Cairns has grown from a ramshackle port town to a stylish modern city – the capital of Tropical North Queensland, with a year-round outdoor lifestyle. Here you can bar-hop, rock-hop, or island-hop all on the same day as Cairns puts the ‘jungle’ in ‘urban jungle’.
Waiting for visitors with opens arms and a cold beer at the ready, Cairns is a welcoming city, and you’ll feel at home right away. It’s also easy to get around and everything in the central business district (CBD) is within walking distance, with the international airport only a 10-minute drive away.
But don’t let that welcoming small-town vibe fool you. With its distinctive multicultural mix, Cairns buzzes with innovative eateries, on-trend bars, stylish boutiques, and art galleries.
The multifaceted city is tucked between two of Tropical North Queensland’s greatest natural treasures – the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics Rainforest, which means adventure is never far away.
As such, almost 30 boats leave Cairns every day for the reef, and in less than an hour you could be snorkelling or diving in Australia’s most spectacular underwater paradise.
Inland, hike through sun-dappled forests on to Glacier Rock via Douglas Track, swim in the cascading pools of nearby Crystal Cascades, or glide just metres over the canopies of tropical rainforest on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.
If you need a beach day, head for Cairns’ Northern Beaches, a string of sleepy seaside villages just 15 minutes from the city. They are a favourite with locals, and each has its own unique character.
They say that nothing goes down better than a cold beer on a hot day, and what better to sip on in the tropics than a Hemingway’s Brewery 7th Heaven Tropical Ale?
