Cairns

Cairns is situated in the far north of Queensland and known as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. A cosmopilitan and vibrant city, Cairns is a travel destination which offers something for everybody whether you want to take part in adventurous acitivites or simply relax in the large man made lagoon. With a population of just 140,000 Cairns has a small town feel and locals happily embrace tourism and experience nearly two million tourists every year. Cairns is surrounded by rainforest and if often used by tourists looking to travel onwards to popular destinations such as Daintree and Kuranda.

Cairns is the centre of Australia’s thriving fishing industry and you’ll be sure to get some of the best seafood Australia has to offer during your visit. Cairns positioning in the tropical far north means it gets very humid during the summer months. The best times to visit is from May to August when temperatures are lower and with less likelyhood of experiencing cyclone or monsoon activity. Although Cairns is situated on the sea often travellers are not advised to go in the waters as they are home to some of Australias more dangerous aquatic species. The Great Barrier Reef which sits just offshore is the number one destination within the region, it is one of the worlds most recognisable attractions – Trips and tours run daily from the centre of Cairns to the reef where you can dive or just take in this world renowned site.

Cairns also captures Australia’s cultural diversity and this is encapsulated by the vibrant art scene found in the region. A collection of exhibitions, galleries and communities of established and emerging artists are located in Cairns – This art reflects both modern australia and also its aborignial origins. The Online Hotel Company compares over 170 Hotels in Cairns so you’re sure to find the best deal that suits your stay, you can even compare for budget or luxury hotels using our advanced Hotel search program.

Top Things to do.

Great Barrier Reef

Running for more than 2000km along the coast of Queensland the Barrier Reef is one of the earths largest natural sites – its so large it can even be seen from Space. Brimming with tropical fish and organisms no visit to Australia would be complete without visiting this region. Tours leave daily and allow you to visit the reef up close, the most popular way being scuba diving. Most of the tours allow complete beginners to dive the reef after they are given training or alternatively many glass bottom boats allow tourists to take in the natural wonder without getting wet.

Daintree National Park

Found 3 hours north of Cairns Daintree is a great place to take in Australias northern rainforests. The park consists of lowland and upland tropical rainforests with a vast collection of flora and fauna. Daintree is also home to some of Australia diverse wildlife including the saltwater crocodile. Whilst visiting the region you can experience lots of rainforest bushwalking tours with Aboriginal guides or take a boat ride down Daintree River and Coopers Creek

Kuranda

A great Day trip is to visit Kuranda which is a small town close to Cairns and gets very busy during peak times. Once in Kuranda there is plenty of attractions to keep you occupied – one which we recommend is the Kuranda Birdworld which is a great way to see some of Australia’s most diverse birdlife. Also in the town is the Kuranda Koala Gardens which is a small zoo housing not only Koalas but other native species such as kangaroos, snakes and crocodiles

Cairns Art Galleries

Cairns is a very cultural city with an abundance of art galleries to experience. Most of the galleries are free to visit so we strongly recommend if you get the chance go to visit one of them. The most popular one is the Cairns regional gallery which is found in a two storey heritage building and hosts exhibitions of fine arts from major australian and international collections . Visitors can expect to see a collection which covers historical and contemporary art including the work of Aboriginal artists. The Gallery exhibits the work of artists based throughout the tropical north so you can really get a flavour of northern Queensland.

Cairns Skydive

If you want to see Cairns in a more extreme way then we recommend skydiving from 14,000ft. The 30-60 seconds of freefall and then a gentle parachute descent will give you great views of the region and offer a truly exhiliarating experience. Although Skydiving is offered throughout Australia due to the competition you can find it cheapest here if your brave enough.