About Cairns
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Know Before You Go
Best Time To Visit
One of the major highlights of Cairns is its weather, and there are many advantages to visiting any time of the year. The weather in Cairns is unlike Australia’s southern regions, here there are two seasons: a summer and a dry season.
During the dry season, you can enjoy favourable weather and even witness migrating whales, but it's important to be prepared for larger crowds. In contrast, the summer season brings tropical weather with occasional summer showers.
Public Holidays
Sunday, 1 January: New Year's Day
Monday, 2 January: Additional public holiday for New Year's Day
Thursday, 26 January: Australia Day
Friday, 7 April: Good Friday
Saturday, 8 April: Day following Good Friday
Sunday, 9 April: Easter Sunday
Monday, 10 April: Easter Monday
Tuesday, 25 April: Anzac Day
Monday, 25 December: Christmas Day
Tuesday, 26 December: Boxing Day
Events & Festivals
Crankworx Cairns (May)
Crankworx is a mountain biking festival showcasing top elite races, amateur and CWNEXT next generation events, as well as engaging Kidsworx activities. The festival also features a lively expo and a vibrant atmosphere, bringing together mountain biking enthusiasts and action sports fans to revel in the best of Australian hospitality.
Cairns Children's Festival (May)
Exclusive for children under the age of 12, the Cairns Children’s Festival shines the spotlight on the creativity of the younger ones, with a safe and engaging environment for families to explore. The festival invites local creatives to design installations and activities as well as plenty of opportunities for children to be part of the festival.
Cairns Show (July)
The annual Cairns show is the one that unites the city to the state – except family entertainment, competition entries, educational displays, awesome food stalls, thrilling rides, animals of all sizes, local business exhibits and more.
School Holidays
TERM 1 SCHOOL HOLIDAYS 2023
Queensland: 1 April to 16 April
TERM 2 SCHOOL HOLIDAYS 2023
Queensland: 24 June to 9 July
TERM 3 SCHOOL HOLIDAYS 2023
Queensland: 16 September to 2 October
TERM 4 SCHOOL HOLIDAYS 2023 - 2024
Queensland: 9 December 2023 to 21 January 2024
Accommodation
It is advisable to pre-book your hotel/ accommodation when visiting Cairns as it has a high tourist influx, throughout the year. All major hotels offer airport pick-up & drop off and parking facilities. Plan ahead and enjoy a great stay!
Dining
Cairns is known for its relaxed, laid-back lifestyle, exquisite food, and spectacular views, that’s exactly what you get when you dine out on one of their top restaurants.
Indulge in a variety of delectable dishes in this area, ranging from ocean-fresh seafood to locally procured meats infused with African flavours. Your culinary experience is bound to be exceptional, with an abundance of satisfying meals to choose from.
Transport
Cairns has transport options for all budgets and tastes including the many four-wheel drive tours that can pick you up and drop back off at your doorstep. Daily bus services are run by Sunbus and take you to most suburbs, beaches, and towns with most routes beginning from the Cairns City Mall. You can hail a taxi from the street or better, get an Uber - don’t forget to tip!

Cairns Tourist Information
Public Conveniences
Public restrooms (both paid and free) are available at all major locations. You can also pop-in at a restaurant or shopping centre, as all of them are equipped with well-maintained restrooms.
Shopping & Market Hours
In Cairns, you'll discover a selection of luxury fashion and retail shopping outlets typically associated with capital cities. The Cairns CBD Shopping Precinct is home to a range of high-end Australian and international brands, including couture labels and exclusive boutiques.
Most of the markets are open on all days of the week, and the general timings are 8am to 9pm on weekdays, from 8am to 1pm on Saturdays and 1pm to 8pm on Sundays. Cairns also has a prominent night market scene, which is active every day of the year from 4pm.
Medical Services
The emergency hotline for any assistance from Police, Fire and Ambulance is 000. For non-urgent medical help you can connect on: 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84). Cairns has hospitals namely Cairns Base Hospital, Cairns Private Hospital etc. for any medical service.