12th birthday in Queensland

snorkeling on the reef. a trip to a croc farm. maybe they'd allow him to feed one of the beasts. sailing maybe.

Hi, We have a family travel website in Australia called http://www.byokids.com.au you should find some good info there. If you are looking for something free both Townsville and Cairns have fantastic water parks on their esplanades, you could spend a full day there having a great time. Or I agree, a day on the reef would be unforgettable if your son likes the water. You could do hot air ballooning, or white water rafting in Cairns, just depends on the age of your other kids. If your in Airlie Beach you could head to one of the islands to stay or a day trip. Have a great time
leah

I beg to differ on the reef trip. we went with our kids on a Quicksilver boat out to the outer reef from Port Douglas and found it to be the most disappointing day out of our trip to Queensland. There were far too many people - not many fish and it was all a bit too regimented to feel very special. A smaller trip might be good although he could get very sea sick if it's a rough day.

WE had a brilliant time at the Undara Lava Tubes (about 3 hours drive from Cairns) - a kind of touristy Outback bush expereince but great fun - may not be his scene but have a look on their website. Or go up to Cape Tribulation and do a croc cruise and meal in the rainforest ?

have fun

If its in your budget, how about taking a SCUBA course. He will talk about that birthday for years.

My son & I did it in Cairns when my son was 13. At that time, it was $AUS300/person for a 3 day course and that included an open water dive on the reef at a much better location than Quicksilver. He will have to get a medical first - there are doctors in Cairns that will do it on short notice.

While he (and you and/ or your partner) are on the course, there is plenty for the rest of the family to do locally. You can also sign up to go snorkelling on the same boat when he is doing his open water dives. Make sure you do the "Reef Teach" course in Cairns before you go out in the water. It is an excellent intro to the fish & coral you will see.

have fun

I think rtw is right. My daughter is looking forard to 12 so she can do her junior Open Water. She's a fish under water as it is and after finding Nemo I must say I am getting sick of finding clown fish.

We celebrated my son's 11th birthday last year at Crocodylus, north of Cairns. Ordered a birthday cake in advance of arriving, which turned out to be large enough to feed everyone there. Saw a cassowary by the side of the road, which was pretty exciting. For what it is worth, we found the water to be quite chilly, and snorkeling hard because of the shivering. The aboriginal center just outside of Cairnes has a wonderful evening, as does the Nightzoo jsut outside of Palm Cove. That was great- dinner, a sing a long, some dancing, feeding kangaroos who were just wandering around, petting koalas and wombats, wandering through the zoo with flashlights. Not sophisticated but the kids had a wonderful time.