Dermoscopy conference to be hosted in Cairns
The first internationally recognised dermoscopy conference to be hosted outside the United States, the Australasian Dermoscopy Meeting 2026, will bring delegates from across Australia, New Zealand, ...
Explore Cairns
How to choose the best tour in Cairns
Cairns is a starting point for several very different days. A reef cruise, a rainforest trip and a visit to Kuranda may all appe...
When is the best time to visit Cairns?
Cairns is warm throughout the year, but rainfall, humidity, marine conditions and visitor numbers change significantly between t...
What makes Cairns so interesting to locals and visitors?
Cairns occupies an enviable position in Australian tourism. Turn one way and there is the Great Barrier Reef. Turn another and...
Cairns Botanic Gardens: where the Wet Tropics tells its story in the city
A visit to the Cairns Botanic Gardens is more than a pleasant walk among tropical plants. It is one of the easiest ways to understand the landscape, history and extraordinary…
Explore the Atherton Tablelands from Cairns — mountains, rainforest and historic Yungaburra
Cairns is internationally recognised as a tropical coastal city and gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. But turn away from the sea, head towards the mountains and within a relatively short…
Exploring Cairns by Caravan or Motorhome: The Tropical Road Trip
Cairns is usually thought of as an aviation gateway. Visitors fly in, check into a hotel and book trips to the Great Barrier Reef, Kuranda and the rainforest. But there is another…
Visit Fitzroy Island — the Great Barrier Reef escape just 45 minutes from Cairns
For visitors arriving in Cairns, the Great Barrier Reef can sometimes seem like a destination requiring a full day at sea. It doesn't have to be. Just 25 kilometres east of Cairns…
Living in Cairns’ northern suburbs: why each has its own appeal
For people contemplating a move to Cairns, one of the first questions is often not whether to live in the region, but where. Head north from the Cairns CBD and the city gradually changes character...
Cairns Esplanade Lagoon — the centre of the universe on a sunny day
On a sunny day in Cairns, there is one place where seemingly everybody eventually ends up. The Cairns Esplanade Lagoon. Travellers arrive carrying towels and backpacks. Families find a patch of g...
Cairns waterfront — where the Navy, cruise boats, luxury yachts and fishing boats share the harbour
Stand on the Cairns waterfront for a while and something becomes apparent. There is a lot more happening here than tourism. A luxury yacht may be tied up near a commercial vessel. Reef boats prep...
Kuranda — the historic rainforest village above Cairns
For many visitors to Cairns, Kuranda begins with a train. The Kuranda Scenic Railway climbs from the coastal plain through rainforest, tunnels and across bridges before arriving in a small village ...
The historic Port Douglas Sugar Wharf — an icon from another era
Stand beside the old Sugar Wharf at Port Douglas today and it is easy to see a beautiful historic building in an extraordinary tropical setting. The Coral Sea is nearby. Boats move around the wate...
Visiting Port Douglas — there is nothing quite like it in Australia
There are beautiful coastal towns all around Australia. There are luxury resorts. There are tropical beaches. There are sophisticated restaurants and small-town main streets. There are places surrounded by extraordinary natural environments. Port Douglas somehow…
King tides in Cairns — what residents and visitors need to know
King tides are once again affecting Cairns, bringing a familiar reminder of what it means to live in a tropical coastal city where the land, sea, rainfall and tides regularly…
Palm Cove — a luxury Cairns suburb and a tropical destination on the Coral Sea
Palm Cove is one of those places that can make a visitor reconsider their holiday plans. You might intend to drive up from Cairns for an hour. Then you see the palm-lined…
Green Island has been a famous Cairns destination for decades. Here’s why
For generations of visitors to Cairns, a trip to Green Island has been almost a rite of passage. It appears almost impossibly tropical: a small coral cay covered in rainforest, surrounded…
When is the best time to visit Cairns? A practical guide for first-time visitors
Cairns is one of Australia's most distinctive destinations. It is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, sits beside tropical rainforest, provides relatively easy access to the Daintree and Cape Tribulation…
Things to do in Cairns — for locals and tourists
EXPLORE CAIRNS • THINGS TO DO Cairns is sometimes described as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. It is. But that description undersells the city. Cairns is also the gateway to tropical rainforest…
Palm Cove — a luxury Cairns suburb and a tropical destination on the Coral Sea
Palm Cove is one of those places that can make a visitor reconsider their holiday plans. You might intend to drive up from Cairns for an hour. Then you see the palm-lined esplanade, the Coral Sea ...
Green Island has been a famous Cairns destination for decades. Here’s why
For generations of visitors to Cairns, a trip to Green Island has been almost a rite of passage. It appears almost impossibly tropical: a small coral cay covered in rainforest, surrounded by blue-g...
When is the best time to visit Cairns? A practical guide for first-time visitors
Cairns is one of Australia's most distinctive destinations. It is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, sits beside tropical rainforest, provides relatively easy access to the Daintree and Cape Tr...
Things to do in Cairns — for locals and tourists
EXPLORE CAIRNS • THINGS TO DO Cairns is sometimes described as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. It is. But that description undersells the city. Cairns is also the gateway to tropical rain...