Cairns

A popular local arts attraction made no less intriguing due to the fact it is guarded on the outside by five man-sized and very jolly looking Jelly Babies. CoCA is the happy home to three resident arts companies covering visual arts, theatre and film and subsequently is never short of artistic programmes to showcase the region’s rich and diverse contemporary talent. Visiting international exhibitions also feature.

Phone:

+61 740509401

Opening hours:

11am-5pm Tue-Sat

Address:

96 Abbott Street

Without doubt the city’s greatest attraction and daytime social hub, the lagoon complex is now the place to see and be seen and in attire entirely befitting both the place and the climate – that is your best bathing suit. The aesthetically attractive pool and associate facilities are kept pristine clean and despite the cosmopolitan crowds you can usually find solace and a quiet spot to muse upon a book or everyone else.

Phone:

N/a

Opening hours:

Dawn to dusk

Address:

The Esplanade

Arguably the best photo gallery in the city adorned with classy colourful panoramic photographs from the ubiquitous and highly successful local landscape photographer Peter Lik. Opened in the mid-1990s this was Lik’s first gallery and remains the showpiece of what are now four nationwide.

Phone:

+61 740318177

Opening hours:

9am-9pm daily

Address:

4 Shields Street

For something different pop in to St Monica’s to see the stained-glass windows known as the ‘Creation Design’. The huge and spectacularly colourful display is said to ‘combine faith, science and art into one undivided expression of the mystery, the wonder and the beauty of Creation’. What is particularly appealing is the inclusion of the reef. Where else in the world would you find stained-glass windows depicting tropical fish? Leaflets are on hand to guide you through the design.

Phone:

+61 740511189

Opening hours:

Daily from 7am

Address:

183 Abbott Street

Completed amidst ardent opposition in 1995 the 7.5km Skyline Rainforest Cableway crosses pristine rainforest of the Barron Gorge National Park to connect the Captain Cook Highway with the arty village of Kuranda in the Atherton Tablelands. Breaking the sublimely peaceful journey just metres above the forest canopy two stops provide educational and interactive displays, a memorable viewpoint back towards the coast and a nature walk that takes in the usually muted Barron Falls.

Phone:

+61 74038155

Opening hours:

8.15am-5.15pm (last ride 3.45pm) daily

Address:

Captain Cook Highway, corner of Smithfield

Pronounced ‘Jaboguy’, this award-winning complex is lauded as one of the best Aboriginal cultural attractions in Australia. The 11-ha site offers an entertaining and educational insight into Aboriginal mythology, customs and history and, in particular, that of the local Tjapukai tribe. Various dynamic theatres explore dance, language, story telling and history, and there is also a mock up camp where you can learn about traditional tools, food and hunting techniques. For many, the highlight is the opportunity to learn how to throw a boomerang or to play a didgeridoo properly, without asphyxiating.

Phone:

+61 740429900

Opening hours:

9am-5pm daily (night shows with dinner also available)

Address:

Kamerunga Rd, Captain Cook Highway, Smithfield

This former tin mining and timber rail-link winds its way up the Barron Gorge from Cairns providing an ideal way to reach the pretty – though heavily tourist oriented – village of Kuranda, set amidst the lush and cooling rainforest of the Atherton Tablelands. To add to the aesthetics you are transported in a historic loco and stop at various viewpoints including the usually dehydrated Barron Falls.

Phone:

+61 740369333

Opening hours:

Departs 8.30pm & 9.30pm daily

Address:

Bunda Street

The ‘Outer Reef’ is a loose term that encompasses many accessible reefs and cays (coral islands). While it may be more expensive and time consuming to get to the Outer Reef this is where you will see the most diverse and colourful species of coral and its associated myriad sea life. Numerous options are available in innumerable craft, some to more exotic and exclusive locations, while others go on masse to specially built pontoons where you have the choice of diving, snorkelling or simply watching the action from the deck.

Phone:

Contact Gateway Discovery Centre, +61 740513588

Opening hours:

N/a

Address:

N/a

Lizard is considered the jewel of the northern outer reef islands and lacks the commercialism of its more accessible neighbours further south. Expensive and home to a single luxury resort it offers an exquisite combination of quality facilities, pristine natural aesthetics and activities with diving an obvious speciality.

Phone:

+61 282968010 (Lizard Island Resort)

Opening hours:

Day trips are available from Cairns by air, but multi-day package deals are recommended

Address:

N/a

A well-established and award-winning eatery offering traditional Australian cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere. Meat lovers will love the roo, croc and barramundi combos, which are fortunately presented in portions as opposed to the whole. The seafood dishes are also excellent.

Phone:

+61 740510100

Opening hours:

Noon-2.30pm; 6-10pm daily

Address:

43 Shields Street