Discover Cairns and the tropical north from the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea to World Heritage listed Rainforest. Cairns is one of Australia's most popular destinations and this tropical paradise has a relaxed, easy going atmosphere that makes you want to stay for ever.
The Great Barrier Reef
Explore
the world largest living organism, the famous Great Barrier Reef. Choose
from a day trip, live-a-board cruise, dive expeditions or island holiday
in this amazing Coral Sea. With sights such as Yongala Wreck, Ribbon reefs
and Cod Hole, Cairns is a mecca for snorkel and scuba
divers from all over the world offering a variety of cruises to
the Reef for beginners through to the most advanced divers.
The Rainforest
Just 2 hours
north of Cairns you can visit a world heritage rainforest. Cape
Tribulation in the Daintree National Park is one
of the worlds most spectacular and oldest rainforests.
How you discover this natural beauty is up to you whether it be by 4WD
tour, overnight stay, drive yourself or catch a bus, it certainly is a
must see!
Adventure Sports
And
that's not where it stops. If you're more into extreme and adventure
sports, Cairns has it all, from whitewater rafting down the wild Tully
river, Bungy jumping, tandem and solo skydiving,
hikes to the top of Queensland's highest mountain or mountain bike tours through the Atherton Tablelands.
Tropical Islands & Beaches
For those who
have a little more time on their hands, there is still more to explore.
Check out beautiful tropical beaches just 15 minutes
north of town, visit exquisite tropical islands only a 45
min boat journey away, drive yourself or take a tour through the
historical Atherton Tablelands or try your hand at reef and estuary fishing, visit Port Douglas, Mission Beach and unspoilt
crystal clear freshwater swimming holes, and the list goes on!!!
For any
adventures further a field please see our Exit Travel staff
for great offers and discounts to some of the ultimate adventure
destinations around.
VISAS, EMBASSIES & SEASONAL ADVICE
Australia Immigration Visa Services will provide you with a comprehensive run-down of Australian Visa information for travel to Australia.Working Holiday Maker Visa's Australia has working holiday agreements with 17 countries. These include Great Britian, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, France, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Malta, Malaysia, Japan, Estonia, Canada, Taiwan,...
New changes to the WHM's visa come into effect on November 1 2005 allowing working holiday makers to extend there visa for a extra year. For more information please go to the Australian Immigration website
Embassy Telephone Numbers - Most Embassies are located in Sydney. The following numbers can be used for any general enquiries.
| City | Dialling from Cairns | Dialling Internationally |
| Argentina | 02 9251 3402 | 61 2 9251 3402 |
| Britain | 07 3223 3200 | 61 7 3223 3200 |
| Brazil | 02 9267 4414 | 61 2 9267 4414 |
| Canada | 02 9364 3050 | 61 2 9364 3050 |
| China | 02 9698 7929 | 61 2 9698 7929 |
| France | 02 9261 5779 | 61 2 9261 5779 |
| Germany | 02 9328 7733 | 61 2 9328 7733 |
| Italy | 02 9392 7900 | 61 2 9392 7900 |
| Indonesia | 02 9344 9933 | 61 2 9344 9933 |
| Japan | 02 9231 3455 | 61 2 9231 3455 |
| Malaysia | 02 9327 7565 | 61 2 9327 7565 |
| New Zealand | 02 9247 1999 | 61 2 9247 1999 |
| Papua New Guinea | 02 9299 5151 | 61 2 9299 5151 |
| Philippines | 02 9299 6633 | 61 2 9299 6633 |
| Portugal | 02 9326 1844 | 61 2 9326 1844 |
| Switzerland | 02 9369 4244 | 61 2 9369 4244 |
| Spain | 02 9261 2433 | 61 2 9261 2433 |
| USA | 02 9373 9200 | 61 2 9373 9200 |
Seasonal advice - Weather-wise Australian's say it's 'beautiful one day, perfect the next' but the best months for the Reef are April to September when it's not so humid. October to May is jellyfish season, check with locals before swimming as some areas of the reef remain Jellyfish free during this time. They are unpleasant and can be deadly, but can be partially avoided by wearing a Lycra 'stinger suit' or wetsuit.
For most of the year the climate in Cairns is simply perfect. Blue skies, warm but not to hot and gentle breezes to help make the palm trees sway.
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
| Max temp. ĄC | 31 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 31 |
| Min temp. ĄC | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| Rainfall (mm) | 413 | 435 | 442 | 191 | 94 | 49 | 28 | 27 | 36 | 38 | 90 | 175 |
| Rainy Days | 18 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 13 |
DAILY BUDGETS, CURRENCY & TIPPING
Daily Backpackers Budget Advice - Accommodation and food in Australia is reasonably cheap, and backpackers will find themselves a lot richer than in other countries. With budget meals in the region of US$4 lodging around US$7 - 22 especially if you camp or stay in hostels. If you do a spot of self catering you can look at a daily budget of approximately US$35 a day. For an upgrades to cheap hotels, more travelling around (the biggest expense in Australia), and eating out more often then consider spending anything up to US$125 day.Take a look at this Currency Converter to see what your currency is worth in Aussie Dollars.
Currency - Australia has a decimal currency system. Notes are a high quality polymer-based synthetic and come in denominations of $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100. Coin denominations are 5 cent, 10 cent, 20 cent, 50 cent, as well as $1 and $2. Prices under 5 cents are rounded up or down to the nearest 5 cent - for example - 12 cents would be rounded down to 10 cents. 14 cents would be rounded up to 15 cents.
Tipping is generally not expected within Australia, however it is acceptable to leave a small amount should you feel you have received exceptional service.
WORLD TIME ZONES
Knowing what time it is back home can prove handy when you first arrive in Cairns. We suggest that if you are travelling to Cairns print this page out and place it in your ticket wallet.
Current time in Cairns is 2:14:49 PM on Wednesday, October 05, 2005.
At 12.00pm (Noon) in North Queensland the time around the world is:
| City | Time |
| Adelaide | 11:30 AM |
| Auckland | 2:00 AM |
| Bangkok | 9:00 AM |
| Brisbane | 12:00 PM |
| Hobart | 12:00 PM |
| Hong Kong | 10:00 AM |
| Honolulu | Yesterday - 4:00 pm |
| London | 3:00 AM |
| Manila | 10:00 AM |
| Munich | 3:00 AM |
| Paris | 3:00 AM |
| Perth | 10:00 AM |
| Port Moresby | 12:00 PM |
| New York | Yesterday - 10:00 pm |
| Southern California | Yesterday - 6:00 pm |
| Rome | 4:00 AM |
| Seoul | 11:00 AM |
| Singapore | 10:00 AM |
| Sydney | 12:00 PM |
| Taipei | 10:00 AM |
| Tokyo | 11:00 AM |
| Zurich | 3:00 AM |
