Sights in Far North Queensland
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Cairns Foreshore Promenade
The undisputed highlight of the Cairns Foreshore Promenade is the 4800-sq-m saltwater swimming lagoon, a feat in landscape architecture bringing the beach-cum-swimming experience to the heart of the city. Fitness enthusiasts blade, cycle or just walk the 3km Esplanade Walking Trail, and travellers meander lazily up and down the Esplanade, popping into restaurants and shops until the wee hours.
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Mount Sorrow
The Mount Sorrow ridge trail provides opportunities for fit and experienced bushwalkers to take in spectacular views from an elevation of 680m. The trail starts in a lowland rainforest valley, full of trees with large buttress roots and a canopy woven with large woody vines. As the ridge ascends, feather-leafed palms become more common.
On the ridge, the vegetation is dominated by acacias (wattles). The wind-sheared forest canopy becomes lower and more open towards the mountain summit. From the lookout, you can watch spangled drongos and small flocks of topknot pigeons in the air, while a variety of butterflies drift around on the wind. On a clear day, the beautiful Daint…
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Myall Beach
With spectacular views of Mt Sorrow in the background, areas of fringing reef on Myall Beach are exposed at low tide, allowing swimmers to explore the rock pools. The mangrove boardwalk on the way to the beach has a seat where you can sit and listen to the crabs popping - cute! At the southern most end, you can explore the Myall Creek mouth.
At the northern point of the beach you can climb out on to the Cape Trib headland. Don't try and go around it - vertical cliffs make this impossible. Half way to the headland is Mason Creek: check out the sheltered nook in the mangroves, a popular spot for birdwatching.
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Tjapukai Cultural Park
Allow at least three hours at this Indigenous-owned cultural extravaganza, incorporating the Creation Theatre, which tells the story of creation using giant holograms and actors, a dance theatre and a gallery, as well as boomerang- and spear-throwing demonstrations and turtle-spotting during a canoe ride on the lake. A fireside corroboree is the centrepiece of the Tjapukai by Night dinner-and-show deal.
The park is about 15km north of the city centre, just off the Captain Cook Hwy near the Skyrail terminal; transfers are available for an extra charge.
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Flecker Botanic Gardens
These beautiful tropical gardens are an explosion of greenery and rainforest plants. Sections include an area for bush-tucker plants and the Gondwanan Evolutionary Trail, which traces the 415-million-year heritage of tropical plants. Free guided walks depart Tuesday and Thursday at 10am and 1pm from the information centre. There's an excellent cafe here.
Opposite the gardens the Rainforest Boardwalk leads to Saltwater Creek and Centenary Lakes. Uphill from the gardens, Mt Whitfield Conservation Park has two walking tracks through rainforest, climbing to viewpoints over the city; follow the Red Arrow circuit (1.3km, one hour) or the more demanding Blue Arrow circuit (5.4km…
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Crystal Cascades
About 20km from Cairns, the Crystal Cascades are a series of beautiful waterfalls and pools. You will need a friendly local or a cab to get you there but it is worth the effort. The area is accessed by a 1.2km pathway (suitable for wheelchairs) and is a great spot for a dip, particularly in the summer months when the stingers make the beaches unsafe.
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Four Mile Beach
You're likely to put in at least a few hours or days on the gorgeous Four Mile Beach: a band of white-sand beach backed by palms that goes as far as your squinting eyes can see. Hire a jet ski or go on a reef snorkelling foray or just lie there for hours - the Munch buggy plies the length of the beach selling ice creams and snacks.
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Mt Whitfield
Opposite the gardens the Rainforest Boardwalk leads to Saltwater Creek and Centenary Lakes. For more serious walkers, the trails throughout Mt Whitfield Conservation Park have several lookouts offering views of Cairns and Trinity Inlet, and there is a terrific mangrove boardwalk on Airport Ave, 200m before the airport.
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St Mary's by the Sea
St Mary’s by the Sea is a tiny nondenominational white-timber chapel that was built in 1911 and a nominee for prettiest church in the Land of Oz (there’s a bit of a waiting list for weddings, so if you want to get hitched there, book ahead at info@portdouglasweddings.com.au).
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Mt Whitfield Conservation Park
Near the botanical gardens is the entrance to the Mt Whitfield Conservation Park, the last remnant of Cairns rainforest and once home to a small cassowary population. The Red Arrow Trail (one hour) and the Blue Arrow Trail (3.5 hours) both offer good views over the city and coast.
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Centre of Contemporary Arts
CoCA houses the KickArts galleries of local contemporary visual art, as well as the Jute Theatre and the End Credits Film Club.
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James Cook Historical Museum
Housed in the imposing 1880s St Mary’s Convent, this museum explores Cooktown’s intriguing past. From a traditional outrigger canoe to the Endeavour’ s massive anchor, there’s a host of interesting displays.
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Cairns Regional Gallery
In a colonnaded 1936 heritage building, Cairns' acclaimed regional gallery hosts exhibitions reflecting the consciousness of the tropical north region, with an emphasis on local and Indigenous works.
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Tanks Arts Centre
Three gigantic WWII fuel-storage tanks have been transformed into studios, galleries showcasing local artists' work and an inspired performing-arts venue, plus a lively market day.
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Nature's Powerhouse
Nature’s Powerhouse is an environment interpretive centre in the Botanic Gardens, with two excellent galleries, a great bookshop and a cafe.
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Australian Venom Zoo
Won't take up much of your time, and is a no-go zone for arachnophobes.
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Heritage Markets
Across the road from the original markets, the heritage markets overflow with souvenirs and crafts such as ceramics, emu oil, jewellery, clothing (lots of tie-dye) and pistachio-nut figurines.
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Cairns Museum
This history museum has exhibits on the construction of the Cairns–Kuranda railway, the contents of a Chinese temple and displays on the Palmer River and Hodgkinson River goldfields.
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Birdworld
Next door to the butterfly sanctuary; displays 75 species of bird.
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Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas
For wildlife up close, head to Rainforest Habitat at the Cooktown Hwy turn-off. Free guided tours leave half-hourly and take you past cassowaries, black-necked storks, crocs and tree kangaroos and give you the chance to handfeed the kangaroos. Try an interactive eating opportunity at Breakfast with the Birds or Lunch with the Lorikeets.
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Reef Teach
Before heading out to the reef, take your knowledge to greater depths at this excellent and informative centre, where marine experts explain how to identify specific types of coral and fish and how to treat the reef with respect.
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Crystal Cascades & Lake Morris
About 20km from Cairns, the Crystal Cascades are a series of beautiful waterfalls and (croc-free) pools. The area is accessed by a 1.2km (30-minute) pathway. Crystal Cascades is linked to Lake Morris (the city's reservoir) by a steep rainforest walking trail (allow three hours return). It starts near the picnic area at Crystal Cascades and climbs steadily uphill, coming out on Lake Morris Rd, about 300m from Copperlode Dam (turn right).
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