World Travel Solution Blog

Cairns is the gateway to Australia's natural wonders

Cairns is a city that has a lot to offer to those who are fortunate enough to visit. Located near the beautiful rainforest, the mountains, and the sea, the city is surrounded with natural beauty and a wide range of diverse habitats and ecosystems, just waiting to be explored.

The city is especially popular with tourists, and Cairns has adapted itself to be especially accommodating. Here, you’ll find a wealth of accommodations, suiting every budget, as well as an array of world-class restaurants and local eateries specializing in regional cuisine. Sightseeing tours, both in the city limits and outside, as well as numerous opportunities to see local wildlife and culture, abound for the traveler staying in Cairns.

Whether you choose to spend most of your time in the city itself or to venture out and explore some of the nearby or more far-flung areas that surround Cairns, you’re sure to find activities that suit your travel and vacation dreams. Cairns is near the Great Barrier Reef – and it’s also near the oldest rainforest in ten world. It’s that sort of diverse setting that makes Cairns one of the most popular spots to visit in Australia.

A brief history of Cairns

Long before colonization by Europeans, the Cairns area was inhabited by the Walubarra Yidinji clan, who called the area “Gimuy.” The area was first mapped by Europeans in 1770, when Captain James Cook visited the area, naming it Trinity Bay. But it would be a full century before future expedition would determine the establishment of a port.

In 1876, Cairns was founded, its initial purpose being to serve the needs of miners who were migrating to the area following the discovery of gold in the nearby tablelands, as well as the need to export the gold effectively. Originally no more than mangrove swampland dotted by ridges, the area was drained and filled and in 1886, a railway line was laid connecting Cairns to Herberton, and ushering in a major influx of immigrants. Soon, more land was opened to these new residents for use as grazing and farm land, with crops including sugar cane, bananas, and pineapples. It was primarily the area’s wealth of arable land that resulted in the port becoming successful. In 1903, Cairns was officially named a town, with a population of 3,500.

The Cairns area became a base of operations in the Pacific Theater during World War II, and after the war, the city began to work in earnest toward becoming a popular spot for tourists. In 1984, the Cairns International Airport opened, followed by the opening of the Cairns Convention Center, establishing the city as a popular spot for tourists as well as conventioneers.

The city was named for William Wellington Cairns, Queensland’s governor when Cairns was founded.