Tina Wu
Humidity will be the first thing you notice in Cairns, followed by the gorgeous mountain ranges that seem to surround you on all sides. Take a look around the sleepy home of the Great Barrier Reef before rolling your luggage out of the airport, ready for a week of snorkelling and beach-town fun. With wet monsoon season between October and March followed by drier winter months from April to September, it’s recommended to visit Cairns during the middle of the year to escape the worst of the humidity, perhaps during the winter school holidays for a family trip.
Costs and Transport
The daily expenses at Cairns average at approximately $104AUD per person with accommodation priced at $43AUD a day for one traveller. Apart from public bus and railway services, The Cairns Regional Council also provides bike lanes for those who wish to opt for a more active approach to travelling and take the time to truly soak in Cairn’s local geography.
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
This multi-award winning cableway is definitely not one to miss, travelling along 7.5km of lush green rainforest over the top of the dense canopy of the Barron Gorge and Kuranda mountain village. Alight at any of the four stations of the Cableway to go sightseeing over boardwalks and rainforest tracks and immerse yourself fully into one of the world’s best-preserved natural landscapes. Half-day and full-day packages are available starting from $51AUD per adult for a single trip, with pricing available for families.
Eco Safari
The time has never been more urgent to become aware of the environmental issues surrounding Australia’s reefs and rainforests. Climate change and human traffic as a result of the tourism boom has brought about coral bleaching and widespread pollution. Sydney Observer suggests booking yourself into an Eco Tour instead, such as the Wilderness Eco Safari that aims to take visitors on an alternative safari experience through some of Queensland’s less-travelled rainforests in an environmentally sensitive way. For more information about this particular experience, visit wildernessecosafaris.com. For eco-friendly trips to the Great Barrier Reef, check out the Great Adventures eco-tourism based cruises departing from Cairns at greatadventures.com.au or visit ecotourism.org.au for a list of available ecotourism options.
Experience Cairns’ beach town culture
This sleepy coastal town has truly embraced tourism over the years and celebrates a diverse and artistic community. Have a taste of local produce and artisan products at Rusty’s Markets on Friday, Saturday or Sunday on Grafton Street or visit the Cairns Esplanade for an outdoor dining experience featuring restaurants, cafes and markets selling local artistic wares. Book a seat at a theatre production in one of Cairns’ performance halls or schedule your trip around the city’s widely-anticipated annual Cairns Festival, a 10-day celebration of tropical lifestyle showcasing performances, exhibitions, film-showings and carnivals, usually taking place between the end of August and early September.
