Getting Around, Cairns Travel, Transport and Car Rental
(Cairns, Far North Queensland - QLD, Australia)
Various transport options are available in Cairns, with regular city buses providing the cheapest way to travel around Far North Queensland. Bus tickets are valid for 24 hours and stamped by the bus driver with the time as you board.
For short distances, a taxi rank is located on the corner of Lake Street and Shield Street, with further taxi transportation being available just outside of the central Cairns train station. Renting your own set of wheels in Cairns is by far the easiest way to travel around Far North Queensland, with 4WDs and campervans being especially popular. However, drivers should note that a number of hire companies do not allow you to drive to destinations such as Chillagoe and Cooktown, due to variable road conditions.
Cairns Airport (CNS) / Arriving by Air
Address: Airport Avenue, Cairns, Queensland (QLD), 4870, Australia, AU
Tel: +61 07 4080 6703
Located just 7 km / 4 miles to the north of the city centre, Cairns Airport is to be found part-way between Trinity Bay and Mount Whitfield. Cairns Airport is the region's principal international gateway, whilst also being served by prominent domestic airlines flying between
Adelaide,
Alice Springs,
Brisbane,
Darwin,
Melbourne,
Perth and
Sydney. Each year, this facility handles approximately four million passengers, with the main international airlines transporting passengers to and from
Auckland (
New Zealand), Guam (Mariana Islands),
Hong Kong (
China), Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea), Singapore City (Singapore) and
Tokyo (
Japan), amongst other cities.
Car Rental
Car rental companies are easy to find in the city, with some of the most reliable being situated along roads such as Aplin Street, Bunda Street, Florence Street, Lake Street, Sheridan Street and Water Street. If you enjoy a long drive, then head south along the Bruce Highway and after a couple of day's of solid driving you will reach the city of Brisbane. Alternatively, enjoy a more leisurely journey and stop off for some sightseeing along the way, exploring coastal towns such as Bowen, Mackay, Gladstone, Maryborough and
Noosa Heads.
Buses and Coaches
Regular Sunbus buses travel to the suburbs and the outlying Northern Beaches, running from the Lake Street Transit Centre at City Place all through the day. Sunbus services provide a very affordable way to reach Clifton Beach, Edge Hill, the Flecker Botanic Gardens, Gordonvale, Holloways Beach, Machan's Beach, Palm Cove, Trinity Beach and Yorkeys Knob.
For journeys further afield, long-distance Greyhound buses are to be found at the Trinity Wharf transit centre. Daily long-distance Greyhound bus transport connects Cairns with destinations such as Brisbane (28 hours+), Mackay (12 hours), Rockhampton (17 hours) and Townsville (six hours). Holiday makers often favour the Coral Reef Coaches, which travel to outlying tourist hotspots, the most popular of which include Cape Tribulation, Cooktown, the Daintree Village, Mossman,
Port Douglas and the Undara Lava Tubes. Buses are also available to destinations such as the Atherton Tableland and Kuranda, and these depart from Spence Street on a regular basis.
Trains
The city's train station is somewhat hidden beneath the Cairns Central Shopping Centre on McLeod Street, where it is just a short stroll from the waterfront and centrally located hotels. Regular rail transport departs at 08:35 most days and travels to Brisbane (32 hours - Queenslander and Sunlander 'Tilt Trains'), via both Townsville and Rockhampton.
Another extremely popular rail service is provided by the scenic Savannahlander train, which travels between Cairns and Forsayth, stopping along the way at Kuranda, Almaden, Lappa Junction and also Mount Surprise. Passengers should note that Savannahlander trains do note operated between the quiet months of December and March.
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