Cairns visitor information
Cairns City is a thriving seaside town situated amongst the Great Barrier Reef and the World Heritage Rainforest. It is recognised as one of the safest and most progressively developed Tropical Cities in the world offering guests endless opportunities for activities, accommodation and tours whilst still keeping its North Queensland laid back charm. This exciting City has flourished in the past decade completely regenerating itself from its previous existence as an agriculturally based township to a world class Tourist Mecca and celebrity destination.
Hollywood has found the natural beauty of this destination and has made many well known block buster movies in this region. Past President Bill Clinton cannot say enough about this wonderful place and the easy going laid back lifestyle we as North Queenslanders offer our visitors. As he say’s we treat everyone as family. The Cairns Cities bustling tourist hub rivals any holiday destination in Australia. In fact, Cairns has more visitors than any other region in Queensland (apart from Brisbane) with almost 1 million holiday makers from all parts of the globe attracted to stay and explore the natural beauty and safety that Cairns Tropical North Queensland has to offer.
History…
After visiting and exploring this vibrant City it is hard to imagine a time when it all never existed. The City of Cairns was originally discovered in 1876 by William Wellington Cairns who was the then Governor of Queensland at the time. Cairns City was originally established for miners who were working at the Hodgekinson River goldfields. After an easier track was discovered from Port Douglas, Cairns became an established rail port exporting sugar cane, gold, precious metals and other agricultural based products. It wasn’t until the early 1980’s that Cairns received its face lift with a new International Airport. From an agriculturally based region Cairns City transformed into an exciting tourist hub. Travellers from around the world soon began to discover the unique natural attractions Cairns had to offer such as the Great Barrier Reef and the Green Tropics Rainforest. This spawned an influx of hotel developments, restaurants, shops and tour attractions. As more people caught on to this unspoilt historical gem, more infrastructure and tours began to spread creating the Tropical Mecca that Cairns is today enjoyed by families, couples, business travellers, researchers and groups of all shapes and sizes.
Today Cairns takes advantage of its beautifully natural surroundings while existing in a sustainable manner to protect the fragile resources and eco-systems that make Cairns and the surrounding places so unique to other destinations in Australia and the rest of the World. This compact cosmopolitan City balances development with ecological sensitivity and perfectly blends the conveniences of a world class destination City with the isolation and blasé nature of a tropical retreat.
As more and more people discover this amazing part of Australia they will either pledge to return someday or they will recommend others come to witness the majestic beauty that nature has blessed this region. With stunning Rainforest Mountains and their Volcanic Crater Lakes to the natural swimming holes and the Great Barrier Reef that the astronauts see from as far away as the Moon.
The Bio-diversity here is something that other regions in the world just cannot re-create.
The accommodation and hotel choices in the City of Cairns and surrounding regions are so diverse. Within five square kilometres of Cairns City you will find luxurious five star hotels, intimate boutique resorts, self contained waterfront holiday apartments, family friendly resorts, budget backpackers and guesthouses, bed and breakfasts, caravan parks and campsites. Truly travellers of any budget will find suitable accommodation in the City of Cairns. Listed on cairnsaccommodation.com is a complete comprehensive list of all the different accommodation properties and styles in Cairns City.
With the most up to date information and rates available at the click of a button as well as more in depth intimate and accurate descriptions of each property than you will see on any other Cairns accommodation directory because “we are local we are here” and we know every one of these holiday units and hotels. If you like you can either browse our website and then call us to make a reservation or fill in the on-line booking form for the hotel that you wish to stay at.
Dining Out in Cairns…
The City of Cairns has an abundance of restaurants, cafes, bistros, coffee shops, diners, pizzerias, pubs and take-aways all within five square blocks of the Cairns Central Business District (CBD). No matter what time of the day or night you want to grab a bite, there will be something open to satisfy your craving.
Many of Cairns best restaurants are found on the Boardwalk at the Pier Shopping Centre, along the Waterfront Esplanade or on Shields Street. Several of the five star resorts in Cairns also offer fabulous restaurants. Cairns is a laid back tropical town so generally casual dress if fine in most restaurants; as long as you have shoes and a sleeved shirt you should be ok.
There are many coffee shops and cafes scattered throughout the town where you can grab a quick coffee, sausage role or sandwich. These venues are generally very informal so bikinis and board shorts are accepted on the most part. If you find yourself in the city at 2am and are craving a snack you will be delighted by the collection of pizzerias, kebab shops and other miscellanies eateries that open throughout the night. Along the Esplanade, on Shields Street and on Spence Street you will find these 24 hour food stalls.
Nightlife in Cairns…
Cairns has some of the best nightlife in Australia for any taste any night of the week. The best thing being is that all pubs, clubs and bars are within a five minute walk eliminating expensive taxi rides. Whether you are looking for live music, a hot DJ or dancing on tables to classic tunes you will find it all in Cairns. Friday and Saturday nights you will find a mix of live rock and roll, salsa bars, TOP40, DJs spinning hot house, trance and electro beats, classic oldies, karaoke and almost anything else you enjoy. Sunday nights are popular and many bars offer 2-4-1 drinks between five and seven o’clock. From Monday-Thursday you will surely find something you will enjoy as most bars and nightclubs have a crowd every night of the week. Most nightspots do not charge an entrance fee but on a Friday or Saturday night expect to pay between $5 and $15 cover charge. Dress code on weekends is generally quite strict considering the laid back nature of Cairns. Women, make sure you are wearing nice shoes or high-heals and men must cover their shoulders, wear nice shoes and cannot wear baseball hats or sporting jerseys.
Shopping in Cairns…
Cairns is full of an assortment of different shops and the quality and variety of shopping is getting better by the day. On the main streets of Cairns (Shields St., Grafton St., Lake St., Spence St. and Abbott St.) you will find boutique shops, surf shops, convenience shops, bottle shops, souvenir shops, jewellery, and miscellaneous shops. All the upmarket overseas designers like Louis Vutton, expensive jewellers, opal shops and Duty Free Stores can be found on Abbott Street near the Casino. Grafton Street has several trendy clothing stores and there are several shopping arcades throughout the City with hidden bargains, and assemblages of shops with all types of trinkets and gifts. On Lake Street and Shields Street you will find your cheaper budget shops and souvenir shops and on the Esplanade and Shields Street you will find art galleries, surf shops and several Aboriginal art and artefacts stores.
Cairns Central Shopping Centre is located at the edge of the city on Shields and McLeod Street and has several specialty retailers, convenience stores, department stores such as Myer and Target and groceries stores like Coles and Bilo.
The Pier Shopping Centre, at the other end of town, has several clothing, shoe, and sportswear shops. On the weekends you will find the Esplanade markets set up along the Esplanade promenade featuring locally produced arts, crafts and clothing.
Rusty’s Markets on Sheridan Street runs from Friday to Sunday and features fresh Tropical fruits and vegetables, pastas, oils, nuts, seafood, organic breads and dips some you have never seen before nor know how to cook them. These markets are very eclectic and you get to meet people from all over the world. You can have free tastings and learn how to use cook the amazing array of farm fresh produce.
Tours and sightseeing in Cairns…
No matter how long you stay in Cairns you’re sightseeing itinerary will be full. The Great Barrier Reef is the reason many people choose to visit Cairns and is a must see for all tour itineraries no matter how long you intend to visit. There are year round day trips to islands, sand cays and outer coral reefs where you can swim, sun-tan, snorkel or scuba diva (introductory or certified PADI). There are also overnight and extended trips to the Great Barrier Reef where you can learn how to scuba dive or if you’re already experienced, discover some of this planets best rated dive sites such as the Cod Hole and Lizard Island. Choose from sail boats or catamarans; dinner cruises are also available. Another must-see for every visitor to Cairns is the Green Tropics World Heritage Rainforest that surrounds Cairns. Whether you view this wonder via a tour on the Sky Rail or Kuranda Scenic Rail, on a waterfall tour of the Tablelands or in the remote and primitive Daintree Rainforest it is something that cannot be missed out on! The thundering rivers around Cairns create a playground for white water rafting and the calm tropical skies are visited daily by hot air balloons. Horse back riders can enjoy trail rides or guided tours in the outback, rainforest or on the beach and extreme travellers can experience some of the best sky-diving and bungee jumping in the world. Wildlife attractions such as the Cairns Tropical Zoo, Hartley’s Crocodile Farm and Rainforestation just to name a few are popular amongst travellers, especially families. There are too many attractions and tours to list so for a comprehensive list of all the tours and sightseeing attractions in and around Cairns visit The Tour Specialists.
The Cairns Esplanade…
The Cairns Esplanade Project cost the local government over 9 million dollars and was recently completed in 2006 and this induced a big change to the City’s culture. Tourists and locals alike enjoy the re-designed waterfront Esplanade that has reshaped Cairns City with features such as 12 hectares of parklands, a lagoon swimming pool, an amphitheatre, skate park, beach volleyball courts, picnic and BBQ areas, café, jogging and cycling tracks, and a children’s water park and playground. Probably the most exciting feature of the Cairns Esplanade activity precinct is the lagoon style swimming pool which can accommodate up to 1000 swimmers at a time. This naturally made beach-style pool is open daily between 6:00am-10:00pm, is watched over by two life guards at a time and is frequented by families, sun-tanning backpackers, live music and happy tourists simply enjoying a sunny day in the park. Lining the Esplanade parklands is a restaurant strip with alfresco dining serving the highest quality seafood, pastas and meats. Also located on the Esplanade is the Reef Fleet Terminal; where boats to the Great Barrier Reef Depart Daily, The Pier Shopping Centre; which has an assortment of restaurants, bars and shops and several luxurious waterfront resorts.
The Cairns Convention Centre…
For business travellers in Cairns, The Cairns Convention Centre is situated in the middle of the city and is a world class meeting and conference venue. The Cairns Convention Centre is walking distance from all CBD hotels and resorts and can hold up to 5000 people for functions and events. The Cairns Convention Centre is innovative, flexible and functional and was voted one of the world’s top 10 convention centres by The North American Meetings and Planner’s ‘Beyond Border Survey’. The function and conference coordinators of Cairns Convention Centre are highly trained and experienced and are able to plan and execute conferences, tradeshows, events and functions of international standards.
The Reef Casino…
The Reef Casino is located on the Esplanade and is an entertainment venue that both tourists and locals enjoy. The Casino complex features a five star hotel, three restaurants, a cocktail bar, sports-bar, nightclub and of course a two level Casino open from 10am until 5:00am on weekends and 10:00am until 3:00am on weekdays, The Reef Casino has monthly sweepstake promotions with cash and prize giveaways as well as several electronic slot machines (pokies) and table games such as blackjack, roulette, mini and midi baccarat and unique games to the Casino. There is also a Private High Rollers Club Lounge with complimentary drinks, exceptional service and multi-lingual hosts.
The Climate in Cairns…
The climate in Cairns has two distinct seasons: The Dry Season and The Green Season. The Dry Season is between May and December and is generally characterised by low humidity, low rainfall and temperatures ranging between 24 and 29 degrees Celsius. The Green Season is between January and April and is characterised by higher temperatures (reaching a maximum of 32 degrees), more rainfall and higher humidity although generally the days are dry followed by spectacular thunderstorms in the evenings and beautiful sunshine in the mornings. These temperatures providing our guests with a year round destination to have fun and explore and if they are after a tan or just looking for a beautiful place to find some warmth then Cairns City is the place to be.
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