Cairns - Destination Cairns

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Cairns is a regional city and Local Government Area located in far north Queensland, Australia. Originally settled to serve as a port for exporting gold and other precious metals from mines west of the city, it later became a center for the crushing and exporting of sugar. The city is rapidly expanding, with an approximate population of 137,000, and is reliant on the sugar and tourism industry. The City of Cairns is located about 1700 km from Brisbane and about 2500 km from Sydney by road.

Cairns is a popular travel destination for foreign tourists because of its proximity to many attractions. The Great Barrier Reef is only one and a half hours away by boat. The Daintree National Park and Cape Tribulation are popular areas for experiencing a true tropical rainforest. It is also a starting point for people wanting to explore Cooktown, Cape York Peninsula, and the Atherton Tablelands.

The city has used its natural surrounds to its full advantage with the construction of many small theme parks for tourists. Among them is the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, and Skyrail, a Gondola Cableway that extends for 7.5 km over World Heritage rainforest.