Cruising Down Under

For a holiday with a difference venture Down Under with a memorable cruise to Australia. Traditionally when people think about a cruise their first thoughts are of the Caribbean or a lazy cruise around the Mediterranean. If you are looking for something a bit unusual and the chance to take in some amazing sights then Australia might just be the cruise for you.

Royal Caribbean Cruises are one of the few cruise lines to offer a cruise to Cairns and the Barrier Reef; in fact it has newly been added to their itinerary. They offer a 11 night cruise from Sydney, Australia taking in Hamilton Island, Port Douglas and Cairns to name but a few of the destinations en route.

You will make a stop off at Hamitlon Island which is one of the 74 tropical islands in the Coral Sea, between the Queensland coast and the Great Barrier Reef. From here you will cruise to Cairns.

Cairns is an amazing tropical city and it often considered the ‘capital of the Great Barrier Reef’. It is the last major outpost of civilization before the remote jungle of Cape York Peninsula overtakes the landscape. It has long been a favorite holiday destination and it’s not hard to see why with it’s offering of some of the most exciting and original attractions in Australia. For beach lovers there are golden sandy beaches flanked by pristine rainforests, rivaling anything the Caribbean has to offer.

The Great Barrier Reef is less than an hour away and is one of the wonders of the natural world. It is the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem and was declared a World Heritage area in 1981. The reef is scattered with beautiful islands and idyllic coral cays and covers more than 300,000 square kilometres. The Great Barrier Reef system consists of more than 3000 reefs which range in size from 1 hectare to over 10,000 hectares in area. Top tip is to take a glass bottom boat tour if water isn’t for you!

Port Douglas has a distinctive laid back atmosphere, and a low-rise tropical old world charm. The world famous 4 Mile Beach is right at your door and is a great place to see the sun rise. From here you will cruise to Cooktown which is the last port of call on the Eastern side of Australia before cruising out to sea again past Willis Island.

The final port of call before Sydney is Queensland’s capital Brisbane, a bustling, adventurous city. There is so much to see it will be difficult to fit everything in a day but it provides a great insight into Queensland life.