Cairns: Sun and Crocodiles!

The colourful, sophisticated capital of the tropical north, Cairns, is alive with life and charm. When Europe starts to turn grey and the people start piling on the jackets, Australia just gets hotter!! Beaches, sun, swimming, BBQ's and bronzed people are what you will find on a trip past the equator all year round. Such is the richness of the Australian environment that many areas have been listed by the World Heritage Society. Acclaimed as amongst the world's most wonderful assets are the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforests. These year round natural attractions are truly memorable and inspiring.

Here, warm northern hospitality and enthusiasm are the order of the day. Cairns is a great jumping off point to explore the majestic coral structures that make up the Great Barrier Reef, extending over 1,500 kilometres, and are home to the greatest variety of flora and fauna species found in any one location in the world!

The Great Barrier Reef, now a national marine park, provides superb recreational activities. Just a day spent discovering the beauty and splendour of the reef is one that will stay with you forever. Snorkelling or diving on the Great Barrier Reef is the adventure of a lifetime. You can snorkel or scuba dive with equipment provided and a trained crew on hand to assist, but you can also view the aquascape from the comfort of a semi-submersible or underwater observatory, or even from above on a helicopter scenic flight from a reef moored pontoon! Whatever your style or budget, there are memories waiting to be captured in the crystal clear waters of the Coral Sea.

The rainforests of the Wet Tropics, a living museum of flora and fauna, were placed on the World Heritage List in 1988 and cover an area of nearly 900,000 hectares of rainforest and tropical vegetation. Here, pockets of primitive plants have remained undisturbed for millions of years, and rare, even previously unidentified species of birds, insects and mammals have emerged.

There are over 1,000 Reef Islands in the Great Barrier Reef, but the best are easily accessible from the main centres of Cairns and Port Douglas. The reef islands are in fact two distinct types of formations, vegetated coral cays and mountainous continental islands which were once part of the mainland. Both styles have diverse vegetation including rainforest, and are encircled by coral reefs. Accommodation ranges from camping grounds and bungalows to luxurious resorts can be found on some of the islands.

If your idea of the perfect holiday is less relaxation and more excitement, then Cairns is the perfect place. Here, you can float over the Atherton Tablelands at sunrise in a hot air balloon or dive in the depths of the outer Barrier Reef at midnight in November to watch the coral spawning. Rappel down a ravine, raft a foaming river, or race across the outback into the setting sun on a wilderness trail bike safari. Join one of the many 4WD excursions for a day or a week exploring the rainforest or the outback.

Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park Cairns is located in Smithfield at the base of the Skyrail cableway, and showcases the 40,000 year old Aboriginal culture through dance and song. It is both an entertaining spectacle and an educational experience for everyone. The Creation Theatre is where live actors interact with giant holograms to retell the spiritual and traditional beliefs of the Tjapukai people. This performance, one of the most popular at the park, is told in the Tjapukai language but the audience can use personal headsets and hear the story told in any of 7 languages. The History Theatre is a small movie theatre playing a 20-minute presentation. This theatre recounts the history of Aboriginal people in the last 120 years. It discusses the effects of modern man's impact on the 40,000-year-old culture. This presentation can be confronting to some people whom are unaware of how the Aboriginal culture has been affected by European settlers. The Dance Theatre is a live performance set outdoors, celebrating traditional Tjapukai corroborees and songs. The Tjapukai Camp is where visitors can throw a boomerang, play a didgeridoo and sample bush foods with the Tjapukai people. And if your hungry after all that the Boomerang Restaurant is an air-conditioned 5-star buffet restaurant, with an emphasis on native foods.

The nearby Daintree rainforest is also well worth a visit as it is considered to be one of the most ancient rainforests in the world! It is a World Heritage protected area and when you visit this timeless place you can easily see why. For nature lovers the Daintree will simply blow your mind. Doing a river cruise is essential and this is the most likely place to see a saltwater crocodile in the wild (keep your toes out of the water!).

Paronella Park is a unique experience where history and romance are fused together. The property is situated on 13 acres of tropical rainforest along Mena Creek, south of Innisfail and has a remarkable history. In 1929 an entrepreneurial young man called Jose Paronella bought the land and began to build a dream castle from stone. His intention was to open the glorious facility to the public, showing movies and throwing lavish parties for guests. He also built pathways through the rainforest, cut tunnels through small hills, and built a tennis court and viewing platform. Jose planted more than 7000 trees, including magnificent Kauri Pines that now line Kauri Avenue. This incredible man also built the first hydroelectric power scheme, utilising the water pressure from the Mena Creek waterfall next to the property. His castle was an immense success and an architectural marvel. Today it has been restored after floods and cyclones, and is a magical place that will be forever imprinted in your mind.

The Skyrail rainforest cableway is the most popular tourist attraction in North Queensland and you can see why as soon as you step into your gondola. The cableway ride provides amazing panoramic views of Cairns city to give visitors a literal birds eye perception of the beauty of the tropical north. Stretching for 7.5 kilometres (4.7 miles), Skyrail is the world's longest gondola cableway. Starting at Caravonica Terminal, the gondola reaches high above the rainforest canopy where it pauses at Red Peak Station. This station is at the top of the mountain, and you can hop off the gondola and take a tour along the 175-metre boardwalk through the rainforest. From Red Peak, the gondola continues to Barron Falls Station where breathtaking views of the magnificent waterfall will amaze you. From here, Skyrail descends as the scenery changes to dense rainforest, gigantic waterfalls and gorges to the end of the line, Kuranda Terminal.

The city of Cairns is a vital, cosmopolitan centre and its residents enjoy an enviable tropical lifestyle. It is also the premier regional city in Australia, and the world's safest tropical city.

The warmth of the tropical climate has fostered a vigorous outdoor lifestyle, reflected in the architectural styles of open verandas and balconies and extending to the most traditional of Australian cuisine, the barbecue. Dining is a high point of any holiday, and the cosmopolitan local restaurants, cafes and eateries offer an eclectic fare of Australian and international cuisine, the highlight of most menus featuring the region's mouth-watering fresh seafood and unusual tropical fruits. Local delicacies are a must for ‘a taste of the tropics’ such as succulent prawns, delicate barramundi, mud crabs, reef species like the famed coral trout and red emperor, and the subtle indigenous flavours of kangaroo, emu and crocodile. For a romantic night head to the Cairns Esplanade waterfront for a bite to eat while watching the sun set and glorious coloured evening sky.

The Cairns foreshore has been transformed from a tidal mudflat swamp into a world-class facility, called the Esplanade, incorporating an outdoor amphitheatre, a large sandy swimming lagoon, grassy picnic areas, walking tracks, public barbeques, children's playground, shops and restaurants, an environmental interpretation centre and a Great Barrier Reef Cruise departure terminal. The Lagoon is a 4800 sq metre saltwater swimming lagoon that offers visitors an all year safe swimming location, set on the Cairns foreshore overlooking the Barrier Reef and Trinity Inlet.

Cairns is also fast becoming world famous as a major bird watching destination. The sheer numbers of birds are only matched by their diversity. Bird watching opportunities are abundant and very accessible. A walk along the Esplanade, the Botanical Gardens or the City heart itself will result in hundreds of species of birds being seen.

Cairns has a nightlife that caters to everyone, from partying single travellers to families seeking a peaceful retreat. Cairns is renowned for it's nightclubs for a couple of reasons. Firstly, they can be uncontrollably wild; another factor that makes clubbing in Cairns so much fun is the rivalry between the clubs. All the nightclubs are within walking distance of each other, so a night out can be spent at half a dozen different locations that offer all kinds of different music and atmospheres. The competitiveness between the clubs also means cheaper deals and better value. Cairns is even lucky enough to have a nightclub located on one of the tropical islands nearby in the Coral Sea. A one-hour ferry ride takes patrons to the island club on Fitzroy Island, where they can dance the night away and return on the ferry to Cairns at midnight. The atmosphere in this club is very relaxed and open, and it is particularly appealing because if you need a break from the dance floor, you can just wander down to the beach and have a quick swim.

Opposite the Cairns Esplanade is the Cairns Night Markets, which showcase local and indigenous artworks, tourism trinkets and good food. Adjacent to the Esplanade is The Pier, a large tourist-friendly mall containing local shops selling popular Australian products.