Discover oasis in our CBD
SINCE it was opened four years ago, Munro Martin Parklands has become one of the under-appreciated wonders of the Cairns CBD.
This former vacant, shadeless, expansive park was transformed into green oasis, with an outdoor amphitheatre, a tunnel of vines, and a network of shady paths.
It has become the go-to venue for orchestras and ballets, but moves this week by Cairns Regional Council will hopefully see the parklands opened up to more events.
If you haven’t experienced an event in the park, here’s five reasons you should go.
IT’S UNIQUE
Before Munro Martin Parklands
opened up, one of the most unique concert venues in the Far North was the Kuranda Amphitheatre, a stage surrounded by rainforest.
Now, it’s like the amphitheatre has been plucked from the village and touched down in the middle of the city.
There’s nothing quite like laying back on a picnic rug, with a glass of bubbly, listening to an act under the stars – all within the CBD.
IT’S JUST SO GREEN
Driving past the parklands doesn’t do the venue justice.
You need to walk around to gain an appreciation for the mastery over flora that has gone into building up the old park into something akin to the Cairns Botanic Gardens.
Everything from the stage itself through to massive mango trees growing in the outskirts of the park has a flourish of garden guruism.
The piece de resistance is the vine walkway, a tunnel of greenery that is popular with bridal parties for photos.
THE HISTORY
At the entrance to the parklands, there is a panel explaining its history stretching back to the 1800s. Have a read to learn it was a key gathering point for the Cairns community, ranging from a sporting precinct through to a military base. You may even learn about the Scout’s hat hut in the southeast corner.
THAT SCULPTURE
When it first went up, the bizarre sculpture near the entrance to the parklands caused quite the stir among locals.
Embrace, by Woopen Creek-based sculptor Braham Stevens, is a 9m tall monolith that represents “the intricate relationships, cycles and connections between geology, ecology, man, time and place”.
Go for a look and make your own mind up about it.
IT’S FREE
If you look up a list of the best free things to do in Cairns, the parklands is never mentioned.
It should be, particularly at concert time. Big acts, such as Passenger and Jimmy Barnes, sell out quickly, despite the venue’s capacity for seating more than 3000 people.
If that’s the case, there are quite a few benches outside the fence – the perfect place to park for a little while, chowing down takeaway from one of the many eateries nearby.