Guide to Cairns: how to get there and where to stay, what to see and where to go in the evening. The best things to do in Cairns: fresh reviews and photos, places to see, branded entertainment and shopping.
Cairns is the gateway to the coral wonders of the Great Barrier Reef, a city surrounded by unique tropical rainforest yet vibrant, bustling, cosmopolitan and an international hub for Australian tourism. Airplanes and pelicans here fly overhead with approximately the same frequency, an absent-minded ear catches the chirping of geckos and the rustle of ocean waves, and the azure of the water surface is in perfect harmony with the lush, heavy greenery of the tropics. See citypopulationreview.com for weather in the capital of Australia.
How to get to Cairns
Cairns International Airport serves many international flights. You can fly from Russia to Cairns on regular flights of Australian carriers Qantas, Virgin Blue, Jetstar, Tiger Airways and Skytrans.
From the airport to the city center can be reached by bus or taxi. Shuttles run every hour, the fare is from 7 to 10 USD. Information about companies providing transfer services and nearest departures can be clarified at the information stands in the arrivals hall. Another option is to take a taxi to the center of Cairns, the trip will cost about 15 USD.
Cairns can also be reached by train: Queensland’s railway lines connect it with Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Townsville and Rockhampton. Travel time from Brisbane – 32 hours; ticket price – from 200 to 300 USD.
Transport in the city
The center of Cairns is quite compact and conducive to walking. The territory of Sunny Beach and Cairns is also served by the transport company Sunbus. There are 29 bus routes in the city, their network pervades the whole of Cairns and the nearest suburban areas. The fare depends on the number of zones crossed: from 1.20 USD within one zone to 7.50 USD for 10 zones. There is also a travel card for 24 hours and for a week without a limit on the number of trips.
The most convenient way to travel around Cairns and the surrounding area (and throughout Australia) is still a car; it can be rented at one of the many rental offices in the city.
Cairns can also be explored by bike; rental costs about 12-18 USD per day.
Cairns beaches
One of the local features is the lack of natural beaches within the city. Tourists see only a vast coastal strip, densely covered with silt and mud, and flocks of pelicans catching food from it. The only way to swim without leaving the center of Cairns is the artificial lagoon (The Lagoon). However, the immediate suburbs to the north and south of Cairns are home to beautiful beaches.
From November to May in the coastal waters of Cairns is the season of poisonous jellyfish. During this period, you can swim only on fenced beaches or in special suits (for which there are few hunters). If you do not want to burden the domestic embassy with delivering you to your homeland after meeting with the “Portuguese boat”, we recommend splashing in the Laguna.
Cuisine and restaurants in Cairns
There are plenty of worm-eaten and hearty dining opportunities in Cairns, with over 200 restaurants in the city, most of which are located in Market Square and around the marina.
On the gastronomic map of the world, Cairns is noted not least for its wine made from tropical fruits and a variety of cocktails based on it. It is also recommended to try the seafood and meat dishes that Australia is so famous for, exotic fruits and vegetables, dairy products and local coffee grown on the Atherton Plateau. You can drink a meal with a light and aromatic Cairns beer, known far beyond the continent.
Attractions and attractions in Cairns
Most visitors to Cairns immediately rush to explore the fantastic beauty of the Great Barrier Reef, sometimes unfairly overlooking the city’s equally interesting entertainment.
The Cairns Esplanade is a vast amusement park that includes an artificially created lagoon in which you can splash around without stepping outside the city limits, botanical gardens and parks. Here you can play volleyball and rollerblade, have a barbecue and do fitness and aqua aerobics, buy souvenirs at the Saturday market and listen to live music.
The Walsh Pyramid is the world’s highest free-standing hill (922 m), and annually the Great Pyramid Race and the Farm Product Fair are held here.
“Living Museum” – Daintree Rainforest, whose age is more than 135 million years (!), is included in the list of specially protected natural sites of UNESCO. In the Daintree National Park, which includes a large area of the tropics, you can move around on your own (there is an extensive and understandable network of routes) or join an excursion. We also advise you to take the 7.5 km Skyway cable car, laid over the rainforest. At two intermediate stations – Red Peak and Barron Falls – you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the fantastic vegetation of this natural wonder, and at the final station – Kuranda Village – you can get acquainted with the life of this most remote Australian village from civilization, buy souvenirs and visit the pavilion with tropical butterflies.
Planes and pelicans in Cairns pass overhead at about the same frequency.
Ocher-coloured savannah, crystal-clear lakes, and a Darwinian variety of bird species is the Atherton Plateau, located west of Cairns. More than 80% of Australian coffee plantations are located here. The best view of the valley opens from the observation deck on Halloran Hill. It is most convenient to travel along the plateau by car; You can also book a private tour.
Traveling along the Atherton Plateau, be sure to look at the outlandish fig tree – Curtain Fig Tree, according to local residents, the most visited tree in the world.
An interesting excursion is arranged at the Blue Sky brewery: visitors have the opportunity to see firsthand how all nine varieties of the famous Australian beer are made.
Outdoor enthusiasts will find plenty to do in Cairns: rock climbing and surfing, paragliding, mountaineering and rafting, as well as trendy bungee jumping into the abyss.
