R&H Suburb Profile CAIRNS

Cairns is a regional city in Far North Queensland, about 1700km north of Brisbane and 2,420km north of Sydney by road. It is the major commercial centre for the Far North Queensland and Cape York Peninsula regions and a base for regional offices of various government departments.

Located on the east coast of Cape York Peninsula between the Coral Sea and the Great Dividing Range, it is the major gateway to The Great Barrier Reef. Daintree National Park and Cape Tribulation are about 130km north. Cooktown, Cape York Peninsula and the Atherton Tablelands are nearby.

Cairns has experienced recent urban sprawl, with suburbs now occupying land previously used for sugar cane farming. The city is rapidly expanding, with a population of 122,731 at the 2006 census. Tourism is the region’s largest income producer, followed closely by the sugar industry.

According to Tourism Australia, the Cairns region is the fourth-most popular Australian destination for international tourists after Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The city contains hundreds of hotels, resorts, motels and backpackers hostels. Activities include golf, white water rafting, Great Barrier Reef cruises, and coach tours to the Daintree Rainforest, Atherton Tablelands and Paronella Park. There are also scenic flights, day trips to Kuranda, crocodile farms, and a food-and-wine tour to tropical fruit wineries.

Cairns Esplanade, once a huge grassy park, now features a world-class facility incorporating outdoor amphitheatre, large sandy swimming lagoon, grassy picnic areas, walking tracks, free public barbeques, children's playground, shops and restaurants, an environmental interpretation centre and Great Barrier Reef cruise departure terminal.

Shopping centres include Cairns Central in the CBD and Stockland Cairns, in the suburb of Earlville. There are also shopping centres at Mount Sheridan, Redlynch, Smithfield, and Clifton Beach.

Cairns Airport is just over 15 mins drive from the CBD. Bus services run regularly from the City Place all over Cairns including the Northern Beaches.

There is a good mix of public and private schools at both primary and secondary level. James Cook University, one of the most renowned marine science institutions in the world, also has a campus in Cairns.

The area is serviced by Cairns Base Hospital and Cairns Private Hospital.