Don’t blame it on the rain

THE Big Wet has finally arrived and with it has come weekends of not knowing what to do because of monsoonal rain bucketing outside. But never fear, for there is still plenty to in the Wet Tropics. DANIEL BATEMAN invites you to try these activities on for

1 GET CULTURED

Get lost in the arts and culture of the Far North by spending a day exploring the city’s galleries and mu- seums. Start in the CBD with the Cairns Art Gallery, the Cairns Mu- seum, and – when it opens next month – the former Centre of Con- temporary Arts (above), now known as Bulmba-ja. Head then to the Tanks Art Centre at Edge Hill and finish up at the Australian Armour And Artil- lery Museum at Smithfield.

2 GET WET

It’s a common misconception that the Great Barrier Reef is a bad place to be when it rains. Quite the op- posite. If you’re on a dive trip, you’re going to be getting wet anyway. You also have the bonuses of having plen- ty of cloud cover to diminish chances of getting sunburnt and fewer crowds means there is more chance of seeing marine wildlife such as sharks, sting- rays and turtles that would otherwise be scared away by all the splashing around by hordes of tourists.

Or if you don’t fancy heading out to the Reef in a boat, go and visit the Cairns Aquarium: it’s the next best thing.

3 GET BEERS

What better day than a rainy day to organise your own tour of Cairns’s microbreweries? Start off in the city centre with Hemingways on the waterfront (they occasionally do behind-the-scenes tours), then walk five minutes across the road to Coral Sea Brewing, which recently opened a tasting room (check opening times online). From there, head north along the Captain Cook Hwy to Stratford to check out the Barrier Reef Brewing Co, and then finish up at Macalister’s at Smithfield (above), taking in the view of the rain falling over vibrant green cane fields.

4 GET PIXELLED

Video arcades are so hot right now, and there are two that have opened up in Cairns’s city centre, for your gaming pleasure.

There’s Timezone on Abbott Street (above), which has everything from virtual reality games through to bumper cars.

For those over 18, there’s Empire Alternacade on Sheridan St, which will give you the ultimate nostalgia hit with pinball machines, game cabinets playing the likes of Pac-Man and Street Fighter II, and a heap of amazing cocktails to slurp down.

5 GET PHOTOS

One of the most spectacular places to be during the Big Wet is at Kuranda, watching the mighty Barron Falls pulsating with humungous volumes of water.

There are now two places to watch the falls: for free at the viewing platform at the Barron Falls Lookout or via the new The Edge lookout (above), included in the (sheltered) ride from Smithfield to Kuranda on Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.