Category: Oceania

Far North Queensland Highlights

We spent our last months in Australia sailing north along the east coast before heading west to Darwin. From Townsville up the coast to Thursday Island, we visited memorable spots and met cool people. We stopped in fun cities and beautiful islands, our Far North Queensland highlights.

About Far North Queensland

Far North Queensland, or FNQ, is the sprawling but not very populous region north of Townsville. Its biggest city is Cairns, and it is best known for The Great Barrier Reef, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and a UNESCO heritage site.

Map of Far North Queensland
Map of Far North Queensland

Off the mainland coast of Far North Queensland are many islands in the Great Barrier Reef, some of which we were lucky to visit.

Stops in Far North Queensland

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Visiting The Hunter Valley

The Hunter Valley wine region is the birthplace of Australian wines, and is a beautiful area. A top day tour from Sydney, the region has scenic landscapes, gourmet food and drink, parks and other activities. I recommend an overnight visit. We liked visiting The Hunter Valley so much, we went twice.

About The Hunter Valley

The Hunter Valley is one of Australia’s oldest wine regions, and the most prestigious in New South Wales. With over 150 wineries, breweries, and cideries, it’s a very popular weekend destination. The number and variety of quality restaurants is just as big, another reason to go.

kangaroos in a Hunter Valley vineyard
Kangaroos in a vineyard in The Hunter Valley
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Making Fast Tracks North

We liked Port Macquarie, don’t get me wrong. But after months in that winter wonderland of rain and floods, once Go was ready, so were we. With our visas on the verge of expiring and the cold weather continuing, we started making fast tracks north. Townsville, just under 1000 knots north, was our goal, and we made it in good time.

Making Fast Tracks North: Our Route

We planned our route beforehand, and made some slight modifications due to – what else? – wind and weather. Our route was straight to Coffs Harbour, then an overnight to Gold Coast, our first stop in Queensland! From there, it was going to be an easy sail inside the islands to K’Gari and up to meet our friends in Scarborough Marina, outside Brisbane.

After celebrating Brian’s birthday over two nights in Scarborough, we moved north to Mooloolaba for one memorable night. Then we jumped to Double Island Point, Hervey Bay, and spent two nights in the marina near Bundaberg.

making tracks north from Port to Townsville, map
All the stops on our 800nm sail from Port to Townsville

After Bundy, we sailed to Great Keppell to Island Head Creek to Curlew Island, then two nights in Mackay with a quick reprovisioning and off again to the Whitsundays.

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