Cairns travel guide

The leafy inner city suburb of Edge Hill is one of Cairn’s oldest and most popular suburbs. Beautifully restored Federation and pre-war era homes line the streets, set within established manicured gardens.

The suburb is peppered with chic eateries, gourmet delis, boutiques and shops for browsing.

Edge Hill is home to the beautiful Cairns Botanic Gardens where visitors can learn about the fascinating flora of Tropical North Queensland. An alfresco cafe set amongst the lush tropical surrounds is the perfect place to grab a bite to eat. Visitors can also take advantage of the barbecues, picnic shelters and children’s playground provided. A boardwalk connects the Gardens to The Centenary Lakes, home of seabirds and turtles as well as spectacular water lilies.

The Gardens feature an impressive arts centre creatively housed in three huge converted World War Two naval oil storage tanks. Here you can enjoy a production of performance art or wander through an exhibition.

Just behind the Botanic Gardens is the Mt Whitfield Conservation Park, where bushwalkers can enjoy a number of walking tracks through green mountainside forest.

Gordonvale, historically a sugar town, is today a quintessential Australian country town. It has courteous storekeepers, well-preserved streetscapes, historic buildings and a great sense of community. Near Gordonvale stands the highest free-standing mountain peak in the world (not part of a mountain range). The symmetrical Pyramid is 922 metres in height.

From Gordonvale there is access to the Tropical Tablelands via the Gillies Highway, while south the Great Green Way extends south to Mission Beach.

Situated 15 kilometres north-east of Port Douglas, the Low Isles comprise a four acre coral cay surrounded by 55 acres of reef. The reefs are very close to the island, which makes snorkelling an easy and enjoyable experience. The two small islands are separate but share the common reef.

The larger of the two, Woody Island, is uninhabited except for a large bird population. It is a vital habitat for many species.

The smaller of the Low Isles is a coral cay with a lighthouse that has been operating since 1878. Weather data has been gathered from the island since 1887, and scientific associations date back to 1928 when it was the base for a year-long scientific survey that examined the structure and ecology of the surrounding reef. This was the first scientific study of a coral reef anywhere in the world, and many current theories of coral reef ecology are based on the findings of this expedition.

There are 150 different species of hard corals in the waters surrounding Low Isles, although these are dominated by 15 species of soft corals. If you look closely, the feathery tentacles of soft corals can often be seen collecting tiny food particles from the water around them. Living amongst the corals is a large variety of fish, molluscs, sea cucumbers and other animals. Colourful blue, green and purple parrotfish are a common sight as well as angelfish, damselfish, anenomefish or clownfish, trevally, rabbitfish, sweetlip, moon wrasse and fusilleers, just to name a few! Plus, you might run into the resident turtles.

More of a suburb than a separate entity, Smithfield is 4.5 kilometres north of Cairns on the Captain Cook Highway and is part of the growth story of Cairns over recent years. Its centre, like most urban developments, revolves around the large shopping centre with its key anchor tenants and specialty stores.

On the eastern side of the highway, commercial developments have mushroomed as have fast food outlets.

Set like a jewel between rainforest and reef, Kewarra Beach is prized by locals for being quiet, uncrowded and relaxed. The beach has a glorious aspect and in season, bottle-nosed dolphins and dugongs can be spotted frolicking in the bay nearby.

This idyllic tropical beach is protected from the southerly swell by a rocky headland and during the summer months, stinger nets provide further protection. It’s a great place to escape the heat with a refreshing dip in the pristine waters of the Coral Sea.

The beach itself is very clean and wide with picnic tables and children’s play equipment provided along the fringe.

Spend a little time in the area and you’ll find yourself strolling past luxurious beachfront mansions with panoramic ocean views. The rocky headland is a great place to explore and keen anglers will find the conditions excellent for fishing.

A walk up the beach will take you to exclusive Palm Cove where you can soak up the sights and sounds of this fashionable hot spot. Enjoy fine dining at a trendy beachside restaurant, browse through the shops, and treat yourself to an indulgent day spa.

Located just 20 minutes drive north of the city of Cairns, the main accommodation available at Kewarra Beach is offered by a beachside resort.

Trinity Beach is a relaxed beachside suburb, only a 15-minute drive north of Cairns Airport. Its central location on the Cairns northern beaches makes it an ideal base for a holiday in Tropical North Queensland.

Enjoy a barbecue on the beach, join the locals for a beer at a hotel with the best water views in town, cast a line from the shore or build a sandcastle with the kids. A range of fun activities are nearby, including a tropical zoo, go karts, cable skiing, a world-class golf course, Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park.

Hire a car and discover a different self-drive adventure each day. Kuranda is a 20-minute drive away and Port Douglas just 40 minutes, or venture further to the Atherton Tablelands or Daintree rainforest. Return in time for a refreshing ocean dip before dinner at a restaurant serving fresh local produce.

Hidden away behind a headland poking out into the Coral Sea, lies one of Tropical North Queensland’s best kept secrets, Yorkey’s Knob. Just 10 minutes drive north of Cairns Airport, Yorkey’s Knob boasts beaches just as beautiful as its northern neighbours, but without the five star price. The laid-back tropical atmosphere and feeling of ‘seclusion’ is irresistible for those looking to escape, relax and unwind.

The magnificent sweeping deck of the local boat club commands spectacular views of the yachts moored in Half Moon Bay and out to the headland of Trinity Beach. The only view you’ll find more impressive is the panoramic vista from on top of the headland itself – simply breathtaking.

Those looking to wet a line are well catered for with many good fishing spots around the bay, beach and mangroves. Keen anglers can also hire a boat and anchor off the bay for a day of fishing in the open sea.

If you like spoiling a good walk with a game of golf you can’t go past the local golf course nestled on the fringes of Half Moon Bay. Its impressive position, taking in glorious views of the Coral Sea, makes it one of the most popular courses in the Cairns area.