Cairns and Far North Queensland

Cairns, at the heart of Tropical North Queensland, is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and World Heritage rainforests. It is a vibrant and multicultural city, known for its adventure activities, the Coral Sea, and lush rainforests.

With a strong regional economy worth more than A$16 billion, Cairns is connected not only to other parts of Australia, but also to the world. Tropical North Queensland is a popular destination for tourists, with beautiful locales like Cape Tribulation and the Daintree, Atherton Tablelands and Port Douglas. Innisfail is the other urban centre in Far North Queensland, which is covered by the Cassowary Coast Regional Council.

The curfew-free Cairns International Airport has links to export markets in Japan, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. There are also nine international trade ports, including the Port of Cairns – which is one of the country’s busiest cruise destinations.

Cairns also has two universities, James Cook University and CQUniversity, which offer world-class study and research opportunities. There are also specialised training centres, such as the Cairns Aviation Skills Centre and the Great Barrier Reef International Marine College.

The National Cities Performance Framework for Cairns provides information about housing, infrastructure, and liveability.

Living in Cairns and Far North Queensland

Sunbus operates public transport services for Cairns, and there are private bus lines that operate services in Far North Queensland. However, depending on where you are living, driving may still be the best way to get around. Cairns is well connected to the world, with an international airport, international cruise ship terminal, and passenger train services departing five times a week between Cairns and Brisbane.

The Cairns Regional Council has information on multicultural communities and services. Centacare FNQ is an organisation in the area that assists with settlement, counselling, and migrant support.