Cairns Guide - Cairns Holidays - Cairns Travel -Cairns Accommodation.

Cairns was the result of a mining strike in 1876 on the Hodgkinson River in the Atherton Tablelands.Three years previously, the Palmer River Gold Rush was responsible for the early beginnings of Port Douglas. A track was cleared to gain access to The Tablelands and in 1877 the first saw mill was built to facilitate the abundant timber resources in the area.Strangely enough, the real development of Cairns was initiated by Chinese Businessmen who with their workers became disenamoured with the pickings at the goldfields and set about establishing an agricultural industry. They were followed by a trio of Englishmen who bought up 1,000's of hectares of land and started crop plantations on a large scale. By 1886 the Cairns - Herberton Railway was under way , which led to an increase of immigrant workers to the area. Gradually Cairns was to overtake Port Douglas as the most important regional centre in the North of Queensland and is now well known as the Capital of the North.

Cruises.

Restaurants.
Cairns is the tropical capital of the north.The region is abundant with interest for the visitor throughout the year.There are numerous cruises daily from the marina to various destinations.Take a river cruise for a short tour ,or spend the day on a trip to the Great Barrier Reef.
Diving and fishing trips are favourites as the area abounds with all kinds of tropical wildlife.Just a short journey to the west of the city lies the small village of Kuranda.Travelling approx. 11klms.NE of the city you will arrive at Smithfield where you can board the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway which takes you to Kuranda.The Kuranda Scenic Railway also leaves from here and takes you through Baron Gorge passing the beautiful Baron Falls.To the north and south of the city are a number of beaches in easy reach of the visitor. A favourite for me is Palm Cove,one of the northernmost beaches.It is probably a little upmarket for the family holiday but it is a wonderful place to be.One of the outstanding features in this suburb are the magnificent Giant Melaluca Trees. Another great beach, just a little closer to Cairns but still on the north side is Yorkeys Knob. A visit to the Boat Club to sample a fish dinner in an outdoor setting is a treat not to be missed.

Kuranda Scenic Railway.

Green Island.

Walsh's Pyramid.
Walsh Pyramid.

International recognition of Cairns as a place of interest was created by the visit of Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II in 1954. The film of her visit to Cairns on the Australian Tour was shown around the world to an ever adulating audience. Great things have happened since those early days. Tourist favourites apart from The Great Barrier Reef Trips include the the largest Butterfly Sanctuary in the world, and The Cairns- Kuranda Scenic Railway that passes the majestic Baron Falls. The development of The Tjapukai Aboriginal Theme Park has been an enormous success and so to The Cairns Convention Centre. Both receiving International acclaim. The present day Cairns is a must see point of call for all Australian visitors.

Fishing. Adventure. Attractions. Below is a photo taken on entering the first floor of the Reef Casino gaming area. The casino is situated in the centre of Cairns and the main entrance is on the Esplanade. Palm Cove Beach. The beach at Palm Cove.

Giant Melaluca Trees. Giant Melaluca at Palm Cove.

Curtain Fig. Curtain Fig. Milla Milla Falls. Milla Milla. The Atherton Tablelands.

A daytrip to the Tablelands is a very pleasant experience, particularly in the summer months, as the temperatures up there are considerably cooler than down at ground level. You will climb to approx. 2,600 feet on your journey that will take you through Mareeba, Atherton, Yungaburra, and on to Lake Barrine, depending on the tour operator you choose. At Mareeba you can visit the famous Chocolate Factory and sample their delights.On to Atherton where you can visit the Crystal Caves and maybe pop into the R.S.L. for lunch. Next stop is the Heritage village of Yungaburra, where you can see the Tolga Woodworks ,see Platypus and try the beer at the Yungaburra Pub. Formerly The Eacham Hotel, this has a circular pool table. A lot of the old shops in the village have plaques on the entrance telling visitors what kind of business operated there in the Old Days. The village also has quite an interesting Tourist Information Centre.There are several volcanic lakes in the area and of these Lake Barrine is my favourite.Close by is Breamber, and from here you can do a circuit of several waterfalls that are within 15 klms. of each other.Milla Milla Falls being the most well known. By this time you may be ready to leave the Tablelands and return to Cairns via Gordonvale. Dinner beckons the hungry visitor.
Lake Barrine. Lake Barrine.
Yungaburra Hotel. Yungaburra Hotel.
R.S.L. Memorial Yungaburra R.S.L. Memorial.

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