A green knoll topped with houses, two curves of golden sand and a marina tucked behind its breakwater: Yorkeys Knob owes its name, it is said, to a bêche-de-mer fisherman nicknamed "Yorkey" who settled on this headland in the 19th century. The seaside hamlet, set north of Cairns between the Coral Sea and mountains covered in tropical rainforest, now serves as the maritime gateway to two World Heritage wonders: the Great Barrier Reef and the oldest rainforest on the planet.

An anchorage facing the mountains

Large ships drop anchor offshore, since the channel leading to the port of Cairns cannot accommodate them, and shuttles take everyone to the Half Moon Bay marina, a basin of about 200 berths nestled beneath the headland. From the tender's gangway, the tropical Queensland setting makes its mark: sailboats at rest, palm trees, and that wall of dark green hills that seems to fall into the sea. The village itself can be explored in a few minutes; the whole challenge of the day is choosing between relaxing on site and excursions inland or to the reef.

The beach and the boat club

Steps from the marina, the beach unrolls its sand fringed with casuarinas, patrolled in season and equipped with a stinger net during jellyfish season, a standard precaution on tropical northern beaches. The atmosphere remains resolutely local: walkers with their dogs, windsurfers, picnics in the shade. The village boat club serves simple meals facing the masts, grilled fish and cold beer leading the way, and gladly welcomes passengers passing through. Those travelling with their clubs can also treat themselves to a few holes at the nearby Half Moon Bay golf course, between ponds and mountains.

Kuranda by air

The region's signature excursion begins a few minutes' drive from the landing: the Skyrail, a 7.5-kilometre cableway that glides just above the canopy of the World Heritage tropical rainforest. Beneath the gondolas pass giant ferns, vines and flashes of parrots, with stations set up for walking under the foliage and viewing the Barron River gorge. At the end of the line, the village of Kuranda lines up craft markets and cafés beneath the mango trees. Many travellers come back down on the Kuranda Scenic Railway, a century-old classic clinging to the side of the gorge: the full loop fills a day ashore wonderfully.

Cairns and the reef within reach

Those who prefer the city head to the neighbour to the south, about fifteen kilometres away; shuttles are often organized on call days. The capital of the tropical north is enjoyed around its esplanade: a swimming lagoon facing the bay, a waterfront trail, cafés and galleries devoted to Aboriginal art. It is also from here that catamarans leave for the Great Barrier Reef, for a day of snorkelling above coral gardens. This option requires keeping an eye on the time of the last tender back, but it remains the region's great classic, and for good reason.

Port of call at a glance

At the end of the day, the tenders make the return trip as the golden light climbs the hills. Yorkeys Knob is only a tiny dot on the map of Queensland, but it opens onto a rare combination: primeval forest in the morning, a seaside village in the afternoon, a coral reef in the background. You return on board with salt on your skin and the urge to explore the rest of this generous coast.