Cairns Hire Car

AJ Hackett Bungy is Cairns’ adventure hot spot and one of the busiest bungy sites in the world. Located on the fringes of the Wet Tropics Rainforests at Smithfield, the commercial heart of the Cairns Beaches, AJ Hackett Bungy offers 16 different bungy jump styles, including BMX, and a Minjin Jungle Swing. The Cairns Bungy Tower is 50m tall, making it the highest viewing platform in Cairns, and was constructed in 1990. Since then more than five million people have visited the site with some famous bungy jumping faces including the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Slash from Guns and Roses and Miss Universe. The Minjin Jungle Swing is a relatively ‘new’ addition, opening in 2000. The swing allows groups of up to three people to swing through the rainforest at speeds of up to 120km per hour.

Cable Ski is the only place in Cairns where you can waterski, wakeboard and kneeboard all year round. Located at Smithfield, adjacent to Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, Cable Ski Cairns opened for business in 2005 and is one of only four such parks in all of Australia. Its man-made lake features jumps and obstacles and is perfect from beginners right up to advanced stunt performers: in fact, Cable Sky Cairns hosts the National Cable Wakeboarding Championships, which should give you an idea of the quality of facilities. There is a main building on site, with Administration Offices, a Pro Shop and Kiosk. The open view, undercover terrace provides a great place to watch all the action and there is also a beach with umbrellas and sun lounges for your enjoyment.

Cairns Night Zoo is unique, offering you the chance to see the nocturnal wildlife of the tropical rainforests in their element. The evening begins at 7pm with a fantastic Aussie BBQ including steak, sausages, seafood, salads and dessert. Once you have satisfied your appetite, grab a torch and prepare yourself for an evening of exploration and interpretation. Guides will teach you how owls hunt, let you pat a possum and take you safely through the crocodiles lair, where you will see the crocs eyes glowing in the torchlight. On clear nights, the guides will show you the Southern Cross, Big Dipper and other well known constellations. Meet the local “swagman” and enjoy some billy tea and damper by the campfire. This is a great night out for couples and families and is open Monday to Thursday and Saturday nights.

Down Under Heli provides scenic helicopter flights over the Cairns Beaches, out to the Coral Sea, over the rainforest clad mountains out to the vast Queensland outback. As well as providing the most scenic day tours (or one hour ride) on the Cairns Beaches, Down Under Heli also has packages to suit just about everyone. How about a picnic on a secluded sand cay, a flight to the reef, where you can land on a pontoon and catch a boat home, or a tour of the region’s waterfalls with the opportunity to fly the helicopter yourself (under supervision of course)! Down Under Heli offers it all. You can enjoy a half or full day heli tour with this locally owned and operated company, or package them with one of the region’s other leading attractions for a great day out.

Yorkeys Knob beach is the kite surfing destination for Cairns, Tropical North Queensland. From April to November, this wide beach receives strong south-easterly trade winds, attracting kite surfers from around the city, country and world. Perfect for advanced kite surfers, Yorkeys Knob is also a great place to learn this adrenalin pumping sport and local company Kite Rite, offers lessons for people of all abilities. From group lessons held over the weekend to one-on-one tuition with personalised attention, lessons can be booked by the hour, as a two day certificate course or three day advanced course. Owner / operator Chris Rose can even arrange the ultimate kiting experience: kiting on the Great Barrier Reef, this is an experience you will never forget.

The Outback Opal Mine gives you a rare and unique insight into the world of opals, in a convenient highway location. Located next door to Cairns Tropical Zoo, just before the turn-off to Palm Cove, the Outback Opal Mine provides a light-hearted educational experience with an 8-minute documentary, incorporating aerial views of Australia’s opal fields and unique underground footage of prospecting miners. After this, tour the simulated opal mine, featuring an extensive range of rough opals embedded into the walls. The theatre comfortably seats up to 50 people and you can pick up your own opal souvenir (loose stone or jewellery) in the gift store. The Outback Opal Mine is open daily from 8.30am – 5.30pm except Christmas Day.

Fancy a round of golf? The Cairns Beaches are home to one of Australia’s best, most challenging courses, Paradise Palms. Located on the Captain Cook Highway, between Kewarra and Clifton Beaches, Paradise Palms Resort and Country Club offers a combination of golf, leisure and dining in one attractive location. For golfers, this simply stunning course is a combination of sweeping fairways, creeks, lakes, undulating greens and 94 bunkers. Consistently ranked in Australia’s Top 100 courses by the Australian Golf Digest, this course is surrounded by rainforest-clad mountains and enjoys cooling sea breezes. Non-gofers can enjoy a refreshing dip in one of the two swimming pools, a delicious meal in the clubhouse restaurant or let the children play in the two-acre adventure playground, featuring a jumping pillow, climbing spider and cubby houses.

Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park was one of Australia’s first Aboriginal tourist attractions and is committed to sharing the history, legends and culture of the Tjapukai people. The Tjapukai are the original inhabitants of the Barron Gorge National Park and are a rainforest people with a unique synergy with the plants and animals of the Wet Tropics. At Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park you can see and participate in traditional dances, learn how to throw a boomerang and spear, have your face painted, watch fire making, taste some bush tucker and see traditional rainforest shelters. There are also two theatres – History and Dreamtime – providing a cinematic experience. At Tjapukai you can paddle on the lake on complimentary canoes or enjoy a delicious buffet lunch in the lakeside restaurant.