Cairns-do attitude
If ever you’re in this city in Queensland, australia, remember to visit a happy turtle and a giant grouper.
A MASS of turquoise, yacht-filled water surrounded by thickly green hills is the first welcoming glimpse for travellers landing in Cairns, Queensland in Australia.
The country’s gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and the wondrous creatures that live in its waters, Cairns has been a jumping-off point for many of my adventures. I’ve cruised to the outer reef, explored the adjacent Atherton Tableland’s food trail, watched crocodiles jump for their lunch and floated down silent rivers.
This time it’s different. It’s Cairns the city that I have come to see and explore because she’s had a serious facelift. Not just a little lip pumping but a full-fledged makeover that’s made her look younger, shinier and definitely on-trend.
First stop is Cairns Aquarium to see the reef ... before I see the reef. Opened late in 2017, the aquarium only features species and habitats from tropical North Queensland. It’s filled with the deadly, the elusive and the most amazingly beautiful beings.
Among the 15,000 water creatures living in 10 different ecosystems is Chang, a Queensland grouper. Groupers are the largest bony fish found in coral reefs. At about 2m long and weighing around 80kg, Chang is an impressive specimen.
Even in the wild, groupers don’t seem to mind people and can often be found hanging around jetties and coral bommies where people visit. Chang is a little more selective and likes to follow just the female visitors around the aquarium’s walk-through 1.8 million litre Coral Sea exhibit. I decided to reward his attention with a kiss through the glass, and he seemed quite interested.
The aquarium is just around the corner from my accommodation, the very recently opened Riley, one of a trio of new five-star hotels by Crystalbrook Collection Resorts in Cairns.
Positioned right on the esplanade overlooking the waterfront, it has an on-trend relaxed tropical vibe. The 1,000sq m swimming lagoon in the centre of the resort certainly adds to the atmosphere.
From my seaward-facing balcony, I can see the resort’s distinctive oval tower which houses Cairns’ first rooftop bar. That seems like an idea for later, but first, the balcony is just perfect for sitting back and enjoying the view.
There’s more of revitalised Cairns awaiting discovery. Although Rusty’s Market has been a local icon for over 30 years, the new way to see it is through a local’s eyes with a tour by Georgia Babatsikos and Cairns Suburban
Walking Tours.
The tour starts with a refreshing iced Vietnamese coffee before you hit a crowded maze of stalls with seven food samples along the way. There are tastes of Luca’s Italian arancini balls at Mamma Mia’s and chef Gyorgi’s Hungarian arancini balls, as well as a stop at Frenchie’s patisserie. It takes about one and a half hours to explore the undercover market, and you must start on an empty stomach!
Walk off your market indulgences with another of Georgia’s tours to discover the alleyways, coffee shops and elite barbers that are turning Cairns into Australia’s second hipster capital.
It seems natural in Cairns to gravitate to the waterfront, and that’s where you’ll find Waterbar & Grill on the Esplanade.
Using grain-fed, aged organic beef from the Atherton Tablelands, Waterbar has developed a reputation for offering some of the finest steaks in town. Their juicy, meaty ribs live up to the promise, but it is the 500gm Lazy Aged Rump that locals come back to enjoy again and again.
You can’t be a cool city without your own distillery these days, and Cairns doesn’t disappoint. Taste North Queensland in a glass with a sip of Wolf Lane’s Tropical Gin which has 13 botanicals sourced fresh from local farms. Their city micro gin distillery cellar door is located in a converted turn-of-thecentury stable.
It wouldn’t be a trip to Cairns without a day on the reef, but this time I’m taking the easy road with a visit to Fitzroy Island, the closest Great Barrier Reef island to Cairns. It’s just a 45-minute ferry ride and works equally well as a day trip or resort stay.
There’s much to explore on the island, but at the top of my list is the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. Daily tours here help visitors understand how to identify injured and sick turtles so they can be collected for rehabilitation.
Master Reef Guide Azri
Saparwan explains how turtle rehab works while Julz, a juvenile Green Sea Turtle, swims around her tank home, snapping up lettuce segments that he drops in the water.
Julz’ dark patterned shell, pierced twice by spearguns, is healing slowly but the deeper scar almost hidden on her neck is still mending. She’s been at the centre since August 2018 and is not scheduled for release until early 2020.
Even though she has been attacked by humans, Julz seems strangely drawn to me as I peer over the tank edge. We have an eyeto-eye moment before she swims away to hunt for more lettuce.
While Fitzroy Island is known for its easy off-the-beach reef snorkelling, it’s the relaxed vibe of Nudey Beach that finds a spot in my heart. The short 1.2km winding walk from the resort ends at a stunning coral beach lapped by gentle waves. It’s nude by name, not by nature, and popular with families and day-trippers. Stay overnight on the island, and you can have the first footprints on the morning sand.
I’ve spent three days in Cairns and only scratched the surface. With two more new Crystalbrook hotels to explore, Bailey and Flynn (opening early 2020), I’ll be back.