AUD 3,600 per Person for Five-Star Hotel and Business Class: Australia 14-Day Guide (Part 4) – Beautiful Cairns, Beautiful Great Barrier Reef

Continuing from the previous post, our group of five flew from Sydney to Cairns, the second stop of our Australia trip, on Jetstar flight JQ946 to see Australia’s national treasure, the Great Barrier Reef.

Airlines in Australia

Before starting our Cairns trip, let me share some experiences and tips about flying domestically in Australia, using this Jetstar flight as an example:

On this Australia trip, we took three domestic flights: Sydney–Cairns, Cairns–Melbourne, and Melbourne–Perth. The first two were with Jetstar, and the last with Virgin Australia. First, let me briefly introduce the domestic airlines in Australia:

The four main airlines operating domestic routes are Qantas, Virgin Australia (mentioned above), Jetstar, and Tigerair.

Qantas is the top carrier, well-known, comparable to our Air China. Next is Virgin Australia, with service comparable to Qantas—offering business class, meals, and more relaxed baggage policies, with prices similar to Qantas. Then there is Jetstar, a low-cost carrier under Qantas, where meals and all services require payment, and baggage policies are very strict—more on that later. Its fares are cheaper than Qantas and Virgin. These two airlines cover most domestic flights, so you’ll likely encounter them when transiting within Australia. Last is Tigerair Australia, a joint venture between Singapore Airlines’ low-cost carrier Tiger Airways and Virgin Australia. I haven’t flown with them, so I can’t comment, as relatives in Sydney advised against it due to frequent delays and cancellations, though prices are the lowest.

We booked Jetstar for Sydney–Cairns and Cairns–Melbourne because our travel agency recommended it for good value. Later, when we added the Western Australia leg, the Melbourne–Perth flight only had Virgin and Tigerair options, so I chose Virgin. In terms of flight time and price: Sydney–Cairns took 3 hours, fare RMB 1,118; Cairns–Melbourne took 4 hours, fare RMB 1,460; Melbourne–Perth took 4.5 hours, fare RMB 1,500. Relative to flight distance and duration, these prices are comparable to or slightly cheaper than domestic Chinese tickets.

Now, a comparison of services and policies between the two airlines:

Check-in counters are similar, but Virgin has more advanced self-service kiosks with high-end equipment. In terms of terminals, based on Melbourne Airport, Virgin’s terminal is better than Jetstar’s; Jetstar’s even lacks boarding bridges. For meals, Virgin offers drinks and meals, with alcohol requiring payment. Jetstar charges for everything, but prices are not high (by Australian income standards): in-flight meal prices are similar to regular prices, e.g., a burger meal is around AUD 10+. Since our two Jetstar flights didn’t coincide with meal times, it didn’t matter—the travel agency’s value-for-money claim made sense.

As for punctuality, all three flights were on time, with boarding starting 15 minutes before departure, very efficient. Boarding and deplaning for domestic flights in Australia is interesting: passengers in the rear half of the plane walk down stairs on the tarmac and board via bus. This isn’t very friendly for elderly or baggage-laden passengers, and I think it could increase security loopholes, but it greatly improves boarding efficiency.

Finally, and most importantly, baggage policies: Virgin is relatively lax. Purchased tickets indicate 22 kg checked baggage and one carry-on of specified size, but in practice, there’s no strict enforcement at the gate, similar to domestic China. Jetstar, as a low-cost carrier, is very strict—be aware!

First, checked baggage allowance is 20 kg free, but note: this is per bag, not averaged across multiple people. Many airlines base weight limits on aircraft capacity, so as long as the average per person doesn’t exceed the limit, it’s fine. Since we were five people with only three checked bags, we didn’t think much of it. But at check-in, we learned that Australia requires each bag not to exceed 20 kg, not an average, reportedly to protect baggage handlers’ rights. Luckily, our heaviest bag was 19.8 kg, so we passed just barely. Fellow travelers should take note to avoid the embarrassment of repacking in public.

Additionally, Jetstar strictly enforces a 7 kg carry-on limit per person. At the gate, staff weigh every bag; those that pass are tagged. I noticed 100% weight checks, and they weigh all bags and packages on you. This weight limit is averaged: one of our handbags was 8 kg, but since we were five people averaging out, it was fine. But for averaging, everyone must be present with all luggage; just showing five boarding passes doesn’t work. We saw someone paying extra for overweight carry-on luggage on the spot—price unknown. So I’m sharing this.

Neither airline has in-flight entertainment systems; Jetstar’s entertainment is limited to flight attendants walking back and forth selling products. We each played on our phones to pass the time. By the way, Australian airlines do not require switching phones to flight mode before takeoff.

“Scorching Town” – Cairns

Cairns is a leisure city in northern Queensland, in the tropics, a famous tourist resort, especially for the Great Barrier Reef. Before visiting, I thought the Great Barrier Reef was a large rock in the sea. After reading guides, I learned it’s a massive living coral reef chain covering the northwest coast of Australia, considered one of the few Earth wonders visible from space.

Cairns and Hamilton Island are the two most famous gateways to the Great Barrier Reef. Cairns is larger with more facilities, suitable for family trips with elderly and children; Hamilton is famous for the heart-shaped reef, attracting couples.

We arrived at Cairns Airport in the evening. We took off from Sydney at around 3 PM, flew for 3 hours, and should have arrived at 6 PM, but due to daylight saving time in Sydney (one hour ahead), it was only 5 PM in Cairns—felt like we gained an hour. By the way, Australia’s east coast is normally one hour ahead of China; in summer, Sydney and Melbourne observe daylight saving, adding another hour. Perth in Western Australia is on the same longitude as China, so no time difference.

Cairns Airport is small with few people. We had pre-booked a Chinese-speaking transfer service, and our driver was a woman from Henan who had been in Australia for over 10 years. The airport parking lot was nearly empty, with only our car. It was Chinese New Year and winter break, usually the peak season for Cairns, but due to the pandemic, it was completely empty.

Locals visit Cairns mainly in April-May and September-October (spring and autumn). January-February is the hottest time of the year, not the best tourist season. We learned that Cairns has only 200,000 people, including about 2,000 Chinese—barely the size of a township in China, yet here it’s a proper city.

Because of its hot climate and holiday atmosphere, I nicknamed Cairns “Scorching Town.”

Cairns Riley Hotel

Along the way, we enjoyed the scenery: houses on both sides were less crowded than in Sydney, replaced by high-end seaside resort hotels, sea breezes, coconut palms, sandy beaches—just like Sanya’s Yalong Bay, instantly relaxing. Our hotel was among these seaside resorts, about 20 minutes from the airport.

Upon entering the hotel, a tall, handsome Australian guy greeted us warmly, dressed casually—not as formal as Sydney, which added a friendly touch. At the lobby, an Asian-looking receptionist greeted us in Chinese, making us feel very welcome and increasing our fondness for the hotel.

The hotel is decorated mainly in white. The lobby is small but cozy. Between two guest wings is a large swimming pool. Across the street from the hotel is the sea, with gentle breezes, sparkling water, distant views of islands and boats, and occasional seagulls playing—this scene dispelled our travel fatigue, relaxed our nerves, and put us in vacation mode.

After check-in and a brief introduction, we took our room keys. Possibly due to low occupancy, we were given a room facing the sea (only two rooms per floor at the ends face the sea; others have partial sea views). The room was large, the bathroom spacious, and best of all, there was a balcony with loungers—perfect for sea views and tea. Each room had a pad for booking hotel services or calling for assistance, with language support based on guest profiles—very user-friendly.

During our three-day stay, we noticed many Chinese guests. Reception and restaurant staff could speak Chinese. Breakfast included congee and pickled vegetables, and chopsticks were available. So Chinese travelers should consider this hotel. The pool was great, open from 6 AM to 9:30 PM; the front desk provided free towels. The pool had a shallow section for kids and a 1.5 m deep section for swimming. The water was seawater—something to note. We swam for about an hour every evening; the water seemed heated, not cold, and was very enjoyable. Borrowing and returning towels at the front desk was very casual—no registration required, just put them back in the bin. We could borrow them for swimming outside or for Great Barrier Reef trips. Excellent service. One note: the hotel is open-plan, so keep valuables secure when swimming.

Only one thing to note: the hotel’s Southeast Asian restaurant. On our first evening, it was raining, so the front desk recommended dining at the hotel, which has an Asian-flavored restaurant. However, the food was mostly Southeast Asian, which my parents weren’t used to, and it was expensive—about AUD 50 per person. I ordered the hotel’s own-reared beef tenderloin for AUD 60, which tasted good but was pricey. So if you’re not keen on Southeast Asian cuisine or are budget-conscious, skip this restaurant. Its online rating wasn’t high either (we regretted not checking first).

Overall, this hotel was excellent—top-notch facilities and service, and the best value among hotels we stayed at in Australia: RMB 1,100 per room per night. If not for the pre-arranged itinerary, we would have stayed longer. I highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Cairns.

Cairns is a small city. Famous attractions besides the Great Barrier Reef include the tropical rainforest, Kuranda Village, and Green Island. Our guide said Green Island is mainly for accommodation with mostly Japanese tourists, not particularly fun, with inconvenient transport, so we skipped it. On the second day, we visited the tropical rainforest and Kuranda. Since we were there all day, the travel agency recommended not hiring a private guide but instead booking a local Chinese-speaking day tour—good decision.

At 9:30 AM, the tour bus picked us up at the hotel. The guide-cum-driver was Chinese, confirmed our details with a list, picked up a few more guests from other hotels, and headed to the rainforest area.

Cairns Tropical Rainforest is claimed to be an ancient rainforest preserved since the dinosaur era. Because Australia is separate from the other continents, environmental changes didn’t affect it much. The rainforest ends at the town of Kuranda. Various ways to get there: bus, train, or self-drive. We chose the most common tourist route—the cable car—as only it can pass through the rainforest and offer panoramic views.

To protect the rainforest, the entire cable car installation was done using helicopters, making it expensive. The cable car is over 10 km long, with two intermediate stops where you can see plants, animals, and distant waterfalls and views. Note there’s free Wi-Fi on the cable car, and an app provides free commentary along the way—quite nice.

At the Kuranda terminal, opposite the cable car station is the train station, and next to it is a free shuttle bus to Kuranda town center.

Kuranda is small with limited activities: a tourist handicraft market (essentially a Yiwu market), lunch, and three small zoos—a wildlife park, a bird park, and a butterfly park. We had two hours of free time. Since Queensland allows koala holding (New South Wales does not), we booked a zoo visit and a koala photo ticket. Entry was AUD 15, and koala photo was AUD 20. Honestly, it was a bit of a rip-off—the zoo was tiny, taking only 10 minutes. Koala photos cost AUD 20 per person; children under 12 can’t hold the koala themselves (lest they drop it) and can only be in a photo with an adult; family photos were about AUD 50. Not cheap. The staff holds the koala and places it on you; the koala must feel you’re a eucalyptus tree to cooperate calmly. The process is slow, and lack of cooperation happens. Luckily, few tourists were there; in peak season, expect to wait over an hour.

With few visitors, most shops were closed. We had lunch at a Southeast Asian restaurant in town; besides us, there was one other table. The owner seemed Southeast Asian, didn’t speak Chinese but was friendly. The food was Southeast Asian style but not spicy, acceptable. A huge bowl of beef noodles was only AUD 14, with a free drink—great value. I had Singapore-style fried rice noodles, also delicious. We also got free hot water, good service. Besides this, three or four other restaurants were open, mostly Western. Only the street near the tourist center had shops open—a desolate scene.

In the afternoon, we visited a rainforest wetland park. The most interesting feature was riding amphibious vehicles left from WWII US military. The guide said many Japanese tour groups also ride them, experiencing the enemy’s weapons from 70 years ago—very amusing. The driver felt like a biologist, friendly, and gave commentary throughout, pointing out unique plants and animals. We saw a snake and an insect camouflaged on leaves—we’d never have spotted them ourselves.

The whole experience lasted about an hour; it was very fun. Don’t miss it if you go to Kuranda. For the return, we took the Kuranda Scenic Railway. This line was originally built for gold mining. It uses steam locomotives on narrow-gauge tracks. The carriages have no air conditioning, open windows, original style. Inside, they are spacious with bench seats facing each other, forming booths for two pairs. We had assigned seats; with few people, our group of five occupied one booth. Free drinking water was available. The train moved slowly, about 60 km/h, with stops at a waterfall and two stops in the city. The train chugged along leisurely, and we slumped in our seats, swaying with the train, watching the scenery, enjoying the slow pace—soon we all fell asleep.

We ended the train ride at the first city stop. The guide was waiting with the car and drove us back to our hotels. A perfect day.

In summary, for self-guided travel to Cairns, joining a local day tour is a good option: it saves money compared to hiring a private guide, provides Chinese-language services for easy access to fun and food info, and offers door-to-door transport, more economical than renting a car or taking taxis. There are many day tours; choose carefully. I think our cable car up, train back plan was good. The train is purely experiential; those short on time can skip it.

The Great Barrier Reef is the core of Australian tourism. When we booked the trip, the travel agency recommended booking Cairns Great Barrier Reef tickets early. Options include: fly (helicopter) out and boat back, boat out and fly back, or boat both ways.

Fly out and boat back is preferred. First, you must see the reef from the air; boats only offer close-up experience. If possible, spend extra for a flight. Fly out, boat back allows late start (10:30 AM) and late return (5:30 PM to dock), compared to boat out, fly back (8:30 AM departure, 3:30 PM return)—more relaxed and reasonable. Also, for those prone to seasickness, flying out avoids discomfort affecting the reef experience. But the boat is stable; we had no issues on the return.

Prices are the same regardless of order, and daily slots are limited. Fly out, boat back tickets are hard to get; even booking 3 months ahead, we couldn’t get tickets for February 4, so we chose boat out, fly back. Fellow travelers, book early. Luckily, due to the pandemic, many canceled, and we managed to change to fly out, boat back before departure. Kudos to the local tour ticket policy allowing free cancellation a week in advance.

Setting off for the Great Barrier Reef was exciting and tense, as the helicopter flight had full English service, and it was our first time in a helicopter. At 10:30 AM, a handsome Australian guy picked us up in a VW minivan—excellent service. After confirming details, we drove to Cairns Airport’s helipad, west of the terminal, near the runway. The helicopter service was thorough; though staff didn’t speak Chinese, they were patient and friendly, and my basic English sufficed. Important safety instructions were provided via video in Chinese—very thoughtful. Our companions were two elderly Americans, friendly and talkative, but my English was too poor for more than simple exchanges, unfortunately.

After about 15 minutes of preparation, we boarded. The helicopter had two rows of four seats each. With the pilot, we were seven—just enough. We took off smoothly, crossing the runway, the airport, and the coast, heading toward the Great Barrier Reef. I thought it would be a 15-minute flight, but it took nearly 30 minutes—the reef is farther from the coast than I thought. Along the way, we got aerial views of several prominent reefs, truly beautiful beyond words. The noise was loud, so we communicated our awe through expressions.

Good times are fleeting. The helicopter landed on a sea platform, and a small tender boat took us to a larger sea platform. The tender was also carrying returning passengers—it was just before noon, but they were heading back early; maybe they had stayed overnight on the platform.

Upon arrival, a Chinese-speaking young woman greeted us and explained the platform’s activities and schedule: semi-submersible boat, glass-bottom boat, snorkeling area, water slide, free buffet lunch. There were many activities. Key points:

1. The platform provides all snorkeling equipment, including masks and snorkels. Since deep sea has jellyfish and stinging creatures, wearing wetsuits is recommended. Equipment is reused, soaked in disinfectant between uses. Those particular can bring their own. We brought a pile of gear but ended up using only masks and snorkels.

2. During snorkeling, divers take photos of you. Strike a pose freely; you can view and purchase later on the ship—no purchase required if you don’t like them. So don’t bother bringing an underwater camera.

3. A ship is moored at the platform for dining and resting. Claim seats with belongings. Have lunch early; later supplies run low, and seating becomes scarce during peak. Food is average buffet quality.

4. Activities have scheduled times; plan accordingly. We enjoyed snorkeling so much we missed the fish-feeding session.

5. After the ship departs in the afternoon, there is free tea, coffee, and biscuits for about 15 minutes—don’t miss it. Ice cream is good value: written as AUD 4 per scoop, but it’s actually a cup with three scoops. Underwater photos are AUD 20 each—not cheap, but since it’s a rare experience, we bought three as souvenirs. They can be transferred via iPhone or USB.

As for the experience, time was too short. Three hours flew by, feeling rushed. I heard you can stay overnight on the platform and stargaze—must be wonderful. Hopefully next time. The return boat was stable; we were all tired and slept soundly, waking up at the Cairns marina. As we disembarked, the captain and crew lined up to say goodbye, even wishing Chinese tourists Happy New Year in Chinese. We smiled and thanked them, ending the day joyfully.

From the marina, we walked back to the hotel (about 20 minutes), passing through the city center, allowing a glimpse of Cairns. We also had dinner along the way.

Since my parents don’t like Western food, we first returned to the hotel to drop things. Then they went to a famous local Chinese restaurant, Dumpling Workshop, for beef noodles. Meanwhile, our family of three went to the seaside food street to try local Western cuisine, at the well-reviewed Raw Prawn Seafood Restaurant. My son ordered the recommended tomato seafood pasta, my wife had steak, and I boldly tried Australian XX meat and XX meat platter. The dishes were delicious and authentic, as reviews said. The XX meats were better than expected. Both were lean, with coarser fibers than beef; the XX meat had no gamey smell, the other was firmer.

After dinner, we strolled back to the hotel in the sea breeze. Something curious: we saw large flocks of “birds” flying toward the coast, but as they got closer, they turned out to be huge bats, as big as seabirds, densely packed—a terrifying sight like the apocalypse. Later, news said bushfires had driven bats from the mountains into the city.

Cost for two days in Cairns: adults RMB 3,227, child RMB 2,882. This included tropical rainforest entry, amphibious ride, all platform activities and lunch, helicopter, boat, cable car, train, transfer buses, and guide fees.

Hotel cost: RMB 1,100 per room per night.

Additional costs: AUD 140 for guide tips, zoo entry, and koala photo.

Meals: Day 1 dinner at hotel’s Southeast Asian restaurant: total AUD 120, not much to eat. Day 2 lunch at Kuranda’s Southeast Asian small restaurant: about AUD 16 per person for beef noodles and rice noodles, generous portions, good value. Dinner at Chinese Dumpling Workshop near hotel: about AUD 18 per person, beef noodles recommended—big portions and tasty. Dumplings were a bit expensive and not as good as in China. Day 3 lunch: ship buffet, eat early for more variety; later it was limited. Ship snacks were cheap: ice cream cup with three scoops for AUD 4, we had two. Free afternoon tea available for 20 minutes before departure—remember to request. Dinner as above: about AUD 30 per person, normal Australian Western dining standard.

Overall, costs were reasonable. For a self-guided trip from China to Cairns for a family of three for a week, expect about RMB 20,000–25,000.

Our two days in Cairns ended quickly, leaving beautiful memories and reluctance to leave. This small northern Australian city is beautiful, peaceful, leisurely, and friendly—an ideal vacation destination. Before leaving, I noticed a Hainan Airlines counter at Cairns Airport, suggesting direct flights from China. I will definitely return for a one-week holiday.

Travel diary outline:

1. Sydney to Cairns

2. Tropical Rainforest and Kuranda Village Day Tour

3. Cairns Travel (1) – Great Barrier Reef

4. End of trip: Summary of expenses

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