Cairns
Cairns is the heart of tropical North Queensland. The modern and colourful city in paradise is home to a diverse, multicultural community of around 160,000 people, and is one of the fastest growing regions in Australia.
The popularity of Cairns - aside from the naturally welcoming nature of the locals! - is based on the twin features of its close proximately to the Great Barrier Reef and the World Heritage-listed rainforests.
Tourism plays a major part in the Cairns economy now worth $2.4 billion a year.
The region’s environment is as unique as it is diverse – the reef, rainforest and outback, attracting more than 2 million domestic and international visitors each year. It is said there are over 650 day tours, excursions and trips in Cairns alone!
From Cairns city, beaches stretch north along the coast including the popular boutique destinations of Palm Cove and Port Douglas. Mossman Gorge, Daintree River and Cape Tribulation are places to see the world’s oldest living rainforests.
Off the coast, there are no less than ten of the Great Barrier Reef's premier islands!
The village of Kuranda, nestled west of Cairns in rainforest splendour, has been delighting visitors for years and is accessible by train, cableway or road.
To the west is the Cairns Highlands, a patchwork of farmlands, rainforest and lakes offering a cool rural retreat from the warmth of the coast.
The Cairns International Airport is superbly positioned geographically in the Asia Pacific Region and is now the fifth busiest airport for international passengers and the 6th busiest airport overall in Australia. The International Airport is only 10 minutes from the City Centre.
The Cairns and Far North has a booming construction sector with projects worth $ 4.8 billion underway. The mining sector is already worth millions to Cairns economy and is expected to grow with a proposed bauxite mine which could help turn Cairns into a regional mining hub.
The Cairns and Far North is also a successful leader in farming and fishing businesses and core commercial services such as finance, insurance and property.
