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Cairns

Cairns, in Queensland Australia, is a city on the northeast coast of Australia. It is a popular holiday destination and one of the gateways to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

In 2024 Cairns is open, but Cyclone Jasper closed the highway for a while at the end of 2023. Everything is as normal now, pretty much. You can visit Cairns and the surrounding area easily now.

The rest of this page covers what’s normally available to do in Cairns. Individual posts (for instance Daintree Rainforest from Cairns, Port Douglas from Cairns) have been updated to reflect any closures.

cairns cairns australia cairns queensland
Cairns Australia. Cairns is in Far North Queensland and is a popular holiday destination, one of the gateways to the Great Barrier Reef. Cairns enjoys a tropical climate, making it warm year-round, but very wet in summer!

Cairns

What is there to do in Cairns?

There are many things to see and do in and around Cairns. The short list is below, see our full posts for more details.

  • Visit the Great Barrier Reef or Islands nearby to swim, snorkel or scuba dive.
  • Visit many waterfalls, lakes, and fresh water swimming holes in the region.
  • Tour the Atherton Tablelands, see wineries, dairies, chocolate, coffee and banana farms.
  • Head a little north to Port Douglas, Mossman Gorge, and the Daintree Rainforest.
  • Visit Kuranda, a rainforest village accessible by cable car, road, or steam train.
  • North of Cairns you will find the Northern Beaches.
  • Visit many tourist attractions such as the Cairns Aquarium and Cairns Wakeboarding.
  • Fishing and seafood are popular in this region. Even Marlin fishing in season.
  • Get to see wild or captive saltwater crocodiles.
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