Cairns City is the heart of Tropical North Queensland and is the primary gateway to Northern Australia. Cairns looks like a picture, framed by the spectacular twin backdrops of rainforest mountain ranges and the sparkling Coral Sea.

Cairns is a modern, sophisticated city, and is an ideal base to explore the wider Tropical North Queensland region with front door access to World Heritage listed Reef, Rainforest and Outback.

Cairns International Airport is located only several minutes drive north of the city centre. The city itself is where much of the accommodation is close to international standard for restaurants, boutique shopping, modern art galleries and evening entertainment. All the attributes of a world class modern city are to be found in Cairns: International air access, rail systems, high-standard accommodation facilities, an art gallery, botanic gardens, university, a casino and a convention centre.

Almost a century of architecture is reflected in the city streets - a comfortable blend of traditional Queenslander style and modern designs. Modern buildings grace the cityscape with a mixture of architectural designs including the Reef Hotel Casino, Cairns International Hotel and the Cairns Convention Centre.

A focal point for the city is the Cairns Esplanade. Almost two kilometres of landscaped parkland fringes a busy thoroughfare and restaurant strip on one side, and a natural harbour inlet on the other. This also includes a swimming lagoon, waterfront boardwalks, BBQ areas & a children's water park playground. The lagoon precinct spans 4 hectares, and is capable of accommodating 1000 swimmers at a time. It is open for free public use between 6am and 10pm daily. Each year, thousands of visitors flock to the Esplanade to relax on the grass, eat at sidewalk cafés, meet new people, to walk under the trees, and to watch the many bird species which come to feed on the tidal zone.

In the evening this small cosmopolitan centre offers the 100,000 residents and visitors a choice of over 100 restaurants. With an abundance of fresh seafood, exotic tropical fruits and the piquant flavours of native Australian cuisine, dining out is always a great experience.

If you want to try your luck on the board games after a hard day´s dive, the Reef Hotel Casino complex offers everything you would expect from a boutique casino including restaurants, bars & entertainment.

Make Cairns your North Queensland doorway to the Great Barrier Reef!