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Destination

Tropical North Queensland is best known as the gateway to the world heritage listed Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforests, and the only place in the world where two world natural heritage listed sites meet. These unique attributes position the region as a popular tourist destination and have resulted in the development of a diverse range of tourism facilities and opportunities.

Over 600 day tours are available out of Cairns taking in the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest, Indigenous cultural experiences, and tropical food trails.

Cairns itself is a small regional city, population 168,449, occupying a narrow coastal strip between the Great Dividing Range and the Coral Sea. You are never far from the water or the rainforest in Cairns so, for those with limited time to explore the region, the Botanic Gardens, Cairns Aquarium, Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and the Cairns ZOOM and Wildlife Dome offer once in a lifetime experiences within minutes of the city centre. In addition, the newly opened Cairns Dining Precinct on the Esplanade offers an amazing array of cuisines to diverse palates.

For everyone else, the regional network of national parks, tropical farms, bike trails and, of course, dive sites are worth investing some extra time.

The many galleries, art centres, museums, theatres and music venues in Cairns and across the region host permanent and touring shows.

May is dry season in Cairns with a mean maximum daily temperature of 27 degrees Celsius and mostly clear, sunny days.