Cairns, Australia

Geography: Cairns is renowned as the gateway to two of the world's greatest natural attractions: the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforest. Cairns is located on the north eastern coast of the state of Queensland, on the east of Australia.

Currency:  Australian Dollar

National Symbols: Southern Cross constellation (five, seven-pointed stars) The kangaroo and the emu

National Anthem: "Advance Australia Fair"

Language:  English

Area Comparison:  Australia is slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states

Distance from Pittsburgh: 14,935km or 9,280miles

Terrain: The area is a region of spectacular scenery and regged topography with fast flowing rivers, deep gorges and numerous waterfalls. The mountain summits provide expansive vistas of undisturbed rainforests.

Highest Point:  Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m

Weather You Should Expect: In tropical north Queensland, the Cairns region, summer becomes the “wet season” with humid weather and monsoonal rain, “stingers” (box jellyfish) in the ocean and sometimes powerful storms called cyclones.  Winter in the Cairns region – from June to August - is considered the best time to visit with crystal clear skies, cool breezes and perfect scuba-diving on the Great Barrier Reef. 

What You Must See:

Take a cruise to the Great Barrier Reef - the only living organism that can be seen from the moon! There are hundreds of cruising options available, including visits to some of the best dive sites in the world! Visit Cape Tribulation, and the Daintree Rainforest - easily the oldest rainforest on the planet! Visit with one of dozens of quality tour operators, or stay awhile at one of several quality budget accommodation properties adjacent to Cape Tribulation. Brave the mighty rapids of the Tully River, easily the best rafting in Australia!  Glide over the rainforest canopy on Skyrail Rainforest Cableway to Kuranda, the village in the rainforest. Check out the world famous Kuranda markets before cruising down the mountain range into Cairns on the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway. Fill your days with dozens of great half day touring options, including Horse Riding, Quad Biking, Estuary Fishing, mutlitudes of great wildlife parks, island ferries, watersports and hang-gliding to name a few! Experience the fabulous Cairns nightlife, from shopping at the Cairns Night Markets to world class restaurants and cafes!

Historical Fact: Originally a British colony, Australia has been an independent Commonwealth country since Federation in 1901, with Great Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II also the Queen of Australia

Science Trivia: You can take a tour through the ancient volcanic Tropical Tablelands region, where you can swim in beautiful crater lakes, visit picturesque waterfalls and even spot the very elusive Platypus!

Interesting Fact: Australia's Wet Tropics is a band of tropical rainforest and associated vegetation that runs up the north-east coast of Queensland from Townsville to Cooktown. The World Heritage property covers an area of approximately 894,000 hectares. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1988 in recognition of its scenic beauty and biological important.

Fun Fact: It is usually the sheer size of Australia that confuses people. It may only take three hours or so to fly from Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, to Cairns in tropical north Queensland, next to the Great Barrier Reef, but by road, it can take about four days of nonstop driving!


Everything You Need to Know About the Flag:

The flag is blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant known as the Commonwealth or Federation Star, representing the federation of the colonies of Australia in 1901. The star depicts one point for each of the six original states and one representing all of Australia's internal and external territories. On the fly half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small five-pointed star and four larger, seven-pointed stars.