Cairns Vacation

Guide Note

Cairns is a small city located in Queensland, Australia. One thing that makes Cairns so popular as a tourism area is the easy access to the Great Barrier Reef. The city caters to tourist and foreign travelers by supplying hundreds of lodging and dining options, many at affordable prices.

Fast Facts

1. Country: Australia
2. State: Queensland
3. Governor: Quentin Bryce
4. Language spoken: English
5. Population: 122,731 (2007)
6. Currency: Australian dollar
7. Country code: 61
8. City code: 7
9. Time zone: AEST

The main attraction in Cairns is, by far, the Great Barrier Reef. The reef is a haven of marine wonders for divers and tourist. But if the vast waters that lead to the reef isn't your thing, there are other things to see and do right in Cairns. The Cairns Tropical Zoo is Tropical North Queensland's largest wildlife attraction and features hundreds of species of wildlife: native and exotic.

Cairns has so much to offer in terms of sports and recreation. Fishing and diving are some of the more popular activities in the area because of the great sea-side location. It's been said that Cairns is the "giant black marlin capital" of the world, which makes fishing marlin an easy, but exciting adventure.

Diving through the over 2,000 individual reefs of the Great Barrier and the surrounding waters can takes hours and even days for you to see everything you want too. Day trip charters are available from the port, as well as professional scuba instructors and tour guides.

When planning your trip, please see the pages on Cairns Hotels and Cairns Restaurants. If your travels in Cairns include exploring the Great Barrier Reef, be sure to check out the pages on a Great Barrier Reef Vacation, Great Barrier Reef Hotels, Great Barrier Reef Restaurants, and How to Go Scuba Diving at the Great Barrier Reef.