Cairns

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Esplanade Lagoon, Cairns

Introducing Cairns

Boasting an infectious energy and a lush tropical setting, Cairns is unashamedly a tourist town, and its popularity is global. On Cairns’ foreshore, Korean bird-watchers swivel 15cm lenses, local ladies aqua dance at the very public lagoon pool, Islander families share picnics and fitness types jog along the Esplanade where pelicans cavort on mudflats. Overhead, planes take off with amazing frequency, and yet the straw-sucking sound of geckos still lingers in the air. But mostly crowds come to visit the Great Barrier Reef, which sits offshore and shapes the city’s character. It’s one of the world’s most popular diving sites and the number of tour/dive/snorkel/cruise operators operating here is mind-boggling. Cairns can offer you bungee jumping before breakfast, as well as tours to the Atherton Tablelands, Port Douglas and beyond. In between all this fun, you’ll discover it’s a popular place to hook up with fellow travellers.

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Old-timers go misty-eyed when they talk about ‘old Cairns’ and lament it’s ‘getting too big for its boots’ but the satellite suburbs that surround the tourism inner sanctum continue to grow, and each week at least 50 new residents arrive in Cairns, each chasing a dream.

Last updated: Feb 16, 2011

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Thorn Tree forum discussion

Recent posts

  1. Mister0nara avatar
    RE: Which way round?

    by Mister0nara 14 September 2011

    It's not unrealistic. People certainly still take holidays to Cairns in summer, but you take a chance there'll be rain, tropical rain,…
  2. bedsbetty avatar
    Which way round?

    by bedsbetty 14 September 2011

    Hi, my hubby and I (50+ semi-retirees) are planning 10 week trip to Oz. Landing and leaving Melbourne 30th Dec - 8th Mar. We'd like to…
  3. tessha_m avatar
    RE: 4 Weeks - Sydney to Cairns

    by tessha_m 14 September 2011

    piers shouldn't be too hard to find once you are actually out driving. If you are driving up and back you could try driving inland for…

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