Five family-friendly things to do in Cairns
Cairns is about as family-friendly as they come, with more activities than you could possibly get around to on a short one week holiday - so take as long as you possibly can!
Book in your Cairns accommodation for a Queensland family holiday full of fun and relaxing things to do that you won't get to see anywhere else.
Esplanade
Possibly the most famous of Cairns' attractions is the central Esplanade.
Ever since the region was founded in the late 1800s the Esplanade has been a major attraction for locals and tourists alike.
It's a popular spot for joggers all day long, as well as diners at the many restaurants in the area, or simply workers out for a stroll on their lunch breaks. Altogether, it makes for a great place to visit to simply soak up the atmosphere of Cairns.
Safari
If you've always wanted to go for a safari but have not quite made it to Africa yet, there are plenty of opportunities from Cairns.
Get your pen and paper ready because it might take a bit of learning - the name you want to remember is Wooroonooran Safaris.
These Safaris offer day tours of ancient rainforests, landmarks and some of the best scenic spots in (here it comes again) Wooroonooran National Park.
Jungle surfing
Forget surfing on the beach, jungle surfing is the new black.
Take a zip line through the Cape Tribulation Rainforest and experience the feeling of 'surfing' across a jungle canopy.
Kids as young as three can be strapped in for the ride, so the whole family can enjoy the two-hour tour that will give everyone something to talk about back in the real world - because jungle surfing certainly will not feel like your everyday experience.
If you've always wanted to go for a safari but have not quite made it to Africa yet, there are plenty of opportunities from Cairns
Your photography skills will be tested as you'll have to hold on tight to your camera as the last couple of runs give you the opportunity to go a little faster, and even zip upside-down for the truly daring. Fortunately, it won't matter too much which direction you point the camera, as you'll be surrounded by the rainforest canopy, freshwater mountain streams and the Great Barrier Reef.
Best start practising your Tarzan and Jane calls now.
Chillagoe
Chill out and relax at Chillagoe, the spectacular area known for its limestone caves in the Chillagoe-Mungana Karst Caves National Park.
The number of caves in the area sits somewhere between 600 and 1,000 and offer visitors a slew of significant aboriginal art heritage and mining history.
The area was once a busy mining town through the 1870s and 1920s, but is now a favourite among geologist buffs and nature-lovers. Leading geologist professor Ian Plimer even said that the region is home to the most diverse geology on the planet.
After a visit to the caves, be sure to stop off at the museum. With mining, smelter, natural history, Aboriginal artifacts and marble displays you'll get a you'll get a feel for more than just the region's caverns and cavities.
Skyrail and scenic railway
A visit to the skyrail and scenic railway near Cairns is another great opportunity to see some of the best scenery the region has to offer.
Taking approximately and hour and a half, the Skyrail is a gondola that carries you over the rainforest, stopping twice at mid-stations so you can get out and have a closer look and try out a ranger-guided boardwalk tour.
The Kuranda scenic railway was built over 100 years ago and sews its way across, around and over the mountains between Cairns and Kuranda.
As a note of interest, the skyrail was the first tourist attraction in the world to be Green Globe certified, meaning that the adventure is recognised as an innovative leader committed to environmental best practice and conservation.