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Cairns

Cairns National Parks

Cairns is a regional city and Local Government Area located in Queensland, Australia. Originally settled in 1876, and named after William Wellington Cairns (the then Governor of Queensland) to serve miners heading for the Hodgkinson River goldfield, the settlement declined when an easier route was discovered from Port Douglas.

Cairns is a popular travel destination for foreign tourists because of its tropical climate and proximity to many attractions. The Great Barrier Reef is only one-and-a-half hours away by boat. The Daintree National Park and Cape Tribulation, about 130km north of Cairns, are popular areas for experiencing a tropical rainforest. It is also a starting point for people wanting to explore Cooktown, Cape York Peninsula, and the Atherton Tableland.

Click here to see a list of parks in Cairns region

Cairns experiences a warm tropical climate. It experiences a dry season between April and November and a wet season with tropical monsoons between November and March. Mean rainfall of Cairns is 2002.9 mm [2]. The township of Babinda at the southern end of the city is one of Australias wettest towns, recording an annual rainfall of over 4200 mm. It has hot humid summers and milder temperatures in winter. The temperature varies from a mean temperature of 25.5 C in July to 31.7 C in January. Many tourists consider Cairns to have a similar climate to Hawaii.



Barron Gorge National Park - Barron Gorge National Park extends from the coastal lowlands to the elevated regions of the Atherton Tableland and features rugged mountain scenery, tropical rainforests, diverse wildlife and a fascinating history.

Black Mountain National Park - At the northern end of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, Black Mountain National Park contains an imposing mountain range of massive granite boulders.

Cedar Bay (Mangkal-Mangkalba) National Park - Dense tropical rainforest grows in Cedar Bay National Park, a remote coastal park south of Cooktown in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.

Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park - Featuring spectacular limestone caves, small galleries of Aboriginal rock art, jagged limestone outcrops and historically significant mining sites, this park is rich in natural and cultural heritage.

Clump Mountain National Park - One of the few remaining patches of undisturbed tropical lowland rainforest can be seen in Clump Mountain National Park.

Curtain Fig National Park - This park protects endangered mabi forest and a large fig tree. The formation of this fig tree is unique; its extensive aerial roots drop 15m to the forest floor and form a "curtain".

Daintree National Park - Daintree National Park is a complex of long sandy beaches, rocky headlands and steep mountain ranges intersected by numerous creeks and rivers. One of Australia?s last extensive stands of lowland rainforest is found here.

Danbulla National Park - Crater lakes, huge strangler figs, rainforest walks, lakeside camping areas and places of important local history are some of the interesting features along the 28km Danbulla forest drive.

Davies National Park - Rugged granite outcrops in open eucalypt forest setting. Waterfall. Spring wildflowers. Self-registration camping. East of Mareeba.

Dinden National Park - Dinden National Park straddles the Lamb Range. Rainforest cloaks the wetter eastern side of the range, where Lake Morris, the main water reservoir for Cairns, is situated.

Endeavour River National Park - Just next to Cooktown, Endeavour River National Park contains coastal dunes, freshwater wetlands, and the estuary and parts of the catchment of the Endeavour River.

Fitzroy Island National Park - Fitzroy Island National Park is rugged and diverse with granite outcrops, open woodlands, rainforest, mangroves and coral beaches.

Forty Mile Scrub National Park - On the McBride Plateau, where ancient and recent volcanic flows occur side by side, a dry rainforest remnant, open grassy woodland, and the headwaters of Lynd, Barwon and Cleanskin Creeks are protected in Forty Mile Scrub National Park.

Frankland Group National Park - Surrounded by extensive fringing reefs, these five continental islands feature rocky outcrops, dense rainforest, mangroves and coastal vegetation, making them a haven for a variety of wildlife.

Green Island National Park - This small rainforest-clad coral cay is surrounded by coral reefs. It is one of the most accessible and popular islands on the Great Barrier Reef.

Hasties Swamp National Park - On the Atherton Tableland, Hasties Swamp National Park protects a wetland which is a valuable refuge for waterbirds.

Hope Island National Park - The Hope Isles were gazetted as a national park in 1939. The islands are located 27km south-east of Cooktown within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

Lake Barrine National Park - This park protects a crater lake surrounded by cool rainforest.

Lake Eacham National Park - A clear, blue lake surrounded by cool rainforest, Lake Eacham offers swimming, birdwatching, picnic areas and shady walking tracks, making it a popular recreation area with locals and visitors.

Michaelmas Upolu Cays National Park - Michaelmas and Upolu Cays National Park is 40km north-east of Cairns.

Millstream Falls National Park - Millstream Falls is reputedly Australias widest single-drop waterfall.

Mossman Gorge National Park - The Mossman Gorge Section is part of the traditional lands of the Kuku Yalanji people.

Mount Bartle National Park - Climbing the summit of Queenslands highest mountain offers a challenging way to explore part of the World Heritage listed rainforest of the Bellenden Ker Range.

Mount Cook National Park - Rising to 431m, rugged Mount Cook provides a scenic backdrop to the township of Cooktown in Mount Cook National Park.

Mount Hypipamee National Park - The park is centred around a deep, cylindrical volcanic pipe with a lake at the bottom.

Mount Sorrow Ridge Trail National Park - This trail climbs from the coastal lowlands of Cape Tribulation, up the rainforest-clad ridge of Mount Sorrow to a lookout offering views of the beautiful Daintree coastline, Snapper Island and beyond.

Palmerston National Park - Windswept rocky headlands, mangroves, swamps, rainforest and sand dunes are part of Cape Palmerston National Parks rugged beauty.

Russel River National Park - Small coastal park in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. Tropical rainforest, paperbark swamps and mangroves near the estuary of Russell and Mulgrave Rivers.

Snapper Island National Park - Welcome to Snapper Island, traditional sea country of the Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal people.

Undara National Park - Dense tropical rainforest grows in Cedar Bay National Park, a remote coastal park south of Cooktown in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.

Wooroonooran National Park - Beautiful lowland rainforest, wild rivers, the North Johnstone River gorge and waterfalls make the Palmerston Section of Wooroonooran National Park one of the most scenic places in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service

 

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