Local Attractions Out and About
If you’re visiting sunny Cairns to check out its famous landmarks, monuments and historic buildings, you may be somewhat disappointed. This tropical city is noted for things to “do” rather than “see”. It serves as a gateway to many of Australia’s top attractions and is a great base for every adventure sport under the sun. Completely enclosed by rainforest and the Coral Sea, it’s your major starting point if you wish to visit the many natural attractions in Queensland’s “top end”.
Cairns is the undisputed adventure capital of Australia due to the sheer diversity of the region. Where else could you immerse yourself in the Great Barrier Reef, trek through the virgin rainforests of Cape Tribulation, go bungee jumping, white water rafting, and so much more?
A host of adventure tour operators take all the natural attractions and package them into stimulating and challenging holiday experiences which are immensely enjoyed by thousands of interstate and international visitors every year. No matter what type of holiday you’re looking for, you’ll find it here.
Local Entertainment Things to do, people to meet
Sydney it’s not, however if you’re looking for nightlife there’s more than enough to do…IF you have any energy left after a full-on day of adventure sports, that is! The Esplanade is a top place to start if you want to ‘party hearty’ to the small hours. Between Shields and Aplin Streets, you’ll find a bevy of pubs and bars. There are several Irish and English pubs, yet no cultural visit to Cairns is complete without breasting the bar at a ‘fair dinkum’ Aussie pub.
Nightclubs are a bit thinner on the ground. In fact there are only five official clubs in the city. But what Cairns lacks in quantity it more than makes up for in quality. All are reasonably priced, open late and have excellent promotions directly aimed at budget travelers such as your good self.
Furthermore, there are also quite a few party bus tours that will take you on a guided tour of city pubs. They’re affordable, very sociable and a great night out.
Also keep your eyes peeled for flyers offering free food and drink promotions, and advertising top competitions. You’ll find these flyers everywhere and they’re ideal if you’ve got champagne tastes on a beer budget.
Local Restaurants Feeding your Face
Cairns is a food lovers paradise! From humble stalls at the night markets right up to exclusive five-star restaurants, you won’t go hungry regardless of your finances (or lack thereof).
Seafood is Cairns’ speciality and the quality is superb. The best places to try are obviously around the harbour, but there are also several excellent seafood restaurants in the city. The advantage of the harbour restaurants is the wonderful water views, particularly at night. Most have indoor and alfresco seating, the latter providing a pleasant experience if you come from cooler climes.
As well as seafood, you could also try the local delicacies such as emu, crocodile and kangaroo served by traditional Australian restaurants. And that’s just for starters…there’s a veritable smorgasbord of international restaurants tempting ever-hungry backpackers with everything from American to Italian.
Plus many of Cairns’ pubs also provide large portions of good food at reasonable prices…and the menus are quite extensive.
International visitors please note: While many restaurants are licensed to sell alcohol, many others are not. They are “BYO” (bring your own) establishments and it’s always a good idea to find out before you arrive.
