Low Tide in Cairns
by ATXtraveler
Sitting in the park on the edge of the water in Cairns is a great time to watch nature at its finest. Here are I sat reading a book about the reasons that tides come and go, right in front of me one of the world's great feats was occurring. Here, situated next to one of the greatest wonders in the world, the Great Barrier Reef, there was another natural phenomenon right before my eyes.
It was amazing to me how far out this tide stretched, it seemed like I could walk 100's of meters before I actually hit water again.
Take a moment or two to watch the beautiful moments!
Take a trip to the Low Isles
by sue_stone
On our first visit to Far North Queensland we took a trip out to the Low Isles. Located 15km from Port Douglas (one hour north of Cairns), the Low Isles is a large coral cay surrounded by many different species of hard and soft corals.
This beautiful coral island is the prefect place for beginner snorkellers and families. There is a sandy beach to relax on, and calm water to swim and snorkel in.
We travelled out there on the Quicksilver Wavedancer, which departs most days from Port Douglas Harbour. We really enjoyed the trip and made use of their snorkelling equipment to get up close with the local underwater life.
If you are susceptible to seasickness (as I am) you may want to have your tablets on hand - on the trip back to Port Douglas the wind had picked up and it was pretty choppy.
There is a shuttle bus that travels up from Cairns to Port Douglas - details on the website
Free dinners for backpackers
by pacific_sol about The Woolshed
The Woolshed provides free dinner meals to backpackers staying in hostels - I'm not sure if all the hostels in Cairns participate, but ours definitely did and we got a coupon/voucher daily that we presented to at this restaurant to get a free meal. They have a list of I believe 5 choices on their free hostel meals menu, but you can upgrade to other items on their menu for either $5, $6, or $7 AUD, depending on the original price. For example, a huge plate of baby back ribs was $7 and that was one of the most expensive items on the menu.
It's kind of hectic on the first floor when there is a lot of people, since everyone mills around while waiting for their food and it gets noisy, but upstairs it's a lot calmer. There is a bar both upstairs and downstairs, and there is also a pool table upstairs.
They have different theme nights through the week, as well as different drink specials. I only had the Vegetarian pasta in cream sauce from the hostel menu but it was delish! Some of the other choices I remember include spaghetti bolognaise and a Mexican dish...I want to say it was Chile con Carne. You also have the option to add on to your free meal by purchasing a side like garlic bread or salad. You do have to purchase your beverage, since that's how they make their money. Actually, the majority of the people we saw eating there opted to upgrade their meals.
Snorkelling / Diving
by cdlcub
Excellent crew and small groups are the highlight of TUSA Dive. One of the longest running companies in Cairns, they provide excellent value for the money. The company supplies all equipment (some for a fee) and the lunch provided follows traditional aussie bbq fare, is plentiful and is quite tasty. Can be booked through any Cairns Tourist Information Centre.
The trip is a couple of hours out to the reef but once you are there they are extremely concious of the fragile nature of the reef system.
ROYAL FLYING DOCTOR SERVICE
by a5floor
The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) is there for people who are in need and are living in the outback.
John Flynn, a Presbyterian minister, saw the need for a "mantel of safety" for the people of the outback when he began preaching there in 1912.
By 1920 Hudson Fysh, founder of the national airline QANTAS, had identified a plane suitable to carry a patient and doctor/pilot.
When young engineer, Alf Traeger, provided the missing communications link with his invention of pedal radio in 1927, the vision became reality.
The first flight was made from Cloncurry in north west Queensland in May, 1928.
The tiny open cockpit plane and pedal radio have long been museum pieces, but Flynn's concept remains vital to those in remote areas of this vast continent which is as large as Western Europe, two-thirds the size of the U.S.A. and many times that of the U.K. and Japan.
Life saving dramas are daily events with emergencies ranging from road, mining and cattle station accidents to difficult births and sudden illness. A significant number of medical evacuations involve tourists.
Just as important to those far from a doctor are regular clinic visits to small towns and homestead communities and being able to consult an RFDS doctor 24 hours a day by radio and/or telephone.
The RFDS are situated in 18 cities througout Australia. They don't get a money from the government, so they are depent on donations by the visitors, people who are living in Australia or from the companies.
Sign in with Facebook
Bushwalking
Views on the way up.
Wooroonooran NP - MaMu Canopy Walk
Warning sign
