Cairns (Great Barrier Reef, etc.) Tourism Review
Following my Ayers Rock tour, I also visited Cairns.
In this article, I will provide a review of Cairns as a tourist destination.
This time, for a change, I will introduce it by activity.
Overall rating: +1 (Recommended)
- The tourist destination
- Many Japanese people
- The Great Barrier Reef is truly amazing
The Great Barrier Reef is particularly valuable, but there are many other things to do, so you can spend your time without getting bored.
Overview
Cairns is located in Queensland, like Brisbane, and is a warm, sunny tourist city all year round.
It's especially famous for the Great Barrier Reef and is familiar to Japanese people.
While nature is the main attraction, as it has developed as a tourist city, various activities are possible.
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is vast, stretching from the north side of Australia almost to Brisbane.
The distance is a whopping 2,600km... which is hard to grasp.
On Google, driving from Sapporo to Saga is 2,100km. It's the size of an archipelago.
Tour Overview
Tours to the Great Barrier Reef are mainly for divers, but you can also participate just for snorkeling.
There are many types, starting from around $160/person.
I booked one of the cheapest tours, but it was very satisfying.
The main differences are in the meals served and the rooms, so if you focus on diving or snorkeling, a cheaper tour should be fine.
By the way, the tour I booked seemed to have few people, so it was upgraded to one level higher.
The tour proceeded as follows. I think other tours are similar.
You can dive or swim for nearly 90 minutes each time, and swimming twice leaves you exhausted.
Early morning gathering -> To diving spot 1 -> Dive or swim -> To diving spot 2 -> Lunch during transit -> Dive or swim -> Return to meeting place
Perhaps because there were few Japanese people, our seats on the boat were in the cockpit.
This is the sea.
Note that due to technical reasons, there are no photos of marine life.
Impressions
It was my first time snorkeling, so I can't compare...
The coral reefs are very close, and just floating on the surface allows you to see various fish up close.
The sight of colorful fish passing by offers a completely different experience from an aquarium.
Occasionally, you can see sea turtles. I swam for about 2-3 hours and only spotted one once.
It feels like Turtle Talk.
This is probably the main purpose for most people coming here, and it can be said to be a must-do activity when you come to Cairns.
Skydiving
As the airport is close to the city center, it's easy to participate in skydiving.
You can fall while overlooking the Great Barrier Reef, which is another popular activity.
It was my first tandem dive (where an instructor is attached to your back), but it felt like constantly being exposed to life-threatening danger, so whether you like it or not depends on the person.
I concluded that "once in a lifetime is enough for me..."
For a while after falling from the helicopter, the wind pressure is intense and the air is thin, so you can't breathe and feel in danger of your life.
After falling for a while, there's no more acceleration, and you just keep falling. The wind is still intense.
When the parachute opens, you feel relieved... but it's not slow at all, so you still feel a sense of crisis.
Well, it's undeniably thrilling, so why not try it at least once?
The price is around $300/person.
Again, due to technical reasons, there are no photos.
Notes
When applying, you need to join the skydiving association.
In that process, you're repeatedly asked about insurance, so decide whether to take it or not at your own responsibility.
Also, you need to make a confirmation call the day before.
While face-to-face would be manageable, English conversation over the phone is quite challenging...
Casino
There's also a casino in Cairns.
Although not very large in scale, it has everything necessary, just like in Brisbane.
Coffee and cocoa are free, so it's nice to drop by casually.
Credit cards can't be used to prevent cash conversion, so prepare cash.
I didn't take any photos as it's not allowed.
City Zoo
There's a zoo on top of the casino building.
Although it's only about 2 floors, it has a three-dimensional structure making it surprisingly spacious, and there are lots of birds.
The birds are basically free-range, and you can observe them moving on the paths.
There are also koalas and kangaroos (or wallabies that look like them), so if you're only staying in Cairns, it's worth visiting.
The interior is dome-shaped.
Cute ducks are walking on the path.
The famous Party Parrot
Shows are held occasionally, and you can observe parrots pulling on the zookeeper's hem.
Wallabies are also free-range.
This is the PYTHONPATH.
Located in the center, it can be toured in a short time, and the satisfaction level for birds is particularly high, so why not include it in your tourist route?
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Suburban Zoo (Kuranda)
If you go to the suburban area called Kuranda, you can enjoy more wild zoos and botanical gardens.
For example, this is Crocodile Curry (containing crocodile meat),
While eating this, a lizard comes to your feet.
When you enter the zoo, there are crocodiles basking in the sun
Kangaroos eating food
And wombat-like creatures moving at high speed.
Also, there's a well-understood kangaroo travel distance, making it a small but fulfilling zoo.
It's a bit far, but there seems to be a special train from Cairns, so it would be good to take that.
You can also move by Uber, but it's a bit difficult to catch one.
Food
As typical of Australia, there are multinational cuisines.
It's easy to find noodles.
On the other hand, there are also traditional steaks, so there are many options.
I was told about an unusual restaurant by an Uber driver, and went to a place that was a ship turned into a restaurant.
As you can see in the photo, you can eat a lot of freshly caught seafood, but it's undeniable that it gets a bit monotonous.
The distance to the neighboring customers is also close, and I chatted with a drunk couple from Sydney and tourists from Switzerland.
Other
- There were many Japanese signs in the city
- There were also many Japanese tourists
- Transportation options from the airport are limited, with Uber being the only choice
- The cheap accommodation I booked through Airbnb had issues with the air conditioning not working well and slow water drainage, but when I complained to the owner, they did try to address it. Especially if you're traveling in summer, air conditioning is important, so be careful
Summary
I visited Cairns, a famous tourist destination in Australia.
While many people go there for the Great Barrier Reef, there are many other things to do as well.
Also, there are many Japanese tourists, and many places have Japanese explanations prepared, so there's less worry about getting exhausted from using English.
Overall, it can be said to be a recommended tourist destination.
