Mantra Trilogy

It's the mountains that strike the first time visitor to Cairns, the vivid green heights commanding a backdrop to Queensland's northern most city.

From their heights the city spreads below, a mosaic of expanding urban development interlinked with the florescent green of cane fields and the chocolate brown of freshly cultivated farmland.

The city of Cairns, hugging the waterfront and waters of Trinity Inlet, epitomises the vibrancy that has now infused the once somnolent tropical mood of the north as direct flights into Cairns International Airport and cheaper domestic airfares boost tourist numbers dramatically.

While still one of the iconic destinations for backpackers from around the world, Cairns has now become a destination for a broader range of visitors.

The opening of the Cairns Lagoon, a four thousand square metre public swimming pool on the foreshore in the heart of the city and the redevelopment of adjacent parklands incorporating boulevards and walkways, has injected new life into the Esplanade and surrounding precinct.

Cairns is "base camp" for travellers setting forth to explore the wonders of tropical north Queensland. Each morning the tour groups and self-drive travellers fan out from the city, many heading north into the world heritage listed Daintree Rainforests and on to the pristine beauty of Cape Tribulation, an area of striking rugged beauty where mountains roll down to deserted bays and beaches. Others head west, driving up to the mountain top village of Kuranda perched on the edge of the Atherton Tableland before heading south through this extensive sub-tropical irrigation area, one of the food baskets of north Queensland.

Along the Esplanade, early risers sip their morning coffee and watch as the fleet of tourist vessels puts to sea, the wakes of the high speed catamarans, sailing boats and cruisers spreading out across the bay as they head out to the Great Barrier Reef.

The blend of youthful backpackers and mainstream international and domestic travellers has produced a vibrant night life and cosmopolitan retail scene.

By day, shoppers throng to the Cairns Central shopping mall or stroll along the waterfront Pier retail complex.

In the evenings, the city comes alive to the sound of live pub bands while at the bars along the Esplanade, bartenders mix fashionable cocktails and those who feel that good fortune is with them head to the Reef Casino.

Cairns is a city of many moods, the crisp clear air of its mornings, the tropical warmth of its days, the sudden cooling downpour of an afternoon storm and balmy nights lit by the moon shining over Trinity Bay offering an unmatched appeal.

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