Cairns City Guide

Cairns is ideally located within striking distance of two stunning UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest, and its excellent transport links make it an easily accessible base from which to explore these sites. Australia's most popular tourist destination also boasts a new lagoon, an attractive addition to the city's landscape.

Cairns' spectacular surroundings
Cairns is a bustling tourist centre with countless excursions to the Great Barrier Reef, one of the world's most popular diving sites, and Daintree Rainforest departing daily. While the beach no longer exists, locals and travellers congregate in and around the central man-made lagoon on The Esplanade, which has room for 1,000 swimmers and is surrounded by pleasant grassy areas perfect for relaxing on. 

History
Cairns was established in 1876 as a service port for gold miners in the Atherton Tableland to the west. Its subsequent growth was largely thanks to its selection in 1892 as the starting point of a freight railway carrying goods to and from the Tableland. Another significant moment in Cairns' more recent history was its selection in 1984 as the site of an international airport, a decision which sparked the boom in tourism that is so evident in the city today. 

Climate
Cairns has a tropical climate, with distinct wet (November-May) and dry (June-October) seasons.
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