Our day at Hartley's, with beach stops at Yorkeys Knob and Palm Cove
Our visit, October 2026 · Photos: Little Places
This was our coast day. We drove north from Cairns with Hartley's as the goal, and stopped at a couple of beaches on the way.
Yorkeys Knob was first. No grand plan. We just wanted to see a beach, and it's the first one you reach heading north, about 20 minutes from the city.
The little cove under the headland.
There's a small cove under the headland, and a long beach with the ranges across the water.
Yorkeys Knob.
A red flag and a 'no swimming' sign were up that day. So, no swim.
Palm Cove is another 20 minutes up the road.
Palm Cove, looking south.
This was a surprise. We hadn't realised you could swim in the sea near Cairns at all.
Palm Cove has a stinger net, a swimming area inside it, and lifeguards on patrol.
Cairns Regional Council says the nets give a high degree of protection against box jellyfish, but aren't 100 per cent stinger-proof.
Stinger season generally runs from November to May. Beaches close when stingers are around, so check the flags.
Double Island, just offshore.
Hartley's Crocodile Adventures is about 20 minutes further on, at Wangetti. From Cairns it's about 40 minutes straight up.
It's open from 8:30am to 5pm every day. As of October 2026, entry is $50 for adults, $25 for kids and $125 for a family of four.
They mean it.
The lagoon cruise is the big one. You sit in a boat that's fully caged in, and the keepers feed the crocs from it.
Right beside the boat.
The crocs launch themselves up out of the water to grab the food. The kids loved it.
Sunning on the bank.
Hartley's also runs croc shows, and the keepers explain what you're watching as they go.
Koalas in the shade.
Away from the crocs there's plenty for little ones. Koala talks, snake shows and cassowary feeding run through the day.
Blue-winged kookaburra.
Barn owl, peeking out.
The birds were a surprise hit. A blue-winged kookaburra posed on its branch, and a barn owl watched us from its nest box.
Lunch guest.
A wild bush stone-curlew wandered across the café deck while we ate. Another was minding its chick in the car park as we left.
The reptile house.
Behind glass, thankfully.
The reptile house is indoors, with the snakes behind glass and their habitats painted on the walls behind them.
Curlew and chick, by the chargers.
Hartley's says most visitors spend about four hours there. Check the show times when you arrive and plan around the cruise.
The whole loop is only about 105 kilometres. Around two hours in the car, which leaves plenty of time for the beaches.
Details from Hartley's Crocodile Adventures and Cairns Regional Council: beaches, lifeguards and stinger season. Check times and prices with each operator before you go.