Cruise from Sydney to Northern Queensland, Australia
Part A
For Part B of the cruise trip description click here
A special and particularly successful way to see Australia, New Zealand or the surrounding islands (New Caledonia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and other wonderful exotic destinations) is on a pleasure cruise on a pampering passenger ship.
From several ports in Australia (mainly Sydney and Melbourne) you can embark on a cruise – a voyage on a cruise ship – in a variety of routes and for different periods of time, from a few days to several months. The destinations are naturally adapted to the seasons: in the Australian summer (December-February) the popular destinations are New Zealand and Tasmania, while in winter there is nothing like sailing to warm tropical islands. In spring and autumn it is very successful to go on a cruise to Northern Queensland or additional destinations across the vast continent.
If you choose the cruise and its tours correctly (booking far in advance, searching for deals, traveling independently at the ports, etc.), the price is not even higher than a standard trip in Australia with a rental car, flights, and hotel accommodation.
The selection of companies and ships departing for cruises from Australia does not come close to that of the US, but the options are still numerous.
The two most successful companies operating in Australia are Princess and Royal Caribbean.
The most popular company among Australians is actually P&O, but in my opinion it is much less successful than the two I mentioned: its ships are smaller and older, which is not reflected in the price, which remains quite high.
We chose a 12-night cruise departing from Sydney on a ship owned by Princess named Sun Princess. This is a ship weighing about 75,000 tons, designed for about 2,100 passengers in addition to about 800 crew members.
The cruise began in Sydney and its route went north along the coast of Queensland with stops at Whitsunday Islands, Cairns, Port Douglas, and Cooktown, and on the way back from there a stop in Townsville, Brisbane, and ending in Sydney.
♦ Sydney Port
Of course, if sailing from Sydney, it is recommended to arrive a few days early to tour the city and its surroundings. A description of several travel days in the most beautiful places the city has to offer can be found in the article: A Week's Trip in Sydney – Australia's Most Beautiful City.
The vast majority of passengers on the ship were naturally from various states of Australia, with a few from other countries around the world. There were quite a few retirees on board, but also families with children, around two hundred children in total. The cruise prior to ours on this ship was for 75 days (!) and had no children at all.
Boarding the ship: When arriving at the passenger terminal in Sydney, you immediately hand over your luggage, which has been tagged with colored adhesive strips marked with your name, deck, and cabin number. You report to the queue at the check-in counters where personal boarding passes are issued, which also serve as ID badges, payment cards for various services on board, and cabin keys. Boarding does not begin before 12:00 PM to give previous vacationers time to disembark and allow the crew enough time to prepare the rooms for new passengers.
Departing from Sydney aboard the ship is a unique experience; you pass through Sydney's beautiful harbor, and it is particularly thrilling to pass under Sydney's giant bridge as the ship's masts and funnels pass very close underneath the bridge. Afterwards, you pass by Sydney's beautiful Opera House, and for dessert, you view the breathtaking sunset from the ship against the backdrop of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House. To complete the great feeling, you can also watch this view from the cozy jacuzzi on the ship's top deck or with a nice cocktail in hand.
We will not elaborate on the enjoyable time spent on the ship during the voyage, which is similar to that on ships sailing elsewhere in the world (details on this topic are available, as mentioned, in the previously cited articles), but rather detail here what can be done and seen in the various ports along the sailing route.
♦ Trip to the Whitsunday Islands
Queensland has a coastline of over two thousand kilometers in the northeastern part of Australia, and the Whitsunday Islands are located roughly in the middle of this long coast. There are 74 islands of various sizes here, the largest of which is called Whitsunday, featuring the most beautiful beaches in this island group. The islands are blessed with white sand beaches, corals, beautiful fish, turtles, and turquoise sea. These islands are part of the Great Barrier Reef nature reserve.
The starting point for trips to these islands is the small town of Airlie Beach, with a population of about 3,000. Between July and September, whales can be spotted here.
The ship anchored near Airlie Beach, and we went on a day trip from the ship to one of the 74 islands called Daydream Island.
This is one of the smaller islands in this group, located close to the coast. On this island, there is a large resort with several pools and various water activities, kayaks, sailboats, a glass-bottom boat, and pools with corals and colorful fish.
During a walk along the island's shore, you see fish and coral pools near the hotel along the way. We settled on the beach near one of the larger pools. We went on a short kayak trip in the immediate vicinity of the shore and then entered the pleasant water of the pool. We did not swim in the ocean due to fear of venomous jellyfish. The beach was sandy mixed with coral.
In the hotel lobby, you can play billiards and then hike along several trails: one short trail leading to a small, secluded beach called Lover's Cove (on the way there we saw kangaroos), and the second, longer trail passing through rainforest until reaching the dock area where the boat arrived. Along the way, there is a beautiful view of the sea and beaches. There is also a nice mini-golf course where each station represents a different area in Australia, and visitors on the island played there until it was time to return by ferry to the ship.
♦ Cairns and Kuranda in Northeastern Australia
The city of Cairns is an international tourist city with an airport for international flights. This is one of the main places from which tours depart to diving sites in the Great Barrier Reef, which stretches off its shores.
Details about Cairns in the article: Trips in Cairns City and Surroundings
Recommended Tour Bookings in Cairns from Viator:
The cruise ship anchored several kilometers north of the city. A ferry boat transported passengers to the shore not far from the cable car leading to the Aboriginal village of Kuranda. There were no taxis on site, and there were many passengers from the ship looking for a taxi.
From a tourist office located at the site, it was with great difficulty possible to order a taxi to take us to the cable car and also purchase a round-trip ticket for the cable car. It was also possible to return by train along a scenic route through the forest lasting an hour and a half, but there were few departure times for the train and it did not fit the schedule.
The length of the cable car ride is very long—it measures 7.5 kilometers! The duration of the trip on it is about an hour and a half one-way, including two stops along the way, and on the return without stops, it takes about 45 minutes. This is the view seen from the beginning of the cable car route, with the passenger ship visible in the background.
You board the cable car in a gondola holding up to six passengers and ride about a third of the way over the rainforests of Barron Gorge National Park to the first station, where you disembark for a guided tour inside the forest.
The guide was of Aboriginal origin and explained about the types of plants and trees in the forest, sharing what his ancestors used to do with these plants. For example, he showed fruits of a plant that blinds anyone who eats them for two hours; we also saw leaves with dangerous prickly hairs that penetrate the body. The guide also showed the ants that Aboriginal people eat and even ate them in front of the tourists' eyes.
Boarding the cable car again, we continued to Kuranda. After a few kilometers, we stopped again for a walking tour in the area that led to a viewpoint overlooking waterfalls and a nearby dam.
After that, we boarded the cable car again, and this time crossed the river near the village of Kuranda, arriving at the final station in Kuranda.
A bus takes tourists to the edge of the village, and from there you walk back to the cable car along the main street of the village, browsing among the many shops and galleries located on this street.
At the end of the tour, you board the cable car back, this time traveling directly without disembarking at intermediate stations for tours. The return trip takes about forty-five minutes.
We ordered a taxi from a designated telephone on site. The taxi arrived within a few minutes, and we rode to Cairns for a brief orientation tour of the city because only an hour remained until the time we needed to return to the ship.
We walked along the shore near a large pool open free to the public.
The beach itself was right at low tide and completely muddy for tens of meters.
Near the city center, you can also see the casino building topped by a botanical garden.
From the city center, there is a bus that transported passengers back to the ferry port.
♦ Trip to Port Douglas in Northeastern Australia
Port Douglas is a small resort town that also serves as a good base for fishing trips, sailing, and diving in the Great Barrier Reef.
The ship anchored some distance from the shore, and a ferry transported passengers to the town's port. From the port, you can go on a walking tour toward Four Mile Beach in the east of the town.
To our surprise, we did not see anyone swimming in the water along its entire length. As we approached the lifeguard station on the beach, we understood the reason. In front of the lifeguard station, a warning sign was posted stating that crocodiles had been spotted in the area and swimming in the water or even approaching the water is dangerous!
We walked along the beach, with some apprehension it must be noted, until we reached the luxurious Sheraton Mirage Resort located near the shore. We entered the resort, walked among the villas there and among the huge pools on site. On the ship, it was possible to purchase an entry ticket to the hotel that included use of the pools and facilities, as well as lunch at the hotel.
We swam in the lovely pools for about two to three hours, and after that, we left the hotel and took a bus organized by the ship back to the port, where we took the ferry back to the ship.
The weather was hot and humid, with occasional light tropical rain falling.