Visit
The Tropical North,
Queensland
Emerging out of the mudflats in 1876, Cairns today is the gateway to the tropical north and jumping off point for the Great Barrier Reef. An expensive revamp in 2003 has created an attractive modern sophisticated city offering good shopping, great nightlife, with the laid back, slow pace of the tropics. The city is compact and the airport and marina are minutes away making the whole place incredibly accessible. The eclectic mix of Australian and international cuisine features fresh seafood and unusual tropical fruits making dining a highlight of any stay here. Cairns is a great base from which to explore the rainforest village of Kuranda, Port Douglas, and the vast wilderness of the Cape York Peninsula. Whether it is skydiving over the rainforest, white water rafting down the Tully River or snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef; Cairns offers it all.