Travel Guides
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Cairns
(Australia)
A tourist boomtown bursting with tropical goodness.
Cairns shines with the carnival atmosphere of travellers all year round and the city is positively booming. In 2003 the foreshore was given a Hollywood makeover, with lagoons and the spanking Pier Marketplace, equipping Cairns to be a truly international tourist destination.
Aside from limitless accommodation and dining options, markets, culture, shopping and seaside atmosphere, Cairns' big drawcard is its access to the outer tentacles of the Great Barrier Reef. It's also a good base to discover Port Douglas, the Atherton Tableland, Cape Tribulation and beyond.
At a Glance
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Orientation |
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Cairns' CBD is in the area between The Esplanade and McLeod Street and Wharf and Aplin Streets. Reef Fleet terminal is the main departure point for reef trips. Trinity Wharf, where long-distance buses arrive and depart, is east of the CBD. Cairns train station is hidden inside Cairns Central Shopping Centre on McLeod Street. Local buses (Sunbus) leave from the Lake Street Transit Centre.
The airport is about 7km (4mi) north of the city centre, just south of the Barron River estuary. |
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Getting Around: |
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If you're here for a while bike hire is a great way to see the city. Sunbus operates regular bus services in and around Cairns, from the Lake St Transit Centre at City Place. Buses run from early morning to late evening. All are served by the (almost) round-the-clock night service (N) on Friday and Saturday.
Black & White Taxis has a rank on the corner of Lake and Shields Sts and one outside Cairns Central. |
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Weather:
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The temperature in Cairns averages out to 24-28ËšC (75-82ËšF) for most of the year, pushing up to 30-35ËšC (86-95ËšF) averages in summer. Summer also brings a jump in humidity and a higher likelihood of rain. When it does rain it is usually early in the morning, late in the afternoon or during the night.
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Content Source:
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