Introducing the Cassowary Coast of the Wet Tropics

The Central Coast - also called the Cassowary Coast - stretches from Cairns southward to Cardwell, dissected by the Bruce Highway which meanders through mill towns surrounded by cane fields and fruit farms. While most of the coastal lowland has been cleared, there are still plenty of natural places to explore - from isolated tropical beaches to Queensland's two highest mountains, the mist-shrouded Mt Bartle Frere and Mt Bellenden Ker.

The coastal towns are the wettest in Australia, often receiving more than 4 metres (13 feet) of rain each year. The high rainfall produces special features which attract visitors to the Cassowary Coast - beautiful waterfalls, whitewater rapids and luxuriously green forests. If you are lucky, you may see one of the magnificent birds that have lent the Cassowary Coast its name.

The endangered cassowary is Australia's largest flightless bird, standing as a high as a human with a colourful red and blue neck. There are a number of cassowaries around the coastal village of Mission Beach, so please drive carefully while you are travelling through this area! (Careless drivers are one of the main reasons why these birds are being pushed closer to extinction. Feeding cassowaries might be seen as helpful by some people but it is actually another cause of cassowary deaths - read why in our cassowary page.

Tully Visitor and Heritage Centre

Located along the Bruce Highway, the Tully Visitor Information Centre includes a display about the development of Tully and provides travellers with details about the many visitor attractions in the region.

The centre is open Monday to Friday: 8:30am to 4:30pm and Saturday and Sunday: 9:00am to 2:00pm.

Tully Visitor & Heritage Centre
Bruce Highway
PO Box 738
Tully Qld 4854
Phone 07 4068 2288
Fax: 07 4068 2858
Email: tourism@ccrc.qld.gov.au

Mission Beach Visitor Centre

Mission Beach owes its name to the Aboriginal mission which was built there in 1914 but was destroyed by a cyclone soon afterward. A stone memorial on Red Hill at South Mission Beach marks the site.

Mission Beach is one of the most important remaining homes of the endangered cassowary. Learn more about this giant bird at the Wet Tropics Visitor Centre on the northern end of Porter Promenade. The visitor centre is a joint project run by the Community for Coastal and Cassowary Conservation (C4) and the local tourism industry. One building has displays on local wildlife and their habitats and the other building provides information on local walking tracks, tours and commercial enterprises.

The Mission Beach Visitor Centre is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. You can phone C4 on (07) 4068 7197 or contact Mission Beach Tourism on (07) 4068 7066 or visit their website, www.missionbeachtourism.com.

Innisfail Visitor Centre

Call or visit the Innisfail Information Centre  to access a wealth of information on the Cassowary Coast region.  This information service is provided free to those seeking a thrilling and fun-filled stay in the region. 

Babinda Visitor Centre

Babinda Visitor Centre is located on the corner of the Bruce Highway and Munro St, Babinda. This award winning centre is run completely by volunteers.

Babinda has main street shopping, as well as picnic areas, parks and an historic railway station. There are a number of protected natural areas nearby that provide recreational and tourism opportunities. The most popular is The Boulders, about seven kilometres west of town.

The Babinda Visitor centre is open from 9.00am to 4pm, 7 days per week.

Phone: 07 4067 1008
Email: babindainfo@qld.chariot.net.au

Gateway Discovery Centre - Tourism Tropical North Queensland

The Gateway Discovery Centre is situated opposite the sound shell on the southern end of the Esplanade, Cairns. Run mostly by volunteers and supported by Tourism Tropical North Queensland, this centre offers the visitor a regional perspective on places to see and things do in the tropical north Queensland. Adjoining the visitor centre is an environmental gift shop which helps support the Australian Rainforest Foundation.

The Gateway Discovery Centre operating hours are 8.30 am to 6.30 pm, 7 days a week. Closed Christmas Day and New Years Day

51 The Esplanade
Cairns Qld 4870
Ph: (61) 7 4051 3588
Email: info@tropicalaustralia.com.au

Cairns Wildlife Dome

Imagine discovering the secrets, sights and sounds of rainforest wildlife – right in the heart of Cairns! The Cairns Wildlife Dome is a spectacular all-weather wildlife exhibit enclosed by a 20 metre high glass dome on top of the Reef Hotel Casino. It is a taste of the amazing Wet Tropics Rainforest.

You’ll be immersed in a replicated rainforest environment whilst birds such as parrots, cockatoos, lorikeets, doves and rosellas fly freely around you. Get up close to cute rainforest wallabies as they roam freely through their enclosure. Observe curlews, frogmouths and kookaburras along with other animals such as frogs, turtles, pythons, freshwater crocodiles, lizards and adorable bettongs.

For further information contact (07) 4031 7250, entry costs: Adults $22 and kids $11

Lake Morris - Copperlode Dam

Nestled 430m above the green backdrop of Cairns is Lake Morris, a beautiful pit stop after a long and scenic drive that winds its way up the range from Cairns.

Organise a picnic or BBQ or simply stop in at the teahouse and enjoy the magnificent panoramic views of the dam whilst indulging in a hot coffee or a bite to eat on the covered deck and viewing platform.

Take the time to indulge in a bit of birdwatching or check out the display about the unique weather of this cool part of the wet tropics.

Open to the public: Tue to Sun ~ 8:00am- 3:00pm. For further information check out the Lake Morris flyer (PDF).