Australia > Cairns

As with much of Cairns, you can divide the city into the Esplanade and the places within a block of it, and the rest of the city. The Esplanade is littered with bar and grill places supplying red meat and beer all in the one place, and with many seafood restaurants. It's relatively difficult to find anything open before 11AM, since they expect the clientel to be sleeping in. The rest of the city has small cafes and milkbars catering to locals. The number of Japanese tourists here makes Japanese food a fairly reliable option, although prices can be steep.

A number of the more expensive restaurants on the Esplanade, particularly towards the north end, offer discounts of 20-30% for early birds: usually you will need to order by 6:30PM and pay and leave no later than 7:30PM to get a discounted meal.

• La Pizza Trattoria, 93 The Esplanade. tel 07 4031 2646. La Pizza Trattoria has good pizza. It lures most patrons in by letting them wander past the pizza chef kneading the dough as they smell the baking pizzas. Medium sized pizzas $17. Open 7 Days 7AM until late.
• Villa Romana Trattoria, Aplin Street (cnr The Esplanade). tel 07 4051 9000. fax 07 4031 5557. Large Italian meals with some good seafood options and overworked wait staff. 30% discount if you order before 6:45PM. Meals are $20-$30.
• Hide's Coffee Cafe, Shop 7, 87 Lake Street. tel 07 4041 1899. Hides Coffee Cafe, a couple of streets back from the Esplanade, is a good place for a relative cheap (under $10) breakfast or lunch. Order at the counter and remember to keep an eye on the collapsing umbrellas at the outside tables.
• Sushi Express, Shop 28 Orchid Plaza, 79 Abbott Street. tel 07 4041 4388. fax 07 4052 1277. A sushi train made up to look like the Kuranda Railway, this place is popular but not wildly busy. The tempura seems to get more attention than the sushi or sashimi. Plates from $2.50 to $4.50.
• Perrotta's At The Gallery, 38 Abbott Street. tel 07 4031 5899. If you want to escape from several evenings touring the bar and grill places, Perotta's is just off the Esplanade and does more sophisticated Western food. Try the French toast with roast pear for breakfast. Breakfast, lunch and dinner approximately $20.
• Donnini's Ciao Italia, at the Pier Marketplace, features indoor and outdoor dining with a beautiful ocean backdrop. Located at The Esplanade, Donnini's is within walking distance of many of Cairns' hotels. Meals will set you back around $20-$25, and are extra delicious!

Drink:

Cairns has pubs and bars to cater to travelers, students and locals. The nightlife is very vibrant.

• Rattle 'N Hum, 67 The Esplanade. tel 07 4031 3011. The Rattle 'n Hum is a bar and grill in the midst of one of the busiest parts of The Esplanade. It's quite large and getting a seat is seldom a problem: sit out back once they light torches in the evenings. Competition for the pool table is not formidable so you should be able to get several games in. They do a number of main meals, including wood-fired pizza (approximately $20). The staff are highly variable in quality, ordering a cocktail can be risky, but they're certainly able to pull a beer.
• Blue Sky Brewery Bar & Restaurant, 34-42 Lake Street. tel 07 4057 0500. A new world-class venue and attraction situated in the heart of Cairns CBD. Its bar, restaurant and function rooms attract locals and visitors alike. It has a wide selection of boutique beers brewed onsite, a comprehensive wine cellar, a diverse modern cuisine, and dynamic, yet relaxed Tropical North Queensland atmosphere. All of Blue Sky's handcrafted beers are unpasteurised and brewed naturally, giving a distinct depth of flavour and fresh taste not found in mass-produced beers made by larger commercial breweries.
• Rhino Bar Cairns, corner of Lake & Spence Street. PH: 07 4031 5305.
• The Woolshed Chargrill & Saloon Bar, 24 Shields Street. tel 07 4031 6304. fax 07 4041 2283. If you are looking for a place to find all the travelers, go to the Woolshed in downtown Cairns.

Day Trips from Cairns:

• Cairns is a good jumping off point to the Great Barrier Reef.
• The little village/market town of Kuranda makes a great day trip. You can drive, catch the Kuranda Scenic Railway from Cairns or Freshwater stations, or take the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.
• Mareeba, the edge of the outback, where the sun shines 300 days a year, and they produce 80% of Australia's coffee crop. With a tour to the area you don't need a car.
• Mossman Gorge 70 minutes north of Cairns is a good place to cool off. Avoid the tour coaches, and take great care swimming as the currents are very strong.
• The Daintree rain forest, is about 3 hours north of Cairns. The quiet environment makes for a very pleasant, laidback tropical stay, somewhat distanced from the mass tourism of Cairns and Port Douglas although Cape Tribulation is a popular daytrip for visitors and amenities for tourists abound.
• Green Island and Fitzroy Island, both resort islands that welcome day trips, are withing 45 minutes of Cairns by ferry.
• The Savannahlander is a four day train journey that departs from Cairns to the outback town of Forsayth. It's a great way to see the Chillagoe caves and Undara lava tubes.