i just booked a 23 day trip to aus. and i'm flying into cairns. could anyone give me a crude outline of where to stay and what to do in cairns. i have a lot of flexibility. i'll be with my sister and we want activities and relaxation. we also want to get to syd, so how long should we spend in cairns? thank you very much, cindy

There's lots to do in Cairns. Its a great place to take a boat out to the Great Barrier Reef. There are many trips that cater to different folks - divers, snorkelers, etc. If you have never tried SCUBA diving, this would be a great place to start! The other classic thing to do is take the Skyrail gondola tram up into the rainforest that lies above Cairns. The Skyrail ends up in Kuranda, an upland town that is now a bit of a tourist trap, but still interesting. You can return to Cairns via Skyrail, or take the historic train back down. The Tjabpukai Aboriginal Cultural Centre is also worth a half-day. It is located at the base of the Skyrail, and features some very high-tech displays and shows that detail the history of the Tjapukai people. They pull no punches about how they ended up being virtually totally destroyed by the encroaching Europeans. You should also journey further north, at least to the Daintree River crossing. There is an odd but interesting tour run along the river, called the 'River Train' - a train-like set of linked boats that are pulled along. If you are more adventurous, you could journey across the river crossing to Port Douglas, a fine little tropical town. There are lots of places to stay, and that depends on your style and budget. While traveling in Oz, we liked to stay in 'Holiday Parks', and rent 'Tourist Flats', which are usually some sort of free-standing bungalow or cabin. We stayed at the Cairns Coconut Caravan Village (!), which was just south of town - very quiet, with nice grounds, and a great pool. All in all, I would say that you should stay betwen 3 and 5 days.

We stayed in Cairns and did a day trip to the Atherton table lands, booked out of our hotel. I had not even heard of the Atherton tablelands, but it was a great trip. We saw such a variety of country, everything from rain forest to pastureland. Mountains and waterfalls, too.

thank you for your suggestions. also, i'm going in jan. was that a mistake b/c of the weather? i'm also arriving in cairns at 1:30am. are there hotels in or near the airport? thank you.

Hi Cindy, <BR>Cairns and the surrounding area is great, the weather could be rainy in January but probably still hot. I was there in the wet season (Nov-Apr)and there was torrential rain for a short time then the sun came out and everything steamed. We wore shorts and bathers the whole time, even in the rain. <BR>Cairns is not a very big place and you could catch a taxi to your hotel from the airport, no need to stay at an airport hotel for the night. There is stacks of accommodation in Cairns, lots of backpacker places to 5-star. Try www.jasons.com.au for ideas. <BR>Catch the bus to Palm Cove, about half hour north of Cairns. Lovely beach and nice place for lunch or coffee. You could stay in Palm Cove but it's very quiet. <BR>Port Douglas is also great (an hour north of Cairns by bus or taxi). We prefer to stay in PD rather than Cairns but it depends on what sort of holiday you are after. Cairns has more nightlife, cinemas etc. <BR>Do a reef trip, visit Kuranda one-way via historic train and one-way via skyrail, do a trip to the Daintree and Cape Tribulation, visit the Sunday Market in Port Douglas. I'd say 4 or 5 days in Cairns or 3 days each in Cairns and Port Douglas. Good luck with the planning! <BR>Kay

Hi Cynthia, I'm a Tour Designer based in Adelaide and have just returned from Cairns & Port Douglas. Have some great properties in both areas and can package the whole thing for you, Hotel, tours, transfers - the lot! Take a peek at my site & email me with your wishlist. Cheers, <BR>Suzanne <BR>Aussie Assist Tourism Services <BR>http://www.aussieassist.com <BR> <BR>