In tropical North Queensland, surrounded on three sides by lush rainforest, your Cairns cruise makes the perfect launchpad for excursions to the Great Barrier Reef. This reef is the largest living thing on the planet—so big you can see it from space—but it's made up of billions of tiny organisms known as coral polyps.
A UNESCO World Heritage site, the reef supports a vast diversity of marine life, with 600 types of soft and hard corals, 1,625 types of fish, and 30 species of whales and dolphins. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park covers 133,000 square miles, including 3,000 coral reefs and 900 islands. The snorkeling and diving here are unmatched.
Inland, explore the rainforest by cable car and scenic railway, soaring above treetops, peering into gorges, and observing jungle waterfalls. Join a whitewater rafting adventure in Barron Gorge National Park.
Stop at a rainforest village to see kangaroos, birds, butterflies, and reptiles. Hold a koala in your arms and feed a wallaby. Watch traditional Aboriginal dancers perform and artisans create their pottery, paintings, glass works, jewelry, and fabrics. You can shop for these original keepsakes to take back aboard your Cairns cruise.
Back in town, stroll the lovely native flowers, plants, and trees at Cairns Botanic Gardens. You might even get lucky in the local casino. What a way to top off your cruise to Cairns.
