Music, award-winning beer, and new wildlife attractions are just some of the reasons to visit Tropical North Queensland in the cooler months.

Live music at Paronella Park

Historic Paronella Park is once again alive with music from The String Family as part of the evening tours until October 31. The award-winning musicians play original compositions inspired by the magic and beauty of the Cassowary Coast rainforest filling the National Trust property with live music, just like the evenings hosted by Jose Paronella many decades ago. www.paronellapark.com.au

Be charmed by snakes

Seeing snakes in their natural habitat just got easier with the opening of Pathway of Pythons at Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas. The new snake precinct has jungle, olive, amethystine, water and black-headed pythons with each housed in a room designed to look, feel and smell like the place they call home. www.wildlifehabitat.com.au

Deadly dining on country

Join the Mandingalbay Yidinji people on their country for a four-course Deadly Dinner featuring traditionally inspired local produce and Australian native ingredients. Cruise from Cairns city across the water with a Traditional Owner to the natural environment of East Trinity Reserve to be welcomed with a smoking and cleansing ceremony, traditional dance, storytelling and an internationally renowned harpist.mandingalbay.com.au

Fly to the Reef

Nautilus Aviation has new factory-built Airbus H130s helicopters which seat seven passengers. The luxury transfers and scenic flights are from Port Douglas to the Quicksilver pontoon at Agincourt Reef, from Cairns to Green Island, and from Cairns to the Great Adventures pontoons at Moore and Norman Reefs. www.nautilusaviation.com.au

Top pilsner awarded

The Prospector's Pilsner from Hemingway's Brewery was awarded Best Pilsner at the 2019 Australian International Beer Awards. The brewery has waterfront gastro-brewpubs in Port Douglas and Cairns.www.hemingwaysbrewery.com

New exhibit in Kuranda

The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary in Kuranda has introduced an Food Plant Walk, a 20-minute guided educational walk highlighting various caterpillar food plants and includes a sneak peek at the sanctuary's aviary used for disease control and egg collection.australianbutterflies.com