Holiday Destination: Cairns

Cairns is a regional city in Far North Queensland, Australia, founded 1876. The city was named after William Wellington Cairns, then current Governor of Queensland. It was formed to serve miners heading for the Hodgkinson River goldfield, but experienced a decline when an easier route was discovered from Port Douglas. Cairns is one of the most popular tourism destinations in Australia, boasting over 600 activities, tours and destinations to visit and enjoy. It later developed into a railhead and major port for exporting sugar cane, gold and other metals, minerals and agricultural products from surrounding coastal areas and the Atherton Tableland region. Cairns is located about 1,700 km from Brisbane, and about 2,420 km from Sydney by road. It is a popular travel destination for foreign tourists because of its tropical climate. It serves as a starting point for people wanting to visit the Great Barrier Reef and Far North Queensland. The northern part of the city is located on Trinity Bay and the city centre is located on Trinity Inlet. Some of the city's suburbs are located on flood plains. The Mulgrave River and Barron River flow within the greater Cairns area. The city centre's foreshore is located on a mud flat.

Climate

Summer 25.7 °C (78.3 °F), Winter 31.4 °C (88.5 °F)

Tourist Season

Summer season is the best for tourism.

Accommodation

Hotels and Apartments.

General Information Of Cairns

• Land Area: 188.5 sq mi (488.1 km2)
• Population: 1 Lakh.
• Capital City: Queensland.
• Language: English.

Tourist Attraction in or Near by Cairns

Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres. The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in north east Australia. The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. It supports a wide diversity of life and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. Take a dive to truly experience the wonder of the Great Barrier Reef, or snorkel with your friends to get amongst the mass of abundant marine lifeThe Queensland National Trust named it a state icon of Queensland.

Daintree Rainforest

The Daintree Rainforest is a tropical rainforest on the north east coast of Queensland, Australia, north of Mossman and Cairns. At around 2,600 km2, the Daintree is the largest continuous area of tropical rainforest on the Australian continent. Along the coastline north of the Daintree River, tropical rainforest grows right down to the edge of the sea. Daintree National Park, some areas of State Forest, and some privately owned land, including a residential community of upwards of 500 people. Some of the privately owned land north of the Alexandra Range is being progressively purchased for conservation.

Curtain Fig Tree

The Curtain Fig Tree is one of the largest trees in Tropical North Queensland, Australia, and one of the best known attractions on the Atherton Tableland. It is located just out of Yungaburra.The Curtain Fig Tree is of the strangler fig species Ficus virens. Normally these figs germinate on top of another tree and try to grow roots into the ground. Once this important step is accomplished, the fig will grow vigorously, finally kill the hosting tree and then grow on independently. In this case, the hosting tree tilted towards the next one the fig also grows around that one. Its curtain of aerial roots drops 15 metres to the ground. Although these figs kill their hosts, they are an epiphyte which basically feeds from the ground, unlike a parasitic plant which feeds from the sap of the host plant and tree.

Babinda Boulders

Surrounded by lush rainforest, the Babinda Boulders is a popular swimming hole and tourist attraction south of Cairns. It is a classic example of the fast flowing tropical creeks in the area that are perfect for afternoon dips in the cool water to combat the tropical heat. The creek is lined with huge boulders and the clear fresh water weaves between the obstacles to fill large pools where people can swim. Visitors to the Babinda Boulders are often amazed that the water is quite cool, even during mid summer.

Josephine Falls

Josephine Falls are located at the foot of the southern face of Mount Bartle Frere in the Wooroonooran National Park, in Queensland, Australia. The falls are a popular recreation site among locals as the water flows over a large rock to form a natural waterslide. Josephine Falls are located on Josephine Creek, a tributary of the Russell River. Accessed by sealed road just off the Bruce Highway between Babinda and Innisfail. In order to arrive at Josephine Falls, one must turn left just south of Miriwinni if coming from Innisfail or right if coming from Cairns. If visiting, listen to the locals the natural rock slide can be dangerous for those unused to the area and there is occasional flash flooding no warning, just a sudden increase in the water volume.

Tinaroo Dam

Tinaroo Dam, is a man made reservoir on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia. The dam filled in the first instance according to a schedule. Once construction on the last monolith had raised it above the outlet pipes the dam wall was sealed off using a planned procedure where the prepared tunnel under monolith 19 was closed. This allowed the dam to start filling up to the river outlet level.The dam filled progressively over the next few years and did not actually overflow until 1963, far later than originally expected. It was constructed between 1953 and 1958 on the Barron River close to Lake Barrine and Lake Eacham.

Walsh's Pyramid

Walshs Pyramid is an independent peak with a distinct pyramidal appearance, 20 km south of Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Scene of an annual footrace, held on the third Saturday in August, to its summit. The Pyramid race starts at the nearby town of Gordonvale and attracts hundreds of competitors aiming to win the $5000 that is up for grabs. The mountain is very steep so one should be reasonably fit to make the climb to the top. For experienced hikers, the ascent and descent can take approximately 4 to 6 hours. The vegetation on the mountain is fairly dense and consists mostly of Australian scrub. Many rocks are open and exposed on the surface of the mountain which make the surface very slippery after it has rained.

Crystal Cascades

The Crystal Cascades is a relatively unspoilt section of Freshwater Creek, with numerous waterfalls and swimming holes popular with locals and tourists. It is located in a section of the upper Freshwater Creek, in the Redlynch Valley, west of Cairns, in Far North Queensland, Australia. The largest waterhole sits alongside a sheer cliff which locals and tourists climb to jump into the adjoining deep waterhole. The most famous part of the cliff is called No Fear which is the highest perch to jump from. It is a secluded freshwater swimming hole, hidden in a tropical rainforest. A series of small waterfalls flow into large pools surrounded by boulders.

Port Douglas

Port Douglas is a town in Far North Queensland, Australia, approximately 70 km north of Cairns. Its permanent population was 948 residents in 2006. The town's population can often double, however, with the influx of tourists during the peak tourism season May to September. The town is named in honour of former Premier of Queensland, John Douglas. Port Douglas developed quickly based on the mining industry. Other parts of the area were established with timber cutting occurring in the area surrounding the Daintree River and with settlement starting to occur on lots around the Mossman River by 1880. Previous names for the town included Terrigal, Island Point, Port Owen and Salisbury. The town is situated adjacent to two World Heritage areas, the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest.

Australia Zoo

Australia Zoo is a 100 acre zoo located in the Australian state of Queensland on the Sunshine Coast near Beerwah Glass House Mountains. It is a member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association, and is owned by Terri Irwin, the widow of Steve Irwin, whose wildlife documentary series The Crocodile Hunter made the zoo a popular tourist attraction. The zoo is run by Director Wes Mannion. Australia Zoo was opened by Bob and Lyn Irwin on 3 June 1970 under the name Beerwah Reptile Park. Their son Steve, had helped his parents since childhood to care for crocodiles and reptiles and to maintain the growing number of animals in the zoo. In 1982 the park was renamed to the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park and the area was doubled with the purchase of another 4 acres. Steve and Terri changed the name of their now growing wildlife park to Australia Zoo. As filming generated extra funds, Steve and Terri put all money raised from filming and merchandise into conservation and building new exhibits. Australia Zoo won the Australian Tourism Awards for 2003–2004 in the category Major Tourist Attraction.

Accessibility

Bus Terminal

Mcleod Street -c88

Mcleod Street
Cairns, Australia

Spence Street

Spence Street
Cairns, Australia

CAIRNS CITY PLACE Transit Mall

Spence Street
Cairns, Australia

Cairns Central

Spence Street
Cairns, Australia

Abbott Street -c245

Abbott Street
Cairns, Australia

Airports

Cairns International Airport: For international flights.

Railway Stations

Cairns Railway Station

Bunda St
Cairns, Australia

Redlynch Railway Station

Kamerunga Road
Redlynch, Australia

Caravonica Skyrail Terminal

Smithfield, Australia