Australia’s Own Tropical Paradise

Esplanade Boardwalk Marina from Harbour, Cairns

You don’t have to travel as far as the Caribbean to find a beautiful beach, laid back attitude and beautiful tropical fish with which to swim. For Australians, tropical paradise is as close as Cairns. When the monotonous humdrum and stress of everyday life gets to be too much to bear, Cairns makes for a great break even if just for a weekend. The comforts and delights of this warm, beautiful land can help soothe you back to health and fill you with serene happiness. With warm weather and a party atmosphere, accompanied by delicious restaurants and great accommodations, you’ll be feeling back to yourself in no time flat.

The Gateway to Tropical Fun

The city of Cairns is a great city to act as a headquarters for trips to a variety of fun and relaxing natural attractions. Although there is swimming within the city itself in the lagoon, an artificial swimming pool in the heart of the city, reaching the beautiful northern beaches of the island paradise is a short bus trip away.

Visit the Great Barrier Reef

There are several scuba diving trip operators in Cairns, which will take you out for diving and snorkelling, giving you a chance to interact with the beautiful fish living around and in the reef. Many of these operators offer multi-day trips out to the reef, although day trips are also available.

Your personal tastes will determine which operator will be best for you to select when heading out for a trip to the reef. Smaller operations often don’t have as much in the way of food and accommodations, but larger operations sometimes present a less impressive underwater experience as they more often visit areas that have been overused and are more barren of fish and coral.

City Botanic Gardens

Located within the city itself, the City Botanic Gardens on Collins Avenue can be a great, relaxing way to spend an afternoon. The garden features plants used by the Aboriginal peoples of the island as well as a Gondwana Evolution trail. Visit when the garden is in full bloom for a truly breathtaking experience. There is also a cafe should you decide to grab lunch while you are there.

Ginger Flower, Cairns Botanic Gardens

Ginger Flower, Cairns Botanic Gardens

Centenary Lakes

Centenary Lakes is located across from the City Botanic Gardens. This park contains a picnic area and a boardwalk that cuts through the rainforest, ending at a series of small lakes and creeks. If you are lucky, you may even spot a crocodile swimming by in the lakes.

Wildlife Search

Cairn and its surrounding areas contain a wide variety of wildlife. Areas such as Mount Lewis, Mount Hypipamee and Lamb Range are great places to check out this incredible diversity. The variety of fauna to see, whether it flies, walks along the ground or slithers through the bushes, is bewildering in its diversity. If you enjoy bird or animal watching, visiting one of these locations will be an amazing experience for you.

Whale Watching

If you are visiting between the months of June through August and are looking for a unique experience, look for whale watching tours. A general whale watching tour will involve a three hour trip in a small boat to watch humpback whales in the nearby waters.

Cairns Wildlife Dome

A relaxing walk through in a wilderness environment doesn’t have to be nixed if the rain clouds decide to show their dreary faces. The Cairns Wildlife Dome is located at the top of the Reef Hotel Casino and will allow you to stroll through a rain forest environment no matter what Mother Nature is throwing at you thanks to the 20m high dome covering the area. While there, you might see birds like parrots and lorikeets or catch glimpses of animals like frogmouths, koalas or even pythons. Complimentary guided tours are available.

Don’t Forget!

Even if you’re not travelling internationally, it’s important to cover yourself in case of the unexpected. Losing luggage, delayed flights and theft of your belongings doesn’t just happen overseas! These days it’s a cinch to find travel insurance without having to leave your computer. So if you’re about to take a trip around your own backyard, you can perform a domestic travel insurance comparison in no time and grab yourself something that works for your specific needs.

There’s plenty to see and do in Australia if you’re after a tropical get-away but want to avoid the high ticket prices of overseas travel. Hopefully the above has whet your appetite?