Top five: things to do that won’t cost you
AT about this point in the school holidays, wallets are looking a tad bare but kids’ energy levels and desire for something new is still off the charts. So, what to do? To help, Cairns Post has put together a list of five of the best free things to do in the city.
These activities are guaranteed to keep the children entertained for at least a couple of hours and will provide plenty of fodder for those holiday recaps told to friends in the schoolyard.
HUNTING
Have you ever tried geocaching? The outdoor recreational activity gets participants to use the GPS on a mobile device and other navigational techniques to find containers, called geocaches or caches, at specific locations marked by coordinates all over the city.
A typical cache is a small waterproof container with a logbook and, sometimes, a pen or pencil inside. The geocacher signs the log with their established code name and dates it in order to prove that they found the cache. After signing the log, the cache must be placed back exactly where the person found it. Larger containers such as plastic storage containers can also contain items for trading, such as toys or trinkets.
It gets the kids out of the house. You might explore a part of the Far North you’ve never seen before and everyone bonds over searching for the item.
Pokemon Go is also a tried and true adventure game which uses augmented reality on a mobile device to catch Pokemon.
LOOK HARD
Scramble over the rocks at the southern end of Trinity Beach to get the best vantage point for spotting turtles, crocodiles and some of the many varieties of birds that flock around the Cairns shoreline.
Once everyone gets a bit bored of that, head back to the beach to play cricket, stage a sandcastle competition or simply go swimming. Afternoon sorted.
TAKE A DIP
Goomboora Park is the place to go for most families living in the hills just behind the city. The shady, expansive parklands has a new playground, room for the family dog and a crystal clear creek to swim in. Grab a tyre or blow up mattress and walk upstream to float back down to the main picnic area.
ROLL ON
Rollerblade, scoot or skate from one end of Cairns Esplanade and back and you will have clocked up 5km. Take it at a leisurely pace and take in the people, pelicans and make time to play at the pirate ship or go bouldering. Make it quick and clock who is the fastest in a spot of good-natured family competition. Pack togs to swim in the lagoon, head to the marina to look at the boats or a picnic to make a day of it.
WATCH
When the wind is blowing the right way, head to Rex’s Lookout, north on the Captain Cook Highway between Cairns and Port Douglas, and watch some daredevils take flight. Be careful not to stop if there are already too many cars on the road though. Mission Beach also provides a great spot to picnic or swim and watch people sky dive.