“Epic” was the resounding reply I got when I asked the kids what they thought about their morning spent wakeboarding and tubing

Want to know a way to appear super cool to your teenage kids? Just take them White Water Rafting!

There’s something about Mission Beach. With its beach that stretches for miles, its laid-back hippy vibe and the high possibility of seeing a cassowary around every corner, that induces the perfect holiday feels in you.

“Ahhh, the serenity” said Rob my partner whilst we were paddling down the creek with Babinda Kayaking. This was just before our kelpie Archie decided that being in the water was more fun than being on a kayak.

Sometimes at Christmas we can get carried away and load each other up with gifts that can be counter-productive to our ‘nature-loving’ personas.

With two juddery steps backwards I was off the Stand Up Paddle Board and taking a swim in the cool rainforest waters of the Barron River. Moments later I was back on the board trying to redeem myself as the Pro Paddler I had thought I was!

It’s hard to get the concept of crocodiles out of your head as you swim in the inky black waterhole at the bottom of Hartley’s Creek Falls. It doesn’t help that Hartley’s Creek Crocodile Farm is just down the road.

“Can I do it again” were Charlie's first words after doing the Giant Jungle Swing (Minjin) at AJ Hackett Cairns for the first time. You certainly feel like once is not enough when you’ve completed this thrill ride.

Now is the time to visit Explore Tropical North Queensland and head out with Behana Canyoning . The water is pumping and these guys run such a fun tour.

Up on stage they were dancing, and you could see the twitch of a kangaroo’s ear, the stamp of a paw, and the cheeky attitude of the youngster as he stirred the big roo into action.

Unstructured play outdoors, especially in nature, is a vital part of a child’s development and Tropical North Queensland is the perfect place for kids to experience nature at its best.

It’s loud, busy, dusty and dirty and sometimes even muddy BUT aficionados wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s the UCI MTB World Cup

“Look Mum, they have chickens like us!……Oh….AND a cassowary!!” exclaimed my daughter. Sure enough the brown banded chick stood out amongst the other free-roaming chooks

Are you heading to the Daintree – that epic region where you’ll find World Heritage rainforest spilling off mountains to meet the Great Barrier Reef on an undisturbed coastline?

As I watched my daughter fling herself off the Stand Up Paddle (SUP) Board onto a rope swing I gave myself a pat on the back. Brett (our guide) didn’t have much chance, the paddle board they were sharing shot backwards and he was soon jettisoned off

As a local living in Tropical North Queensland I’ve always baulked when it comes to forking out $$$ just to walk around the Rainforest – BUT, when I became a mum the scales readjusted a little.

Everything about Peet’s Falls spells Tropical North Queensland – the drive through the canefields to the start of the track, the walk through tropical rainforest and the plunge into the cool refreshing waters at the bottom of Peet’s Falls.

There are a thousand options (or at least seems to be) when you book a trip to Kuranda via Skyrail BUT here is MY list of things that are worth taking time out to do on your Kuranda Skyrail adventure…

I have a confession to make. Rainforests are not my most favourite place to hang out. I would rather be enjoying the underwater realm, hiking along mountaintops or exploring open bushland