Palm Cove is the quiet end of the northern beaches north of Cairns, a village of under four thousand people on a curve of sand with a long jetty and an avenue of old paperbark trees along the beachfront, their bark peeling in soft white layers. The paperbarks, or melaleucas, lean over the footpath and give shade to the cafes and restaurants beneath. It is a resort village, calm and a bit upmarket, but small enough that a rider on a road trip can wander in without feeling out of place.
The Captain Cook Highway, which runs along the coast from Cairns to Port Douglas, is one of the loveliest coastal roads in Australia. It leaves Cairns and follows the shoreline, curving between the sea on one side and the dark green rainforest-covered ranges on the other, with the Coral Sea beyond. The road is well surfaced, with wide bends, gentle gradients and plenty of lookouts, though traffic can be heavy, with tourist buses and cars. A steady speed rewards you with a continuous view of beach, headland and cane fields. Speed limits are low in the villages and are enforced.
Swimming here needs care. From about October to May, the box jellyfish and Irukandji jellyfish are present in the tropical waters, and the beaches carry warning signs. Palm Cove has a stinger net enclosure, and the sensible thing is to swim only inside it and to heed any lifeguard's advice. In the cooler months, from June to September, the risk is lower. Crocodiles live in the rivers and estuaries of the region, and signs warn of them, so be sure to follow local guidance. The Wet Tropics hinterland shelters the cassowary, a huge flightless bird, and you may see road signs warning of it.
Fuel is available at nearby Clifton Beach and at Kewarra Beach and the northern suburbs of Cairns, so fill up before heading north. Mornings are the best time to ride, when the light is soft, the air cooler and the traffic thin. The wet season, from December to March, brings heavy rain, humidity and sometimes cyclones, and roads can flood. Winter is dry and warm, and is the high season.