Cairns, a foremost regional city of
Australia, is a great tropical tourist destination situated in far north
Queensland. The latter comprises the north-east corner of the Australian
continent. This enchanting place houses two of the world's greatest natural
attractions and World Heritage listed treasures namely, the Great Barrier
Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforests.
Being a tropical nation, the city of Cairns, features mighty mountains,
scenic beaches, tidal wetlands, freshwater lakes, lovely mudflats,
mesmerising mangrove swamps, beautiful bays, meandering rivers, spectacular
estuaries and rich coastal plains. Last but not the least, the city also
owns the state's highest mountain, Mt Bartle Frere.
Fact File
Country : Australia
Population : 128,500
Languages : English
Climate : The average maximum temperature is 25.2 C (77.3F) and the
average minimum temperature is 15.7 C (60.2F). Cairns, being a tropical
region, is warm with a high humidity and snow is only experienced on rare
occasions. Temperatures in the hinterland and mountains are cooler than on
the coastal areas. Summers: max - 31 C & min - 24 C ; Winters : max - 26
C & min - 17 C.
Official Currency : Australian dollar (AUD); 1 AUD = 33.641
Indian Rupee = 0.7729 $( USD ), = 0.6421 Euro. (subject to change)
Location : Cairns is located in far north Queensland which forms the
north-east corner of the Australian continent and is the country’s
second largest state.
Getting There
By Air : Cairns International Airport (CNS/YBCS) is the city’s
international airport. About 20 international airlines fly into & from
Europe, Asia, and New Zealand, including Qantas, Air New Zealand, Singapore
Airlines, Thai International, Malaysia Airlines, and Cathay Pacific. From
North America you will likely fly to Sydney and connect on one of several
direct flights on Qantas, or fly direct from Auckland, in New Zealand.
Getting Around
By Road : The public bus service (Cairns Sunbus) caters to all
Cairns city areas, suburbs and beaches. Timetables are available on the
buses and at the bus terminal. Luxury coaches operate 24hrs a day from
Cairns to other cities and the major road link is the Bruce Highway.
The Kuranda Skyrail cable car and the Kuranda scenic railway present a
wonderful way to see the city.
By Air : Australia Coach-Airporter shuttle services pick up and drop
travelers at most hotels and other accommodation areas. The cairns airport
has an International, domestic and general aviation facility and it is a
gateway to Australia.
Accommodation
The city of Cairns has very good hotels to ensure a comfortable stay for
the tourists. Mentioned below is a list of some of the hotels in the city:
5 star hotels in the city:
Cairns Colonial Club Resort
The Lakes Cairns Resort & Spa
Shangri – La hotel, the Marina
Hotel Holiday Inn
4 star hotels in the city:
Rydges Esplanade Resort
Outrigger Cairns Resort
Oasis Resort
3 star hotels in the city:
Comfort Inn Tropical Queenslander
Cairns Holiday Lodge
Major Tourist Attractions
Royal
Harbour - Contains plethora of shops selling a wide range and variety of
arts & crafts items, clothing, elegant jewellery and food.
Sugarworld - This is an exciting water park lying in the center of
Cairns, where both children and adults can enjoy in the waterslides,
whirlpools, and parklands.
Undersea World - Undersea World, Cairns presents the visitors with a
chance to view the spectacular marine life of the Great Barrier Reef. This
marine park has a great marine life, from the colourful corals to the
elegant fish and the graceful sharks!!
The Beaches - There are a good number of beaches like Ellis Beach,
Palm Cove and Trinity Beach to mention a few, which provide a great time to
the lovers of nature.
The Esplanade - This is an entertaining area, where people can
picnic, workers can relax on the grass, children can skate and everyone can
relish the soothing bask under the sun.
Great Barrier Reef - the Reef covers 344,000 square kilometres and
is the only natural feature visible from space. The various pleasurable
activities offered here are snorkeling, diving, fishing and swimming.
Yarrabah Menmuny Museum - The museum located in the “Aboriginal
community of Yarrabah” features a spectacular display of aboriginal
culture and history.
Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park - It is dedicated to preserving
and presenting the authentic Aboriginal culture and presents facilities like
theatres, a museum, an art gallery and a traditional Aboriginal camp.
Other Attractions -
Crystal Cascades
Mossman Gorge
