Cairns is probably the city we liked the least in Australia, but be careful… this does not mean that it is not worth a visit! In fact it is a perfect base for exploring North Queensland . If you have a visit to this (hot) city planned, in this post we are going to tell you the 20 best things to see and do in Cairns (and its surroundings).
- One of the most beautiful buildings in town is The Cairns Post, the local newspaper.
- Come to the Cairns Library, with a very beautiful colonnaded facade, full of tropical plants and, of course, free Wi-Fi.
- When night comes, go to thenight market and have dinner there: there is a kind of food court where you can eat cheap dishes. Also, if you want to buy some other souvenir this is the right place to do it.
- As you pass under the trees at the intersection of Aplin and Albott streets, look up and see its strange inhabitants. They are neither more nor less than bats! And no, they won’t do anything to you.
- If you only had the time to do one thing in Cairns, we would not hesitate: go take a dip in the Lagoon, a huge public swimming pool, by the sea, where there is even a small artificial beach. You can also bring your sausages and use the free barbecues in the park.
- Enjoy the sunset from the promenade, one of the most atmospheric areas of Cairns… well, the most!
- Take advantage of the happy hour offersat some of the bars in the center. We had a few beers at the Bavarian Beerhouse, the 0.50l beer costs $ 6.5 from Monday to Sunday from 5pm to 7pm and from 10pm to 11.30pm.
- Right next door there is a fast food( Oasis Kebab) where we ate a pizza that tasted like glory. And cheap: the “large” cost $ 15 (for Australia it is cheap XD).
- Although if the budget is not a problem for you, you should try the local seafood… it is reputed to be very rich (tell us, ok?).
- Visit the Kuranda Forest, it is located just 30 km from Cairns and is one of the best things to do around the city. You can arrive on a historic train, visit a small village (the Kuranda Village) with many attractions, and take in the whole panorama from a bird’s eye view in one of the longest skyrails in the world. Here we tell you about our experience in the Kuranda Forest.
- If you don’t want to leave the city but still want to enjoy Australian nature, a good option is to visit the botanical gardens.
- Another excursion that is absolutely worth it is the one that will take you to discover the Daintree Forest, one of the oldest and largest tropical forests in the world. We recommend spending at least one night in Cape Tribulation. Here we tell you about our visit to the Daintree Forest.
- On your return, make a stop at the Daintree Village and join a 1-hour river cruise on the Daintree River. Its main protagonist? The crocodile! We did the tour with Bruce Belcher’s Daintree River Cruise and we loved it. Take a look at the bookme website, they often have specials (the crocodile tour cost us only $ 18 per person!).
- Another very beautiful area is the Mossaman Gorge, where you can do some beautiful trekking along the watercourse and see its curious round rocks.
- If you are looking for ideas of where to get married, visit Port Douglasand its beautiful wooden church on the beach ( St. Mary Church). Makes you want a wedding, I tell you that I never dreamed of putting on the white suit.
- Learn more about ancient Aboriginal culture at the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park. There are exhibitions, performances and you can even encourage yourself to throw a boomerang!
- Take a tour to Green Island, one of the most beautiful islands on the East Coast of Australia: it has crystal clear beaches and good snorkeling. Of course, make sure it is not the time of the irukandji jellyfish, as small as it is deadly (it can be the size of a fingernail and if, you heard correctly, it can kill you).
- If you like markets, don’t miss Rusty’s Market. It opens on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. There you will find organic products, tropical fruit and the odd exotic surprise.
- Party! In the center of Cairns there are many places where you can have a few drinks and end the day in style.
- But if there’s one thing Cairns is famous for, it’s being the base for exploring the Great Barrier Reef. We opted to do it with a scenic flight : we had heard that boat tours are quite disrespectful of this wonder of the world. But they told us that there is some company (especially diving) that is very careful not to damage the largest living organism on Earth. Find out well and draw your conclusions.
