Cairns

Since my last visit in 1976 the population of Cairns has almost tripled. I can see why. It now has an international airport and this combined with a tropical climate and proximity to the Great Barrier Reef makes it a tourist destination of choice. You can also drive or take the train if you’re not in a hurry. Cairns is more than 1,600 kilometres north of Brisbane. Despite our good intentions we didn’t see any of the Cairns attractions. If you have better luck take the steam train to Kuranda and the cruise to Green Island.