Cairns (Queensland, Australia)

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Cairns is located in the NE of Australia, about two-thirds of the way up the Queensland coast (1,100 mls NW of Brisbane; 460 mls NW of Mackay; 670 mls NW of Rockhampton; 750 mls NW of Gladstone).

Central Cairns is just 3 mls S of its own international airport. Tropical North Queensland in Australia is a holiday maker's paradise, bursting at the seams as an atractive 'hub' destination for nearby attractions and tours that showcase this remarkable part of the world.

Cairns Esplanade, once a huge grassy park, now features a world-class facility incorporating an outdoor amphitheatre, a large sandy swimming lagoon, grassy picnic areas, walking tracks, free public barbeques, children's playground, shops and restaurants, an environmental interpretation centre and a Great Barrier Reef Cruise departure terminal.

Built in the 1870s as a port serving the goldfields far inland, central Cairns has a small-town feel to it (population only 100,000) and is now almost entirely dedicated to tourism. The terrain is flat, with the streets following the common Australian grid pattern, and the town centre is little more than ½ ml wide by ¾ ml long. Only a few buildings such as the attractive old wooden houses built on stilts and the former customs house serve as reminders of pre-tourism Cairns, but there is little high-rise development apart from the odd tower block, built in 60s or 70s style (or lack of it).

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Mainly used as the gateway or as a base to visit the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, tropical rainforest or "accessible outback", Cairns is particularly suited and favoured by divers, ecotourists and bird-watchers.

There is a full range of accommodation in Cairns from 4- and 5-star luxury to a string of budget backpacker hostels along the waterfront.

There are no beaches in Cairns itself although the town looks out over huge tidal mud flats whose only saving grace is that they attract flocks of birds to feed during their annual migration. Proper golden sandy beaches are found all along the 16-ml stretch of coast N of the city, past the airport and across Barron River.

Beach buses go to the miniresorts of Machans, Holloway, the evocatively named Yorkeys Knob, Trinity, Kewarra, Clifton, Palm Cove and Ellis. All are plagued with deadly box jellyfish Oct to May, although in some places nets have been erected to keep the stingers out.

Shoppers have a wide range of local outlets in the town centre. Several covered shopping malls including Orchid Plaza, Pier Marketplace and Cairns Central in the old railway station. Covered night market on sea front selling crafts, jewellery etc.

Popular attractions include the botanical gardens with lakes and tropical woodland; large aquarium; museum; art gallery.

By night there are plenty of places to eat or drink to live music, including a jazz club; some discos and two cinemas.

There is also no shortage of "tucker" options from fine international cuisine in hotels' a la carte restaurants to fast food in seafront cafes. Seafood is a speciality but Thai, Mexican, Japanese, Korean and other ethnic cuisines are also on offer.

Popular excursions include bungee jumping (AJ Hackett Bungee site); tandem sky-diving; white-water rafting; hot-air balloon trip. Full/two days: boat trips to the Great Barrier Reef and its islands, normally incorporating opportunities for snorkelling, diving, swimming and picnicking; Daintree rainforest tour, including nocturnal wildlife safaris; scenic railway ride to Kuranda in Atherton Tableland (can be combined with 4½-ml cable-car ride through and over the rainforest); various trips to the "accessible outback" including the Undara lava tubes (4-hr drive).

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Population: 20.090.400
Languages: English 79%, native and other languages
Currency: Australian dollar
Currency code: AUD
Local Times:
Australia - Australian Capital Territory - Canberra

Australia - New South Wales - Sydney

Australia - Tasmania - Hobart

Australia - Western Australia - Perth

Country Dialling Code: +61
Voltage: 240V 50Hz
Electrical plugs:
Flat prongs, inverted 'V' positioned with earth connector

Flat prongs, inverted 'V' positioned with earth connector

Australia, officially called the Commonweath of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the continental mainland (the smallest of the World\'s continents).

The continent of Australia, with the island state of Tasmania, is approximately equal in area to the United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). Mountain ranges run from north to south along the east coast, reaching their highest point in Mount Kosciusko (7,308 ft; 2,228 m). The western half of the continent is occupied by a desert plateau that rises into barren, rolling hills near the west coast. The Great Barrier Reef, extending about 1,245 mi (2,000 km), lies along the northeast coast. The island of Tasmania (26,178 sq mi; 67,800 sq km) is off the southeast coast.

It may be one of the world's most ancient lands with its mystical red centre and brooding rock formations, but Australia is also characterised by its youthful energy, its freshness and its \'no worries\' philosophy.

Most of the population lives within a few miles of the beach and with the working day beginning and ending early, it\'s not uncommon to see city slickers out of their suits and into the surf come 4.30pm.

In high summer many families will enjoy a simple backyard barbecue several times a week.

The 22-hour journey means most European people visit for at least a couple of weeks, allowing time for all that the country has to offer, including its chic cities, terracotta desert, lush bush and magical ocean reefs.

But the sheer size of Australia means that one visit is unlikely to be enough.

The most popular attractions are undoubtedly Uluru (Ayers Rock), the Great Barrier Reef and the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, but there are now more subtle incentives for a visit.

The wonderful fusion cuisine, the café society, the burgeoning art, culture and fashion scene, and the very real possibility of being the only person for miles around all conspire to make it a wholly alluring experience.

Australia is politically divided into six states and two territories, each one offering a different experience for the traveller. There is the drama of the remote \'Outback\', the colourful spectacle of the Great Barrier Reef and its coral islands, the excitement of the cosmopolitan cities, the sun and surf at some of the best beaches in the world, and the tropical rainforests of Western Australia. The list is endless in this diverse land of adventure, which boasts 2,000 national parks and 14 World Heritage-listed areas, along with more than 7,000 beaches.

Australia is a land of character too, with its melting pot of cultures. For more than 50,000 years the Aboriginal people lived and thrived in the continent\'s unique environment. It is believed the Aboriginals are the world\'s oldest civilisation, and in recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in keeping the Aboriginal culture alive and flourishing.

The vast continent at the bottom of the world was the last landmass to be discovered by European explorers. Captain James Cook arrived in Botany Bay in 1770 and sparked off generations of emigration to Australia, which for some time served as a penal colony. It was not until 1860 that two explorers - Robert Burke and William Wills - became the first Europeans to cross Australia from south to north. The country remains a magnet for modern explorers and adventurers and has a great deal to offer tourists and holidaymakers.