About the Area

It's the mountains that strike the first time visitor to Cairns, the vivid green heights a commanding backdrop to Queensland's northern most city.

The opening of the Cairns Lagoon, a four thousand square metre public swimming pool on the foreshore in the heart of the city and the redevelopment of adjacent parklands incorporating boulevards and walkways, has injected new life into the Esplanade and surrounding precinct.

Along the Esplanade, early risers sip their morning coffee and watch as the fleet of tourist vessels puts to the sea, wakes of the high speed catamarans, sailing boats and cruisers spreading out across the bay as they head out to the Great Barrier Reef.

The blend of youthful backpackers and mainstream international and domestic travellers has produced a vibrant night life and cosmopolitan retail scene. Cairns is a city of many moods, the crisp clear air of its mornings, the tropical warmth of its days, the sudden cooling downpour of an afternoon storm and balmy nights lit by the moon shining over Trinity Bay offering an unmatched appeal.

Things to do in Cairns:

• Great Barrier Reef
• Cairns Aquarium
• Night markets
• Kuranda
• Daintree Rainforest
• Cairns Night Zoo
• Jungle Canopy Surfing