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For the four wheel drive carry all, it burst out of the cool, dark forest and emerged into the bright coastal sunlight after rocking down the rotted jungle track. We had left one of the great natural wonders of the world, the Daintree rain forest only to face another, the Great Barrier Reef, just 10 miles offshore. When it comes to northern Queensland, it is one of the least developed regions along Australia's tropical northeast coast where two wonders are located side by side. For more information on travel Insurance check out australian travel insurance.

Actually, one of the oldest rain forests in the world can be found here. What the reef does is swings closest to land in this part of the northern coast stretching north and south along 1,250 miles of shore. The rainforest and reef provide easy visitor access. You can dive to see some of the 1,200 species of tropical reef fish or the 350 types of spectacularly colorful living coral that make up the reef, or opt for less arduous views from underwater observatories or from inside glass sided semi submersible crafts.

Serving as the jumping off point was Cairns, it is the gateway to Australia's Marlin Coast, a small tropical city of 85,000 that is as beautiful as a British colonial outpost. Riding on the 100 year old Cairns Kuranda Railway, our out of town trip took us twisting 21 miles up and through rain forests, gorges, and mountains to the village of Kuranda. Prior to our 90 minute drive north along the Marlin Coast and inland toward the rain forest, we went back to Cairns.

From the nearby rain forest comes about 13 of the 19 families of ancient plant life still found on Earth. 130 million years is how far some of them date back to. Four wheel drive vehicles will help you pass by the old rutted dirt tracks that line the forest as these were built for logging. You can have a more leisurely look at the rain forest through the pull offs with one that opens on to an hour's easy stroll along a well marked trail. If you like this article on travel Insurance visit travel insurance company for more education.

Offered by a tour service are environmentally sensitive trips into the rain forest which come with a boat ride down the Daintree River and starts from Silky Oaks. It was a short drive from Silky Oaks to the old gold rush village of Port Douglas, one of the major gateways to the Great Barrier Reef. There are charter boats fitted out for experienced scuba divers, sailboats for those who would rather skim atop the waves than dive beneath them and a fleet of twin hulled jet catamarans that ferry large groups to permanently moored platforms atop the reef.

See the beauty of the coral reef and its multicolored fish without getting wet by taking a 30minute trip alongside the coral using one of two glass-sided semi submersibles. Several trained marine biologists are available for snorkeling trips. The locals frequented an open air coffee shop in the local hotel where we stayed in and by the swimming pool are private grottoes, one of which was behind a waterfall. You can find beautiful stretches of palm fringed white sand curving along the ocean from the famous Four Mile Beach outside downtown Port Douglas.

What Port Douglas is away from sea is a jump off point that gives a different view of the northern Queensland environment. A prime cattle raising area during the last century was a tableland high above the coast and there are still several of the original homesteads on the old cattle ranches in existence today. Wetherby is one of them and it is the site of a 1870s homestead and still a working cattle station. What the family proprietors did was open it to tourists for them to see what Australia is.

Always consider getting travel insurance before departing. Doing so will eliminate problems during your trip.