Cairns, Your Guide to the Great Barrier Reef

Cairns is considered the entry point to the Great Barrier Reef and is near the meeting point of two Unesco World Heritage sites: Cape Tribulation and the Great Barrier Reef. A wide variety of snorkeling and scuba tours are available in the area.

In my opinion, neither Cairns nor Port Douglas are thrilling destinations outside of the reef and rainforest. They are both very small towns. So I would fill your days with tours and spend your evenings relaxing or walking the small city centers. Not sure where to stay? Check out my article on Cairns vs. Port Douglas: Reef, Rainforest, and Relaxation – Choosing Your Tropical Base.

SAFETY NOTE: Be careful when swimming around Port Douglas and other areas in Cairns as crocodiles heavily populate the area.

Join a Tour Group

I participated in two different tour groups while I was in Cairns. I had a great time with both, but of the two I would highly recommend the Franklin Islands Tour.

Great Barrier Reef Snorkel Tour with Silverswift Cruise

This tour took you to three different areas of the reef: the outer reef sites of Flynn, Pellowe, Milln and/or Thetford Reefs. I chose to snorkel instead of scuba, but my recommendation would be to try and follow the scuba divers from the surface for a chance to see some incredible creatures! I saw a sting ray when I did this 🙂

PROS:

• Option to scuba or snorkel.
• Safety look-outs (sharks, troubled swimmers, etc)
• Serious about head counts. Some people get anxious about being left behind, but they were very serious about making sure everyone was accounted for. They also blare a horn to alert everyone to come back in.
• Kind (and busy) staff, a lot of people are on this tour so they can be a little overwhelmed, but they were very kind to me.
• They provide everything you’d need: stinger suits (wear it!), snorkels, scuba gear, fins, etc.
• Sea sickness medicine is available, but you had to purchase it.
• They take time to explain how to use the equipment and have a safety overview.
• You can choose when to go out and come back in.
• Served a good lunch on board.
• Beautiful reef to explore, I saw sting rays, turtles, so many fish, etc!

CONS:

• Limited changing area. There are a couple small rooms to change in (like a store fitting room) down a narrow staircase of the boat. I didn’t have a swimsuit at the time so I had to use the changing room – it was tough getting there and changing in and out of the suit.
• Long day! I think the tour was longer than it needed to be (at 8 hours), the places you stop are very similar and you get a little discombobulated.
• Sea sickness – I think 80% of the people on the boat were getting sick. The water was very choppy and it’s hard to get a vantage point outside of the window to keep a steady head. Bring sea sickness meds and take them ahead of time. I think it took about 45 minutes to get to the reef.
• Crowded. This tour is heavily booked and it felt a little claustrophobic inside. In fact, a group ended up taking our seats inside the cabin on the way back so I had to find another space to sit.
• Jelly fish risk – Cairns is home to MANY breeds of jellyfish, ranging from harmless to extremely deadly (box jellyfish). Summer is high season for jelly fish. I visited in winter – but there were still bluebottle jellyfish in the waters. I was stung on my hand and face, they are harmless but you still feel the small shock. So if you go, wear the stinger suit as a precaution and keep this in mind.

Highlight: I saw a sea turtle swim up from the ocean floor up next to me to catch its breath, looked at me and went back down. It was remarkable.

Frankland Islands Reef, Rainforest & River Day Tour from Cairns

This tour was one of the highlights of my entire Australia trip! I did the Silverswift tour first, which was a long and busy day. In comparison this was so much more relaxing and laid back. If I had to choose between the two, do this one!

• Frankland Islands Reef Cruises is an exclusive Cairns Great Barrier Reef day tour.
• It starts with a rainforest river cruise, followed by the shortest open water crossing of any of the Cairns day tour boats, to put you right on the Great Barrier Reef.
• Our destination is Normanby Island in the beautiful Frankland Islands National Park island group.
• Your day includes coach transfers from Cairns CBD accommodation, a guided Great Barrier Reef snorkel tour, guided island walk and buffet lunch.
• Relax and explore with no crowds and plenty of space and time to maximise your Great Barrier Reef experience.

PROS:

• Shorter boat ride and an enjoyable route with a chance to see crocodiles along the way.
• On a small island where you can walk, swim, or sunbathe at your leisure.
• Attentive, knowledgeable, and fun staff.
• SUP equipment provided so you can paddle board along the reef.
• Safety equipment, snorkels, and stinger suits available.
• Really interesting tour of the island and ecosystem, I learned a lot about Australian wildlife and also interacted with a couple creatures along the way. Our guide was an educated marine biologist and looked for octopus, anemones, and more for us to see.
• Shorter day but still plenty of time to enjoy at a slow pace.
• Lunch provided, it was pretty good. I can’t remember exactly what they had, but there was chicken, shrimp, and bread (that I remember).

CONS:

• There is no bathroom on the island so if you need to go you have to alert the staff and you’ll get transported on a small boat over to the main boat.
• No scuba diving option.
• Have to choose between the glass boat tour and guided snorkel. I did the guided tour and I enjoyed it, we saw a reef shark.

Go on a Crocodile Cruise

I joined a crocodile cruise as part of my tour of the Daintree Rainforest. It was an enjoyable experience and we got to see 4-5 crocodiles. It’s never a guarantee, but he did a great job finding them and getting the boat close by. For anyone who enjoys crocodiles you may want a more in-depth and focused tour, but I enjoyed the teaser.

Check out the Daintree Rainforest

I took a tour on Get your Guide called: Cairns: Daintree and Mossman Gorge Tour with Cruise Option.

This tour was a great way to see the highlights of the area with transport included and fun facts along the way. I wish there was time to learn a little more about the Kuku Yalanji people but you could join a separate experience for that if it interests you. You do get to participate in a Smoke Ceremony with the Kuku Yalanji people as a right of entry to the area. Then you’ll take in the sights and enjoy a quick swim at Mossman Gorge. Visit Cape Tribulation with a short hike through the woods and end the day at Port Douglas.

Visit the Village in the Rainforest: Kuranda

Kuranda is a mountain village nestled amidst the lush rainforest, approximately 25 kilometers northwest of Cairns. It’s often referred to as the “Village in the Rainforest.” The forest offers natural beauty while the town has quirky markets and unique experiences. You can take the Kuranda Scenic Railway to get there from Cairns.

I heard the railway is nice, but not air conditioned and can be expensive for what it is. I took the cable car instead and booked my transport to and from Kuranda with the cable car ticket in advance. Otherwise it can be difficult to get there and Ubers don’t frequent the area. For more information on Kuranda, read my article: Kuranda: Rainforest Village or Tourist Trap – Is it worth it?

Embrace Natural Beauty at Cairns Garden

Spend some time in nature at Cairns Botanic Gardens. A tropical paradise, renowned as one of the best exhibitions of tropical plants in Australia. Admission is free so it’s a great place to visit for a relaxing walk.

Try New Foods at Rusty’s Markets

Rusty’s Market is an enclosed marketplace selling produce, apparel, gifts & flowers. It is only open on the weekend so it can get pretty busy. I absolutely love fruit so I was excited to check it out and I wasn’t disappointed. I bought vegetables and fruit for my meals and they were delicious. I even tried a few new fruits I hadn’t seen before. The prices were reasonable and you can shop around stalls to find the best price for what you are looking for.

Cairns also has the Night Markets, open daily from 5PM to 11PM. Featuring a wide variety of sellers with items such as: clothing, massage oils, glass art, crafts, Australian food products, plenty of souvenirs and gifts, etc. I purchased some really unique glass souvenirs there from Gift of Glass. They were hand made at the stall so you could see the process. You can even customize them.

Overall, I think the night market is worth checking out if you have time, but don’t go out of your way or worry if you miss it. It’s a hit-or-miss for most visitors and aside from the glass art nothing else caught my eye.