Physically closer to Asia than its own capital city (Brisbane), Cairns shares a vibrant tropical persona with Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, but it's an undeniably Queensland city; weaned on sugar cane and now famous as the tourism gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, the jungles of Cape York and the rainforests of the Daintree.
The town was first settled in 1876 as a coastal base for the Hodgkinson River goldfield, but was soon superseded by Port Douglas which provided easier access to the area. As the agricultural, sugar cane and precious metals industries blossomed in the surrounding region, Cairns took over in prominence from Port Douglas and became the major rail hub and port for Far North Queensland.
As tourists discovered the Great Barrier Reef and airfares became cheaper and more easily available in the 20th century, Cairns's reputation as a world-class tourist destination began to grow. By 1984 Cairns was home to a major international airport and had become the first port of call for many Asian tourists arriving in Australia.
As the first port of call for Asian tourists, and the last step off the continent for European backpackers, it's definitely a tourist city. Unlike some of its Queensland counterparts however, Cairns definitely has a country-town vibe about it. The region is surrounded by cane fields and Cairns still acts as the main hub for rural Far North Queensland. Make no mistake though, it's a party town. Backpackers love it for the cheap bars and literally endless summers, it's a Mecca for divers who want to explore the reef, and Asian tourists love it because it's so uniquely Australian, and very, very Queensland. It's also home to some of the world's best game fishing.
It storms virtually every afternoon in summer, and it's sunny all winter, so take your pick. It's a tropical city, so the weather is always hot and humid. Australians tend to travel to Cairns in winter (June-August) to avoid the colder southern states, and you can't swim in the ocean in summer because of Box Jellyfish, but there are plenty of swimming pools around, and there are some protected beaches. In reality, it doesn't really matter when you go, it's going to be hot, and it's going to be great. If you can avoid the cyclone season (roughly October to March) you'll probably be better off, but you'll also miss out on the wet season in the tropics, which is a site, sound and feeling to behold.
Don't bother driving unless you have weeks at your disposal. You can fly in directly in to Cairns Airport from most Asian countries and most major Australian cities.
The city itself is quite small, so a pair of feet might be all you need. There are plenty of busses around if you get to sapped by the tropical heat, and you can always hail a taxi (although there's a bit of a wait on Friday and Saturday nights). It only takes a day or so to see the city itself on foot, but you'll definitely want to check out the surrounding region, so either hire a car or hop on a guided tour to the Atherton Tablelands, Daintree Rainforest or Port Douglas.
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