Green turtle swimming over Acropora coral reef, Cairns, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia

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Cairns & Far North Queensland

Far North Queensland is a remote tropical adventure where the Great Barrier Reef is tantalisingly close. It's a cliché, but the rainforest really does meet the reef up here. Steamy Cairns is the main traveller base and an obligatory stop on any east-coast itinerary. Divers and snorkellers swarm here – and to more upmarket Port Douglas – for easy access to the Great Barrier Reef. The cooler Atherton Tablelands – with volcanic craters, jungly waterfalls and gourmet food producers – is a short, scenic drive inland.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Cairns, Australia - July 8, 2017: Zhanjiang Chinese Friendship Pavilion at Cairns Botanic Gardens

    Cairns Botanic Gardens

    Cairns

    These gorgeous gardens are an explosion of greenery and rainforest plants. Highlights include a section devoted to Aboriginal plant use, the Gondwana…

  • People by the pool at the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon with the fish sculptures in the background in Cairns, Queensland, Australia.

    Cairns Esplanade, Boardwalk & Lagoon

    Cairns

    Sunseekers and fun-lovers flock to Cairns Esplanade's spectacular swimming lagoon on the city’s reclaimed foreshore. The artificial, sandy-edged, 4800-sq…

  • Cairns, Queensland / Australia - December 4 2017: Two children look at fish in the Cairns Aquarium.

    Cairns Aquarium

    Cairns

    Cairns' multi-million-dollar aquarium is well worth a visit for its vast and gorgeously presented range of marine life, the Great Barrier Reef in…

  • ERBY04 For over 20 years Reef Teach has been educating visitors to the Great Barrier Reef about its beauty. Cairns, far north Queenslan

    Reef Teach

    Cairns

    Take your knowledge to new depths at this fun, informative centre, where marine experts explain how to identify specific species of fish and coral, and…

  • Chillagoe−Mungana Caves National Park

    Chillagoe−Mungana Caves National Park

    Cairns & Far North Queensland

    This park boasts a magnificent miscellany of features including 400-million-year-old limestone caves, Indigenous rock art, eerie outcrops and the ruins of…

  • Mossman Gorge

    Mossman Gorge

    The Daintree

    In the southeast corner of Daintree National Park, 5km west of Mossman town, Mossman Gorge forms part of the traditional lands of the Kuku Yalanji people…

  • Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas

    Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas

    Port Douglas

    This sanctuary endeavours to keep and showcase native animals in enclosures that mimic their natural environment, while allowing you to get up close to…

  • Historic Village Herberton

    Historic Village Herberton

    Cairns & Far North Queensland

    A must-see on any comprehensive Tablelands trip, this fascinating village houses over 60 heritage buildings, fully restored and relocated here from across…

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Articles

Latest stories from Cairns & Far North Queensland

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A motorboat follows the curve of the Daintree River

Wildlife & Nature

Rainforest roads to Australia’s tropical frontier

Jan 31, 2020 • 15 min read

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Go Beyond

Cairns & Far North Queensland and beyond

Beyond Cairns & Far North Queensland
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