I always like to gain some perspective of places that I visit. Cairns, my hometown, is no exception. I love the way the mountains meet the coastline

Because of the potential impact on development, we usually think of nature-deficit disorder as a concern relating to our children

If you stand in Cairns and look towards the hills chances are you’ll find Glacier Rock hard to miss. From most places in Cairns you can spot the large slab of rock-face that sits like a sentinel

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.

Windin Falls has been on our radar for a while before we actually made the journey to get there. Why? Mainly because of the drop-dead photos on Instagram.

If you want BIG views, then you often need to put the effort in and do some BIG walks. Cairns is no exception and around the city there are some excellent walks that will get you up high enough for some really superb Cairns views (and beyond).

If you like your walks gradual, easing yourself into a state of exertion then the Smith’s Track is NOT for you. Think Glacier Rock on steroids and you have some concept of what this track has in store for you.

I went to Emerald Creek Falls the other day and always get a little upset if I find rubbish lying around beautiful parts of Tropical North Queensland.

The Yellow Arrow in Cairns is the perfect track to introduce your child to the thrills of bushwalking. As it meanders up the side of a sizeable hill there’s plenty of opportunities for views out to sea

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.