Cairns Regional: Rainforest, Gardens and Culture

Rainforest, forested highlands and diverse culture define Cairns Regional. In Cairns, you can plan a stay combining nature experiences, walks, art and performing arts. Which holiday rental is right as a base depends on whether you mainly want to explore the landscape, spend time on the Esplanade or discover several cultural attractions.

Experience nature: gardens and highlands

The Cairns Botanic Gardens offer free guided tours covering their plants and animals. The Flecker Gardens are open daily from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, weather permitting. Sunbus stops on Collins Avenue directly outside the Flecker Gardens. These specific opening hours and the bus stop make a visit an option for planning time outdoors; please bear in mind that opening is subject to the weather.

The 300 ha Mt Whitfield Conservation Park offers a different kind of landscape: its forested highlands include rainforest, eucalyptus vegetation and grassland. Hikers and runners use the 1.3 km Red Arrow circuit. It offers views across Trinity Inlet, the Coral Sea and the city of Cairns. If you want to include a short, clearly described circuit in your trip, the Red Arrow is a specific option.

Walks and city history

For a different perspective on Cairns, try two walks with distinct themes. The Cairns CBD Heritage City Walk passes historic buildings and sites, including the former post office and courthouse, Hide's Corner, the School of Arts and the Palace Theatre. The Cairns Esplanade Heritage Walk is a one-hour walk along the Cairns Esplanade. You can choose between a tour of historic sites and a walk along the Esplanade.

The Cairns Museum presents city and regional history in four permanent galleries and a temporary gallery. Its exhibitions cover Cairns’ history, from the Indigenous landscape to its role as a tourism gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. For more than 60 years, the Cairns Historical Society and the Cairns Museum have preserved stories, photographs and objects relating to the region’s social history. In the heart of the city, school programs and community presentations complement the exhibitions.

Art, performing arts and First Nations culture

The Cairns Art Gallery is housed in three distinctive heritage-listed buildings: the Public Curators Building, the historic Court House and the former Mulgrave Shire Council Chambers. Its exhibitions showcase historical and contemporary art by leading regional, national and international artists. The UMI Arts Gallery holds five exhibitions each year featuring artworks and crafts by its member artists.

Bulmba-ja presents the unique stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and offers a varied program of exhibitions and events throughout the year. The annual First Nations cultural festival Big Talk One Fire is also held in Gimuy/Cairns. At the Cairns Performing Arts Centre, you can enjoy theatre, music, dance, contemporary circus, opera, film and comedy. The centre is open most evenings for performances and during the day for matinees. For a stay focused on culture and events, these offerings provide many different ways to plan your day or evening.

The Esplanade and special occasions

The Cairns Esplanade has a lagoon, beach volleyball courts and fitness stations. There are also three free playgrounds along the waterfront. Eight free Active Living fitness classes are offered there, suitable for all fitness levels. Cairns Aquarium recreates ten ecosystems and 71 habitats from North Queensland. The Double Discovery Tour combines a visit to the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre with a behind-the-scenes tour. These different offerings provide varied options for an outing: outdoor exercise, playgrounds, or insights into habitats and animal care.

Carnival on Collins is an annual street celebration held on Father’s Day in the area around Tanks Arts Centre and Cairns Botanic Gardens. Tanks Arts Centre uses three tanks as exhibition and event spaces and is an outdoor venue. To the west and north, the Cairns region is framed by the Wet Tropics, a World Heritage-listed rainforest.

Kanimbla is one of the directly subordinate places: Kanimbla. Other destinations at the same level: Toowoomba Regional, North Burnett Regional, Scenic Rim Regional, Livingstone Shire, Sunshine Coast Regional, Ipswich City, Goondiwindi Regional.

For the higher-level travel overview: Queensland.