Cairns is the gateway to Queensland's tropical north coast. It is around 2 hours by plane from Brisbane and over 18 hours drive. Cairns airport caters for both domestic and international flights. Cairns is the easiest way to reach the Great Barrier Reef and the world heritage listed Daintree Rainforest. The popular Palm Cove is close by and the seaside village of Port Douglas just an hour to the north. Cairns experiences a tropical climate with a wet season with heavy monsoonal downpours which runs from November to May and a relatively dry season from June to October. Cairns has hot, humid summers and warm winters. Cairns accommodation ranges from affordable family friendly hotels and resorts, a great holiday park and some excellent island resorts.

Accommodation

Ingenia Cairns Coconut

A peaceful, tropical oasis set among beautifully landscaped grounds just 7 minutes drive from the centre of town. There are cabins, caravan sites and camping grounds available, along with a great range of facilities and activities to make your stay both fun and memorable. There are holiday units, one and two bedroom cabins to choose from. Facilities include a splash park, jumping pillows, water slides, kids zone, adventure playground, mini golf, kiosk, tennis court and sun lagoon pool.

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Cairns Colonial Club

Set on 11 acres of tropical rainforest gardens, the iconic Cairns Colonial Club Resort is conveniently located just 8km south of the Cairns Airport. It houses 345 modern accommodation rooms, three lagoon-style swimming pools, a man-made beach and the Thirsty Flamingo Poolside Bar & Dining. Accommodation includes resort, superior and studio rooms. There is a children's playground and toddlers pool.

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Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort

Located in Lake St close to the Esplanade the Novotel Cairns offers locally inspired architecture, design and decor. The hotel draws on its stunning tropical surroundings whilst offering amenities on par with the best resorts in Australia. It has a large free-form swimming pool with a sandy beach, gym, restaurant and bar. Accommodation includes standard, deluxe and pool view rooms and suites.

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The Lakes Resort Cairns

The Lakes Resort Cairns is a fully integrated 4.5 star resort, set on 11 acres of tropical gardens. Located just minutes away from the CBD and adjacent to the Botanical Gardens. Choose from one, two and three bedroom apartments equipped with modern appliances, quality furnishings and separate dining and living areas. The resort has 4 swimming pools, a spa pool, toddler playground & tennis court.

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Green Island Resort

Green Island is a national park located within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and is situated 27km offshore from Cairns, a 45 minute fast catamaran trip. Activities include snorkelling, glass bottom boat tour, windsurfing, kayaking and island walks. Emeralds Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Accommodation includes king and twin suites. The island has a wide range of child and adult friendly activities.

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Fitzroy Island Resort

Fitzroy Island is an unspoilt tropical paradise of rainforest and beaches within the calm sheltered waters of the Great Barrier Reef and is ideal for families. It is located 45 minutes from Cairns by ferry. Facilities include an outdoor pool & spa, swim up pool bar, arcade games room, children's play room, movie theatre, restaurant and bar. Accommodation is a choice of resort studio, island suites and two bedroom beach cabin.

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Cairns Attractions

Hartleys Crocodile Adventures

from $45.00

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Cairns Three Park Attraction Pass

from $99.00

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Classic Kuranda Day Tour from Cairns

from $252.00

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Koala Gardens and Birdworld Pass

from $37.00

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Tropical North Queensland things to do

Green Island

Located just 45 minutes from Cairns by fast catamaran, Green Island is a beautiful 6000 year old coral cay located within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. There are full day and half day cruise packages to the island available. The island has some fantastic snorkelling, a resort pool you can use (certain packages only), shops, a great eco walk, restaurants and food outlets, glass bottom boat tours and helicopter scenic flights. You can also visit Marineland Melanesia and see some massive crocodiles up close.

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Kuranda

Kuranda is a small village 25km north west of Cairns situated on the Barron River and surrounded by World Heritage-listed rainforest. You can drive there (around 30 minutes from Cairns) or catch the scenic railway or skyrail. There are plenty of things to do in Kuranda including visiting the Rainforest and Heritage Markets where you can buy local produce, crafts, clothing and homemade goods. The Butterfly Sanctuary, Kuranda Koala Gardens and Birdworld Kuranda are all worth a visit if you have time.

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Scenic Railway & Skyrail

The famous scenic railway winds its way on a journey from Cairns to Kuranda, the village in the rainforest. Rising from sea level to 327 metres, the journey to Kuranda passes spectacular waterfalls and into the stunning Barron Gorge stopping at Freshwater along the way for a great view of the falls. It takes around an hour and a half and once you reach Kuranda you have plenty of time to explore this beautiful town and all it has to offer. Then return on the Skyrail, a 1.5 hour journey in a cable car high above the rainforest floor.

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Cairns Aquarium

The Cairns Aquarium is located in the heart of town just one block from the Esplanade. It is open daily from 10am to 3pm. The aquarium provides visitors with guaranteed interaction with some of the rarest and most elusive animals on earth. There are shows and talks as well as animal experiences and education programs. The aquarium showcases 16,000 animals from 10 different ecosystems and 71 habitats across Tropical North Queensland. Dundee's restaurant lets people dine while watching schools of fish and sharks swim past in the "Under the Pier" aquatic display.

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Atherton Tablelands

Starting just south-west of Cairns and rising more than 700m above sea level, the Atherton Tablelands is a lush, fertile region of rainforest, wetland and savannah. A vibrant green land of dramatic mountains, untouched rainforest, delicious produce and jaw-dropping waterfalls. Bushwalking and hiking trails wind through lush rainforest: take a short track through the Crater Lakes National Park or tackle the challenging Misty Mountains of Wooroonooran National Park. Swim in a volcanic crater lake at Lake Eacham or kayak around Lake Barrine. Don't miss the Yungaburra Markets held on the fourth Saturday of the month.

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Great Barrier Reef

The spectacular Great Barrier Reef comprises of over 3,000 individual reefs along the Queensland coastline spanning almost 350,000 square kilometres. Cairns is a great base to explore the reef with a number of cruises offering day trips. The Great Adventures pontoon is a great way to see the reef - even if you don't want to swim. Daily tours depart from Cairns. There are plenty of other ways to see the reef from helicopter tours to sailing trips and scuba diving.

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