After our very enjoyable few days in Sydney we flew up to Cairns to have a short break in this lively city that is well know as a tourist hotspot on the coast of Queensland. We stayed at the Hilton hotel, which had an excellent located in the centre of town and we were lucky that our room had a beautiful view across Chinaman Creek.
Cairns has a real tropical feel to it with a very pleasant climate, beautiful botanical gardens and great walks, including along the esplanade.
We photographed a few birds while in Cairns, including an Australian Brush Turkey we saw at the botanical gardens. We also had very distant views of a Blue-winged Kookabuaa high on a lamppost.
On 29 July we took a ferry to Green Island, which is a coral cay 17 miles off the coast of Cairns, and a popular tourist destination suitable for a day out from the city. The island has a network of walks, rain forest and beautiful beaches, along with food outlets.
During our visit we had a short trip on a glass-bottomed boat, getting a close-up view of the Great Barrier Reef.
We photographed several bird species while on Green Island, including Buff-banded Rail, Pheasant Coucal and Silvereye, of which many enjoying leftover food at the restaurant we visited.
The day after our trip to Green Island we rented a car and drove along the coast and spent time on some of the beautiful beaches close to Cairns.
You don’t have to travel far inland from Cairns to see pristine rainforest.
