© Lonely Planet Publications 335 Cairns, Islands & Highlands Basking in a tropical climate that draws southern travellers north for the winter, the Cairns region has a heady reputation as Australia’s reef-diving capital and the gateway to the enig- matic far north. But it’s not until you get here that you realise how diverse the experience can be. Sure, Cairns itself is a booming holiday town and most people are itching to board a boat and get out among the coral of the Great Barrier Reef, but there are idyllic beach com- munities to the north, national parks to the south, coral-fringed islands a short ride offshore and the absorbing highlands of the Atherton Tableland looming as a backdrop. With pockets of reef, rainforest, coast and pastoral land, this is like a ‘best of’ northern Queensland – and it would be criminal not to go exploring beyond the city limits. Interested in exotic wildlife? Animal sanctuaries abound and coming face to face with a saltwater crocodile or a cuddly koala is likely. Like fishing? The lakes and rivers of the highlands are barramundi heaven. Walks in the rainforest? Trails and boardwalks take you through forests to rivers, waterfalls, volcanic-crater lakes and giant strangled fig trees. And there are so many ways to experience the region – tour operators are an art form in themselves: you can dive, snorkel, cruise, kayak, skydive, fish, bird-watch, hot-air balloon, golf or take a scenic flight. The only limitations are your budget and your imagination. HIGHLIGHTS G r ea t B Diving, snorkelling and simply being a a rr Palm Cove ie guest of the many fish, turtles and anemo- r R e nes that live among the colourful corals of e f the Great Barrier Reef ( p343 ) Kuranda Cairns Going platypus-spotting along the creek in picturesque Yungaburra ( p370 ) Dining at a swish marina waterfront restau- rants at the Pier Complex in Cairns ( p349 ) Taking the Skyrail up to Kuranda ( p361 ) Frankland Islands and visiting the indigenous Djurri Dadagal Yungaburra Art Gallery Making like a castaway and camping on the secluded Frankland Islands ( p360 ) CAIRNS, ISLANDS & CAIRNS, ISLANDS & Exploring and swimming in the idyllic Atherton waterfalls ( p369 ) and lakes of the lofty Tableland HIGHLANDS HIGHLANDS Atherton Tableland Joining the throngs strolling on Cairns’ foreshore promenade and cooling off in the salt- water lagoon ( p339 ) Donning the shades and people-watching from a café on the Esplanade at Palm Cove ( p357 ) TELEPHONE CODE: 07 www.tropicalaustralia.com.au www.athertontableland.com 336 CAIRNS ὄὄ lonelyplanet.com 0 20 km CAIRNS, ISLANDS & HIGHLANDS 0 10 miles To Cooktown To Port Douglas (27km); Captain (via Inland Rd) Mossman (35km); Daintree (71km); Double (230km) Cape Tribulation (97km) Crocodiles inhabit rivers and Ellis BeachCook Island See Cairns' Peninsula lakes in tropical areas; Developmental Rd Northern swimming is not recommended. Palm Cove Beaches Hwy Clifton Beach Map (p356) Trinity Beach Green Island 44 Ὀ Ὀ Yorkeys Knob ὄὄὄὄ Barron River Kuranda Smithfield Holloways Beach BilwonClohesy Rd Machans Beach Cape 81 Golden Hwy Freshwater Cairns International Grafton Pride River Airport Winery Stratford Mareeba Cairns Barron Gorge Wetlands Biboohra National Park KennedyWildlife Safari Cairns Reserve Burke Developmental Rd Crystal Yarrabah Fitzroy Island Aboriginal 1 Cascades Ὀ Ὀ Community 27 Mareeba Davies Creek Falls Lake Edmonton Davies Creek Morris Granite Barron National Park Military Gorge A1 Area Mulgrave C O R A L Danbulla Danbulla S E A River Forest Drive State Walkamin Gordonvale Mulgrave River To Chillagoe Forest River (116km) Bruce Hwy 1 Tinaroo Falls ὈὈὈὈ52 Cathedral Walshs Lake Fig Pyramid High Island Kairi Tinaroo Hwy (922m) Tolga Wooroonooran National Park Deeral Russell Frankland Gillies Heads Islands Atherton Lake Barrine Yungaburra Crater Lakes National Park Russell River Mt Bellenden Ker Graham Range Gallo Gadgarra Red Cedar (1591m) Curtain Lake Eacham (Russell River) 52 Dairyland Fig National Park To Irvinebank (20km); ὈὈὈὈPeeramon Ὀ Chillagoe (128km) Malanda Falls Babinda Boulders Herberton 1 Malanda Mt Bartle Frere Babinda Mt Hypipamee (1657m) National Park Bramston Beach Tarzali Waterfalls Circuit Mirriwinni Josephine Falls Zillie Falls Eubenangee Swamp A1 Millaa Millaa Wooroonooran National Park Falls Ellinjaa National Park Golden Garradunga ὈὈὈ(Palmerston Section) Ὀ Millaa Falls Hole 24 Millaa Ella Bay National Park Tumoulin 25 Johnstone Flying Fish 25 To Innot Hot Springs Mungalli Falls Point Village (9km); Undara Windy Hill River 25 Innisfail Wind Farm Souita Lava Tubes (117km); Falls North To Mission Croydon (397km); Nandroya Falls Wallicher Falls Beach (67km); Etty Bay Normanton (548km) Tchupala Falls Ingham (167km); 1 Ravenshoe ὈὈὈTownsvilleὈ (277km) Mourilyan Getting There & Away for services north to Port Douglas, Mossman, Cairns is the main link for transport services Cape Tribulation and Cooktown. to Far North Queensland. TRAIN There are at least four services a week from AIR Brisbane to Cairns on Queensland Rail’s The major international airport servicing Sunlander ( p476 ). north Queensland is in Cairns, with flights from Asia and New Zealand stopping here. There are also frequent domestic flights CAIRNS to/from all Australian capital cities with % Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Blue. 07 / pop 122,700 Cairns is booming. Its popularity as a div- ing destination is global and shows little sign BUS of waning as a flotilla of cruise boats, cata- HIGHLANDS HIGHLANDS Cairns is the end of the line for long- marans and yachts heads out to the Great distance bus services travelling the Bruce Barrier Reef from the marina each day. The CAIRNS, ISLANDS & CAIRNS, ISLANDS & Hwy from Brisbane, and the starting point central area is a mini urban jungle of tour .