World City Guide

Mini Guide of Cairns

City Overview

That Cairns is one of Australia’s most popular tourist destinations would be highly surprising if you were to examine the city alone without considering its wider context. Cairns has no famous city landmarks, and does not even have a beach thanks to the first white settlers who cleared away the apparently useless mangrove swamp on the coastline, exposing the sand to the ravages of erosion. However, Cairns is located within striking distance of two World Heritage listed sites (the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest), and also has excellent transport links that make it an easily accessible base from which to explore these sites.

Cairns was established in 1876 as a service port for gold miners in the Atherton Tableland to the west. Its subsequent growth was largely thanks to its selection in 1892 as the starting point of a freight railway carrying goods to and from the Tableland. Another significant moment in Cairns’ more recent history was its selection in 1984 as the site of an international airport, a decision which sparked the boom in tourism that is so evident in the city today. Cairns is now a bustling tourist centre with countless excursions to the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest available, and the money brought by tourism has even meant that an artificial saltwater lagoon could be built in 2003 to make up for the absent beach.

Getting There By Air

Cairns International Airport (CNS)
Tel: (07) 4052 3888.
Website: www.cairnsport.com.au/airport

The airport is located 7km (4.5 miles) north of the city centre.

Airport facilities: Duty-free shopping, food outlets, ATMs, currency exchange facilities, showers, baby care facilities, baggage storage and short- and long-term parking are provided. Car hire is available from Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Red Spot and Thrifty.

Transport to the city: Australia Coach (tel: (07) 4048 8355; website: www.australiacoach.com.au) operates an airport shuttle bus service to hotels and the city centre. Sun Palm Express Coaches (tel: (07) 4084 2626; website: www.sunpalmtransport.com) operates a service to the Northern Beaches and Palm Cove. Taxi ranks are located outside the arrival halls.

Getting There By Water

Getting There By Road

Cairns is connected to Townsville, Maclay and Rockhampton to the south by the Bruce Highway (1), and to Port Douglas to the North by the Captain Cook Highway (44).

Coach services: Operators running daily long-haul services between Cairns and Brisbane, via Townsville and Rockhampton, include Greyhound Australia (tel: 13 14 99 (Australia only) or (07) 4690 9950; website: www.greyhound.com.au) and Premier Motor Service (tel: 13 34 10 (Australia only); website: www.premierms.com.au). Smaller coach companies such as Coral Reef Coaches (tel: (07) 4098 2800; website: www.coralreefcoaches.com.au), Sun Palm Transport (tel: (07) 4084 2626; website: www.sunpalmtransport.com) and Country Road Coachlines (tel: (07) 4045 2794; website: www.countryroadcoachlines.com.au) run services to northern destinations such as Port Douglas, Cape Tribulation and Cooktown. Country Road Coachlines also runs a service west to Karumba.

Getting There By Rail

QR Traveltrain (tel: (07) 3235 1133; website: www.traveltrain.com.au) runs services four times a week to and from Brisbane, via Townsville and Rockhampton. Traveltrain also runs the Kuranda Scenic Railway twice daily to and from Kuranda. All services operate out of Cairns’ Bunda Street station (tel: (07) 4036 9250).

Getting Around

Public Transport
The only public transport available in Cairns is the public bus service, run by Sunbus (tel: (07) 4057 7411; website: www.sunbus.com.au). The central terminal and an info kiosk where tickets can be purchased, are located at the Cairns City Place Transit Mall, which is on Lake Street between Shield and Spence Streets. All buses can either be caught at bus stops or hailed at any point on their route. Discounted Daily, Weekly and Monthly Passes are available, as well as a Family Day Pass.

At the core of the system is the City Loop service, which runs every 20 minutes between the Transit Mall and the City Hospital. In addition, numerous services run out to the northern, western and southern suburbs hourly. These include buses 1C, 1D and 1H, which run north to Smithfield and Yorkey’s Knob, bus 7 which runs to Machans Beach via the Botanical Gardens, buses 4, 5, 5A, 6 and 6A which run west to the Raintrees Shopping Centre, and buses 1, 1A, 11, 12 and 13 which all run south to Edmonton.

Taxis
The sole provider of taxis in Cairns is Black and White Taxis (tel: 131 008 (within Australia) or (07) 4048 8333).

Car Hire
Most of the car hire companies in Cairns are located on Lake Street, between Florence and Aplin Streets, or at the airport. These include Avis (tel: (07) 4051 5911; website: www.avis.com.au); Budget (tel: (07) 4051 9222; website: www.budget.com.au); East Coast Car Rentals (tel: (07) 4031 6555 or 1800 028 881; website: www.eastcoastcarrentals.com.au); Hertz (tel: (07) 4051 6399; website: www.hertz.com.au) and Redspot (tel: (07) 4034 9052; website: www.redspotrentals.com.au)

Bicycle Hire
Bicycle hire shops are few and far between in Cairns. Car and scooter hire companies that also offer bicycles include Mini Car Rentals, 150 Sheridan Street (tel: (07) 4051 6288; website: www.minicarrentals.com.au) and Bolwell Scooter World, 47 Shield Street (tel: (07) 4031 3444). Some hostel also hire out bicycles.

Business

Sightseeing

Sightseeing Overview
Cairns’ main sightseeing attractions are the two World Heritage listed sites to its north and east. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most diverse marine habitats on earth, home to millions of fish and other creatures, and the section of the reef off the Cairns coast is easier to access than anywhere else because the outer reef is so shallow and close to the shore. The Daintree Rainforest is one of the best preserved in the world, and some of the plant species still living here have been around since the time of the dinosaurs. Tourist attractions such as the Skyway Rainforest Cableway make the rainforest accessible to everyone, whilst the Flecker Botanic Gardens and Cairns Rainforest Dome bring the plants and animals of the rainforest to the city. The history of human habitation in this unique area has also produced some interesting attractions such as the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, the Cairns Museum and the Royal Flying Doctor Visitor Centre.

Tourist Information
Tourism Tropical North Queensland Gateway Discovery Centre
51 The Esplanade
Tel: (07) 4051 3588.
E-mail: info@tropicalaustralia.com.au
Website: www.tropicalaustralia.com.au

There are no combined tourism passes available in Cairns at present.

Key Attractions

Cairns Regional Gallery
Cairns Regional Gallery, housed within the majestic old Public Offices Building, displays a wide variety of work by many of Far North Queensland’s finest contemporary artists and also houses touring exhibitions of work by some of Australia’s most significant artists.

Corner of Abbott and Shields Streets
Tel: (07) 4046 4800.
Website: www.cairnsregionalgallery.com.au

Cairns Rainforest Dome
This quite extraordinary zoo, located in the domed roof of a hotel in central Cairns, allows visitors to get up close to fascinating Australian fauna, such as koalas, snakes and kookaburras, but the star exhibit is the truly immense four metre long saltwater crocodile, nicknamed Goliath, which can be viewed underwater through its glass tank.

Top level, Reef Hotel Casino, 35-41 Wharf Street
Tel: (07) 4031 7250.
Website: www.cairnsrainforestdome.com.au

The Cairns Museum
This somewhat old-fashioned local museum, run by volunteers from the Cairns Historical Society, is packed with interesting exhibits, showcasing various elements of Cairns’ history. Star artefacts include an extensive collection of weapons and hunting implements made by Aboriginal rainforest dwellers and the contents of a demolished Chinese Temple formerly located in the city centre.

Corner of Shields and Lake Streets
Tel: (07) 4051 5582.
Website: www.cairnsmuseum.org.au/museum.html

Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park
Australia’s first Aboriginal cultural attraction (and the one with the most awards to its name), Tjapukai, is located in a 25-acre park just 15 minutes north of central Cairns. Visitors can watch traditional song and dance, learn about aboriginal beliefs and history and even try their hand at boomerang and spear throwing, didgeridoo playing or boomerang painting.

Kamerunga Road, Smithfield
Tel: (07) 4042 9900.
Website: www.tjapukai.com.au

Flecker Botanic Gardens
A walk through the Flecker Botanic Gardens, much wilder than most of Australia’s botanic gardens, feels almost like a walk through the rainforest. Attractions include the Fernery, Orchid House and Aboriginal Plant Use section.

Collins Avenue, Edge Hill
Tel: (07) 4044 3398.
Website: www.cairns.qld.gov.au (click on ‘Council’, ‘FAQs’ and ‘Parks and Beaches’)

Further Distractions

Royal Flying Doctor Visitor Centre
This quirky little museum, from which all proceeds go to the Royal Flying Doctor service, includes a fascinating video presentation about the history and continued importance of this innovative way of bringing medical care to remote outback communities. The star exhibit is a real Flying Doctors aircraft, parked in the garden, which visitors can explore at their leisure.

1 Junction Street, Edge Hill
Tel: (07) 4053 5687.
Website: www.flyingdoctorqueensland.net

Skyway Rainforest Cableway
The Skyway Rainforest Cableway begins 15km (9 miles) north of Cairns and carries visitors over 7.5km (4.5 miles) of pristine rainforest to the beautiful rainforest village of Kuranda. It provides riders with unique views of the lush canopy of the ancient rainforest, as well as breathtaking views of the Barron Gorge and Falls.

Corner Kamerunga Road and Cook Highway, Smithfield
Tel: (07) 4038 1555.
Website: www.skyrail.com.au

Tours of the City

Cairns Discovery Tours (tel: (07) 4053 5259; website: www.cairnsdiscoverytours.com) offer half day tours of Cairns and its surrounds with a focus on natural history. My Town Tours (tel: (07) 4033 2095; website: www.mytown.net.au) give shorter tours with a more historical focus. Alternatively, the Cairns Heritage City Walk and Southern Heritage Drive leaflets, available free of charge from the Gateway Visitor Centre on the Esplanade, allow visitors to self-guide themselves around Cairns and its surrounds. Bandicoot Cycle Tours (tel: (07) 4055 0155; website: www.bandicootbicycles.com) provide small-group, fully-escorted cycle rides through the rainforest hills above Cairns, and give participants the chance to swim in a volcanic crater lake.

Excursions

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the world’s most impressive natural tourist attractions, and Cairns is an ideally situated base from which to explore it. Numerous excursions run out to the Reef from Cairns Harbour, offering the chance to snorkel and scuba dive amongst the spectacular fish and coral. For more information contact the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (tel: (07) 4750 0700; website: www.gbrmpa.gov.au).

Named by Captain Cook, after his ship was wrecked on a reef nearby, Cape Tribulation has a fascinating place in Australian history. The beautiful coastline here is one of the few places in the world where the rainforest meets the sea, and the coastal mangroves in particular provide a unique environment for diverse wildlife. Two of the most unusual methods of experiencing this wildlife (‘jungle surfing’ along cables in the canopy, and night walking) are provided by Jungle Adventures (tel: (07) 4098 0090; website: www.junglesurfingcanopytours.com). On the way between Cairns and Cape Tribulation, the Daintree River is one of the best places in Australia to see enormous saltwater crocodiles in the wild. For more information contact Daintree Cape Tribulation Tourism (tel: (07) 4098 0070; website: www.dctta.asn.au).

Another great excursion destination to the west of Cairns is the Atherton Tableland, a beautiful mountainous area, where visitors can bathe in the many idyllic tropical waterfalls. For further information contact Tropical Tablelands Tourism (tel: (07) 4091 7444; website: www.athertontableland.com).

Sport

Shopping

Cairns has an excellent range of markets. The most famous are the Night Markets on the Esplanade, open every evening, which sell local arts and crafts and a wide selection of food. The nearby Esplanade Markets, located near the lagoon, offer excellent quality jewellery and trinkets every Saturday. The Rusty’s Markets, held every weekend in the ground floor car park of Gilligan’s Backpackers, between Sheridan and Grafton Streets, sell locally grown produce and exotic fruits. The Tanks Market Day, on the last Sunday of the month, June to November, at the Tanks Art Centre in Edgehill, has a different theme each month.

The Cairns Central shopping centre, on the corner of McLeod and Spence Streets (website: www.cairnscentral.com.au) has an extensive range of shops from department stores to small speciality boutiques. On the seafront, Pier Shopping, Pierpoint Road (website: www.thepier.com.au) has a tourist-friendly selection of speciality shops and art galleries.

Aussie Bush Hats and Oilskins is a successful local business that sells authentic Australian bush wear made from traditional high quality materials and has shops in the Cairns Central Shopping Centre and the Night Markets.

Culture

The Cairns Civic Theatre (tel: (07) 4044 3770 or 4031 9933 or 4031 9555 for tickets; website: www.cairnscivictheatre.com.au) operated by the City Council, is the main venue for both amateur and professional comedy, dance, drama and circus. The new Centre of Contemporary Arts (CoCa) (tel: (07) 4050 9401; website: www.coca.org.au) is home to JUTE Theatre (tel: (07) 4050 9444; website: www.jute.com.au), a multi-award-winning contemporary theatre company. The Tanks Arts Centre (tel: (07) 4032 2349) is a unique venue in Edge Hill for performance and visual arts housed in a series of huge converted World War II oil tanks. It is home to the Cairns Concert Orchestra. The Rondo is home to Cairns Little Theatre (website: www.cairnslittletheatre.com) which puts on several theatrical productions each year. The Cairns Convention Centre (tel: (07) 4042 4200; website: www.cairnsconvention.com.au) is the largest venue in town and the arena of choice for the most significant visiting events and bands.

Cairns City Cinema (tel: (07) 4031 1077) and Cairns Central Cinema (tel: (07) 4052 1166) are both run by Birch Carroll & Coyle (BCC) (website: www.greaterunion.com.au) and show all the newest blockbusters. The End Credits Film Club (tel: (07) 4050 9450; website: www.endcredits.org.au) screens non-mainstream films on various dates and in various venues, including both BCC Cinemas, CoCa and open air screenings at the Flecker Botanic Gardens.

More information on all events in Cairns can be found in The Fly magazine (free), published every Thursday and available at most hotels, attractions and bars, and through Ticketlink (tel: (07) 4031 9555; website: www.ticketlink.com.au), where tickets may also be purchased.

Nightlife

Cairns has an extraordinarily lively, though in some places slightly unrefined, nightlife. Many of the venues form a ‘strip’ along Spence Street, and in general, entertainment on offer here will be wilder than elsewhere. For more information, check out The Fly, a free weekly listings newspaper available from most hotels, attractions, bars, etc.

Bars: The Metbar, 15 Spence Street (website: http://metbar.cairns.net.au) is a stylish bar with quality drinks. The Mad Cow Tavern, 25-27 Spence St, is a great place for a funky night out and the swanky new Gilligan's Backpackers Hotel & Resort, between Sheridan and Grafton Streets, has a huge open air beer hall, as well as a mezzanine bar with a 24 hour licence.

Clubs: Tropos, corner of Lake and Spence Streets (website: www.troposnightclub.com) has a troupe of dancers and a unique daiquiri bar on the balcony. Sporties, 33 Spence Street (website: www.sportiesnightclub.com) is a slightly tacky hangout with a great sound system. Soho Nightclub, level two, 59 Shields Street (website: www.sohonightclub.com) showcases massive international acts and DJs.

Live Music: The legendary Johno’s Blues Bar, corner of Abbott and Aplin Streets, (website: www.cairns.net.au/~pedro/johnos) has live music from blues and rock performers every night. The Brothers Leagues Club, 99-105 Anderson St, Manunda (website: www.brotherscairns.com.au) has regular music from breakthrough bands and top tribute acts. The Edge Hill Tavern, 145-147 Pease Street (website: www.edgehilltavern.com.au) has live music from local bands.

City Statistics

Location: Queensland, Australia.
Country dialling code: 61.
Time zone: GMT + 10 (GMT + 11 from last Sunday in October to Saturday before last Sunday in March).
Electricity: 220-240 volts AC, 50Hz; flat three-pin plugs.
Average January temp: 28°C (82°F).
Average July temp: 22°C (72°F).
Annual rainfall: 1,992mm (78.4 inches).

Special Events

Cairns Tropical Garden Show, mid May, showcases the best of North Queensland’s horticulture and garden design (website: www.cairnsgardenshow.com)
The Cairns Show, mid Jul, is the largest regional show in Australia, with a fun park and numerous competitions (website: www.cairns-show.com)
Festival Cairns, throughout Sep, is a celebration involving performing and visual arts, music and sport (website: www.festivalcairns.com.au)
Carnival on Collins, early Sep, is a day of family fun in Edgehill, with the Botanic Gardens and the Tanks Arts Centre as two of the venues
MusiCairnS, mid Sep, showcases local performers from many musical genres and even has its own glitzy award show (website: www.musicairns.com)

Cost of Living

1 Australian Dollar (A$1) = £0.43; US$0.76; C$0.88; ¬0.63
Currency conversion rates as of October 2005