CAIRNS, Queensland, Australia

Cairns is the jewel in Australia's tropical crown, being a popular holiday location for Aussies and overseas visitors alike. With its fantastic warm climate and amazing scenery, it's an enjoyable and beautiful city to visit. Bordered by the Great Barrier Reef to the east and the mountains of the Great Dividing Range to the west, there is no shortage of spectacular scenery in the Cairns region.

With an average annual maximum temperature of 29°C and 62% humidity it's one of the most balmy cities in Australia.

November Averages:

• Maximum daily temperature 30.6°C
• Minimum daily temperature 22.3°C
• Percentage humidity at 3pm – 60%

Important note:  During summer you can't swim in the ocean because there's too many box jellyfish around, so if you're staying in Cairns please utilize the hotel swimming pools. 

There is something here for every visitor to enjoy … adrenaline-charged adventures like diving, white water rafting and bungy jumping or more gentle pursuits like birdwatching, hiking, gourmet restaurants or just sitting under a palm tree sipping a cocktail.

Shopping

A shopper’s paradise or shopping in paradise, either way take advantage of the many duty free shops in the heart of Cairns or drop into Cairns Central a major shopping mall in the city centre.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday don’t miss the spectacular farmers markets at Rusty’s renowned for fresh produce, flowers, homemade crafts, jewellery, local wines, clothing and just about anything else you can think of.

Cairns Night Markets open every night and the Lagoon markets each Saturday are home to colourful craft and art products. If venturing further afield don’t miss the markets at Kuranda, Port Douglas and Yungaburra.

Time Zone

GMT/UTC +10 (Eastern Standard Time); GMT/UTC +9.5 (Central Time); GMT/UTC +8 (Western Time)

There is no daylight saving in Queensland.\

To find out more about what to do in Cairns, visit 

http://www.cairns.aust.com/ 

http://www.cairnsinfo.com 

Cairns Airport 

Nestled between mountains, mangroves and the Coral Sea, Cairns is the gateway to Tropical North Queensland, home of the World Heritage Great Barrier Reef and Tropical Rainforests.

Cairns Airport is Australia’s leading regional airport, providing air links to a range of domestic and international locations.

• Cairns Airport is 7 kilometres from the CBD.
• The International and Domestic Terminals are open 24 hours per day. Services within the terminals operate in accordance with flight schedules.
• Cairns Airport offers direct domestic flights to Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Darwin and Townsville as well as to Alice Springs and Ayers Rock (Uluru) and regional centres. There are direct international flights to Auckland, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Guam, Port Moresby and to Singapore via Darwin. 

Taxis

Taxi ranks are located near both the International and Domestic Terminals. Black & White Taxi ranks are located immediately outside the International and Domestic Terminals.

The taxi fare to Cairns CBD ranges from $15 - $20 depending on destination point.

Bus Services

Australia Coach/Sun Palm Express operates an airport shuttle bus services to hotels, city centre, Northern Beaches, Palm Cove, Port Douglas and Cape Tribulation.

Pick up point is immediately in front of the arrivals area at both terminals and there is an information desk within the terminal, which if not staffed, has direct-dial telephone. No pre-booking is required.

For timetables and online bookings visit www.australiacoach.com or phone (07) 4087 2900.

Visas

All travelers to Australia, other than Australian and New Zealand citizens, are legally required to hold a valid visa or electronic travel authority (ETA).  It is a delegate responsibility to ensure documentation is correct and completed before the journey commences.  For more information, contact your nearest Australian Embassy/Consulate or view the Australian Department of Immigration website http://www.eta.immi.gov.au 

Travel Insurance

The conference managers recommend that delegates purchase travel insurance including cover for non-refundable conference registration fees.  Travel insurance must be purchased in the country of residence.