Things to do in Thornborough
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Top 10 attractions in Thornborough
Atherton Plateau
Atherton Heights is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, inland west of Cairns, and was once home to more than two dozen tribes. Some parts of the plateau exceed 1,000 meters above sea level.Thornborough · 14.6 km from downtown
Sunlover Reef Cruises
Everything you can experience at Moore Reef is beyond your imagination. The Sunlover Great Barrier Reef Cruise departs daily from Cairns Ferry Terminal to the new Moore Reef Offshore Platform, where you can discover and explore the unparalleled wonders of the Great Barrier Reef. On this offshore platform, you can spend a day participating in various interesting activities, as well as admiring the beautiful Great Barrier Reef from all angles. On this luxury offshore platform 40 kilometers from Cairns, you can explore the mysterious underwater world up close. Moore's Reef Platform is the world's premier marine experience platform, designed to accommodate visitors of all ages and abilities, allowing everyone to experience the magnificent Great Barrier Reef in comfort. Fitzroy Island, part of the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, is one of Cairns' most accessible tropical getaways. Just a short 45-minute boat ride from Cairns, this lush rainforest island is celebrated for its coral beaches, fringing reefs, and vibrant marine life. Unlike typical continential islands, many of Fitzroy's beaches are formed from crushed coral, built up over thousands of years. These remnants of ancient reefs were gradually reshaped and displaced by hundreds of tropical storms, creating the island's uniquely textured shores that embody its deep connection to the Great Barrier Reef's natural history.Cairns · 69.3 km from Thornborough
Rainforestation Nature Park
The Tropical Rainforest Park is located on the Kennedy Highway, only a 5-minute drive from the town of Kuranda and about half an hour from Cairns. It is one of the ancient and mysterious tropical rainforests in the world, a symbol of Kuranda, and a must-visit place in Cairns. 1. There is a fixed shuttle bus to and from the tropical rain forest park and the butterfly house every day. Drive to the rainforest park, opposite the visitor center and gift shop, you can sign up for various activities. Entering from the parking lot, you will first come to the wildlife park. The wildlife park is not far from the entrance, providing visitors with the opportunity to get in touch with cute animals. In addition to petting koalas, you can also feed kangaroos and take pictures with crocodiles. In the zoo is a saltwater crocodile that is more than 5 meters long. It has the title of "Devil Jack" because it killed 12 other small crocodiles in the park before. The built trail allows tourists to see his activities very clearly. 2. Near the Tropical Fruit Garden is Tropical Fruit Orchard. There are more than 40 kinds of tropical fruits. You can also taste fresh juice while learning knowledge! In the middle of the tropical fruit garden is the tropical supply station, which provides a variety of tropical juices, tropical fruit ice cream and snacks, allowing you to cool off in this hot tropical rainforest. 3. Amphibious vehicle Amphibious vehicle is a unique adventure rainforest experience, which is a unique project in the park. There are 12 military combat vehicles left over from World War II in the park, and the experience time is 45 minutes. This expedition has a dedicated guide explaining the flora and fauna of the rainforest, including Jurassic plants, fig trees, orchids, blue butterflies, chameleons and various birds. 4. Australian aboriginal performances In addition to this, there are also Australian aboriginal performances waiting for you. Professional Aboriginal guides will take you back in time in original costumes and gain insight into primitive life. Ancient culture tour, including half-hour dance performance and half-hour display of weapons and instruments. In the natural background of the tropical rainforest, the indigenous people play musical instruments, expressing their worship of nature incisively and vividly. They also imitate various animals, showing scenes of gathering and hunting. The professional demonstration and explanation of Huilibiao will also be included. The indigenous people use javelins to hunt animals, and you can also take pictures with them. Also, you can admire the drawing of pointillism or try face painting.Kuranda · 58.7 km from Thornborough
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway is one of Cairns' most iconic rainforest experiences. The journey spans approximately 7.5 km, departing from Smithfield Terminal, passing through Red Peak and Barron Falls stations, and arriving at Kuranda Village. Guests can enjoy spectacular aerial views of the World Heritage-listed rainforest, with the opportunity to disembark at intermediate stations to walk, explore, and learn more about the rainforest ecosystem. This experience is suitable for families with children, seniors, couples, independent travelers, photography enthusiasts, and anyone seeking a relaxing way to experience Cairns' natural beauty. A popular option is to combine Skyrail with the Kuranda Scenic Railway for a full-day Kuranda experience, or simply enjoy a return Skyrail journey. Advance booking is recommended. Please note that the departure point is Smithfield Terminal (not Cairns city centre), and guests should arrange transport accordingly.Smithfield · 62.3 km from Thornborough
Reef Magic
If you are looking for a day trip from Cairns to the Great Barrier Reef, then the Dream Reef cruise is a better choice. In order to give you a refined and comfortable Great Barrier Reef experience, the Dream Reef cruise is limited to no more than 200 people. The Dream Reef cruise ship has exclusive access to the outer barrier reef platform, which has clear water, colorful corals and a variety of marine life. The comfortable, stable and fast catamaran of the Dream Reef reduces the travel time, increases the time spent on the Great Barrier Reef to 5 hours, and provides a variety of marine entertainment activities suitable for all ages, allowing you to fully enjoy the wonderful time of Moore Great Barrier Reef!Cairns · 69.2 km from Thornborough
Kuranda
Kuranda is a small town near Cairns, because it is very close to Cairns, it has become a day trip choice. In the 19th century, it used to be a summer resort for the upper class, and now a large number of tourists still come here by train or aerial cable car every day. 1. Overview of attractions: Although the town of Kuranda is small, it is located in the tropical rain forest with extremely beautiful scenery. The towering century-old trees, the cascading waterfalls, the trickling streams, the rare wild animals, and the fragrant and fragrant flowers on both sides of the road all give Kuranda a picture of a paradise-like beauty. . 2. Kuranda Tropical Rainforest Park: About 5 minutes' drive from Kuranda Town, located on the highway. The park offers three ways to play: ride through the rainforest and tropical fruit orchards in an exclusive amphibious amphibious vehicle; watch the Parmajiri Aboriginal dance show, watch how to throw boomerangs and archery, and play the didgeridoo; and See koalas, kangaroos, wombats and the murderous crocodile known as "Devil Jack". 3. There are shuttle buses at the entrance of the Butterfly House Tropical Rainforest Park every day to the Butterfly House not far away. The Butterfly House is located on 8RobVeiversDrive in the center of the town. There are more than 1,500 kinds of butterflies living in it. You can watch it in the internal incubation laboratory. See how the larvae of butterflies grow in response to changes in the environment, and when these larvae grow up, they can be placed in the open space to fly. Please wear bright clothes so that when you enter this room, there will be butterflies big and small around you. 4. Birdworld: BirdworldKuranda is also located on RobVeiversDrive, which is very close. The living environment of more than 80 kinds of birds is simulated here. You can see smart macaws, endangered cassowaries, noisy rainbow parrots, pink cockatoos, white cockatoos and so on. 5. Falls Lookout: The Falls Lookout (BarronFallsLookout) on BarronFalls Road, south of Kuranda, is a viewing point in North Queensland that receives thousands of tourists every day. 6. Kuranda Bazaar: When it comes to shopping, Kuranda has its own Bazaar. Kuranda Heritage Markets on Rob Veives Drive has been around for more than 20 years, from toys to opals, to the didgeridoo, an Aboriginal musical instrument, to jewellery and fashion, wallets, delicious snacks And beer, everything.Kuranda · 57.3 km from Thornborough
Big Cat Green Island Reef Cruises
Green Island on the Great Barrier Reef is a popular tourist destination in Cairns. It only takes 45 minutes to take a cruise on the Big Cat to reach Green Island, a beautiful coral island on the Great Barrier Reef. It is a coral island surrounded by white sandy beaches, beautiful reefs and abundant marine life, and the island is covered with tropical rainforest vegetation. The Big Cat cruise ship has four voyages to Green Island every day, the full-day ferry departs at 9:00 and 11:00, and the half-day ferry departs at 9:00 and 1:00 pm. You can freely snorkel or swim in the crystal-clear waters of Green Island, you can also take a glass-bottom boat and a semi-submarine boat to visit the wonderful underwater world, you can also stroll along the tree-lined paths of the national park, or just lay leisurely. Enjoy the sun and white sand on the beach. If you want to learn more about the Great Barrier Reef, you can also book a snorkeling experience tour with Big Cat, aerobic snorkeling and no heavy equipment diving. Big Cat cruises have a range of options for families, couples, groups and charters. When you go to Green Island, you can freely start snorkeling from the beach. It doesn't matter if you can't swim, Big Cat has a semi-submarine on Green Island to take you to experience the beautiful underwater creatures.Cairns · 69.3 km from Thornborough
Hartley's Crocodile Adventures
Located about 40 minutes north of Cairns by car, the "Hartley Crocodile Adventure Park" located in the world natural heritage tropical rainforest is a good spot to watch Australian crocodiles and other wild animals in North Queensland. The unique and rich attractions program attracts tourists from all over the world. A 2,100-meter-long boardwalk in the park will take you to explore the woodlands, wildlife, beautiful tropical birds and abundant reptiles in North Queensland, visit the Macalister Education Centre, eat Turkey Garden. The wonderful activities presented at different times in the park are entertaining and entertaining, and are suitable for all kinds of tourists. Snake performances, cassowary feeding, special crocodile lake cruises, crocodile attack performances, crocodile farm visits, koala explanations, etc. will satisfy you for half a day or Full day crocodile park experience.Wangetti · 59.8 km from Thornborough
Barron River Rafting
If you're into adventure, rafting on the Barron River is a great option. The intensity of rafting on the Barron River is level 2-3. You need to wear a helmet and a life jacket throughout the rafting process. There are many large drops in the middle, which is very exciting. On both sides of the rafting river is the Barron Gorge National Park, all covered by tropical rainforest, very quiet and beautiful. While admiring the natural scenery, feel the thrill of the snow-white waves.Caravonica · 59.3 km from Thornborough
Green Island
Green Island is located in the Great Barrier Reef area, about a 45-minute flight from Cairns. It is a small coral reef island with a large area of tropical rain forests. 1. Overview of attractions It only takes more than 1 hour to go around Green Island. After arriving at Green Island by boat, you can walk in the rainforest by yourself, and you can also choose to dive or take a glass-bottom boat to watch the colorful coral reefs. Paragliding, helicopter excursions and underwater walks are also popular. Generally, the tourists who come to Green Island are Chinese and Japanese tourists. The stay time is between half a day and a day. The accommodation on the island is slightly expensive and is generally not recommended. There are many seaside walks on the island, located in the northern part of Melanesian Sea World. You can also sign up for half-day or full-day tours offered by GreatAdventure. Generally, it starts from Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal in Cairns. There are three departure times to choose from. For details, please consult the official website. 2. Various activities You can do various activities on Green Island. You can try scuba diving. You don't have to worry about the basics. There will be a professional diving instructor to take you all the way. You can also try snorkeling. Take you to the coral reefs with beautiful underwater scenery, watch the colorful tropical fish shuttle among them, and the exciting underwater walk! Don't be nervous if you're a landlubber, the whole experience lasts about 55 minutes. On Green Island, you can also rent kayaks for excursions. 3. Marineland Melanesia Marineland Melanesia is a tropical aquarium on the island with a collection of fish, turtles, sting rays and heads (crocodiles and humpback whales). There is also a collection of Melanesian handicrafts. At 10:30 and 13:30, you can not only watch the crocodile feeding, but also have the opportunity to hug the newborn crocodile baby and have the opportunity to take a photo with the crocodile baby. For details, please consult the official website.Green Island · 93.4 km from Thornborough
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What travellers say about Thornborough
多多November 7, 2020
4.0
We drove from Trinity Beach through Kuranda, Mareeba and Atherton and back to Innisfail via Cairns. We spent the whole day stopping at many places, we saw waterfalls, platypuses and some fig trees, all were stunning. I highly recommend this area.
Atherton Plateau
Anonymous userOctober 15, 2026
4.0
There are staff members who speak Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean. There are many Chinese staff members, so communication is not a problem. The sea is very beautiful, and the itinerary is well-planned, making it a great day trip!
Sunlover Reef Cruises
Anonymous userJune 16, 2026
4.0
The most impressive attraction to us is Army Duck Tour. The ranger was funny and knowledgeable. He introduced different plants and habitats in the rainforest. In addition, there were a few koala, wallabies and wildlife to see. Quite an interesting place to play a half day visit.
Rainforestation Nature Park
_TI***y1October 6, 2025
4.0
The scene was definitely beautiful, we took the cableway around 3PM and was not too hot. Gaby was amazing, we originally purchased the wrong time and wrong departure location. She was able to help us make it right. We also missed our original booked time but the staffs allowed us to get on. Everyone is so nice here 😊
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
Batigoal1987June 27, 2026
5.0
Highlight of the day trip is our helicopter experience over the great barrier reef. 10mins joy ride over the reef. Feels like in a James Bond Movie! Bucket List ticked =)
Reef Magic
旅あんつOctober 31, 2022
4.0
Looking around, the village is full of nature, and the journey from Cairns to the village was amazing!!! 🌿
However, it was very hot at the end of October, so ice cream was a must🤣
Kuranda
Anonymous userApril 29, 2026
4.0
Overall, it was pretty good. The service was excellent; for those prone to seasickness, they provided bags, tissues, and ice. The environment has been severely damaged; the coral bleaching is quite bad, and there are no red corals left. Green Island is still quite beautiful. We were on a glass-bottom boat, so the view was a bit limited compared to a semi-submarine.
Big Cat Green Island Reef Cruises
_TS***qzApril 6, 2026
5.0
This place is amazing the koalas are so cute and all the fascinating animals catch my eye the sound of the amazing trees rang in the forest as my mind filled with wonder. Zont is the biggest croc there and the boat ride made me shacked and the show for the crocs was fantastic. The most amazing part is the six metre snake named psycho Sally it was massive in its enclosure and made us look small. All the snakes were amazing and the cassowary was so colourful the koalas are so cool and their grey fur looks like a toy. The baby croc you can take a photo with is so cool and is so special to me as it is a true place of wonders. The scenic Forest made me feel like I was living in the wilderness and it made me feel like it was my permanent home. One of the best parts is when you can feed the cassowary and koalas it makes me feel caring and they are so cute to pet. The snake show was so cool as I learned lots of new things and I think that snakes are now so fascinating instead of scary.
Hartley's Crocodile Adventures
部长大人好October 5, 2019
5.0
The most fun rafting, no doubt about it. The journey lasted more than four hours, and it was exciting and combined with team spirit. Although it was tiring and sunny, the experience was absolutely invincible and it is a must-do rafting in life.
Barron River Rafting
Anonymous userFebruary 7, 2024
4.0
Green Island is the closest to the pier. It only takes a little over an hour to get there. It is very good for people who are prone to seasickness. You can also go to the island. The beach is white and the water is clear. The seawater is blue and beautiful. It is very suitable for playing in the sand and swimming. The snorkeling area is very large. The coral reefs and fish on the seabed can be seen in the clear water. It is just too hot and too sunny. It is a pity that the boat arrived at the hottest time and returned in the afternoon. If it is in the evening, it should be cool and comfortable on the beach.
Green Island