Australian honeymoon - stopping in Cairns and looking for suggestions!

Honest advice from an American-Australian: if you really want to experience adventure that's totally different than back home, I would consider skipping Melbourne and Sydney entirely. They're just cities, and in my experience, the smaller pockets of Australia are where the magic happens (like FNQ).

I know it feels odd to visit Australia and not go to Sydney, but aside from getting the one photo in front of the opera house, there's nothing there except disappointment, a zoo, and $16 beers. Plus, domestic flights in Australia are long and expensive. If you do want to see some other off-the-beaten-path areas of Australia, I'd look at flying to Darwin or Exmouth instead. If you are limited on time and budget, there is so much to do in FNQ alone just by renting a car and exploring. You could rent a 4WD and drive to the tip of Australia, or just explore the outback a tiny bit by driving to Chillagoe, the rainforest via Cape Tribulation, a food journey via the Atherton Tablelands. There are tons and tons of hikes to do as well. Check out this guy's blog to get some inspo, it's what I use a lot to discover new places.

Australia excels at nature, but not so much at cities/nightlife. I don't want to persuade you too strongly, but if you're early on in your planning, have a look at the places mentioned above for some more interesting alternatives. :)

/r/Cairns Thread