Cairns by Car
Cairns is a town largely depending on tourism. Many travellers
arrive here after driving a rental car north along
the eastern seaboard or on first touch-down after flying in from overseas.
Cairns is the unofficial capital of tropical north Queensland but was in earlier
days a service town for the sugar plantations.
On first arrival Cairns can be disappointing because the city itself does not have
all the tropical allure one may be expecting. Cairns is surrounded by mangrove swamps
and by no means by tropical beaches. The sea is shallow and becomes a mud flat at
low tide - travel a little way north, however, and the picture changes completely
with picturesque beaches and warm tropical water.
Apart from this the town is an excellent base for exploring the surrounding region
and the Great Barrier Reef. Cairns is famous for black marlin.
The adventurous will not be disappointed with the great many activities that are
on offer. Cairns is a centre for scuba diving, white-water rafting, kayaking, horse
riding, sky diving, bungee jumping and other activities.
There is a lot of competition and tourism operators will go through great lengths
to make sure you have a great holiday.
In town -
- Flecker Botanic Gardens - Established in 1886 as a recreational
reserve, they are now the only wet tropical botanic gardens in Australia displaying
tropical plants from around the world.
- Mt Whitfield Conservation Park - two major walking tracks through
forested mountain range to summit for views of Cairns and the Coral Sea.
- Royal Flying Doctor Service - Highlights the history of the service
with aircraft on display.
- Foreshore Lagoon - This is a landscaped area with a safe swimming
lagoon.
- Kuranda Scenic Railway - Offers a trip through Barron Gorge to
rainforest village of Kuranda. Note: Sadly, this railway was closed
in 2005.
- Bulk Sugar Terminal - Offers guided tours during crushing season.
- Car Hire - There are several Cairns car rental
places where you can pick up a cheap vehicle.
You may also want to check out - McLeod Street Pioneer Cemetery, Tank Centre, Regional
Gallery, Cairns Museum and Undersea World Aquarium. Contact the Cairns Visitor Centre for details.
Nearby -
- Great Barrier Reef & Islands - Take a tour, charter a boat or fly
to see some of the spectacular sights just offshore. Rainforest covered Fitzroy
Island has impressive snorkelling sites at Welcome and Sharkfin Bays. Green Island
is a reel coral cay and the surrounding reef is teeming with tropical fish. They
can be seen in the underwater observatory, from a glass-bottom boat or by snorkelling.
The smaller Michaelmas and Upolo cays to the north-east are important sites for
ground nesting seabirds. He surrounding waters are excellent for reef swimming.
Contact the visitors centre for tours.
- Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park - Four theatres both live and
film, illustrate the culture and the history of the rainforest people of Far North
Queensland.
- Skyrail
- Spectacular gondola ride through rainforest to Kuranda, departs from Caravonica
lakes.
- Bungee tower - Bungee jump from a platform through rainforest in
Smithfield, contact the visitor centre for details.
- Crystal Cascades - There are nice walks by cascades, it is also
a very nice spot for a swim.
Further on there are Lake Morris and Copperlode Dam, Barron and Freshwater Valleys
for bushwalking, hiking white-water rafting and camping. Also there is an incredible
stretch of 26km of beaches and 4WD safaris to Cape York and the Gulf country. Contact
the Cairns visitor centre
for details.
Ruud Stroobach
Cairns Airport Guide;
Queensland Car Rental; Car Hire Cairns