Attractions

Great Barrier Reef Tours Cairns. Cruising to Michaelmas Sand Cay a solitary sand cay in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef, spend a day snorkelling and diving . Instant book on line or call 1300 761 612 The most popular luxury day tour from Cairns. Enjoy a leisurely day on board this luxury sailing catamaran visiting the unique location of Michaelmas Cay where you can do activities as you like. Snorkelling, viewing the ocean depths in a semi-submersible submarine tour, trying a scuba diving lesson, taking a walk to see the huge amount of migratory birds nesting on the cay or just relaxing and soaking up the sun on this gorgeous little oasis in the middle of the reef. Perfect Cairns reef tour for non-swimmers and families as you can wade slowly into the water from the beach.

Rusty's Markets a popular eclectic Cairns icon that is frequented every Friday, Saturday and Sunday by locals and tourists in search of the freshest locally grown and harvested seasonal produce. The fresh fruit and vegetables are grown regionally and sold by the farmers themselves. You will find indigenous food that you can buy from Aboriginal stall holders and strange fruits and vegetables from the Torres Strait Island stall holders. The mix of nationalities here is wonderful! Chinese, Indian, Australian, Italian, Papua New Guinean and many more!

Rusty's Markets Cairns is more than simply a farmers market; it is a popular tourist attraction and a meeting place for people from all walks of life. The fresh produce is typical of Tropical North Queensland, fresh and exotic, and the atmosphere is reminiscent of a carnival. The stall holders are colourful and quick with a smile, and the music hardly ever stops with regular performances by local musicians.

The Cairns Botanic Gardens, renowned for having one of the best exhibitions of tropical plants in Australia, is a lush paradise where you can explore the beauty of tropical plants, relax in stunning surroundings and learn about tropical flora and horticulture. The Gardens is divided into: The Flecker Gardens, Gondwana Heritage Garden, Watkins Munro Martin Conservatory, Freshwater and Saltwater Lakes, and Zhanjiang Friendship Gardens.

The Flecker Gardens is the formal garden and houses several other smaller gardens. It epitomises the diversity of tropical flora that can be found across the world’s tropical regions including plants from the steamy jungles of South East Asia, South America, Africa and of course Far North Queensland. The Garden is home to a broad range of plants ranging from shade giving trees and palms, exquisite orchids, bromeliads and ferns through to the bizarre beauty of insect eating pitcher plants. Once inside the Garden, visitors feel they have been transported to the Daintree. The Garden’s signature trees create a green canopy guarding a plant collection that is interspersed with flowing paths and waterways, which wind their way through the leafy undergrowth.

The Cairns Botanic Gardens can be found on Collins Avenue, Edge Hill and is open every day of the year. Entry is free.

Australian Butterfly Sanctuary is the largest butterfly flight aviary and exhibit in Australia. Home to over 1,200 magnificent tropical butterflies, the sanctuary is an all-weather experience in the heart of Kuranda.

You’ll be enchanted by these elusive wonders of nature as you wander through the aviary’s boardwalks and gardens. Be sure to wear something bright and let these beautiful creatures flutter all over you!

You can also join a tour behind the scenes in the breeding laboratory, housing up to 4,000 caterpillars, or download a free audio tour. Learn more about these magical creatures with educational exhibits. Observe a butterfly wing through a microscope, Silk Moth caterpillars, the massive Hercules Moth, and the insects in the Mini Beasts display. See through the eyes of a butterfly in the UV Room and be amazed at butterflies from all over the globe in our museum displays.

Learn about caterpillar food host plants and how they are used in the laboratory on their new food plant walk. The butterflies are reared on the premises. The laboratory staff collect eggs daily and ‘hand-raise’ the caterpillars right through to the chrysalis stage, until they are released as butterflies into the aviary daily.