Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef

The vibrant tropical city of Cairns is the gateway to the only place in the world where two World Heritage Listed areas meet - the Wet Tropics Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef.

The intricate Great Barrier Reef offers an extraordinary underwater treasure trove of marine life and is recognised as one of the world’s most magnificent diving locations. You can learn about this complex ecosystem and experience delicate soft corals and colourful fish first hand on one of the many informative snorkel and dive tours available.

Australia's most important lowland rainforest, the World Heritage Listed Daintree National Park, harbours lush tropical vegetation. An ideal access point to the park is the stunning Mossman Gorge. Daintree National Park is frequented by a range of study tour operators. You can choose from educational river cruises, guided nocturnal walks or Four-Wheel-Drive Safaris.

The famous “Tablelands” begin at the rainforest village of Kuranda, located approximately 40 minutes driving time from Cairns. Kuranda can be accessed by three different scenic journeys — train, road or cableway above the rainforest. In the surrounding cool tropical highlands you can visit coffee and fruit plantations, join a farm tour, experience spectacular waterfalls, ancient crater lakes and the Mareeba Wetlands.

Just a few hours west of Cairns are the wide-open plains of the Gulf Savannah. Visit Chillagoe, the site of ancient limestone caves that were once coral reef; take a tour of the world’s longest volcanic lava tubes at Undara; or visit Lawn Hill Gorge and the World Heritage Listed Riversleigh Fossil Fields.

This region is also home to a variety of wildlife parks and sanctuaries featuring native birds, crocodiles, koalas and kangaroos. Or you can join an educational tour to Indigenous sites featuring ancestral paintings and rock art galleries.

Places of Interest

• Ride the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway or skim the rainforest in a gondola on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.
• Mossman Gorge is noted for its waterfalls and crystal clear swimming pools.
• This region features three World Heritage Listed sites — the Great Barrier Reef; the Wet Tropics and the Riversleigh Fossil Fields.
• View Australia’s shy platypus from special viewing platforms at Petersen Creek.
• Learn about Australia’s Aboriginal history at a museum or the rock art galleries in Quinkan Country.
• See crocodiles and abundant birdlife in the wild on a Daintree River Cruise.
• Visit Undara, the world’s longest lava tubes formed by a volcanic eruption 190,000 years ago.