Public Transport
The only public transport available in Cairns is the public bus service, run by Sunbus (tel: (07) 4057 7411; website: www.sunbus.com.au). The central terminal and an info kiosk where tickets can be purchased, are located at the Cairns City Place Transit Mall, which is on Lake Street between Shield and Spence Streets. All buses can either be caught at bus stops or hailed at any point on their route. Discounted daily, weekly and monthly passes are available, as well as a Family Day Pass.
At the core of the system are the two City Loop services. The first one is the Botanic Gardens Loop, between Cairns Base Hospital and the Botanic Gardens, while the second service, the Portsmith Loop, serves the industrial area of Portsmith. Both run hourly weekdays only (excluding public holidays). In addition, numerous services run out to the northern, western and southern suburbs hourly. These include buses 1C, 1D and 1H, which run north to Smithfield and Yorkey's Knob, bus 7 which runs to Machans Beach via the Botanical Gardens, buses 8, 5, 5A, 6 and 6A which run west to the Raintrees Shopping Centre, and buses 1, 1A, 11, 12 and 13 which all run south to Edmonton.
At the core of the system are the two City Loop services. The first one is the Botanic Gardens Loop, between Cairns Base Hospital and the Botanic Gardens, while the second service, the Portsmith Loop, serves the industrial area of Portsmith. Both run hourly weekdays only (excluding public holidays). In addition, numerous services run out to the northern, western and southern suburbs hourly. These include buses 1C, 1D and 1H, which run north to Smithfield and Yorkey's Knob, bus 7 which runs to Machans Beach via the Botanical Gardens, buses 8, 5, 5A, 6 and 6A which run west to the Raintrees Shopping Centre, and buses 1, 1A, 11, 12 and 13 which all run south to Edmonton.
Taxis
The sole provider of taxis in Cairns is Black and White Taxis (tel: 131 008 or (07) 4048 8333).
Car Hire
Most of the car hire companies in Cairns are located on Lake Street, between Florence and Aplin Streets, or at the airport. These include Avis (tel: (07) 4051 5911; website: www.avis.com.au); Budget (tel: (07) 4051 9222; website: www.budget.com.au); East Coast Car Rentals (tel: (07) 4031 6555; website: www.eastcoastcarrentals.com.au); Hertz (tel: (07) 4051 6399; website: www.hertz.com.au) and Redspot (tel: (07) 4034 9052; website: www.redspotrentals.com.au). It is advisable to book in advance, particularly for 4X4 vehicles.
Bicycle Hire
Bicycle hire shops are few and far between in Cairns. Car and scooter hire companies that also offer bicycles include Mini Car Rentals, 150 Sheridan Street (tel: (07) 4051 6288 or 1300 735 577; website: www.minicarrentals.com.au) and Bolwell Scooter World, 47 Shield Street (tel: (07) 4031 3444). Some hostels also hire out bicycles.
View Our Airport Guides for Cairns:
Cairns International Airport