. So this prior preparation, this checklist is awesome, and and the RV news industry really pushing around this is fantastic. We're looking at it as a bit of you know, your final spring clean for the year before you get into that that summer travel. Okay. Number one, aircon filters. Now, obviously your first go-to is to read the manuals. Yes. When all else fails. Uh we use YouTube to find the you know exactly how to change and well just clean our filters in our new van.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, absolutely. There are great tutorials on YouTube for just about everything. You'll be surprised. Um, and always nice to see somebody do it. Look, one thing I will say with most of these uh accessories and products in RVs, they have little plastic clips that you have to maneuver to be able to access the filter or whatever it is that you're trying to clean. Be very careful. Don't be impatient or get frustrated with it. We're speaking from experience.

SPEAKER_04:

This is why I don't do it, because I broke it, uh, the clips in our first fan, and Kate's like, you're not the guy for the job. Yeah, you're gonna be able to do that.

SPEAKER_02:

It's annoying if you break one of those little clips. So just take your time, but do, you know, check out somebody else doing it before you try and go in.

SPEAKER_04:

Next one, check all your battery boxes, the terminals, the solar charges, even your power leads, anything that has a cable that is transferring, you know, power is probably going to generate a lot of heat. Keep it all clean. Don't let it get cluttered, don't store stuff in these boxes that shouldn't be there. You know, a a a tool or a screwdriver falling over and hitting terminals is disastrous and could be lethal. So just really be aware just to keep it to clean and tidy, de-dust it and just make sure that it's it's right to go. Uh the next one is the fridge ventilation. This is based off where people uh seem to have problems, particularly through the summer months, are these cooling in you know appliances like the air conditioner and like the fridge. Uh and you you it'd be near impossible to get someone out to your side over Christmas, New Year's to sort out your fridge. That would be a terrible time in obviously the southern hemisphere, because we're in summer, for your devices to break down. Yeah, and look. The beer goes cold, the ham is spoiled.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, the beer goes hot, Doll.

SPEAKER_04:

Oh, that's actually what I meant.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I know. And that's terrible. Um, something that we notice with our fridge, we've got the compressor fridge, which is fantastic and we love it. But of course, as the temperatures start to rise, we get that icy buildup in the back of the fridge. It is normal, and that means having to defrost, not trying to chip it off, you know, not getting out your pick and you know, trying to sculpt something in the back of your fridge. You do need to take everything out of your fridge, switch it off, and let that defrost naturally, and it is a normal thing.

SPEAKER_04:

Absolutely. The final one that we would say is make sure you got your spare keys. And you know you can get into your van because as you would speak. We have locked ourselves out of our van, and that is not fun. Uh, but also just your general maintenance, make sure both your vehicles are serviced. Get it done now or do your own service now. You know, get all of those suspension checks and the the bearings, make sure everything's sweet, okay, because you don't want those problems when you're meant to be having your moment of relaxation at this time of the year.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely. Check your tires, tighten your nuts, all of those sorts of things.

SPEAKER_04:

Hello. Rotto. The takeaway, Katie, for this week. Fill your life with experiences, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, love it. Absolutely love it. Certainly, you know, packing up our lives all those years ago has made us live in this way. And it tell you what, it has been so freeing, not even from a space point of view, but from how we feel on the inside as humans. And look, we couldn't recommend it. Enough, get rid of the stuff.

SPEAKER_04:

Get rid of the stuff, Cody.

SPEAKER_02:

Not me.

SPEAKER_04:

Right up, next week we share a new hip hip. You have to see to believe. For now, we'll say dream big, look up to yourself, and look up to your family.

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Katie Guerin

Host
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Paul Guerin

Host