Cairns Queensland
Location of Cairns within Australia
Population:	122 731 [1] (14th)
• Density:	246. Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology This list of Australian cities by population briefly explains the three different population figures given for Australian cities and provides rankings for each Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 5/km² (638. 4/sq mi) [2]
Established:	1876
Coordinates:	16°55′S 145°46′E / -16.917, 145.767Coordinates: 16°55′S 145°46′E / -16.917, 145.767
Area:	488. Year 1876 ( MDCCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 1 km² (188. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 5 sq mi) [3]
Time zone:	AEST (UTC+10)
Location:	1707 km (1061 mi) NW of Brisbane 2420 km (1504 mi) NNW of Sydney
LGA:	Cairns Regional Council
County:	Nares
Federal Division:	Leichhardt
Mean Max Temp Mean Min Temp Rainfall 29. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Standard time was introduced into Australia in the 1890s when all colonies adopted standard times The UTC+10 Time zone covers the following locations Australia (AEST&mdash Australian Eastern Standard Time) Australian The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States Brisbane ( is the state capital of Queensland. Brisbane is the third most populous city in Australia and the most populous city of Queensland Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 The Local Government Areas (LGAs of Queensland, Australia are the areas for which particular Local Government authorities generally known as "Councils" Cairns Regional Council is a Local Government Area in Queensland, Australia. Cadastral divisions of Australia (also called Land administrative divisions) refers to the parts of Australia which are divided into the cadastral units The County of Nares is a cadastral division of Queensland which contains the city of Cairns. The Australian House of Representatives is elected from 150 single-member districts called Divisions. The Division of Leichhardt is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. 0 °C 84 °F 20. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 1 °C 68 °F 2,222. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 9 mm 87. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International 5 in

The CBD of Cairns circa 2005 from Mount Whitfield looking southeast. Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. Sheridan Street, the main street running southeast-northwest becomes the Captain Cook Highway leading to Port Douglas (towards the foreground). The chemical storage tanks seen in the top right are in the suburb of Portsmith.

Cairns (pronounced /ˈkænz/) is a regional city and Local Government Area located in Queensland, Australia. Australian English is a non-rhotic variety of English spoken by most native-born Australians Local Government Area (abbreviated LGA) is a term used in Australia (and especially by the Australian Bureau of Statistics) to refer to areas controlled Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Originally settled in 1876, and named after William Wellington Cairns (the then Governor of Queensland) to serve miners heading for the Hodgkinson River goldfield, the settlement declined when an easier route was discovered from Port Douglas. Sir William Wellington Cairns, KCMG (1828 &ndash 1888 was a British colonial administrator born in County Down, Ireland. The Governor of Queensland is the representative in the state of Queensland of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. However, Cairns' future was secured as it developed into a railhead and major port for the exportation of sugar cane, gold, precious metals and agricultural industries from the surrounding coastal and Tableland regions. The city is rapidly expanding, with a population of 122 731 (as of 2006) and is reliant on the sugar and tourism industries. ^[1]

Cairns lies about 1,701 km (1,057 mi) from Brisbane and about 2,420 km (1,504 mi) from Sydney by road. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States Brisbane ( is the state capital of Queensland. Brisbane is the third most populous city in Australia and the most populous city of Queensland Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 It is a popular travel destination for foreign tourists because of its tropical climate and proximity to many attractions. The Great Barrier Reef can be reached in less than an hour by boat. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest Coral reef system in the world composed of over 2900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for 2600 kilometres (1600 mi The Daintree National Park and Cape Tribulation, about 130 kilometres (80 miles) north of Cairns, are popular areas for experiencing a tropical rainforest. Daintree is a national park in Far North Queensland ( Australia) 1502 km northwest of Brisbane and 100 km northwest of Cairns. Cape Tribulation ( is a headland and locality in northern Queensland, Australia north of Cairns. Rainforests are Forests characterized by high Rainfall with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 1750–2000 mm (68-78 inches It is also a starting point for people wanting to explore Cooktown, Cape York Peninsula, and the Atherton Tableland. Cooktown ( Guugu Yimithirr: Gangaarr) is the northernmost town on the east coast of Australia, located at the mouth of the Endeavour River, This article is about the peninsula located in the Australian state of Queensland; it should not be confused with either Yorke Peninsula in South Australia The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia.

The city has used its natural surroundings to its advantage with the construction of several small theme parks for tourists. Among them are Rainforestation nature park, the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park and the Kuranda Skyrail Gondola Cableway, which extends for 7. Rainforestation Nature Park is situated 5 minutes from Kuranda, North Queensland, Australia. The Djabugay people (aka Djabuganydji or Tjapukai) are a group of Australian Aborigines who are the original custodians of mountains gorges lands Skyrail Rainforest Cableway is a scenic cableway running above the Barron Gorge National Park from the Cairns suburb of Caravonica to Kuranda 5 km (4. 7 mi) over World Heritage rainforest. The Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Site is an umbrella name for a series of National Parks stretching for 450 km along the north east coast of

A major attraction in Cairns is the lagoon. Cairns Mayor Kevin Byrne declared in May, 2003 that topless sunbaking is permitted here as this area is a gathering point for people from around the world who may wish to do so. Kevin Byrne was a Mayor of City of Cairns for the former Cairns City Council from 1992 to 1995 and then from 2000 to 2008 ^[4][5]. An oceanway allows pedestrians and cyclists to move along the foreshore from the Lagoon in a sustainable manner. An Oceanway is a form of Foreshoreway that provides sustainable public access along an oceanfront area Sustainable transport is a concept developed in reaction to things that have gone visibly wrong with transportation policy practice and performance through much the world over the last

Geography

Location of Cairns in Queensland (red)

Cairns, view of the foreshore.

The Mulgrave River running through the Goldsbrough Valley to the south of Gordonvale.

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway over the rainforest. Skyrail Rainforest Cableway is a scenic cableway running above the Barron Gorge National Park from the Cairns suburb of Caravonica to Kuranda

Cairns is located on the east coast of Cape York Peninsula on a coastal strip between the Coral Sea and the Great Dividing Range. This article is about the peninsula located in the Australian state of Queensland; it should not be confused with either Yorke Peninsula in South Australia The Coral Sea is a Marginal sea off the north-east coast of Australia. The Great Dividing Range, also known as the Eastern Highlands, is Australia 's most substantial Mountain range. The northern part of the city is located on Trinity Bay and the city centre is located on Trinity inlet. Trinity Bay is a large bay in the Coral Sea off the east coast of Queensland, Australia. The Trinity Inlet is an Estuary which serves as the Port for the city of Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Some of the city's suburbs are located on flood plains. The Mulgrave River and Barron River flow within the city's boundary but not through the city itself. Barron Falls|Barron Gorge National ParkThe Barron River is located on the Atherton Tableland inland from Cairns in Northern Queensland, Australia The city centre's foreshore is located on a mud flat.

Urban layout

Cairns is a provincial city and has a linear urban layout that runs from the south, at Aloomba, to the north, at Ellis Beach^[6]. Aloomba Queensland is a small Rural area in the south of the Cairns Local Government Area Ellis Beach is a locality in Tropical North Queensland, Australia. The city is approximately 52 km (32 mi) from north to south. Cairns has experienced recent urban sprawl, with suburbs occupying land previously used for sugar cane farming. Sugarcane ( Saccharum) is a genus of 6 to 37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation of tall perennial grasses (family Poaceae tribe Andropogoneae Many houses have also been built on hillsides, partly due to lack of space and partly due to a perception of prestige living. The population increase is so fast that the local phone book maps and other maps can not keep up with the amount of development.

Regions of the city are:

The Northern Beaches are low in elevation and consist of a number of beach communities extending north along the coast. In general, each beach suburb is located at the end of a spur road extending from the Captain Cook Highway. Captain Cook Highway is a short Queensland highway that starts in Cairns and ends in Mossman, then continues via the Mossman-Daintree Road more than From south to north, these are Machans Beach, Holloways Beach, Yorkeys Knob, Trinity Park, Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach, Clifton Beach, Palm Cove and Ellis Beach. Holloways Beach is a 12 minute drive north of Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Yorkeys Knob is one of the beach suburbs of Cairns, the regional capital of Far North Queensland, Australia. Clifton Beach is a dormitory suburb of Cairns, Queensland, Australia located on the shores of the Coral Sea Palm Cove is a beach community in Far North Queensland, Australia located 22 kilometres north of the city of Cairns.

The suburb of Smithfield is located inland and against the mountains of the Great Dividing Range and serves as the main centre for the Northern Beaches. Smithfield, just a few kilometres to the north Cairns, Queensland, Australia that was first established in 1876 was a rival for dominance of the area to The Great Dividing Range, also known as the Eastern Highlands, is Australia 's most substantial Mountain range. It is located between Yorkey’s Knob and Trinity Park. Smithfield is the main hub for the Northern Beaches with the large Smithfield Centre which has recently been refurbished for a more modern feel. The Kennedy Highway starts at the Kennedy Highway/Captain Cook Highway intersection which is currently a large roundabout but has plans for an overpass with the Kennedy Range Motorway which will run from Smithfield to Kuranda. The Kennedy Highway (Highway 1 is a highway in northern Queensland, Australia. The Kennedy Highway (Highway 1 is a highway in northern Queensland, Australia.

Located inland from the Northern Beaches along the edge of the Barron River flood plain are the suburbs of Caravonica, Lake Placid, Kamerunga, Stratford, and Freshwater. Barron Falls|Barron Gorge National ParkThe Barron River is located on the Atherton Tableland inland from Cairns in Northern Queensland, Australia ||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||}A floodplain, or flood plain, is flat or nearly flat land adjacent to a Stream or River that experiences occasional or periodic Lake Placid is a suburb of Cairns in far northern Queensland, Australia. This area is sometimes referred to as Freshwater Valley. Further up Freshwater Valley is Redlynch Valley. The suburb of Redlynch is located on the western side of Redlynch Valley, and Brinsmead lies on the eastern side. Stratford, Freshwater, Redlynch and Brinsmead are separated from Cairns city by Mount Whitfield (elevation 365m) and Whitfield Range. Crystal Cascades and Copperlode Dam are also located behind this range. The Crystal Cascades is a section of the upper Freshwater Creek, in the Redlynch Valley, west of Cairns, in Far North Queensland, Australia Copperlode Dam or Lake Morris is a fresh water reservoir dam servicing the city of Cairns, Queensland, Australia. This area is serviced by the Redlynch Central Shopping Centre, a new shopping centre with only Woolworths at the moment which is located in the fast growing area of the Redlynch Valley. This shopping centre is also due to be expanded in the future.

Cairns City, located on what once was swamp, is in close proximity to the suburbs of Cairns North, Manunda, Edge Hill, Whitfield, Kanimbla, Parramatta Park, Mooroobool, Manoora, Portsmith, Earlville, Westcourt, Bungalow, Woree and Bayview Heights. A swamp is a Wetland featuring temporary or permanent inundation of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water Woree is a southern suburb of the city of Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Bayview Heights is a southern suburb of the city of Cairns, Queensland, Australia. The small suburb of Aeroglen is pressed between Mount Whitfield and the airport on the Captain Cook Highway north of the central business district towards Smithfield. Captain Cook Highway is a short Queensland highway that starts in Cairns and ends in Mossman, then continues via the Mossman-Daintree Road more than

Southside Cairns, which is higher in elevation and is situated in a mountainous valley, includes the suburbs of White Rock, Mount Sheridan, Bentley Park, Wrights Creek, Edmonton and Centenary Heights, and the townships of Babinda, Goldsborough, Little Mulgrave, Aloomba and Gordonvale, which is located on the Mulgrave River. Bentley Park is a suburb of Cairns Queensland, Australia, and is located approximately 9km south of the Cairns CBD (Central Business DistrictThe suburb has an estimated Edmonton used to be an independent township supporting a Sugar mill, but in recent times has become a suburb of Cairns, Queensland, Australia Babinda is a small town located 60 km south of Cairns and 1649 km north-west of Brisbane in the Australian state of Queensland. Gordonvale is a small sugar-growing suburb situated in the southern end of Cairns. The southern strip of Cairns is populated along a small skinny area between the Trinity Inlet to the east and the Lamb Range to the west. It is serviced by the Bruce Highway which is also due to be developed into a motorway between Woree and Grodonvale due to increasing traffic congestion. The Bruce Highway is the major coastal highway of Queensland, Australia.

The town of Kuranda is located upstream on the Barron River on the western side of the Kuranda Range, part of the Great Dividing Range. Kuranda (postcode 4881 is a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia. Barron Falls|Barron Gorge National ParkThe Barron River is located on the Atherton Tableland inland from Cairns in Northern Queensland, Australia The Great Dividing Range, also known as the Eastern Highlands, is Australia 's most substantial Mountain range. Kuranda is located in the Tablelands local government area and, due to the geography of the Kuranda Range, is not part of the Cairns urban area, however it forms part of the Cairns economic catchment. Tablelands Regional Council is a Local Government Area in Queensland, Australia. In early 2007 the Cairns City Council expressed interest in assuming responsibility for the administration of Kuranda, as well as Port Douglas. Port Douglas is a town in Far North Queensland, Australia, approximately north of Cairns. ^[7]

History

Main article: History of Cairns, Queensland

Cairns is situated on the Indigenous Australian people's tribal lands of the Irukandji. The transition of the port of Cairns from shanty town to modern city proceeded relatively quickly

The future site of Cairns was first sighted by Captain James Cook in 1770 and closer investigation by several official expeditions 100 years later recognised its potential for development into a port. Captain James Cook FRS RN ( – 14 February 1779) was an English Explorer, Navigator and Hastened by the need to export gold discovered on the tablelands to the west of the inlet Cairns was founded in 1876. The land on which the settlement was hewn initially consisted of mangrove swamps which were gradually cleared by labourers and sand ridges which were slowly filled in with ballast from a quarry at Edge Hill, dried mud, sawdust from several local sawmills and debris collected from the construction of a railway to Herberton on the Atherton Tablelands, a project which started in 1886. The railway opened up land that was later used for agriculture on the lowlands (sugar cane, corn, rice, bananas, pineapples) and fruit and dairy on the Tablelands. The success of local agriculture helped Cairns come into its own as a port and the creation of a harbour board in 1906 meant its economic future was assured.

During World War II, Cairns was used by the Allied Forces as a staging base for operations in the Pacific.

After World War II, Cairns slowly reinvented itself as a centre for tourism. The opening of the Cairns International Airport in 1984 and the building of the Cairns Convention Centre established the city's overseas reputation as a desirable destination for the holiday and business conference markets.

Climate

Climate chart

Cairns – the tropical city (view nearby the lagoon)

Cairns experiences a warm tropical climate. The Tropics are centered on the Equator and limited in Latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23°26' (23 Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of It experiences a wet season with tropical monsoons between December and April and a dry season between May and November, which, however, is not completely dry like in most of tropical Australia: there are frequent showers for most of this period. A wet season or rainy season is a Season in which the average Rainfall in a region is significantly increased A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind which lasts for several months The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the Tropics. Mean rainfall of Cairns is 1,992. Rain is Liquid precipitation. On Earth it is the condensation of atmospheric Water vapor into drops heavy enough to fall often making it to 8 millimetres (78 in). ^[8] The township of Babinda at the southern end of the city is one of Australia’s wettest towns, recording an annual rainfall of over 4,200 millimetres (165 in). Babinda is a small town located 60 km south of Cairns and 1649 km north-west of Brisbane in the Australian state of Queensland. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. It has hot humid summers and milder temperatures in winter. The temperature varies from a mean temperature of 25. 7 °C (78 °F) in July to 31. 4 °C (89 °F) in January. Monsoonal activity during the wet season occasionally causes major flooding of the Barron and Mulgrave Rivers, cutting off road and rail access to the city. A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land a deluge Barron Falls|Barron Gorge National ParkThe Barron River is located on the Atherton Tableland inland from Cairns in Northern Queensland, Australia

Cairns Lagoon in Cairns City, under public surveillance. Surveillance is the monitoring of Behavior. Systems surveillance is the process of monitoring the behavior of people objects or processes within systems for conformity

Tropical cyclones

Like most of North and Far North Queensland, Cairns is prone to Tropical Cyclones, usually forming between November and May.

Notable cyclones that have affected the Cairns Region include:

• Cyclone Larry, 2006 - see below for detail for Cairns region and City. Severe Tropical Cyclone Larry (JTWC designation 17P) was a Tropical cyclone that made landfall in Australia during the 2005-06 Southern
• Cyclone Abigail, 2001
• Cyclone Steve, 2000
• Cyclone Rona, 1999
• Cyclone Justin, 1997

Cyclone Larry

Main article: Cyclone Larry

Tropical Cyclone Larry struck areas to the south of Cairns at 7am on 20 March 2006. Tropical Cyclone Steve was a Tropical cyclone that affected northern Australia from February 27 2000 until March 11 2000 Severe Tropical Cyclone Larry (JTWC designation 17P) was a Tropical cyclone that made landfall in Australia during the 2005-06 Southern A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerous Thunderstorms that produce strong winds and Flooding Severe Tropical Cyclone Larry (JTWC designation 17P) was a Tropical cyclone that made landfall in Australia during the 2005-06 Southern Events 1600 - The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Cyclone Larry crossed land near the town of Innisfail, 100 km (62 mi) south of Cairns as a category five cyclone. For the town in Alberta Canada see Innisfail Alberta Innisfail is a town located in the far north of the state of Queensland Tropical cyclones are ranked according to their maximum winds using several scales It was downgraded to a category four cyclone shortly before midday, and further downgraded to a category three cyclone a few hours later. Wind gusts of up to 300 km/h (190 mph) have been recorded around the Cairns region, with wind gusts up to 180 km/h (112 mph) reported in the City. It is estimated that about one in four houses in Cairns and surrounding areas have been affected by Cyclone Larry.

Governance

View of Cairns from Lake Morris with the Yarrabah peninsula in the background.

Cairns is governed by the Cairns Regional Council. Cairns Regional Council is a Local Government Area in Queensland, Australia. The Council consists of a mayor and ten councillors. The Mayor is elected by the public, and the Councillors are elected from ten single-member divisions (or wards) using an optional preferential voting system. This article is about voting systems that use ranked ballots For alternative meanings see Preferential voting (disambiguation. Elections are held every four years. An election is a Decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold formal office

The Cairns Regional Council local government area consists of three former local government areas. Cairns Regional Council is a Local Government Area in Queensland, Australia. The first was the original City of Cairns, consisting of the Cairns City region as listed above. The second, which was amalgamated in 1995, was the Shire of Mulgrave (comprising the other areas, namely the Northern Beaches, Freshwater and Redlynch Valleys, and Southside). The town of Gordonvale was once called Mulgrave. Gordonvale is a small sugar-growing suburb situated in the southern end of Cairns. The third area is the Shire of Douglas, which amalgamated in 2008 during major statewide local government reforms. As at 15 March 2008 this former local government area ceased to exist having been wholly amalgamated into the Cairns Regional Council Shire of Douglas is

At the time of the 1995 amalgamation, Cairns City had a population of approximately 40,000 and Mulgrave Shire had a population of approximately 60,000. Both local government authorities had chambers in the Cairns CBD. The old Cairns City Council chambers located on Abbott Street has been converted into a new city library. A library is a collection of information sources resources and services and the structure in which it is housed it is organized for use and maintained by a public body an institution The old Mulgrave Shire Chambers were located on the Cairns Esplanade. In a controversial decision,^[9] new council chambers were constructed on previously industrial contaminated land in the mainly industrial suburb of Portsmith.

Cairns has four representatives in the Queensland Parliament, from the electoral districts of Cook, Barron River, Cairns and Mulgrave. The Queensland Legislative Assembly is the Unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. The electoral division of Cook is an electoral division in Queensland, Australia. The division of Barron River is an Electoral division of the Queensland Legislative Assembly in the state of Queensland, Australia The division of Cairns is an electoral division in the Queensland Legislative Assembly in the state of Queensland, Australia. The city is represented in the Federal Parliament by representatives elected from the districts of Leichhardt and Kennedy. The Parliament of Australia or Commonwealth Parliament is the legislative branch of government of Australia. The Division of Leichhardt is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The Division of Kennedy is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland.

Prior to the abolition of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC), the Indigenous people in Cairns were represented by the Cairns and District Regional Council. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission ( ATSIC) ( 1990 &ndash 2005) was the Australian Government body through which Aboriginal The Council comprised 12 Councillors, who elected a Chair from among them - Terry O'Shane was the last Chair. The Cairns area was represented on ATSIC by the Commissioner for Queensland North Zone. The last Commissioner for Queensland North was Lionel Quartermaine who also served as ATSIC’s Deputy Chair.

Economy

Cairns at night; the wharves. The casino's dome can be seen in the background.

Cairns serves as the major commercial centre for the Far North Queensland and Cape York Peninsula Regions. Far North Queensland, or FNQ is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. This article is about the peninsula located in the Australian state of Queensland; it should not be confused with either Yorke Peninsula in South Australia It is a base for the regional offices of many government departments.

Tourism

Tourism plays a major part in the Cairns economy. An economic system is a System that involves the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services between According to Tourism Australia, Cairns is the fourth most popular destination for international tourists in Australia after Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Tourism Australia is a statutory authority of the Government of Australia, with responsibility for Tourism marketing within Australia and internationally Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 Brisbane ( is the state capital of Queensland. Brisbane is the third most populous city in Australia and the most populous city of Queensland ^[10] While the city does not rank amongst Australia's top 10 destinations for domestic tourism, it attracts a number of Australian holiday makers given its distance from major capitals ^[11]. The city's proximity to the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics of Queensland makes it a popular destination. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest Coral reef system in the world composed of over 2900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for 2600 kilometres (1600 mi The Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Site is an umbrella name for a series of National Parks stretching for 450 km along the north east coast of The city contains hundreds of hotels, resorts, motels and backpackers hostels. A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging usually on a short-term basis A resort is a place used for Relaxation or Recreation, attracting visitors for Holidays or Vacations Resorts are places towns or sometimes Entering dictionaries after World War II, the word motel, a Portmanteau of motor and hotel or motorists' hotel, referred Hostels provide budget-oriented accommodation where guests can rent a bed, sometimes a Bunk bed in a Dormitory and share a bathroom Activities in the region include golf, white water rafting, snorkelling, diving and hiking.

Industry and agriculture

The land around Cairns is still used for sugar cane farming, although this land is increasingly under pressure from new suburbs as the city grows. Sugarcane ( Saccharum) is a genus of 6 to 37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation of tall perennial grasses (family Poaceae tribe Andropogoneae Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Within the Cairns City Council area, sugar mills operate in Gordonvale and Babinda. Sugarcane ( Saccharum) is a genus of 6 to 37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation of tall perennial grasses (family Poaceae tribe Andropogoneae Gordonvale is a small sugar-growing suburb situated in the southern end of Cairns. Babinda is a small town located 60 km south of Cairns and 1649 km north-west of Brisbane in the Australian state of Queensland.

The Barron Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station is located nearby in Kuranda and provides green power for some of the city's needs. The Barron Gorge Hydro Electric Power Plant was commissioned in 1963 and is located 20 km (12 mi northwest of Cairns, Queensland, Australia Kuranda (postcode 4881 is a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia. Green energy is a term used to describe sources of energy that are considered to be Environmentally friendly and non- polluting.

Commercial

Cairns Pier

Cairns local businesses are assisted by the Cairns Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC), which promotes a cluster-based model for economic development.

The suburbs of Cairns contain a number of shopping centres of various sizes. The largest of these are the Cairns Central shopping centre, located in the central business district, and Stockland Cairns, located in the suburb of Earlville. Cairns Central Shopping Centre in north Queensland, Australia is Cairns ' biggest shopping centre

The City is currently going through a boom which has led to many high rises being built in the city. The city is currently beginning to become a bigger economical centre in not just tourism, but in services as well with many new office towers being built and planned for the near future including the Cairns Corporate Tower #2.

Media

The Cairns Post is a daily newspaper published in the city; a weekly paper, The Cairns Sun, is also published. The Cairns Post is a major News Corporation newspaper in Far North Queensland that exclusively serves the Cairns area The Courier-Mail is a daily Queensland-wide newspaper published in Brisbane. The Courier-Mail is a daily Newspaper published in Brisbane, Australia. Brisbane ( is the state capital of Queensland. Brisbane is the third most populous city in Australia and the most populous city of Queensland The Australian newspaper also circulates widely. The Australian, also referred to as The Oz, is a Broadsheet Newspaper published in Australia Monday through Saturday each

Cairns Newspapers publishes independent suburban newspapers - the Cairns Northern News and the Southern Herald - which circulate suburbs from Palm Cove in the north to Gordonvale in the south.

Cairns is served by three commercial television stations and the two public broadcasters - the ABC and SBS. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly abbreviated to the 'ABC' is Australia's national public broadcaster. The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS is one of two government-funded Australian Public broadcasting radio and television networks, the other being the The commercial stations are regional affiliates of the Ten, Nine and Seven networks. Network Ten, or Channel Ten, is one of Australia 's three major commercial television networks. The Nine Network, or Channel Nine, is an Australian television network based in Willoughby, a suburb on the North Shore of Sydney The Seven Network is an Australian television network, owned by the Seven Media Group. Austar Limited provides subscription satellite TV services. AUSTAR is an Australian Telecommunications company Its main business activity is Pay TV, although it is also involved with Internet access and

Cairns radio stations include a number of public, commercial and community broadcasters. The ABC broadcasts ABC Radio National, ABC Local, ABC Classic FM and the Triple J youth network. ABC Radio National is an Australia-wide Radio network broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation with many various programs involving News and ABC Local Radio is a network of publicly owned Radio stations in Australia, operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. ABC Classic FM is an Australian classical music Radio station available in major centres around the country Triple J is a nationally-networked government-funded Australian radio station (a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation) mainly aimed Commercial radio stations include 4CA-FM, AM846, HOT FM, SeaFM, 4CCR-FM, 87. 4CA FM (call sign 4CCA) is a radio station in Cairns Queensland Hot FM is an Australian radio network consisting of stations in north and central Queensland and Western Australia. SEA FM is a commercial Australian radio network consisting of stations in Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania and is owned by 6 XFM, 98. 7FM, 101. 9 Coast FM, and 104. 3 4TAB sports radio.

Transport

Cairns is an important transport hub in the Far North Queensland region. Located at the base of Cape York Peninsula, it provides important transport links between the Peninsula and Gulf of Carpentaria regions and the areas to the south of the state. This article is about the peninsula located in the Australian state of Queensland; it should not be confused with either Yorke Peninsula in South Australia The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea (the body of water that lies Cairns International Airport is essential to the viability of the tourism industry. Cairns International Airport is an Australian domestic and International airport in Cairns, Queensland, Australia.

Roads

The Bruce Highway in Cairns southern suburbs at morning peak hour. The Bruce Highway is the major coastal highway of Queensland, Australia. Rush hour at Shinjuku 02JPG|thumb|right|250px|Rush hour at Shinjuku Station, Yamanote Line]] A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which

The Bruce Highway runs for 1,700 km (1,056 mi) from Brisbane and terminates in Cairns on the corner of Mulgrave Roads and Sheridan Streets in the CBD. The Bruce Highway is the major coastal highway of Queensland, Australia. Brisbane ( is the state capital of Queensland. Brisbane is the third most populous city in Australia and the most populous city of Queensland At this point, the Captain Cook Highway (also referred to as the Cook Highway), between Cairns and Port Douglas approximately 70 km (43 mi) to the northwest, commences. Captain Cook Highway is a short Queensland highway that starts in Cairns and ends in Mossman, then continues via the Mossman-Daintree Road more than Port Douglas is a town in Far North Queensland, Australia, approximately north of Cairns.

A need for future upgrades to the Bruce Highway to motorway standards through the southern suburbs to Gordonvale has been identified in regional planning strategies to cope with increasing congestion from rapid population growth. The Bruce Highway is the major coastal highway of Queensland, Australia. Motorway is a term for both a type of Road and a classification or designation Gordonvale is a small sugar-growing suburb situated in the southern end of Cairns. This will result with overpasses at all major intersections between Ray Jones Drive in Woree and Riverstone Road in Gordonvale. Gordonvale is a small sugar-growing suburb situated in the southern end of Cairns. The motorway will not take the old route along the highway through Edmonton but will follow a bypass that will travel from the Roberts Road intersection at Bently Park to the intersection of Hill Road and the Bruce Highway north of Gordonvale to ease noise from cars in Edmonton. Motorway is a term for both a type of Road and a classification or designation The Bruce Highway is the major coastal highway of Queensland, Australia. Gordonvale is a small sugar-growing suburb situated in the southern end of Cairns. There will also be overpasses at these intersections. ^[12]

The Kennedy Highway commences at Smithfield on the Barron River flood plain north of Cairns and ascends the Kuranda Range to the township of Kuranda. The Kennedy Highway (Highway 1 is a highway in northern Queensland, Australia. Kuranda (postcode 4881 is a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia. The highway then extends to the town of Mareeba on the Atherton Tableland, and continues to communities of Cape York Peninsula

The Gillies Highway commences at the township of Gordonvale and ascends the Gillies Range (part of the Great Dividing Range) to the town of Atherton on the Atherton Tableland, passing through the township of Yungaburra on the way. Mareeba The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. This article is about the peninsula located in the Australian state of Queensland; it should not be confused with either Yorke Peninsula in South Australia The Gillies Range is a section of the chain of summits that separate the Far North Queensland coastal plain from the interior Atherton Tableland. Atherton The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. Yungaburra

The controversial private road, Quaid Road, was constructed in 1989 through what is now a Wet Tropics World Heritage Area and links Wangetti, on the coast just north of Cairns, to Southedge, just south of Mount Molloy. Quaid Road is a 32 km long stretch of private road in Far North Queensland. The Queensland tropical rain forests are a terrestrial Ecoregion located in northeastern Australia. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Mount Molloy is a historic Mining and Timber town lying 160 Kilometres north of Cairns.

A network of secondary and local roads of varying quality is maintained throughout the Cairns suburbs by the Queensland State Government Transport Department and Cairns City Council.

Coaches

Cairns is also served by long distance coaches to Brisbane, and regional cities to the south. Coaches also operate west to Mount Isa via Townsville and the Northern Territory. Mount Isa is a city in North-West Queensland, Australia. It came into existence because the area holds vast mineral deposits The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the center of the mainland continent as well as the central northern regions Desert Venturer Coaches operate twice weekly to Alice Springs and Darwin (weekly service in wet season). Alice Springs is the second largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia.

Public transport

A public transport network is operated throughout the city by Marlin Coast Sunbus. Sunbus is the principal provider of Public transportation at Cairns in Queensland, Australia A transit mall is located in the CBD through which all services operate. Services include most parts of the city, from Palm Cove on the Northern Beaches to Gordonvale in the south, all travelling via the CBD. Bus services operated by Whitecar Coaches run to Kuranda and to the Atherton Tableland. The Whitecars Coaches company runs daily coach services between Cairns and the Atherton Tableland, Australia. Kuranda (postcode 4881 is a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia. The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. A smaller minibus service, Jon's Kuranda Bus runs between Cairns and Kuranda. Cairns also has one major Taxi company Black and White Cabs who service the Cairns region.

Rail

Cairns is the terminus for Queensland's North Coast railway line, which follows the eastern seaboard from Brisbane. The North Coast railway line is also a railway in New South Wales, Australia. Services are operated by Queensland Rail (QR) and include the high speed tilt train. QR Limited is the company government-owned corporation responsible for the operation and maintenance of the railway system in the State of Queensland The Tilt Train is a Queensland Rail train running the coast of Queensland, from Brisbane to Rockhampton and Cairns. Freight trains operate along the route. There is a QR Freight handling facility located at Portsmith.

Pacific National Queensland (a division of Pacific National, owned by Toll Holdings) operates a rail siding at Woree. Pacific National is one of Australia 's largest private rail freight businesses TOLL () ( properly TOLL Holdings Limited, is Australia 's largest Transport company based in Melbourne, Victoria Woree is a southern suburb of the city of Cairns, Queensland, Australia. It runs private trains on the rail network owned by the Queensland State Government and managed by QR's Network Division.

The Kuranda Scenic Railway operates from Cairns. The Kuranda Scenic Railway is a name for the railway line that runs from Cairns Queensland, Australia to the nearby town of Kuranda. The tourist railway snakes its way up the Kuranda Range and is not used for commuter services. It passes through the suburbs of Stratford, Freshwater (stopping at Freshwater Station) and Redlynch before reaching Kuranda.

Freight services to Forsayth were discontinued in the mid-1990s. Forsayth is a town in Etheridge Shire, Far North Queensland, Australia, approximately 415km by road from Cairns. The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 These were mixed freight and passenger services which served the semi-remote towns west of the Great Dividing Range. The Great Dividing Range, also known as the Eastern Highlands, is Australia 's most substantial Mountain range. There is now a weekly passenger-only service, "The Savannahlander" that leaves Cairns on Wednesday mornings. The Savannahlander is a railmotor service that operates in Queensland, Australia. The Savannahlander is run by a private company, Cairns Kuranda Steam Trains.

Cairns is served by a narrow gauge cane railway (or cane train) network that hauls harvested sugar cane to the Mulgrave Mill located in Gordonvale. A narrow gauge railway (or narrow gauge railroad) is a Railway that has a Track gauge narrower than the of Standard gauge railways Sugarcane ( Saccharum) is a genus of 6 to 37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation of tall perennial grasses (family Poaceae tribe Andropogoneae Gordonvale is a small sugar-growing suburb situated in the southern end of Cairns. The pressure of urban sprawl on land previously cultivated by cane farmers has seen this network reduced over recent years. Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is the spreading of a city and its Suburbs over rural land at the fringe of an urban area There has been discussion that these railway corridors may be used for a possible future light rail mass transit system, however no plans have been drawn up ^[13]. For specific light rail systems many of which use the words "light rail" as part of their name see List of light-rail transit systems.

The use of the existing heavy rail line for commuter services between Redlynch and Gordonvale is occasionally discussed; however this is not a favoured option under the FNQ 2010 Regional Plan, which recommends the use of buses.

Airport

Cairns International Airport

Cairns Marina. Cairns International Airport is an Australian domestic and International airport in Cairns, Queensland, Australia.

Cairns International Airport is operated by the Cairns Port Authority and is located 7 km (4 mi) north of Cairns City between the CBD and the Northern Beaches. Cairns International Airport is an Australian domestic and International airport in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Cairns Port Authority (CPA is a Queensland Government Statutory Corporation responsible for the operation of Cairns International Airport and the It is Australia's sixth busiest domestic airport and fifth busiest international airport. In 2005/2006 there were 3. 76 million international and domestic passenger movements. ^[14]

The Airport has a domestic terminal, a separate international terminal, and a general aviation area. An airport terminal is a building at an Airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from Airplanes The airport handles international flights, and flights to major Australian cities, tourist destinations, and regional destinations throughout North Queensland. It is an important base for general aviation serving the Cape York Peninsula and Gulf of Carpentaria Communities. This article is about the peninsula located in the Australian state of Queensland; it should not be confused with either Yorke Peninsula in South Australia The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea (the body of water that lies The Cairns airport is also a base for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia ( RFDS, informally known as The Flying Doctors) is an Air ambulance service for those living in the remote inland

Sea port

The Cairns Seaport, located on Trinity Inlet, is operated by the Cairns Port Authority. ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo Cairns Port Authority (CPA is a Queensland Government Statutory Corporation responsible for the operation of Cairns International Airport and the ^[15] Most major tour operators have their check-in desks located inside the Reef Fleet Terminal. It serves as an important port for tourist operators providing daily reef trips. These consist of large catamarans capable of carrying over 300 passengers as well as smaller operators who may take as few as 12 tourists. A catamaran (From Tamil 'kattumaram' is a type of Multihulled Boat or Ship consisting of two hulls or vakas joined by some Cairns Port is also a port of call for cruise ships, such as Captain Cook Cruises, cruising the South Pacific Ocean, and it provides freight services to coastal townships on Cape York Peninsula, the Torres Strait and the Gulf of Carpentaria. A cruise ship or cruise liner is a Passenger ship used for pleasure voyages where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions This article is about the peninsula located in the Australian state of Queensland; it should not be confused with either Yorke Peninsula in South Australia The Torres Strait is a body of water which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea (the body of water that lies

Yearly cargo through the port totals 1. 13 million tonnes. Almost 90 percent of the trade is bulk cargoes ^[16] - including petroleum, sugar, molasses, fertiliser and LP gas. A large number of fishing trawlers are also located at the port. A commercial trawler is a commercial Fishing vessel designed to operate fishing trawls. There is also a marina that houses private yachts and boats used for tourist operations. For other uses of this word see Marina (disambiguation. A marina is a sheltered Harbor where Boats and Yachts A yacht is a recreational boat It designates two rather different classes of Watercraft, sailing and power yachts

The Royal Australian Navy has a base in Cairns (HMAS Cairns) where, by May 2007, 4 Armidale Class patrol boats will be based. The Royal Australian Navy ( RAN) is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. HMAS Cairns is a naval base of the Royal Australian Navy located in Cairns Queensland. Design and construction Planning for the Armidale class began in 1993 as a plan to replace the Fremantle class which was due for retirement in 1998 ^[17]

The Trinity Wharf has recently been subject of a major redevelopment to improve the area for tourist and cruise ship operations. The freight wharves are located to the south of Trinity Wharf further up Trinity Inlet. Cargo (or freight) refers to goods or produce transported generally for Commercial gain by ship, aircraft, train,

Sister cities

• Lae, Papua New Guinea (Morobe Province) since 1984
• Minami, Japan (Tokushima Prefecture) since 1969
• Oyama, Japan (Tochigi Prefecture) since June 15, 2006
• Riga, Latvia since 1990
• Scottsdale, USA (Arizona) since 1987
• Sidney, Canada (British Columbia) since 1984
• Zhanjiang, People's Republic of China (Guangdong province) since 2004

Education

See List of schools in Cairns

Cairns has numerous primary and secondary schools. Lae, the capital of Morobe Province is the second largest city in Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (or ˈpæpjuːə in Tok Pisin: Papua Niugini) officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania Morobe Province (previously named Adolfhafen in German New Guinea) is a province on the northern coast of Papua New Guinea is a town located in Kaifu District, Tokushima, Japan. It was founded on March 31, 2006 from the merger of the towns of Hiwasa For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. WikipediaWikiProject Japanese prefectures for guidelines--> is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku Island. is a city located in Tochigi, Japan. As of 2008, the city has an estimated Population of 162283 and the density of 946 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. WikipediaWikiProject Japanese prefectures for guidelines --> is a prefecture located in the Kantō region on the island of Honshū, Japan Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Scottsdale ( O'odham Vaṣai S-vaṣonĭ; Yaqui Eskatel) is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. Sidney is a town located at the northern end of the Saanich Peninsula, on Vancouver Island in the Canadian Province of Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C Zhanjiang (湛江 French Fort-Bayard) is a Prefecture-level city in Guangdong province in southeast China. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Guangdong ( EFEO: Kouangtong; Pinyin Guǎngdōng; Postal map spelling: Kwangtung) is a province on the The following is a list of schools in the city of Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Separate systems of private and public schools operate in Queensland. Schools in Australia can be classified according to sources of funding and administrative structures There are 20 state primary schools and 16 state high schools operated by the Queensland state government Department of Education within the Cairns City Council area, including 6 schools in the predominantly rural areas south of Gordonvale. Queensland State Schools are schools that are part of the Queensland, Australia State Government provided universal free education system Queensland State High Schools cater for Years 8 to 12 (covering students from 12 to 17 As at 15 March 2008 this former local government area of Australia ceased to exist having been wholly amalgamated into the Cairns Regional Council. There is one combined primary and secondary school in Bentley Park. Bentley Park College is a Co-educational, state run school located in Edmonton, Queensland, Australia. ^[18]

Catholic schools are operated by Catholic Education Cairns. The Catholic system encompasses nineteen primary schools, six secondary colleges and one P-12 college^[19]. There are almost 6,000 primary students and 3,250 secondary students enrolled in the Catholic school system^[20].

The Cairns Campus of James Cook University is located at Smithfield. James Cook University (JCU is a Public University based in Townsville Queensland, Australia and was proclaimed on 20 April James Cook University (JCU is a Public University based in Townsville Queensland, Australia and was proclaimed on 20 April The city is also home to a TAFE college, and a School of the Air base, both located in the inner suburb of Manunda. Technical and Further Education or TAFE (pronounced) institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational tertiary education courses in Australia School of the Air is a generic term for Correspondence schools catering for the primary and early secondary Education of children in remote and

Health

The Cairns Base Hospital from the air facing south.

The Cairns Base Hospital is situated on the Cairns Esplanade and is the major hospital for the Cape York Peninsula Region. The smaller Cairns Private Hospital is located nearby. On the north side of the Base hospital is located the Australian Red Cross Blood Service

Cairns is a base for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, which operates clinics and provides emergency evacuations in remote communities throughout the region. The Australian Red Cross Blood Service (ARCBS is a branch of the Australian Red Cross. The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia ( RFDS, informally known as The Flying Doctors) is an Air ambulance service for those living in the remote inland Medical evacuation, often termed MEDEVAC or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to the wounded being

Churches

See List of churches in Cairns

Sport and recreation

Cairns also has a National Basketball League (NBL) team, the Cairns Taipans. The National Basketball League is Australia 's top-level professional Basketball competition History The first coach in franchise history was former Cairns Marlins ABA coach Rod Popp Notable sporting grounds include Barlow Park, Cairns Showground and Cazaly's Stadium (cricket, Australian rules football and rugby league), the Cairns Convention Centre (basketball), and the Cairns Hockey Centre. Cazaly's Stadium, formally known as Bundaberg Rum Stadium, is a sports Stadium in Cairns, Australia, that is named after former VFL Field hockey is a Team sport in which players attempt to score goals by hitting the Ball across the pitch with a stick

The Northern Pride Queensland Cup rugby league team will play their first season in 2008 and will act as a feeder team to the North Queensland Cowboys who play in the National Rugby League. The Northern Pride RLFC is a rugby league club founded in 2007 based in Cairns Queensland. The Queensland Cup is the premier Rugby league football competition in the state of Queensland. The North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional Rugby league football team based in Townsville Queensland.

Cairns is unusual among Queensland cities in that Australian rules football is followed, and there is an active local league. Australian (rules football, or simply known as football, footy or Aussie rules, is a Team sport played between two teams of 18 players The Australian Football League Cairns is a semi-professional Australian rules football league that includes clubs from the Cairns region in Queensland, ^[21]

Cairns is a major international destination for scuba diving due to its close proximity to the Great Barrier Reef. Scuba diving is swimming underwater, or taking part in another activity while using a Scuba set. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest Coral reef system in the world composed of over 2900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for 2600 kilometres (1600 mi Other recreational activities popular with tourists include whitewater rafting, skydiving and snorkelling. Rafting or whitewater rafting is a challenging recreational activity utilizing a Raft to navigate a River or other bodies of water Parachuting, also known as skydiving is where a person jumps from enough height so that he can deploy a fabric Parachute and land safely Snorkeling ( British spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of Swimming at the surface of a body of water while equipped with a Diving mask, a

Wildlife

In addition to the wildlife in and around the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns boasts a variety of inland and airborne wildlife. Whilst in the forest areas, keep an eye out for Kangaroos however in the sky be aware that pelicans and large fruit bats are common place. In the mud alongside the esplanade can be seen when the weather is right, the occasional 'mudskip' a kind of mud burrowing prehistoric looking fish.

References

External links

• Cairns City Council Website
• Cairns travel guide from Wikitravel