MISSION BEACH is known as the place where the rainforest meets the reef. Glass-clear water passes over the underwater glories of the Great Barrier Reef and laps the golden beaches in lazy movements.

Rainforests are filled with beauty as well as some unusual fauna and flora - the cassowary, the incredibly blue Ulysses butterfly and the Licuala fan palm. These unique palms can be seen from the boardwalk at the Licuala State Forest.

Nature lovers will adore this whole area. For bushwalkers, there are some wonderful tracks. To the south of Mission Beach is the 7km return Edmund Kennedy Walk. To the north there are various walks like Cutten Brothers Walking Track, Lacey Creek Walk and Bicton Hill Walk.

Mission Beach, named after an aboriginal mission established in the area in 1912, is everything you could want in a holiday. Stay at the Beachcomber Coconut Village, set among two hectares of rainforest right on the beach in Kennedy Esplanade at South Mission Beach. There is a choice of five different kinds of accommodation - luxury two-bedroom villas with spa baths, self-contained Melanesian villas, cabins on the beachfront overlooking Dunk Island, caravan sites and a camping ground for those with tents.

All sorts of other comforts make this a very special place to stay - games room, the half-size tennis court, barbecues and playground. There’s a kids pool with a nice touch of whimsy in the crocodile and mushroom, and the resort pool has a slide and waterfall. Of course, the beach is right on the doorstep as well.

You can hire a boat or book a tour. All the tours pick up from the Beachcomber. Those huge flightless birds, the cassowaries, often visit the park as well.

Also at the complex is the Beachcomber Restaurant. On Wednesday nights, they offer roasts and at other times there’s everything from mixed grills to seafood baskets.

A stinger net is situated in front of the park so you can swim in any season. Or go fishing - Mission Beach offers some top light tackle sportfishing opportunities. Try the rivers, estuaries or off shore. Close by is Dunk Island, with its national park walking trails and range of water sports.