Cairns is the scuba diving capital of Australia
and located at the northern end of the Bruce Highway and the last
city on the long trek up the east coast, further north you'll
find only a handful of small towns in the 1000 or so km. to the
top of Cape York.
It is the main arrival and departure point for north Queensland
and a base for exploring the region as Cairns is surrounded by
attractions; the world famous Daintree/Cape Tribulation rainforest
(oldest in the world) to the north, the Great Barrier Reef to
the east, Misson Beach to the south and the Atherton Tablelands
and outback to the west.
Hide's Hotel in Cairns Cityplace, the centre of the Lake St.
shopping mall.
Cairns was started in 1876 and is built on quite
a low lying area previously covered by mangroves and at some of
the high tides there can be over half a metre of sea water on
some of the streets in the city centre. Its rising popularity
with travelers has seen the city landscape change from old wooden
high set houses (Queenslanders) to concrete hotels and motels.
To reduce the disappointment voiced by many people of the lack
of beaches in the city the city council has built a saltwater
lagoon on the Esplanade that has proven very popular with tourists,
though some of the local church goers complained about the topless
sunbathing going on here.
Though there might not be any beaches right in the city, once you get
out to the northern suburbs you will find plenty of beautiful beaches,
starting with Holloways Beach and continuing right up to Ellis Beach,
technically still in Cairns but about 30km. from the city centre. Palm
Cove is a very popular beachside resort village about 20
minutes from the Cairns city centre with many resorts right on or near
teh beach. Stinger nets are provided during the summer months to reduce
the chance of box jellyfish stings and life guards are on duty at some
beaches.
The Esplanade mudflats are also popular with birdwatchers
as many migratory birds tend to visit the mudflats, this was
one reason why so much discussion preceded the construction
of the lagoon as initial plans would have covered much more
of the mudflats.
The city centre is quite compact and laid out in an easy to
follow grid. The summers can be pretty humid and warm but
you can always escape the heat in one of the many air-con
shopping centres. If you want to buy a didgeridoo as a souvenir
Cairns is the place, there are dozens of shops selling all
types of didgeridoos.
