ACCOMMODATION NYCHUM QLD

Fitzroy Island is a tropical paradise of rainforest and coral beaches within the calm sheltered waters of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Australia, located only 29 kilometres off Cairns. Just 45 minutes by Fast Cat, Fitzroy Island Resort offers affordable 4.5 star accommodation including Ocean Suites, Resort Studios, Beach Cabins and Self-contained Apartments. The resort facilities include a beach front restaurant, large pool with swim up bar, dive shop, indoor cinema, Foxy's bar, a general store and Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. There are plenty of activities for the whole family at Fitzroy Island including sea kayaking, snorkelling the fringing coral reefs, glass bottom boat tours, walking trails, paddle boarding, fish feeding, dive lessons and dive tours as well as its own cinema and games room. Camping is also available. Fast Cat transfers to and from Fitzroy Island depart daily and tickets can be pre-booked from Fitzroy Island Resort. Fitzroy Island will create memories to last a lifetime. Pure tropical island magic.......

This island national park, located close to the mainland, is rugged with diverse landscapes featuring granite outcrops, open woodlands, rainforest, mangroves and coral beaches. The island and its surrounding waters form part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Fitzroy Island, named by Lieutenant James Cook, has an interesting history as a quarantine station for the Palmer River Goldfields in the late 1800s, and later as part of an Aboriginal mission growing fruit and vegetables. Explore the rainforested Secret Garden track (one kilometre return) or walk to Nudey Beach (1.2 kilometres return) to relax in the shade, swim and snorkel. Tackle the 3.6 kilometre return Lighthouse track to the lighthouse, which offers spectacular views of the ocean and, in winter, migrating humpback whales. Look for birds such as rose-crowned fruit-doves and metallic starlings and large goannas. Challenge yourself on the 3.6 kilometre return boulder-strewn Summit track which climbs through woodland to the island's summit (269 metres) where slabs of granite and windswept casuarina trees frame magnificent views over the island, surrounding reefs and mainland. ...

Dimbulah is the gateway to the Hodgkinson Goldfield, which was settled in 1876. Tyrconnell, Kingsborough and Mt Mulligan were towns which developed around crushing mills along the Hodgkinson River. By 1880, four years after the discovery of minerals, the population in this area reached nearly 10,000 with settlements also including Thornborough, Beaconsfield and Northcote. Most towns were temporary with settlers doing the wheelbarrow act to move to new strikes. By mid 1901, John Moffatt's mining company completed a private rail link from Mareeba to Chillagoe linking the mining fields to Cairns port. Dimbulah was the junction for rail lines both north and south to the mining areas. A tent camp developed to service the train with water supplies from the permanent waterhole. This permanent Walsh River water source is actually the origin of the town's name - local Barbaram Aboriginal dialect for 'long, permanent waterhole'. Modern day Dimbulah still relies on water, however, it is agriculture which makes the money. The 1950's Tinaroo-Dmbulah irrigation scheme ensured the viability of agricultural industries. Initially tobacco was the crop of choice, however, since the demise of the tobacco industry, alternate crops have included ti-tree, mango plantations, native trees and sugarcane. Dimbulah has a restored rail station for The Savannahlander line between Cairns and Forsayth. You can read interpretive panels here on the town's history. There's an excellent, well-serviced caravan park set in gardens, a supermarket and a butcher plus petrol stations and mechanical repair services. Centuries on Dimbulah still remains a good watering place....