Cairns FNQ Overview
Cairns, the unofficial capital of Tropical North Queensland, has a beautiful coastal location on Trinity Bay surrounded by the rainforest topped hills of The Atherton Tablelands. Cairns is about an hour from Port Douglas .
The city is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Australia and can boast such attractions as The Great Barrier Reef and the nearby Daintree Tropical Rainforests The climate is of a truly tropical type.
Cairns has an extensive tourist infrastructure to cater for over 1 million annual tourists including an international airport, accommodation of all standards, restaurants, bars, nightclubs a casino, museums, Barrier Reef displays, theatres etc.
Tour The Great Barrier Reef
Cairns is perfect for exploring the Tropical Northern Reef Section of The Great Barrier Reef which is located between 15 and 150Km off shore.
Tours to the reef and Green Island leave Cairns Harbour with the most popular being the high speed catamarans which take passengers to pontoons moored just off reef systems.
Other options include flights over the reef and tours in glass bottomed boats.
The Daintree Rainforest
The Daintree Rainforest is a World Heritage Region about 2 hours drive along the Cook Highway, past Port Douglas. The scenic drive provides stunning coastal views to the small town of Mossman where a ferry crossing takes you over The Daintree River, into the rainforest itself. The Daintree covers an area of over 1000 sq Km and contains over 20% of all the bird, frog, reptile and butterfly species in Australia. There are Rainforest lookouts towers which provide stunning views above the tree canopies as well as information on plant and animal life in the area. The roads through the Daintree are not sealed and require a 4WD which can be hired from several locations
Cairns SkyRail
The Cairns Skyrail is the single most visited attraction in Tropical North Queensland and in our opinion is undoubtedly one of the 'Must Do's'. The Skyrail is a cable car system which departs from just outside Cairns Airport.
The gondolas which are sealed ( seating approximately 4 people ), quickly ascend so you are riding just metres above the beautiful rainforest canopy. There are stunning views of the Atherton Tablelands and Cairns and the Coral Sea in the distance. The Skyrail stops at several stations and reaches the township of Kuranda after around 40minutes. It is certainly a breathtaking experience. .
Kuranda
Kuranda has a quaint market selling arts and crafts and has several restaurants and cafes. Most people take the scenic railway as one leg of the journey to or from Cairns. The Kuranda Scenic Railway is equally as thrilling and takes you along steep cliff faces, through deep gorges, near cascading waterfalls and dense rainforest. The train has heritage carriages to enhance the experience.
Where To Stay
For a full list of the properties we have listed please see the Cairns accommodation page for hotels and resorts and Backpacker accommodation for hostels.
Location
Cairns is located in the north east of Queensland and has a tropical latitude of 16.9°S and a longitude of 145.7° E.
Approximate Driving Time/Distance
31Hrs From Sydney (2500Km)
34Hrs From Melbourne (2900Km) )
21Hrs From Brisbane (1800Km) )
See Route and Distance Calculator for more driving times and routes.
Flying To Cairns
Cairns aiport is serviced by several airlines including Virgin Blue and Jetstar.
Shuttle buses, hire cars and taxis can be taken from the airport.
Queensland School & Public Holidays
New Years Day Tue 1st Jan.
Australia Day Mon 28th Jan.
Good Friday 21st March.
Easter Monday 24th March.
Anzac Day Fri 25th April.
Labour Day Mon 5th May.
Queens Birthday Holiday Mon 9th June.
Christmas Day Thu 25th Dec.
Boxing Day Holiday Fri 26th Dec.
(End and start school on preceding and next week day (Mon - Fri) respectively)
School Starts Tue 29th January
Easter Holiday 7th April To 11th April.
Winter Holiday 30th June To 11th July.
Spring Holiday 22nd Sept To 3rd Oct.
Summer Holiday 15th Dec To Jan 21st.
Daylight Saving does not operate in Queensland
Note: Dates for guidance only. Always check with your individual School as variations may occur for individual education authorities or establishments and dates may be subject to change. Always check with relevant State or Territory education department to confirm holiday periods at the commencement of each school year. Not all Public Holidays for individual regions within each state and territory are shown and public holidays falling on weekends are not listed. Not all Public Holidays may be applicable to all employers, organisations etc so always check with your employer, education authority etc which public holidays are applicable.
Cairns Climate
These figures are for guidance only:
Approximate Max Average Temperature
Max Average Temperature
Deg C/ Deg F
Winter(June-Aug):25 / 76
Spring(Sep-Nov):28 / 82.5
Summer(Dec-Feb):30 / 86
Autumn(Mar-May):28 / 82.5
During Box Jelly Fish season from November to May, it is not advised to swim outside of net protected beaches
Wet Season: November - May
Dry Season: June - October
Approximate Average Monthly Rainfall - mm
Winter(June-Aug): 44
Spring(Sep-Nov): 59
Summer(Dec-Feb): 340
Autumn(Mar-May): 268
