Experience Cairns
> The adventure capital of Australia
NO visit to "The Land Down Under" would be complete without a visit to Cairns in Queensland. When there, a must-see is the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef – one of the world's seven wonders. Some say, if you haven't been there, you haven't really been to Australia.
The site to behold is after all "the world's largest living organism" and it's visible from space too (they say). Moreover, with crystal clear waters, sunny skies almost all year round, and the amazing array of marine life, exhilarating adventures await around every corner and getting up-close and personal with Aussie wildlife is just sine qua non – Fair Dinkum alright!
Whether traveling solo, in pairs, as couples, or even as families looking to explore this amazing city, here's a heads-up on what you shouldn't miss.
THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
Stretching more than 2,000km, the Great Barrier Reef comprises some 3,400 coral reefs with 1,500 species of fish and 400 types of corals. The best thing is you can get up close with the schools of blue-finned yellowtails, coral trout and more, even if you don't know how to swim!
Hop on a glass-bottom boat or a semi-submersible that gives you a diver's view, all while staying dry (www.greatadventures.com.au), or take a helicopter ride over the reef for a truly over-the-top experience (www.gbrhelicopters.com.au).
WHITE WATER RAFTING
Go on a full-day or half-day white water rafting trip down the Tully or Barron River, depending on how adventurous you are with rapids ranging from Grade 2 to 4, or enjoy 44 exhilarating rapids on a full day rafting experience.
For an even wilder ride, opt for the Xtreme Tully River White Water Rafting package where you can have extra adventures such as swimming down the rapids with your safety gear on and raft surfing, where your boat is held in place by the power of the rushing rapids (www.ragingthunder.com.au).
SKYDIVING
Rushes don't get much bigger than a 60-second freefall from 14,000ft with nothing but a parachute attached to your back. Throw in spectacular views of the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest World Heritage Area and you can see why skydiving in Cairns is a cut above the rest (www.skydivecairns.com.au). If there's anything worth dragging yourself out of bed at 4am for it's hot air ballooning. The rush of excitement starts once you catch sight of the towering balloon, about nine storeys tall.
Enjoy the beautiful sunrise if you are on the first flight and if you're on the second balloon, you'll have a ball "chasing" the first balloon in your coach (the wind direction determines where the balloon lands). Round it off with a hearty champagne breakfast! (www. hotair.com.au).
CAIRNS ZOOM & WILDLIFE DOME
The spectacular all-weather wildlife immersion exhibit is enclosed by a 20m high glass dome on top of the iconic Reef Hotel Casino. Immerse yourself in a rainforest environment while birds native to the Wet Tropics region fly freely around you.
The dome is also home to The Cairns ZOOM, the world's first Challenge Ropes Course in a wildlife immersion exhibit and ziplines, including one that takes participants over a four metre saltwater crocodile named Goliath! (www.cairnszoom.com.au).
KURANDA SKYRAIL
It is a world’s first in environmental tourism, taking you on an amazing experience over Australia's World Heritage listed Tropical Rainforest canopy. Enjoy a bird’s eye view as you glide just metres over the canopy, before exploring the forest floor and learning more at two rainforest mid-stations. Ranger guided tours and a visit to the Rainforest Interpretation Centre are included in the experience (www.skyrail.com.au).
KURANDA SCENIC RAILWAY
The famous 100-year-old Kuranda Scenic Railway spans 34km between Cairns and Kuranda through lush rainforest, delving through 15 tunnels, bending around 98 curves and traversing precariously over 40 bridges.
Also, enjoy time in Kuranda "The Village in the Rainforest" as part of your tour, where markets sell local art and craft as well as a range of popular wildlife attractions, including Kuranda Koala Gardens, the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary and Birdworld (www.ksr.com.au).
SilkAir flies five times a week from Singapore to Cairns. As the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, SilkAir enables passengers from across the Singapore Airlines group network of destinations including Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur and Penang to connect with Cairns. Singapore also serves as a transit for flights from other airports.
Visit www.silkair.com