Highlights of Cairns City, Australia, Cairns, Australia

Last month, I spent three glorious weeks relaxing in Cairns, in Queensland, Australia. Pronounced like “Cahns” by Aussies, (if you say the R they will probably make fun of you) this is not the Cannes where the film festival is, believe it or not. I incorrectly thought that until maybe two years ago, when I saw the word spelled out while researching the Great Barrier Reef.

Cairns City is known for sunny weather, warm winters, and for being the gateway to the tropics of Australia. The town itself is small, it’s easy to walk around the entire city in a day, or jump on a shuttle or bus to get around. While many people consider Cairns to be a bit trashy and overrun with tourists, I found a lot of charm in it. It was nice to go for a run and see the same people out for a walk on the Esplanade.

I stayed at Calypso Inn during my time in Cairns. It’s a great backpacker resort, just a 15-minute walk from the city center. While not in the beating heart of things, it was close enough to not miss any of the action, while being a bit quieter and more relaxed. The staff was super friendly, and I couldn’t argue with the free pancake breakfast every morning.

The Esplanade runs from Calypso all the way to the city center. It’s a paved path with bike lanes and pedestrian walkways. It turns into a boardwalk, with various free activity provisions along the way, like volleyball nets and playgrounds for children. There are free barbecue stations, drinking fountains, and occasional markets and other events. The “beach” in Cairns isn’t a swimming beach, but rather a swimming pool called The Lagoon. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).