17+ Amazing Things to Do in Cairns, Australia (Reef & Beyond)
I had it in my head that I wouldn’t like Cairns, Australia. I’m not sure why, but I was wrong.
As one of Australia’s biggest tourist towns, Cairns is vibrant with plenty of restaurants and cafes to keep me happy.
Not to mention, thanks to its Tropical North Queensland location, the weather in Cairns is amazing. You can walk around at night and have plenty to see and do, and the days are filled with an enormous number of choices from snorkeling tours to hiking in the surrounding national parks.
Credit: Tourism & Events Qld
I quickly discovered that Cairns is more than just a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. It’s also the gateway to the Atherton Tablelands and the nearby Daintree Rainforest. For nature lovers, the city is not too bad to use as a base for hiking adventures.
We were blown away by the number of things to do in Cairns. So to help you plan your trip to Cairns, here’s a list of the best attractions in Cairns, plus a few hidden gems.
-
Things to do in Cairns, Australia
- 1. Swim at the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon
- 2. Visit Rusty’s Farmer’s Market
- 3. Explore The Great Barrier Reef
- 4. Visit Kuranda on the SkyRail and Scenic Railway
- 5. Go White Water Rafting on the Barron River
- 6. Take A Free Fitness Class at the Esplanade
- 7. Enjoy The Cairns Night Markets
- 8. Visit The Atherton Tablelands
- 8. Take a Trip To Mossman Gorge and The Daintree
- 9. Get Breakfast at Lillipad Cafe
- 10. Have a Monster-sized Dinner at Cock and Bull Pub
- 11. Take a visit to Cairns Botanic Gardens
- 12. Check Out Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome
- 13. Take a Helicopter Ride over the Barrier Reef
- 14. Relax at Four Mile Beach
- 15. Try Spear Fishing at Cooya Beach
- 16. Take a Day Trip to Fitzroy Island
- 17. Explore the Chillagoe Caves (Queensland Outback)
- Tips from our Facebook Community
- Where to Stay in Cairns
- Final Thoughts on Things to Do in Cairns
- More Tropical North Queensland Tips
So without further ado, here are the top things to do in Cairns. Whether you want to explore the Great Barrier Reef, relax and chill, or learn about the local history and culture, these Cairns attractions are for you.
1. Swim at the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon
Definitely, a favourite feature of the Tropical North Queensland towns is their man-made pools by the beach.
Just in case you didn’t know, the cruelty of the Aussie north is you get stinking hot summers, but you can’t swim from the beaches, they’re full of stingers – jellyfish that can seriously harm you, even kill you.
There are also a few crocs around too. Sadly, Australia is full of deadly creatures, but fortunately, you can avoid them easily.
The main beach in Cairns is also more of a mud flat, and not that nice anyway.
Not to fear, the man-made Cairns lagoon gives you exactly what you need.
Crystal clear waters, beach views, and life guards. The Cairns Esplanade lagoon is a cool place to laze around, read your book, and meet other travelers.
2. Visit Rusty’s Farmer’s Market
Rusty’s Farmers Market
OMG. I would be hanging out at Rusty’s Markets every week if I lived in Cairns.
I think it’s the cheapest farmers’ market I’ve visited in Australia so far. 50 cent avocados, hello! Get here on a Sunday at around 2pm just before it shuts, there’s slash-down prices galore.
You might want to check with the Woolworths supermarket too, on a day we were in there they had a trolley full of fruit and veg they were selling for $3 all you could fill in a bag. There was a bit of wrestling going on to fill the bags with the best goods.
I really loved that idea to prevent wastage.
3. Explore The Great Barrier Reef
redit: Tourism & Events Qld
Cairns is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, a true wonder of the world that is 2,300km long, which is why it’s such a popular place to visit and probably the main reason you’re visiting. It so should be!
I’m happy to say The Great Barrier Reef is just as magnificent and magical as you’ve heard. I loved our full-day tour exploring the underwater world with the girls. It was such a cool experience for them at such a young age.
Visiting the Great Barrier Reef can be expensive, but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Budget for the expense so you don’t feel guilty or stressed when it comes time to hand over the cash for this incredible World Heritage Site.
Credit: Tourism & Events Qld
We debated about the cost but knew it was something we may never get to do again, and hey, it’s the Great Barrier Reef.
We asked some locals at the Caravan Park we were staying at for advice, checked in with our facebook community, and jumped on Tripadvisor to do more research.
We’d always wanted to go to the Outer Reef, because that’s where the best snorkeling and diving are. You might only visit the Reef once, but you will want to see it at its best!
Tours range from small boats where you dive or snorkel off the boat, to bigger tours where you moor at a pontoon and from there participate in many different activities.
The Pontoon Experience
Reef pontoon | Credit: Tourism & Events QLD
Because we have two young kids we decided the pontoon experience would be most practical. We didn’t fancy being stuck on a cramped boat all day with a two and six-year-old, it would have been stressful, and gaining access to the water would have been tricky.
We chose the pontoon experience at Marine World based out at Moore Reef with Reef Magic Tours after hearing they were probably the best for families. The family price was $495 including lunch, but hey it’s the Great Barrier Reef and it’s Australia.
The pontoon was a great choice.
After our 90-minute high-speed catamaran ride out from Cairns our vessel moored at Marine World and we jumped on the pontoon.
It gave us all room to move around without being confined to a boat. Plus the stairs that lead down from the main deck to a submersed snorkel platform allow you to sit down and put on your mask and fins, making it easy to slide into the water.
Marine World at Moore Reef
The all-weather Marine World platform caters to all activity levels and was a great base for the day.
We had our own table and chairs on the sundeck, use of freshwater showers and changing rooms and lockers, and a yummy morning/afternoon tea plus a full buffet lunch.
Kalyra snorkeling by herself
The best part was the confidence Kalyra got by snorkeling in the sheltered coral lagoon. The snorkel area is supervised at all times, they had snorkeler rest stations scattered around if you needed a break in the water, and we could clearly see the bottom at all times.
AND we met “Wally” the big Maori Wrasse!
“Wally” the big Maori Wrasse – image by ReefMagicCruisesIntroductory Scuba Dive
If you’re going to visit the Great Barrier Reef you’ve gotta do a dive right?!
Craig decided this was a once-in-a-lifetime moment and put his hand up for an introductory dive. This was going to be only his second time ever diving, his first being two years ago off Shelley Beach in Sydney.
Craig ready for his dive!
For $125 he got a 30-minute dive with an instructor and just one other person. Intro dives have no more than 4 visitors per instructor making it reassuring for any first-timers.
He loved it.
His dive reached a maximum of about 8 metres in the beautiful coral lagoon, a sheltered area with dense coral reef and a ton of marine life, including some time swimming with big WALLY!
“It’s another world down there, I can definitely see the addiction to diving” he beamed.
Of course, he had to take the compulsory selfie:
Craig diving in the Great Barrier Reef
Not only did we snorkel and dive, but we were able to see more of the reef on a glass bottom boat and a semi-sub.
We loved our family day out on the reef.
Giant purple clam
If you or your family are heading to Cairns, Marine World is a great option. Besides what we did Reef Magic Cruises also have an adventure snorkel safari and certified diving packages.
The other major tour operators out of Cairns include Quicksilver and Reef Experience.
Snorkelling from Green Island
We also spent the day on Green Island located 45 minutes by boat from Cairns.
It’s a sand island and is great for a relaxing day and for families, Kalyra loved seeing a few fish and stingrays!
You can snorkel straight off the shore and we felt the area near the jetty was much better than snorkeling off the patrolled beach. There’s also a nice boardwalk through the forest to the other side of the island, and whilst the kiddies played in the water I enjoyed a massage.
There are three departure times and our family ticket cost $215 and we went with Great Adventures.
4. Visit Kuranda on the SkyRail and Scenic Railway
One of the most popular things to do in Cairns apart from visiting the Great Barrier Reef is riding the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway up to the hinterland town of Kuranda and then taking the Kuranda Scenic Railway back down.
The Skyrail was opened in August 1995, and at the time was the longest gondola cableway in the world.
The scenic journey takes you past Barron Falls, a beautiful waterfall that’s nestled in the rainforest.
You also get a bird’s eye view of some of the best wet tropics landscape, period. From our diamond view gondola, we could look down through the floor to see the amazing plants and flora below.
* This article was originally published here
Comments
Post a Comment