The Reef Teach slide show and lecture provides an entertaining and educational insight into the reef. It is highly recommended if you plan on diving or snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef.
Reef Teach
Flecker Botanic Gardens
Cairns’ botanic gardens feature a variety of tropical plants and a boardwalk through wetlands. There is also a rainforest boardwalk across the road in Centenary Lakes.
Cairns Regional Art Gallery
This central gallery has exhibitions of works by local artists and it also hosts a programme of temporary exhibits.
Cairns Museum
The Cairns Museum is a small museum with exhibits on local history including Aboriginal and Chinese artifacts and displays on the impact of the railway and origins of the tourism industry.
Cairns Visitor Information Centre
Walk around central Cairns, particularly along the Esplanade, and you’ll see myriad businesses claiming to be tourist information centres. These are all businesses trying to sell you tours, dive courses, reef trips and other activities; and there is only one official tourist information centre (at 51 The Esplanade, Cairns) where the staff are there to give you information rather than sell you things.
Story Bridge Adventure Climb
Brisbane’s iconic Story Bridge was designed by John Bradfield – who also designed the Sydney Harbour Bridge – with a cantilever design based on Montréal’s Jacques Cartier Bridge. The Story Bridge Adventure Climb is similar to Sydney’s Bridge Climb; the 2½ hour experience involves a 1km climb route that takes you to a viewing platform 80 metres above the Brisbane River.
Southbank Beach
Australia’s only artificial inland city beach holds three mega litres of water or approximately three Olympic size swimming pools and is surrounded by 4000m3 of sand from Rous Channel in Moreton Bay. It’s a great place to chill out on a hot summer day.
Riverside Craft Market
This is a great place if you love poking around markets.
Queensland Museum
Brisbane’s Queensland Museum is an important museum that features a diverse collection of artefacts ranging from dinosaur skeletons to exhibits on local history.
Queensland Maritime Museum
The Queensland Maritime Museum is an excellent museum featuring a large range of nautical exhibits. The museum’s collection includes several vessels including steam tug SS Forceful and frigate HMAS Diamantina as well as several smaller boats.