A small Australian seaside town bordered by the Coral Sea, in the northeast of the Australian continent, Cairns is the gateway to some of the world's most beautiful treasures.
Wedged between sea, mountains and forests, it enjoys an exceptional geographical location.
To discover
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A former anchor point for gold prospectors, the city is best known today to divers for its proximity to the Great Barrier Reef.
But that's not its only asset.
Cairns also belongs to the Wet Tropics of Queensland, a region of nearly 450 km along the northeast coast of Australia, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the splendor and richness of its landscapes.
Its rugged terrain is home to rivers, waterfalls, mountains, gorges and a multitude of tropical forests which contain the largest number of rare or endangered plant and animal species in the world.
The most spectacular landscape is located at Cape Tribulation.
Where the Daintree Forest, the oldest rainforest in the world, is separated from the Great Barrier Reef only by a ribbon of sandy beaches.
The road that winds through it offers a breathtaking panorama.
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The great coral barrier
90 minutes by boat is enough to reach the largest coral reef in the world, which extends over 2,300 km.
Tourism and Events Queensland
Cairns is the preferred starting point for accessing the Great Barrier Reef.
90 minutes by boat is enough to reach the largest coral reef in the world, which extends over 2,300 km.
This precious ecosystem has been declared “endangered” by UNESCO due to damage caused by global warming, including the bleaching of its corals.
However, they have recently shown encouraging signs of regeneration, the first in decades.
Among the 400 coral species and 1,500 fish species it contains are many species threatened with extinction, such as the green turtle and the dugong.
There are several ways to discover this giant of the seas.
Excursions are organized during the day by boat or sailboat to sandbanks, islands or reefs, in order to observe
fish of exceptional proportions such as the wrasse while diving or snorkeling
.
, the potato grouper or the giant clams, which can reach four meters in length.
The Great Barrier Reef has 400 coral species and 1500 fish species.
Credit Tourism and Events Queensland
The reef is also home to around fifty species of sharks, and it is the only place in the world where you can encounter Minke whales, which are particularly at ease with divers, present from June to August.
If you have time and money, you can spend the night on the Great Barrier Reef by joining either a “liveaboard” (cruise boat) reserved for experienced divers, or a pontoon to sleep with your head under the stars and enjoy the tranquility of the reef.
Another way to admire the coral expanse, seen from above this time, is by parachute.
Take off from Mission Beach and throw yourself into the void at an altitude of 4,500 meters.
You will have a breathtaking view of the coral sheets, the beach and the tropical forest.
Also read: Great Barrier Reef, Uluru... Australia's most beautiful natural treasures
Daintree Rainforest
The Daintree Discovery Center offers a detailed tour through the vegetation and allows you to discover the different layers of the Daintree rainforest.
Tourism and Events Queensland
It is “
the most extraordinary place in the world”
, in the words of the famous English naturalist Sir David Attenborough.
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Daintree Forest, at some 180 million years old, is the oldest tropical forest on the planet.
This green dinosaur, now found in northern Queensland, two hours from Cairns, once covered the entire Australian continent.
Its 1,200 km² of vegetation contain one of the most complex ecosystems in the world.
There are countless varieties of plants, each of which plays a specific role in the balance of the forest, but also multicolored frogs, giant butterflies and century-old crocodiles.
The best way to discover the subtleties of this environment, and to avoid getting lost for several months, is to hire a local guide who will take you through the forest or up the Daintree River by boat.
A few marked trails also surround the Mossman Gorge.
Another option: the Daintree Discovery Center offers a very detailed circuit through the vegetation and allows you to discover the different strata of the forest by rising above the canopy thanks to its observation tower.
The spectacular Great Barrier Reef Drive, which winds its way along the coast between the jungle and a ribbon of blond sand.
Credit Tourism and Events Queensland
The most spectacular corner is the segment of the Great Barrier Reef Drive which borders the forest up to Cape Tribulation.
The road winds its way along the coast and offers a rare spectacle: on one side, the lush jungle which nibbles the passage, on the other, a ribbon of blond sand bordered by the Great Barrier Reef.
The reef was formed from forest sediments which flowed into the sea and were worked over millennia by the waters.
With a little luck, you will come across a family of cassowaries busy digging through the foliage.
Threatened with extinction, this bird, almost two meters high, is recognizable by its black plumage and its bright blue head topped with a helmet.
With its prehistoric appearance, it will not leave you indifferent if it crosses the road in front of you.
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The Kuranda Scenic Railway
Along the Kuranda Scenic Railway, we witness a parade of rivers, gorges and waterfalls against a backdrop of lush vegetation.
Reuben Nutt / Tourism and Events Queensland
Bordered by a mountainous reef covered in tropical forests, Cairns is also the starting point of the famous Kuranda Scenic Railway, a train built by the first settlers which penetrates through the relief.
On board, we witness a parade of rivers, gorges and waterfalls against a backdrop of lush vegetation.
The train connects the village of Kuranda, nestled in Barron Gorge National Park, 90 minutes from Cairns.
A hamlet buried in greenery that seems to have never left the 60s. It is known for its slightly hippie markets and shops, unfortunately very touristy.
On the way back, take the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, a glass cable car that descends the mountain, flying over the jungle.
Perched above its thick emerald canopy, you might spot tree kangaroos hopping from tree to tree.
Two stops allow you to immerse yourself in the forest where local rangers happily share their knowledge and admire the spectacular Barron Falls.
How to get there?
Flights connect Paris to Cairns via Singapore or Tokyo.
Allow between 20 and 35 hours of travel.
Once there, you can rent a car or opt for excursions.
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