A few of weeks ago we escaped the cold and rain in Auckland and flew to Palm Cove in Australia to enjoy some fun in the sun. Palm Cove is located halfway between Cairns and Port Douglas in the North East of Australia.
Where we stayed
We went with some friends, one of whom has been to Palm Cove a number of times, so he booked our accommodation. He chose Mantra Amphora this time – which is in a great location – very central, so it was easy to walk everywhere. They have hotel rooms and 1, 2 and 3 bedroomed apartments so it would suit a wide range of travellers. We got 2 apartments – and they were clean, tidy and had fully kitted-out kitchens. But the main feature of the place would have to be the tropical lagoon pool which was amazing.
Where we ate
Vivo
Vivo was the first restaurant we ate at when we arrived and it started our holiday off on a great note. It’s an award-winning Italian restaurant and it’s housed in a beautiful building, right in front of our accommodation. The staff were very friendly and eager to please.
Nunu
Nunu is another award-winning restaurant right on the beachfront in this gorgeous palm tree-lined beach town. The views are beautiful and the food is extraordinary. Everything we ate was amazing. And if the roast pineapple, black pepper caramel & mango sorbet is on the menu when you’re there, I would highly recommend ordering it. So good! This meal was a real treat.
El Greko
We also enjoyed a fantastic meal at this Greek restaurant one night. Their calamari was mouth-wateringly good and the lamb was also very tasty. Lovely atmosphere. (We were having such a good time that night, I didn’t take any photos. But if you want to check out a video of the place, go to my Palm Cove Instagram Highlight Reel to see all my Stories from that night.)
One of the best trips we’ve taken in New Zealand as a middle-aged couple
What we did
Morning walks along the beach
We couldn’t resist going for early morning walks along the beach because tropical beach walks are the best. We’d grab a coffee and head out along the row of palm trees and continue up the beach. The earlier you go the better because it gets very hot as the day goes on.
Kuranda Koala Gardens and Birdworld Kuranda
We spent a morning visiting the birds and lots of Australian animals at Kuranda’s Birdworld and Koala Gardens. It’s worth a visit because there’s so much to see there. My favourite? The koalas, of course.
Snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef
I can’t recommend this outing enough. It’s a must if you’re visiting the area, in my opinion. We went out on the Silver Sonic boat which took us to three different dive sights. We saw a white-tipped shark but sadly we weren’t lucky enough to spot a turtle this time. But there was so much to see out there. Such a lovely day out.
Other fun things to do in the area –
- Butterfly Sanctuary
- Scenic Railway
- Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
- Daintree Rainforest
- Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures
Have you ever been on a girls’ trip?
Top Tips – Palm Cove
Be sure to make your restaurant, boat trip and spa bookings ahead of time – don’t leave them until the last minute as they get sold out pretty quickly.
Reapply your sunscreen often.
Palm Cove – Final Thoughts
Palm Cove is a great destination for New Zealanders (or any travellers, really) who want to get some sun when the winter weather is dragging on. There are lots of things to do if you’re active and don’t enjoy just lying on the beach. But it’s a pretty amazing destination if that’s what you love to do! I’ve heard that it’s probably too hot to go there during summer, but if you enjoy that heat and humidity, you’re going to love it there!
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Looks brilliant 🤩
Author
Ah, it really was a gorgeous place – we had a great time there.