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Cairns General Tips

Tips and photos for Cairns vacations and tourism, posted by real travelers and Cairns locals.
Local Time 1:59 am Thursday, July 10, 2008
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Currency
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  • By Marpessa on January 1, 2005
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  • Australian Dollars (AUD) - Cairns
    Australian Dollars (AUD)
    by Marpessa
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    Australian currency is in dollars ($AUD). There are 100 cents to a dollar. We have 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent pieces (coins), which are silver, 1 and 2 dollar coins, which are gold.

    We also have 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollar notes. Each note is a distinctively different colour and they each have a 'clear window' in the notes. "Australia was the first country in the world to have a complete system of bank notes based on plastic (polymer). These notes provide much greater security against counterfeiting. They also last four times as long as conventional paper (fibrous) notes." (taken from: www.dfat.gov.au/facts/currency.html)

    For more information - like who are the people on the notes see the website above.

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    Sun Sand & Sea
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  • By scharneckk on February 5, 2003
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  • Oz meets Argentina on the Reef! - Cairns
    Oz meets Argentina on the
    Reef!
    by scharneckk
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    The weather is beautiful most of the year ... watch out for the wet season though.

    There is so much to do in Cairns and there are so many places to travel to.

    The people are really friendly and helpful .. enjoy your stay in Cairns

    Meeting so many different people from all over the world ... On most trips I was the only Australian!

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    Learn something about Corals.
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  • Updated By Sharrie on August 25, 2002
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  • Cairns General Tips
    by Sharrie
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    Learn something about CORALS REEF: Bricks & Mortars of the underwater seaworld.

    Coral Reefs are composed of mostly 'dead' limestone & only a small part of the surface is alive with colorful corals. Named after tiny animals called Polyps which are the most obvious reef builders. Polyps divide & create new living structures known as coral colonies. This in turn is the framework around which all sorts of reef animals lives.

    Coral colonies grow upwards to the light. They may reach the surface & die or be eaten by starfish or gradually eroded by borers. If the rate of accumulation of the dead skeletons exceeds the rate of erosion, a reef is slowly formed. Acropora, one of the fastest growing staghorn corals grow as much as 200-300 mm per year. However, sediments accumulate on reefs only at an annual rate of 1mm.

    ALGAE is another important mortar in reef-building. An encrusting coralline algae is of special importance in cementing together the skeletons of corals & other reef creatures which in turn forms a hard pavement on reef crests.

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    Corals are ...
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  • Updated By Sharrie on September 18, 2002
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    by Sharrie
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    Corals are found in most of the world's seas, even in polar waters. However, only those which have symbiotic zooxanthellae (single-celled plants which live in the cells of the polyp tissues) & live in shallow, warm, tropical waters grow fast enough to form reefs.

    Coral reefs are hence only found in waters where the min temperature does not drop below about 18°C & grow fastest where the temperature is around 26°C. Light is required for the algae's photosynthesis. Hence, corals grow best in clear, shallow continental shelf waters (less than 50 m deep) & away from river influences.

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    State Flag of Queensland
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  • By xuessium on June 18, 2005
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  • AustraliaQueenslandFlag - Cairns
    AustraliaQueenslandFlag
    by xuessium
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    The Queensland state flag was created as a colonial flag - a British Blue Ensign with the badge of the colony added to the blue field. Because some of the Australian state badges were originaly created to represent the Governor (as distinct from the Colony) they generally showed some element of British royal heraldry - the main criteria being that it be different from similar badges used in other parts of the Empire. Queensland uses a blue Maltese Cross (Malta used a red cross). The Crown [superimposed on the cross] on the Queensland badge represented the status of the Governor as representative of Queen Victoria in the Colony.

    Ralph Kelly

    extracted from:
    http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/au-ql.html

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    Backpacker heaven
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  • By coolbananas on March 10, 2003
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  • You have to see the Great Barrier Reef. There's heaps of companies that offer trips from Cairns to the Reef. They leave around 8 AM and come back at the end of the afternoon. It takes about two hours to get to the Reef, so prepare yourself for a long day on a boat...

    Once you get to the Reef you get the opportunity to go diving and/or snorkeling. For those of you who can't swim: there's usually a glass-bottom boat from where you can see the Reef and the tropical fish.

    On a day-trip you visit two or three different Reefs, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the beauty and splendour.

    When you choose to do a diving course in Cairns there's no need to do a day-trip to the Reef, cause they already take you out to the Reef for several days.The amount of time you spend on the Reef depends on the sort of diving course and on the company you use.

    The nightlife is something I really miss. There's a couple of really nice pubs and bar-dancings and it's busy every night.

    Most bars provide entertainment for backpackers and have special deals for cheap drinks and cheap meals.

    First of all there's the Woolshed, the most famous backpacker bar in Oz. They play all kinds of popular music, only problem: they play the same songs over and over again...

    But it's definitely the place to be to meet fellow travellers, regardless of the day of the week as it's always busy in here. Some good drinking deals on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

    Then there's the Irish pubs: PJ O'Briens and Shenannigans. The latter is the bigger of the two with an outside area and lots of room to party. Both have good deals on jugs of beer (1,1litre), especially during happy hour.

    The Sportsbar also provides backpacker entertainment. with cheap drinking deals. Same sort of music as the Woolshed, same crowd: backpackers.

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    Catamarans from Cairns.
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  • Updated By Sharrie on August 25, 2002
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  • Cairns General Tips
    by Sharrie
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    Or, alternatively, you can learn from me...
    Take one of these high-speed catamarans operating from Cairns & will undertake to transport you to pontoons moored at different sections of the Outer Reef.

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    PORT DOUGLAS.
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  • Updated By Sharrie on August 25, 2002
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  • Cairns General Tips
    by Sharrie
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    PORT DOUGLAS: Population 3800.
    A small town where there's fast catamaran services from Cairns. Sheraton Mirage & Radisson Royal Palms resorts built here in the mid-80s has turned the town into a retreat for the rich & famous. The little town has a marina, a shopping complex & a couple of good central pubs.

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    The Great Barrier Reef.
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  • Updated By Sharrie on August 25, 2002
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  • Cairns General Tips
    by Sharrie
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    THE GREAT BARRIER REEF is easily accesible by boat. Commercial operators offer a range of day trips ot sand cays & coral islands such as Green Island, Fitzroy, Low Isles & Magnetic Island, while live-on-board vessels cater for diving & snorkelling explorations to the outer reefs.

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    View the Great Barrier Reef from the air.
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  • Updated By Sharrie on August 25, 2002
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  • Cairns General Tips
    by Sharrie
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    View the Great Barrier Reef from the air!
    Most common types of reefs are:
    1) Ribbon Reefs (occur in northern part)
    2) Fridging Reefs (along mainland coast)
    3) Patch Reefs

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    More Cairns Tips
    Overview
         		General Tips
    Tips: 56 - Photos: 47
    Restaurants
    Tips: 64 - Photos: 34    		Hotels and Accommodations
    Tips: 119 - Photos: 69
    Things To Do
    Tips: 345 - Photos: 306    		Nightlife
    Tips: 40 - Photos: 17
    Off the Beaten Path
    Tips: 29 - Photos: 25    		Tourist Traps
    Tips: 13 - Photos: 10
    Warnings or Dangers
    Tips: 31 - Photos: 13    		Transportation
    Tips: 28 - Photos: 14
    Local Customs
    Tips: 10 - Photos: 7    		Packing Lists
    Tips: 9 - Photos: 3
    Shopping
    Tips: 27 - Photos: 19    		Sports Travel
    Tips: 8 - Photos: 7
    Flights
    Tips: 10 - Photos: 7

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