Cairns Travel Guide

Welcome to Cairns, QL, Queensland

Cairns is located in the province of Queensland, 2,500 km (1,553 km) north of Sydney and 1,720 km (1069 mi) north of Brisbane on Australia's east coast. Offering a tropical climate, Cairns (pronounced Kans) is a popular tourist destination, and is in fact the fourth most popular vacation spot in the country. Ecologically diverse, Cairns is surrounded by mountains to the south and rainforest to the north, with picturesque waterfront covering the eastern edge of the city and giving way to beautiful white sand beaches including Ellis, Holloway and Machan beaches, to name a few. Cairns is well-known as a starting point for those wishing to explore the York Peninsula and the world famous Great Barrier Reef, but it also provides access to many other unique attractions, including the Skyrail Gondola Cableway, which passes over 7.5 km (4.6 mi) of Rainforest. Cairns can be hot and humid, especially from December to May, so for those who need to cool off, the central promenade near the pier offers an artificial lagoon that is the perfect place to enjoy a lazy summer day.