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Once you reach this tropical region, you won't want to leave.
Cairns is the major jumping-off point for the extraordinary Great Barrier Reef, the lush Daintree Rainforest and slow road trips through the beautiful countryside of the Atherton Tablelands. And the food is great - with some of the country's finest chefs setting up restaurants in the luxe outpost of Port Douglas.
With the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest as neighbours, Cairns is often seen as little more than a jumping-off point between World Heritage-listed icons. Read 'The Ultimate Guide to Cairns According to a Local'.
Read articleMost visitors use Cairns as a base from which to plan their itinerary. Here are some great things to see and do.
Make Cairns your hub for exploring the tropics and reef or explore Palm Cove, Port Douglas and the Daintree.
There's plenty of activities and attractions in and around the centre of Cairns.
The city centre is marked by Cairns Central Shopping and the Cairns railway station to the west, the airport to the north and the council buildings to the south. Most services and places of interest are concentrated around the Reef Fleet Terminal with wharves, a marina, restaurants, bars and a shopping centre at The Pier.
Edge Hill to the north of the city centre is a good walk for the Botanical Gardens, Tank Arts Centre and Mt Whitfield National Park. There are also easy walking track from there to Centenary Lakes.
Head north from Cairns and discover paradise at Palm Cove.
Northwest of the city Stratford and Freshwater are residential suburbs with trendy cafes, while north from there are a string of beach suburbs that run in order: Machans Beach, Holloways Beach and Yorkeys Knob all offer cafes and holiday accommodation - or even wind-surfing at Yorkeys Knob.
Further on are Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach and Clifton Beach tall the way to the swanky, spa capital of Palm Cove. Beyond Palm Cove you'll find the wide sandy beach of Buchan's Point and Ellis Beach.
You'll find glitz, gastronomy and gorgeous beaches in and around Port Douglas.
There's oceanfront resorts in Port Douglas as well as world-class restaurants all in this tiny beach outpost. Four Mile Beach offers gently undulating waves makes and is a popular destination for young families.
Part of the Daintree Rainforest and located 20 kilometres north of Port Douglas, Mossman Gorge is one of the region's star attractions. The new Mossman Gorge Centre is an indigenous eco-tourism experience where local Aboriginal guides will give you a genuine, authentic and unique insight into the local area. Relax afterwards in one of Mossman's historic pubs.
Get off the beaten track in this World Heritage-listed region.
Only accessible by ferry, you'll need a 4WD to get around some parts of Cape Tribulation, but it's well worth the trip.
Enjoy empty Robinson-Crusoe style beaches, pristine bushwalking tracks through the rainforest and one of Australia's richest diversity of flora and fauna.
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There are two distinct weather seasons Cairns experiences each year like the rest of Queensland. Winter falls between April and September, with slightly cooler but warm temperatures and minimal rain. Summer is October to March with hot, sticky temperatures and heavy rainfall periods.
From the airport, there are plenty of transport options to get to Cairns or your hotel. Airport Connect is a public transport link that gets you to the city centre or the northern Beaches. Taxis and Rental Cars can be booked from the Airport upon arrival. Transfers and Limousines and the Sun Palm Bus can be pre booked to pick you up and take you to your hotel.
Getting around Cairns CBD is best done on foot. To get to surrounding areas it is best in your (hire) car as it gives you freedom to get out and explore the surrounding area and enjoy the best of the region. Alternatively the local public transport Sunbus is great to get to most surrounding areas in Cairns and the beaches.
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