Please select one of the links directly below to go to a
specific category or select a tour name to go to that tour.

CAIRNS CRUISES AND TOURS

The city of Cairns is the primary gateway to Tropical Northern Australia. Cairns is a popular tourist destination set in an idyllic tropical environment, framed by the spectacular twin backdrops of rainforest mountain ranges and the sparkling Coral Sea. Cairns is a modern, sophisticated city, and is an ideal base to explore the wider Tropical North Queensland region through a professionally organised Day Tour, be picked up from your Hotel and spend the day exploring the World Heritage Listed Great Barrier Reef, Rainforest or Outback

The Cairns International Airport is located only several minutes drive north of the city centre. Much of the accommodation is situated in the city itself along with a wide variety of international standard restaurants boutique shopping, modern art galleries and evening entertainment including some exciting bars and clubs. 15 minutes north of the City you will find the Northern Beaches of Cairns - a number of accommodation options exist along this picturesque piece of tropical coastline, many of the major day tour companies will pick-up from the Northern Beaches and Port Douglas or they will provide shuttle bus transfers to the departure point.

All the attributes of a world class modern city are to be found in Cairns: International air access, rail systems, high-standard accommodation facilities, an art gallery, botanic gardens, university, a casino and a convention centre.

A focal point for the city is the Cairns Esplanade. Almost two kilometres of landscaped parkland fringes a busy thoroughfare and restaurant strip on one side, and a natural harbour inlet on the other. Each year, thousands of visitors flock to the Esplanade to relax on the grass, eat at sidewalk cafes, meet new people, to walk under the trees, and to watch the many bird species which come to feed on the tidal zone.

Cairns offers the opportunity  for visitors to experience some of the worlds great natural environments through a variety of fantastic day tours or extended wilderness adventures. Day tours, sightseeing excursions, either by land to the Daintree, Kuranda and Cape Tribulation or by sea to view the Great Barrier Reef offer visitors some memorable experiences.

The Great Barrier Reef stretches through Queensland's waters for more than 2,500 kilometres, covering around 345,000 square kilometres. The world's largest World Heritage site, it is made up of more than 2,900 individual reefs and 70 coral cays sprinkled along the edge of the continental shelf.

Novices or experienced divers will take away fantastic memories of their Queensland holiday. Professional operators can conduct learn-to-dive courses so visitors can experience the reef face-to-face.

Visitors to Cairns can enjoy a reef cruise day tour departing from Cairns City Wharf, these tours frequently include a guided snorkel, semi-submersible submarine ride, glass bottom boat. A visit to one of the many islands may involve a reef walk on a coral cay, most day tours and reef cruises will pick up from your hotel. Serious divers can book five-day or week-long diving trips which include meals, diving equipment and tanks and the expertise of guides who know the best sites.

Queensland's warm weather means ideal diving temperatures - an average water temperature of 29.5°C in summer in Cairns drops to only 23°C in winter; with a pleasant 26.5°C summer average dropping to only 22°C in June on the Gold Coast to the State's south.

The township of Daintree, perched on a bend of the Daintree River, is just further on from the turn off to the Daintree Ferry. Lunch on freshly caught barramundi at one of the local restaurants, browse the art and craft shops, and enjoy the ambience of this laidback village.

Wildlife of every kind flourishes on the Daintree River and its banks. The area's most infamous inhabitants are the estuarine crocodiles. There are a number of river cruises where, from the safety of a boat, you can watch crocodiles sunning themselves on the mangrove lined banks or gliding through the water.

The only cable ferry in tropical Australia, the Daintree Ferry provides the only southern access into the lowland Daintree Rainforest. It's a vehicle ferry operating from 6 a.m. to midnight daily.

Cape Tribulation is an area north of Daintree, which is the end of the bitumen. The Daintree Ferry provides access into the Cape Tribulation area. This is accessible by conventional vehicles except during periods of heavy rain. Coach tours and a bus service also visit this area. Some hire car companies insist on four wheel drive vehicles.

After crossing the Daintree Ferry you travel through lowland and tropical rainforest passing road junctions for Cape Kimberley and Cow Bay. There are some excellent coastal views and several tourist attractions. The road runs over several high capes and alongside attractive beaches. Camping spots and accommodation are available. A small general store is located at Cow Bay. Limited fuel access is available.

A scenic 30 minute drive northwest of Cairns is Kuranda. Kuranda is the aboriginal for 'village in the rainforest', and over the years Kuranda has taken on a distinctive character as a popular visitor destination in its own right.

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, a unique rainforest experience, takes you on an unforgettable journey over Australia's World Heritage Listed Tropical Rainforest and deep into the forest.

Skyrail, spanning seven and a half kilometres, has intimate six person gondolas which glide just metres above the canopy and provide uninterrupted views of the rainforest, Cairns' tropical region and the lush Atherton Tablelands. Your adventure includes time at two mid-stations, where you can learn more about this fascinating environment.

At Red Peak Station Skyrail's qualified Rangers provide regular guided boardwalk tours sharing their knowledge on this ancient tropical forest. While easy access walkways at Barron Falls Station take you to three separate lookouts providing breathtaking views of Barron Gorge and the Falls, and you can visit the hi-tech Rainforest Interpretive Centre. The centre, which Skyrail developed in conjunction with CSIRO Australia's leading research organisation, houses touch screen computers and interactive audio-visual presentations providing an informative and fun learning experience to enhance your appreciation of the rainforest.

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway is situated just 15 minutes from Cairns and 50 minutes from Port Douglas. Voted Australia's best Major Tourist attraction, and an Advanced Ecotourism attraction through the National Accreditation Program, Skyrail is recognised not only as a premier tourist experience, but also a world leader in eco-tourism, providing guests with a truly unique rainforest experience available no where else in the world.

Kuranda is famous for having the biggest and most frequent art and craft markets in Tropical North Queensland. Four times a week country markets delight visitors who pick their way through stalls terraced among the trees - showcasing local products from didgeridoos and damper to art, craft and local fashions

A second covered market operates seven days a week and features a cultural theatre with free entertainment by buskers. A walk through aviary is a quiet retreat - where native birds share food, trees and often perch on visitor's hats.

Kuranda also boasts Australia's biggest butterfly display which is home to exotic species such as the brilliant blue Ulysses and the Red Lace Wings butterfly that flash their presence as smaller and camouflaged species feed on the tropical flowers and trees of their expansive sanctuary.

Indigenous culture, legends and lifestyle give the village an ancient feel. Internationally recognised Aboriginal dance groups and members have performed in Kuranda while another Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander group has chosen a forest amphitheatre in which to perform, just minutes from the Kuranda village.

A cruise boat and a guided forest walk leave from the banks of the Barron River and rainforest walks surround the village. There is also a jungle tour on board an amphibious army 'duck'. A short drive from the village are the Barron Falls which cascade down through the Barron Gorge. The falls are a spectacular sight during the summer wet season and are easily viewed from generous sized platforms.