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Cairns Maps & Attractions Guide
Cairns maps & Attractions - Things to do
in Cairns
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Cairns
Attractions - Things to do
1. Bowling Green Bay National Park
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What is it? Covering 55,300 hectares, this is the largest
National Park in the region, and the area was once home to the
Wulgurukaba Aboriginal people who have left their mark in beautiful
rock paintings. It is sited between Townsville and Bowen and
includes the Mount Elliot area and adjacent coastal wetlands,
saltpans and mangrove swamps. Alligator Creek meanders through the
park, with beautiful waterfalls and cascades crashing into deep
pools, surrounded by tropical rainforest.
Hours of Operation: The Park is open from 6.30am to 6.30pm and caters for
campers and day visitors
Phone:(0)7 4722 5224 (QPWS Reef and National Parks Information
Centre) |
2. Magnetic Island
www.magnetic-island.com.au |
What is it? Magnetic Island was named by Captain James
Cook in 1770 when he believed that the landmass of the island
affected the magnetic compass on his ship, 'Endeavour'. More than
half of the island, which is about five miles (8km) from
Townsville, is a National Park known for its rugged landscape with
granite boulders, hoop pines and eucalyptus trees. The island has
23 beaches and bays, some of which can only be reached on foot.
There are more than 12 miles (20km) of walking trails marked out on
the island. Part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park fringes the
island, which is also home to the most northerly colony of
free-ranging koala bears in Australia. The island offers a wide
range of accommodation. Local transport is available on the
island.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
3. Hartley's Creek
www.crocodileadventures.com |
What is it? This working crocodile farm is to be found on
the magnificent coastal drive 25 miles (40km) north of Cairns.
'Hartley's Crocodile Adventures' is reputedly the best crocodile
show in Australia, but the farm, sited under a lush rainforest
canopy, hosts other wildlife too such as cassowaries, dingoes,
snakes, koalas and lizards. It is the 'Crocodile Attack Show'
however that draws the crowds who are enthralled as keepers hand
feed the creatures and relate fascinating facts. High quality
crocodile leather goods are also on sale.
Hours of Operation: The farm is open daily 8.30am to 5pm; regular
conducted tours are offered
Phone:(0)7 4055 3576 |
4. Museum of Tropical Queensland
70-102 Flinders Street, Townsville
www.mtq.qld.gov.au |
What is it? This fun museum is interactive and state of
the art, designed to tell stories of the high seas like that of HMS
Pandora, the ship that captured the Bounty mutineers before coming
to grief on the Great Barrier Reef in 1791. The museum also details
the natural and human history of tropical Queensland, and there is
a fun science centre included. The building is set on the water and
includes a shop and cafe.
Hours of Operation: Daily 9.30am to 5pm (closed Christmas Day, Good
Friday and ANZAC morning, 25 April, reopening at
1pm)
Phone:(0)7 4726 0600 |
5. Quilpie Opals
Shop 2, 63 Abbott Street
www.quilpieopals.com.au |
What is it? Australia is known for producing the world's
finest opals, with 95 percent of the world's production of these
gems originating from rich mineral deposits in New South Wales,
South Australia, and Quilpie in Western Queensland. Quilpie Opals
has opened a retail store in Cairns, which also serves as an
educational venue for visitors wishing to learn about the
Australian national gemstone. The shop, which offers a vast
selection of opal jewellery as well as souvenirs, also has a
mini-theatre where visitors can watch an informative video on opal
mining, cutting and polishing.
Hours of Operation:
Phone:(0)7 4031 3688 |
6. The Esplanade
www.cairnsesplanade.com |
What is it? The recently renovated Cairns Esplanade is
the hub for visitors to the city, providing an entertaining
promenade with numerous recreational opportunities, lined with a
host of restaurants, bars and cafes. Apart from a safe, sandy
swimming lagoon and vast lawns used for all sorts of purposes from
picnics and barbecues to kite-flying, the Esplanade features
wonderful Saturday arts and crafts markets, spiced up by buskers
and colourful street characters. There is never a dull moment on
this lively foreshore.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
7. Skyrail
Caravonica Terminal: corner of Kamerunga Road and Cook
Highway, Smithfield
www.skyrail.com.au |
What is it? The most popular tourist attraction in Cairns
is the Skyrail rainforest cableway, which travels nearly five miles
(7.5km) from the Caravonica Terminal, the gondolas gliding above
the canopy of the rainforest over magnificent waterfalls and
gorges, to the village of Kuranda. En route passengers can alight
temporarily at two stations to explore the boardwalks that have
been constructed in the heart of the forest. Interpretative centres
have been set up so visitors can learn about the ecology, fauna and
flora of the fascinating ancient rainforest. The return journey
takes about two and a half hours, and the gondolas seat up to six
people. Booking in advance is advisable.
Hours of Operation: Gondolas depart continually between 8.30am and 4pm
daily
Phone:(0)7 4038 1555 (bookings) |
8. Cairns WIld World Tropical Zoo
Palm Cove, 20 minutes north of Cairns off the Captain Cook
Highway
www.wildworld.com.au |
What is it? Hundreds of indigenous and exotic species of
animals have been gathered in the Cairns Tropical Zoo to delight
young and old, who can explore six hectares of tropical landscaped
gardens and interact with the animals. Pet a koala or stroke a
snake, and meet (not too close in this case) the largest living
crocodile in the world, 'Sarge', who has lived in the park for more
than 20 years. The zoo is dedicated to engendering a greater
understanding of the wildlife of the area and promoting the
preservation of their natural habitats.
Hours of Operation: Open daily 8.30am to 5pm (closed Christmas
Day)
Phone:(0)7 4055 3669 |
9. Kuranda Railway
Departs from Cairns Railway Station, Bunda Street
(adjacent to Cairns Central Shopping Centre)
www.ksr.com.au |
What is it? The 100-year-old Kuranda rail line stretches
upwards for 21 miles (34km) from Cairns to Kuranda through tropical
rainforest, winds through 15 tunnels and 98 breathtaking curves,
and traverses 40 bridges, including one that spans the awesome
Barron River Falls. The scenic trip is a must for all visitors to
Cairns. The trip includes an educational commentary about the
history of the line and the engineering feat of its construction.
The journey takes about one hour, 45 minutes, one way. Advance
booking is recommended.
Hours of Operation: Trains leave Cairns Station 8.30am and 9.30am daily,
returning from Kuranda Station at 2pm and 3.30pm daily. Trains also
pick up passengers at Freshwater Station en route
Phone:(0)7 4036 9333 |
10. Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park
Caravonica, Kamerunga Road, Smithfield (off the Captain
Cook Highway)
www.tjapukai.com.au |
What is it? The name 'Tjapukai' means 'people of the
rainforest' and applies to the indigenous people who have inhabited
the tropical region between Cairns and Port Douglas, and inland to
Kuranda, for eons. About 20 years ago a group of entertainers
established Australia's first aboriginal dance theatre at the
village of Kuranda, near Cairns, in a shopping centre basement. Its
popularity with tourists led to expansion into a fully-fledged
award-winning 25-acre Cultural Park, which now draws the crowds at
Smithfield, a few miles north of the city. Show business, in the
form of history and dance theatre, remains the basis of the
attraction, and at the Camp Village visitors can interact with the
Tjapukai and try out traditional activities like playing the
didgeridoo and throwing a boomerang. The park also offers a
nighttime show experience where the audience is swept up into the
ancient rituals and ceremonies of the 'Dreamtime', including a
dinner banquet of local food and wine.
Hours of Operation: Open daily from 9am to 5pm. Tjapukai by Night shows
at 7.30pm (Closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day)
Phone:(0)7 4042 9900 |
11. Paronella Park
Japoonvale Road, Mena Creek
www.paronellapark.com.au |
What is it? Magical Paronella Park was the imaginative
brainchild of a young entrepreneur, Jose Paronella, who built his
dream castle on this site near Mena Creek, about 62 miles (100km)
north of Cairns, in 1929. Since then the castle has come to be
regarded as an architectural marvel, today a top tourist
attraction, which has been used as a set for several movies. The
picturesque grounds, overlooking Mena Creek Falls, feature
interesting forest walks, bamboo gardens, a secret garden and
'tunnel of love'. Cultural performances and guided walks are
offered to visitors as part of the admission price. In 1997,
Paronella Park was recognised as a historical treasure and listed
by the National Trust.
Hours of Operation: Open daily 9am to 9.30pm (closed Christmas
Day)
Phone:(0)7 4065 3225 |
12. Daintree Rainforest
About two hours north of Cairns on the Cook
Highway
www.daintree-rec.com.au |
What is it? The oldest tropical rainforest still
surviving on earth, Daintree is a World Heritage listed site
containing the highest number of rare or threatened plant and
animal species on the planet. This unique area covers around 1,200
km of northern Queensland, and is visited by thousands of tourists
who access it usually from Cairns, via Daintree Village. Visitors
enjoy an unrivalled natural experience, from the beautiful golden
beaches to hiking through ancient forest ecosystems full of
gorgeous birds, primitive flowering plants, and fascinating animals
like the estaurine crocodile.
Hours of Operation: The Environmental Centre is open daily, 8:30am to 5pm
(closed Christmas Day)
Phone:(0)7 4098 9171 (Daintree Discovery Centre) |
13. Great Barrier Reef
www.gbrmpa.gov.au |
What is it? One of the great natural wonders of the
world, the Great Barrier Reef is as big as the total combined area
of the United Kingdom and Ireland, and contains more than 1,000
islands, from sandy mounts to rainforest isles. Divers, snorkellers
and nature lovers can reach specific sites by air or by water taxi.
Non-divers can view this underwater world from a glass-bottomed
boat. The Reef ecosystem has evolved over hundreds of thousands of
years to give life to almost 7,000 species of plants and animals.
It is home to some endangered species like the green loggerhead
turtle, and is a breeding site for humpback whales. Visitors can
either cruise the islands or make a base in Cairns or one of the
many seaside towns along the Queensland coast. Visitors can access
the Great Barrier Reef from numerous regions in Queensland, from
the southern gateway of Bundaberg, Coral Coast and Country to
Gladstone, Capricorn, the Whitsundays, Mackay, Townsville and
Tropical North Queensland, including
Cairns.
Hours of Operation:
Phone:(0)7 4750 0700 (Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Authority) |
Cairns Holidays guide
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Transport -Central Cairns is compact enough to
explore on foot.
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