Cairns is north Queensland's tropical, laid-back, but modern city. The city began to thrive in the 1950's and 1960's with the success of the sugar industry. In 1984, the tourist floodgates were opened, and the tourism industry has thrived ever since. Cairns is the gateway for many exciting island excursions, rainforest safaris, and of course, Great Barrier Reef tours.
TOURIST ACTIVITIES/DESTINATIONS: Cairns offers hundreds of tourist options both on land and in the water. In the city of Cairns itself, there's an abundance of stores, boutiques, restaurants, bars, art galleries, and museums. You can also enjoy the natural beauty of Cairns by strolling down the Esplanade or exploring the various gardens. Cairns also acts as a portal to a wide range of excursions to islands, rainforest, and reef.
The Esplanade includes a long walking trail that runs along the coast of Cairns a perfect place to walk, run, bike, or rollerblade. There is also a long stream of restaurants, bars, and stores on the Esplanade. At the foreshore of the Cairns Esplanade, there is a beautiful salt-water swimming lagoon, which is open early in the morning until late at night.
Located along the Esplanade, the Pier Marketplace is a luxurious retail and entertainment complex with a wide range of restaurants, bars, shopping, and tourist booking centres. Inside the Pier Marketplace, you will find Undersea World, where you can enjoy the wonders of the reef without getting wet. The Pier Marketplace also has various art galleries that feature paintings and prints of Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef.
Cairns Regional Gallery is located in a beautiful heritage building in the central business district of Cairns. Inside the gallery, you will find a dynamic collection of Aboriginal art and Non-Aboriginal art that reflects the north Queensland culture. The Cairns Regional Gallery also hosts a variety of national and international art exhibitions.
The Flecker Botanic Gardens is located only 4 kilometres from central Cairns, and is a must-see for any traveller. As the only wet-tropics garden in all of Australia, the Flecker Botanic Gardens specializes in heliconias, gingers, palms, and cycads. The gardens also have an amazing selection of exotic flowers and native plants.
The Centenary Lakes, which are connected to the Flecker Botanic Gardens by a boardwalk, are a fabulous place to sit next to and have a picnic. For the more adventurous, the Mt. Whitfield Conservation Park has vigourous walking tracks and is full of native birdlife. At the end of the Flecker Botanic Gardens is the Tank Arts Centre, which houses some of Cairns most unique contemporary art
The Great Barrier Reef is a natural wonder that attracts thousands of international visitors each year. As the largest coral reef system in the world, The Great Barrier Reef stretches for 2,000 kilometres off the Queensland coast of Australia. Because of its varied habitat and delicate symmetry, the Great Barrier Reef has been listed by the World Heritage Trust as a protected site. All tourists should approach the reef with the upmost respect, being careful not to damage the coral or aquatic life in any way while in the water or on a boat.
There is a huge selection of day-trips and overnight trips to the Great Barrier Reef. Walking around Cairns, you will see a surplus of tour operators and booking agencies scattered throughout the city. Most hotels and hostels can also book tours for the Great Barrier Reef. You can go on outer-reef cruises on large charter ships, many of which offer cairns snorkelling and scuba diving. There are also exclusive snorkelling and scuba diving tour boats that depart from Cairns to explore the Reef. For those not wishing to get in the water, scenic flights over the Great Barrier Reef are also available.
The Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Centre in Cairns is owned and run by Aboriginal Australians. This attraction allows tourists to learn about the culture and lifestyle of Aboriginals. In the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Centre, there is a museum, a live theatre, and an Aboriginal camp, where tourists can learn about bush food and medicine, how to throw a boomerang, and much more. There is also a fabulous retail gallery in the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Centre where you can buy authentic didgeridoos and Aboriginal art.
For the more adventurous, Cairns offers Skydiving and Bungee Jumping. There are many different skydiving companies in Cairns which offer the adrenalin-pumping excitement of a free-fall over Cairns. From high in the sky, you can get excellent views of Cairns, the surrounding rainforest, and the sparkling ocean. As for bungee jumping, there's an AJ Hackett Bungy Tower located15 kilometres north of Cairns. At the Bungy Tower, you can jump off the 50 metre platform over the treetops of the pristine rainforest
Cape Tribulation is wonderful day excursion or overnight trip from Cairns. Listed as a World Heritage Site, Cape Tribulation is the only place in the world where rainforest meets the reef. You can walk through the lush Daintree Rainforest around Cape Tribulation or enjoy the serenity of the pristine beach. On the way to Cape Tribulation, you can stop at Port Douglas, a luxurious resort town located north of Cairns. Another great place is visit is Daintree, where you can take a boat cruise down the Daintree River and look for exotic birdlife and crocodiles.
From Cairns, you can take a day-trips to many of the surrounding islands. Two of the most popular islands off the coast of Cairns are Fitzroy Island and Green Island. Fitzroy Island is a continental island that has beautiful rainforest and nearby reef. Fitzroy has excellent walking trails, and is a great place to just relax on the beach. Green Island is a much smaller rainforest island surrounded by breathtaking reef. Green Island offers excellent scuba diving opportunities.
CAIRNS WEATHER: Instead of four seasons, Cairns has a wet season and dry season. During the summer months (December to February), Cairns experiences a high level of humidity and rainfall. Rain usually occurs in the early mornings, late afternoons, or overnight.
The temperature in Cairns averages at about 24 ° to 28 ° C (75 ° to 82 ° F) year round. However, temperatures can reach 30 ° to 35 ° C (86° to 96° F) during the summer months.
More tourists generally travel to Cairns during the winter months, not only for the nice weather, but because of the stinger-free waters. From November until May each year, stinger jellyfish make the waters off the coast of Cairns very dangerous. The sting of the small Irukandji jellyfish or the Box Jellyfish can extremely harmful or even deadly. If you get into the ocean during the stinger season, it is advised that you wear a protective stinger suit. Also, some beaches provide stinger nets for you to swim in.
Also, remember that the Australian sun is very strong. You should always wear sunscreen and protective clothing when in the sun for long periods of time.
Enjoy the endless summer!
TRANSPORT: You can travel directly to Cairns from most of the capital cities in Australia. You can also take a direct bus from places like Port Douglas, Rockhampton, and Mackay.
Central Cairns is very easy to get around by foot or bicycle. However, the city offers a bus service and many taxi cabs. The best way to explore Cairns and the surrounding areas is by car or on an organized tour.
ACCOMODATION: The accommodation business in Cairns is plentiful and competitive due to the large number of visitors year round. Cairns has a wide array of resorts, holiday rental homes, serviced apartments, hotels, motels, and youth hotels in and around the city. In particular Cairns is known for its great Cairns Backpacker Hostels.
