Destinations: Cairns Guide
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
| Min | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| Max | 31 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 31 |
Cairns
The cosmopolitan, colourful city of Cairns in far north
Queensland is a tourist-orientated centre because it is the gateway
to two of the world's most awesome World Heritage Sites, the Great
Barrier Reef and the 110-million year old Daintree rainforest. Cairns started life as a small fishing encampment, which
received an injection of prosperity in the 19th century when gold
was discovered to the north and tin and timber began to be
exploited in the nearby Atherton Tablelands. The harbour and
fishing operations increased in importance, and tourism arrived in
the early 20th century when marlin fishing became popular, and the
world discovered the delights of exploring the Great Barrier
Reef. Aided by its pleasant, warm climate the relaxed tropical town
has now become a frenzied international tourism centre, flooded
with visitors most of the year, its streets lined with souvenir
stores, eateries and some first class hotels. The harbour is
clogged with streamlined pleasure boats, and the offshore islands
bristle with resorts. To cater for tourists the city fathers have
even created a man-made salt-water lagoon and sandy beach on the
Esplanade to replace the original muddy swamp that crowned Trinity
Bay. The international airport keeps the visitors coming in, as the
city, with its festive air, expands to accommodate them.
Getting Around
Activities
Bowling Green Bay National Park,Cairns
Covering 55,300 hectares, this is the largest National
Park in the region, and the area was once home to the Wulgurukaba
Aboriginal people who have left their mark in beautiful rock
paintings. It is sited between Townsville and Bowen and includes
the Mount Elliot area and adjacent coastal wetlands, saltpans and
mangrove swamps. Alligator Creek meanders through the park, with
beautiful waterfalls and cascades crashing into deep pools,
surrounded by tropical rainforest.
Opening time:
The Park is open from 6.30am to 6.30pm and caters for
campers and day visitors
Magnetic Island,Cairns
Magnetic Island was named by Captain James Cook in
1770 when he believed that the landmass of the island affected the
magnetic compass on his ship, 'Endeavour'. More than half of the
island, which is about five miles (8km) from Townsville, is a
National Park known for its rugged landscape with granite boulders,
hoop pines and eucalyptus trees. The island has 23 beaches and
bays, some of which can only be reached on foot. There are more
than 12 miles (20km) of walking trails marked out on the island.
Part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park fringes the island,
which is also home to the most northerly colony of free-ranging
koala bears in Australia. The island offers a wide range of
accommodation. Local transport is available on the
island.
Hartley's Creek,Cairns
This working crocodile farm is to be found on the
magnificent coastal drive 25 miles (40km) north of Cairns.
'Hartley's Crocodile Adventures' is reputedly the best crocodile
show in Australia, but the farm, sited under a lush rainforest
canopy, hosts other wildlife too such as cassowaries, dingoes,
snakes, koalas and lizards. It is the 'Crocodile Attack Show'
however that draws the crowds who are enthralled as keepers hand
feed the creatures and relate fascinating facts. High quality
crocodile leather goods are also on sale.
Admission:
AU$28 (adults), AU$14 (children 4-15 years). Family:
AU$70.00 (2 adults and 2 children). concessions
available
Opening time:
The farm is open daily 8.30am to 5pm; regular
conducted tours are offered
Museum of Tropical Queensland,Cairns
This fun museum is interactive and state of the art,
designed to tell stories of the high seas like that of HMS Pandora,
the ship that captured the Bounty mutineers before coming to grief
on the Great Barrier Reef in 1791. The museum also details the
natural and human history of tropical Queensland, and there is a
fun science centre included. The building is set on the water and
includes a shop and cafe.
Admission:
A$12 (adults), A$7 (children 4-16 years); concessions
available
Opening time:
Daily 9.30am to 5pm (closed Christmas Day, Good
Friday and ANZAC morning, 25 April, reopening at
1pm)
Quilpie Opals,Cairns
Australia is known for producing the world's finest
opals, with 95 percent of the world's production of these gems
originating from rich mineral deposits in New South Wales, South
Australia, and Quilpie in Western Queensland. Quilpie Opals has
opened a retail store in Cairns, which also serves as an
educational venue for visitors wishing to learn about the
Australian national gemstone. The shop, which offers a vast
selection of opal jewellery as well as souvenirs, also has a
mini-theatre where visitors can watch an informative video on opal
mining, cutting and polishing.
The Esplanade,Cairns
The recently renovated Cairns Esplanade is the hub for
visitors to the city, providing an entertaining promenade with
numerous recreational opportunities, lined with a host of
restaurants, bars and cafes. Apart from a safe, sandy swimming
lagoon and vast lawns used for all sorts of purposes from picnics
and barbecues to kite-flying, the Esplanade features wonderful
Saturday arts and crafts markets, spiced up by buskers and
colourful street characters. There is never a dull moment on this
lively foreshore.
Skyrail,Cairns
The most popular tourist attraction in Cairns is the
Skyrail rainforest cableway, which travels nearly five miles
(7.5km) from the Caravonica Terminal, the gondolas gliding above
the canopy of the rainforest over magnificent waterfalls and
gorges, to the village of Kuranda. En route passengers can alight
temporarily at two stations to explore the boardwalks that have
been constructed in the heart of the forest. Interpretative centres
have been set up so visitors can learn about the ecology, fauna and
flora of the fascinating ancient rainforest. The return journey
takes about two and a half hours, and the gondolas seat up to six
people. Booking in advance is advisable.
Admission:
Return ticket: AU$94 (adults); AU$47 (children 4-14
years, under 4 free); other packages available
Opening time:
Gondolas depart continually between 8.30am and 4pm
daily
Cairns WIld World Tropical Zoo,Cairns
Hundreds of indigenous and exotic species of animals
have been gathered in the Cairns Tropical Zoo to delight young and
old, who can explore six hectares of tropical landscaped gardens
and interact with the animals. Pet a koala or stroke a snake, and
meet (not too close in this case) the largest living crocodile in
the world, 'Sarge', who has lived in the park for more than 20
years. The zoo is dedicated to engendering a greater understanding
of the wildlife of the area and promoting the preservation of their
natural habitats.
Admission:
A$31 (adults), A$15.50 (children 4-15 yrs). Pensioner,
student and group discounts available
Opening time:
Open daily 8.30am to 5pm (closed Christmas
Day)
Kuranda Railway,Cairns
The 100-year-old Kuranda rail line stretches upwards
for 21 miles (34km) from Cairns to Kuranda through tropical
rainforest, winds through 15 tunnels and 98 breathtaking curves,
and traverses 40 bridges, including one that spans the awesome
Barron River Falls. The scenic trip is a must for all visitors to
Cairns. The trip includes an educational commentary about the
history of the line and the engineering feat of its construction.
The journey takes about one hour, 45 minutes, one way. Advance
booking is recommended.
Admission:
A$56 (adults); A$27(children 4-14 years, under 4 free);
other concessions and packages available
Opening time:
Trains leave Cairns Station 8.30am and 9.30am daily,
returning from Kuranda Station at 2pm and 3.30pm daily. Trains also
pick up passengers at Freshwater Station en route
Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park,Cairns
The name 'Tjapukai' means 'people of the rainforest'
and applies to the indigenous people who have inhabited the
tropical region between Cairns and Port Douglas, and inland to
Kuranda, for eons. About 20 years ago a group of entertainers
established Australia's first aboriginal dance theatre at the
village of Kuranda, near Cairns, in a shopping centre basement. Its
popularity with tourists led to expansion into a fully-fledged
award-winning 25-acre Cultural Park, which now draws the crowds at
Smithfield, a few miles north of the city. Show business, in the
form of history and dance theatre, remains the basis of the
attraction, and at the Camp Village visitors can interact with the
Tjapukai and try out traditional activities like playing the
didgeridoo and throwing a boomerang. The park also offers a
nighttime show experience where the audience is swept up into the
ancient rituals and ceremonies of the 'Dreamtime', including a
dinner banquet of local food and wine.
Admission:
A$30 (adults), A$15 (children 4-14 years), including all
park attractions
Opening time:
Open daily from 9am to 5pm. Tjapukai by Night shows
at 7.30pm (Closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day)
Paronella Park,Cairns
Magical Paronella Park was the imaginative brainchild
of a young entrepreneur, Jose Paronella, who built his dream castle
on this site near Mena Creek, about 62 miles (100km) north of
Cairns, in 1929. Since then the castle has come to be regarded as
an architectural marvel, today a top tourist attraction, which has
been used as a set for several movies. The picturesque grounds,
overlooking Mena Creek Falls, feature interesting forest walks,
bamboo gardens, a secret garden and 'tunnel of love'. Cultural
performances and guided walks are offered to visitors as part of
the admission price. In 1997, Paronella Park was recognised as a
historical treasure and listed by the National Trust.
Admission:
A$28 (adults), A$14 (children 5-15); includes map,
Botanical Walk guide book, guided walks and cultural performances.
Concessions available
Opening time:
Open daily 9am to 9.30pm (closed Christmas
Day)
Daintree Rainforest,Cairns
The oldest tropical rainforest still surviving on
earth, Daintree is a World Heritage listed site containing the
highest number of rare or threatened plant and animal species on
the planet. This unique area covers around 1,200 km of northern
Queensland, and is visited by thousands of tourists who access it
usually from Cairns, via Daintree Village. Visitors enjoy an
unrivalled natural experience, from the beautiful golden beaches to
hiking through ancient forest ecosystems full of gorgeous birds,
primitive flowering plants, and fascinating animals like the
estaurine crocodile.
Admission:
A$25 (adult); A$10 (children); other concessions
available
Opening time:
The Environmental Centre is open daily, 8:30am to 5pm
(closed Christmas Day)
Great Barrier Reef,Cairns
One of the great natural wonders of the world, the
Great Barrier Reef is as big as the total combined area of the
United Kingdom and Ireland, and contains more than 1,000 islands,
from sandy mounts to rainforest isles. Divers, snorkellers and
nature lovers can reach specific sites by air or by water taxi.
Non-divers can view this underwater world from a glass-bottomed
boat. The Reef ecosystem has evolved over hundreds of thousands of
years to give life to almost 7,000 species of plants and animals.
It is home to some endangered species like the green loggerhead
turtle, and is a breeding site for humpback whales. Visitors can
either cruise the islands or make a base in Cairns or one of the
many seaside towns along the Queensland coast. Visitors can access
the Great Barrier Reef from numerous regions in Queensland, from
the southern gateway of Bundaberg, Coral Coast and Country to
Gladstone, Capricorn, the Whitsundays, Mackay, Townsville and
Tropical North Queensland, including Cairns.
Flight Centre confirms availability by searching based on the exact itinerary, booking class & conditions as per the competitors quote. Click here full terms & conditions and the distinction between cabin class (first and economy) and booking class.
