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When is the Best Time to Visit Far North Queensland?

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Writer's Answer:
by T. A. Rose (subscribe)
Enjoying challenging myself to add to the WeekendNotes vast library.
Published April 10th 2021
Cairns, Queensland, Sunset, Far north queensland
Cairns Sunset, Source, Pixabay.com, taken by Global Traveler.


Far North Queensland (FNQ) is a place where the temperatures are tropical and thus evenly dispersed, but there are subtle differences in times to visit. According to Tropicalnorthqueensland.org.au, you can have a great holiday at any time of year. Anytime is definitely a reasonable or understandable response. However, as you can imagine, in some Aussie places, there are clearly better seasons for visiting, but in the case of FNQ, it's a bit less clear-cut. My motivation for asking this is due to visiting FNQ in a week. Although every season is good in FNQ, there are subtleties to each season, so here is a list of the seasons and what they involve:

Summer: December - February

The summer produce, including mangoes and lychees, is excellent while nature really comes to life, making the region picturesque and green.

Autumn: March - May

Autumn is good for waterfall chasing, as the waterways and lakes are full. Some outback is nicer and greener due to the rainfall of summer, but the climate is less wet and thus better for getting out and about at more times of the day.

Winter: June to August

The tropical winter is naturally drier, thus better for camping. And the climate less humid, with no cyclones and fewer extremes. A nice mild and even 24-28 degrees makes it a great way to get away from cooler southern continental temperatures and enjoy this interesting side of Australia, such as geology and tropical outback.

Spring: September to November

In springtime, coral spawning makes the reef come alive and birds are returning to their full activity. It is also a nice time to enjoy some waters and relax in the warming temperatures. Spring is noted as the best time for reef diving. The wind is less strong, thus a great time for boating out to the islands and marine sites.

Port Douglas,four mile beach, far north queensland
The iconic Four Mile Beach, source: Pixabay.com, taken by Paul Montville.


There are clearly many great times of year to visit. I've found some FNQ inspired WeekendNotes reviews by other reviewers, which are linked below. Writing in above your answers and particular months (as opposed to seasons) are also insightful, despite using seasons as a timeframe/example. Even if I wasn't visiting, it's still a good question because many people visit there for the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree National Park and Outback, but the other hidden reasons are also great such as the Cairns Botanical Gardens, Cairns Northern Beaches, Cape Tribulation, Mission Beach, agricultural experiences and Atherton Tablelands. This entire writing experience, along with reading the reviews linked below provide some inspiration for me and for writing an answer to when is the best time to visit Far North Queensland?

Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas

Atherton Tablelands

Millaa Millaa Falls

Free things to do in Mission Beach

Both photos sourced from Pixabay.com
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