ainget.com.au; per hour **$10** ; per hr) Just off the highway at the southern end of town, this bush oasis is a shady retreat from the sun's rays with picnic facilities, an aviary and a reptile house. The best of the birdlife here are the parrots, including rainbow lorikeets, as well as the snakes. Cairns Tanks Caravan ParkCARAVAN PARK ( GOOGLE MAP ) ; %07-4098 5077; www.cairnstanks.com; 70-94 Owen St; unpowered/powered sites $25/28, budget units $88, cabins $88-120; i W) If you're after a cheap sleep or simply want to escape to the bush and a riverfront campground, you can't go past Cairns Tanks. Not only are the facilities good, but you can do a bit of birdwatching or spot crocs from your site. There are three kitchens (including a microwave), a laundry, a bar and a great outdoor deck. Rapid Creek Camping GroundCAMPGROUND ( GOOGLE MAP ) ; %07-4099 2999; www.rapidcreekcamping.com.au; Lot 99, Dutton Park Drive, Collinsville; sites $28-42, cabins & villas $95-130, villas $125-180; i W s) With the look of a holiday park but the luxuries of a five-star resort, the Rapid Creek caravan park has an aquatic playground to rival any theme park. An on-site bar and restaurant and kiosk sells ice cream and alcoholic beverages. It's 9km east of town. 5Eating Cairns has excellent restaurants for every budget, whether you're in the mood for a quick drink and a chat, or to sample a bit of local seafood in a relaxed waterfront environment. Pope Joan'sITALIAN ( GOOGLE MAP ) ; %07-4051 4785; www.popejoan.com.au; 111-117 Grafton St; mains $20-33; h7am-3.30pm Sun-Wed, 7am-3.30pm & 5.30pm-late Thu-Sat) In the hip precinct of Port Douglas, this bright, bustling restaurant is best known for its seafood dishes, especially fresh oysters and mud crab. You can try the mud crab at lunch for $7.50, when accompanied by a glass of wine. The breakfast and lunch menu has plenty of choice for those who didn't catch dinner the night before. Coffee Daddy'sCAFE ( GOOGLE MAP ) ; www.coffeedyardcairns.com.au; cnr The Esplanade & Sheridan St; mains $8-24; h7am-5pm Mon-Fri, 7.30am-2pm Sat & Sun; W v) A couple of bright, upstairs rooms within the Coffee Yard shopping complex, this cafe serves good coffee and all-day breakfasts. Daily specials are chalked on the blackboard. There are only a few tables and no real views, but that's not the point: this is a perfect breakfast or coffee stop. Eveleigh Farmers' MarketMARKET (www.eveleighmarket.com.au; Sheridan St; h5.30am-1.30pm Sun) Operates at Sheridan St Park. 6Drinking & Nightlife A night or two of Cairns bar-hopping is a highlight of any visit to town. Most bars offer live music at the weekend, and a couple of places on Sheridan St offer dancers the chance to strut their stuff on weekends. Flying Monkey CafeTEAROOM ( GOOGLE MAP ) ; www.theflyingmonkeyscafe.com.au; cnr Abbott & Shields Sts; coffee $2; h7.30am-4pm Mon-Fri, 8am-1pm Sat) This Cairns institution serves strong coffee, with a bit of a twist. It also runs the weekly (6pm on Wednesday) 'World Brew-Cairns' – a tasting of local and international ciders and craft beer. Good luck making it home on the bus after a few. oBilly Tea LoungeTEAHOUSE ( GOOGLE MAP ) ; www.cairnstea.com.au; 141 Lake St; brunch $11-21, lunch $14-23, dinner $22-32; h11am-3pm & 5-9pm Mon-Sat) Cairns' hippest cafe is in a former shoe shop, with a rustic front room, art deco couches and an elevated balcony. Come here for a coffee, croissant or sandwich at any time, but linger over an evening meal from the limited menu. The food's not too serious – it's all about the quality of the produce. Cotton ClubBAR (www.thecairnsdininghotel.com.au/hotel/cotton-club; Sheridan St; cocktails $8-20; h11am-2am) This is the pick of the bars in a Cairns pub-mad precinct (the other two are the Cairns Hotel and Hotel Cairns). Located within a hotel, its name comes from the Cotton Club that used to be the pick-up bar for all-male business groups, but it's been rebranded with a classier, more family-friendly image. Cairns Sailing ClubBAR (www.cairns-sailingclub.com.au; Lake St; h11am-10pm) Catch the breeze off the lake and listen to free live music at this breezy bar with an open-air deck. Grab a drink, a prawn sandwich or a beer at the attached Kross Cafe and watch the yachties while you dine. Rusty'sBAR (www.rustysbar.com.au; Lake St) One of Cairns' classic bars, this one comes with a pool table and is always packed from happy hour till late. 7Shopping Cairns Sunday MarketMARKET (www.cairnssundaymarket.com; Fouhy Ave, Manly; h7am-3pm Sun) Trading on Sundays from June to November, this market sprawls along the Esplanade, near the ferry terminal. 8Information **Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Visitors Centre** (www.gbrmpa.gov.au; 22-26 Abbott St; ustours.qld.gov.au; h8am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm Sat & Sun) This multilingual centre stocks information and useful free brochures. It's the closest official reef info source to Cairns and the only one on the northern reef islands. At Cairns Airport, it's worth stopping by before heading to Port Douglas or Cape Tribulation. Cairns & Around 1Sights 1Mt Whitfield National ParkA4 2Tjapukai Cultural ParkC4 3Tjapukai GalleryD4 4Wobbies Aboriginal Cultural CentreA4 5Activities, Courses & Tours 5Cairns Wildlife DiversC4 6Deep-Blue Cat CruisesC5 7Jumpin' into the LightB4 8Skyrail Rainforest CablewayB4 9Sip'n GeerB4 6Drinking & Nightlife 10Cairns Beer BistroD5 11Coopers TavernD4 12Kookaburra BarC5 13Salt HouseD5 14Tradewinds LoungeD5 15TanksB4 16Tanks NightclubA4 3Entertainment 17Cairns Convention CentreD5 18Cairns Esplanade HotelB5 19Cairns Opera HouseC5 7Shopping 20Cairns Saturday MarketD5 21Cairns Sunday MarketA4 22Cairns Street MallC5 23Mama PalmsD5 24Rainforest MarketsB5 2Activities There are so many activities in and around Cairns that you need to decide on a low-level activity and a high-level activity. The beachside activity choices are many and varied; there are also many activities along the lagoon and out to the coral reefs, which are the reason the region has become a major tourist destination. The northern and eastern suburbs offer wilderness experiences. Cairns is a great place for diving (and snorkelling), sailing, canoeing, kayaking and bushwalking. It's also a good spot for biking, with miles of dedicated paths winding through the rainforest, around the lagoon and out to