Many people visit Cairns simply to access the Great Barrier Reef and spend little time exploring other nearby localities. The reef is incredible, and is a definite must-see for all visitors to Australia. However, there are also many other attractions in and around Cairns that should also not be missed in this very special part of the world.
Day
Trips
Great
Barrier Reef
Let’s
start with the reef. With over 900 islands spread over more than 340,000 square
kilometres, the Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system.
The best way to spend time exploring the reef is to spend a few days at sea, on
a liveaboard if you’re a scuba diver wanting to reach the most pristine dive
sites. However it is also possible to make daytrips to the reef and from Cairns
these mostly go to Green Island, Michelmas Cay and the Frankland Islands.
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| Scuba Diving on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia |
Scuba
diving
With
the Great Barrier Reef on the doorstep, scuba diving is big business in Cairns.
What better place to learn to dive? Be warned though, if you are lucky enough
to learn to dive on a tropical reef then future diving opportunities may not
live up to expectations!
Mossman
Gorge
Spectacular
Mossman Gorge is in Daintree National Park, around 80km north of Cairns. The
Mossman River flows through the pristine rainforest and mountains in the area.
This is the natural environment of the local Kuku Yalanji people who offer
guided dreamtime walks in the park. The cold streams that run over the smooth
granite boulders and through the humid rainforest also provide a wonderful spot
to relax and cool off.
Kuranda
Considered
by many to be a hippy getaway, Kuranda offers a cool retreat high above Cairns,
that is full of life. The settlement extends along a main road and much of the
activity happens around the Kuranda markets. There are also galleries
showcasing Aboriginal art, shops selling locally made produce, cafes and a pub.
The journey to and from Kuranda is part of the reason a visit is so much fun.
The Skyrail offers spectacular views over the rainforest, Coral Sea, and on a
clear day Cairns, while the Scenic Kuranda Railway also offers great views and
introduces travellers to the history behind the construction of the railway en
route.
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| Kuranda Scenic Railway, Queensland, Australia |
Atherton
Tablelands
A collection
of small villages and settlements together form the Atherton Tablelands. This
largely agricultural area offers much for foodies who will enjoy the vineyards,
dairies and fresh locally grown produce, which is often for sale by the
roadside with purchasers expected to leave payment in an honesty box. There are
also several great sights including the ancient and enormous Atherton Fig Tree,
the opportunity to mine your own gemstones and several beautiful lakes. Life
moves a bit slower up on the tablelands than down by the coast, providing a
relaxing getaway.
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| Giant Fig Tree, Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, Australia |
Port
Douglas
Fringed
by beautiful Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas is a small town of shops, tourism
enterprises and restaurants that comes alive on Sundays, which is market day.
The road leading into Port Douglas is lined with high-end resorts that face
onto Four Mile Beach on one side, and backpackers’ hostels and shops on the
other side of the road. The town has a thriving marina that provides a busy
gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.
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Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia
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In
Cairns
Cairns
Historical Society Museum
Housed
in an old Queenslander building, Cairns Historical Society Museum is home to a
huge collection of historical artefacts and photographs. The museum covers
Cairns’ Aboriginal history, the effect of World War Two on Cairns and also
provides information on farming, aviation and medicine in Cairns through the
years. The exhibits provide an extensive introduction into local culture and
history.
Tjapukai
Aboriginal Cultural Park
Offering
an opportunity to immerse yourself in the world’s oldest living culture, the
Aboriginal experience offered at the Tjapukai Aboriginal Park is a fascinating
way to spend a few hours. The park offers two tours, one by day and one by
night. On the day tour visitors are taught to play the didgeridoo, throw spears
and boomerangs and are also introduced to the medicinal properties of bush
tucker. Aboriginal dances are performed and the dreamtime stories are told. On
the night tour visitors join a traditional Tjapukai corroboree and experience a
didgeridoo blessing ceremony and a fire-making show before enjoying a buffet
dinner and cultural performance show.
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| Tjapukai Aboriginal didgeridoo playing demonstration, Cairns, Queensland, Australia |
Cairns
Coast
Cairns
has a magnificent Esplanade boardwalk stretching north from the marina. The Cairns
Esplanade Lagoon is a huge open air swimming pool that faces the ocean and becomes
shallower as you move away from the sea, eventually becoming paddling depth.
One side is set out as a beach, complete with sand, while the other is finished
in decking. The area is surrounded by grass and gardens that also offer picnic
shelters and public barbecues. As you walk north along the foreshore there is a
water park for small children and exercise equipment is also available. Cairns
locals either live inland from the centre or along the north beaches at Trinity
Beach and Palm Cove. The local tides leave Cairns Bay looking little more than
an expanse of mudflats a lot of the time, but the beaches slightly north of
town are still swimmable (jellyfish and crocodiles aside; keep an eye out for
signs).
Cairns
Night Markets
Modelled
on the night markets of South East Asia, Cairns Night Markets was originally
only set up as a temporary venture but became popular enough that it is now a
permanent feature of town. Mostly selling souvenirs, the 130 stalls operating
offer everything from jewellery and clothing to knick-knacks and gifts. Traders
also offer massages and there is a large food court.
Cairns
Tropical Zoo
Get
your marsupial fix at Cairns Tropical Zoo, which boasts a fantastic array of
native Australian wildlife, all in one locations, very conveniently for
overseas visitors keen to see the local wildlife. The zoo is home to several
native species including koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, dingoes,
echidnas, crocodiles, reptiles and birds. Animal feeding shows and animal photo
sessions take place during the day.
Adrenaline
Cairns
attracts many backpackers seeking work fruit picking nearby and has also
evolved into a bit of an adventure centre for those seeking an adrenaline rush.
Amongst other things, sky diving over the reef, trail bike adventures,
ziplining through the rainforest and bush safaris are all offered by local
operators.
Have
you been to Cairns? What would you include on a visitor’s itinerary?
Photo credit: Alpha
