Page 28 - Tropic Magazine Issue 27

TROPIC • LOCAL TOURIST

1 Gallery getaway
It would take a few days to gaze over all of the Tropical North’s
incredible art galleries, only for it to be a completely different
experience a month later. Cairns Art Gallery, UMI Arts, Tanks
Art Centre and NorthSite Contemporary Arts all host an ever-
changing calendar of exhibitions. Even if you’ve been to one
before, consider this your prompt to go again.
Tropic’s 11 things to do

this wet season

Our wet season has an unmerited
reputation of being suffocatingly hot
and inescapable. But we here at Tropic
tend to disagree. Summer is the best
time to experience all the drama and
delight of our incredible environment,
is it not?

2
Rediscover the 3 Cruise out to Kuranda
Great Barrier Reef It’s a tourist mecca for most of the
There’s always something new to discover year, but when summer comes around,
on the Reef, and even more so in summer. Kuranda is reclaimed by locals. The
With ‘glass out’ days of great water visibility, Skyrail and Scenic Railway are pretty
coral spawning season, and fewer travellers spectacular modes of transport to the
around, a reef trip is at the top of our wish town, but a half-hour drive through the
list this wet season. We recommend the Range is just as relaxing. This sleepy
Sunlover Reef Cruises trip out to Moore rainforest community is home to
Reef, where their double-storied pontoon sheltered, winding markets, as well as
has plenty of sheltered seating space. the best ice cream around. Cliff’s coffee
But if you’re heading out to snorkel or dive, and walnut is our scoop of choice.
chances are you’re planning on getting wet,
no matter the weather.

5 Chase those waterfalls
4 Bar-hopping Visitors rave about the hundreds of waterfalls
Obviously, bar-hopping isn’t an activity in our region, but rarely stick around to see
exclusive to the wet season, but we’ve put it them at their best. Barron Falls still takes our
here for obvious reasons. Catch the Tropic breath away each season, as do the calmer
team at NOA for cocktails, the Conservatory settings of Crystal Cascades and countless
Bar for a wine-down, and the Chambers others nearby. The Tablelands waterfall circuit
for a bit of everything in between. Laneway is another one to tackle, though it’ll take more
Green, Boatshed, and Flamingos Tiki Bar than one trip to truly soak in all its steamy,
are a few more places we like to frequent. summer glory.

Last wet season 2020’s wet season is forecast to begin
Cairns received earlier and be even wetter due to La Niña
1,029mm of rain, with – a natural weather cycle that will bring
a fifth of that falling increased rainfall and a greater risk of
in a single day! cyclones and flooding.

28 • Tropic • Issue 27