cairns botanic gardens
Renowned for its natural attractions, the Cairns region offers fabulous experiences with its World Heritage National Parks and gardens in the city.
cairns botanic garden
Just five minutes drive from downtown Cairns is the Cairns Botanic Gardens and the Mount Whitfield National Park with a number of popular walks and hikes.
The popular Red Arrow and Blue Arrow walks up Mt Whitfield in Edge Hill just off Collins Avenue, see locals running up and down the hill every day of the week. If you hit the area after about 4pm, expect to feel like you’re in rush hour traffic.
However, during the morning and afternoon, visitors can take more relaxing trip up Mt Whitfield and enjoy a bird’s eye view of Cairns from the top.
The Cairns Botanic Gardens defines the entire precinct in Edge Hill, a suburb just north of the city. The area includes the botanic gardens, Mt Whitfield National Park and the Tanks Arts Centre.
The whole area has recently undergone redevelopment with changes to the road and new buildings being built.
There was some controversy over the destruction of a couple of the old water tanks that dot the area however the Cairns Regional Council managed to get most of the changes through.
The new area is more accessible for both visitors and locals alike and includes increased parking and more walking trails.
The Cairns Botanical Gardens were established in 1886 and cover and area of 38ha. Entry is free and the gardens are open from 7.30am‑5.30pm Monday to Friday and from 8.30am-5.30pm on the weekends and public holidays.
About 20 per cent of the plants are labelled and the gardens contain special collections of palms, gingers and aroids.
The style is that of an informal rainforest with an Aboriginal food plant section and a Gondwana Heritage section which includes Wet Tropics flora that can be traced back to about 415 million years ago.
There is a sign-posted trail that visitors can use to see some of the oldest plants on the planet.
The Cairns Botanic Gardens also houses a great café that’s open Monday to Sunday, although like many of the cafes in the Edge Hill shopping precinct, it is very busy on weekend mornings as locals compete with visitors for seating. Other facilities include guided walks and toilets.
other parks & gardens
Other parks in the city include the Sugarworld Gardens and Parkland south of Cairns at Edmonton.
Set in the grounds of the former Hambledon Sugar Mill, these Cairns gardens include the Sugarworld Waterworld – a series of huge slides and pools for kids and kids at heart to cool off in during the summer heat.
Cairns city is dotted with parks, including the fabulous Cairns Esplanade foreshore development that includes a free swimming lagoon, kilometres of boardwalk and walking tracks, Muddy’s Playground - a children’s water playground and activity centre.
Barlow Park is a sporting ground that is home to regional athletics meets and major football games. While open to the public for track training, the ground is generally used by various sporting groups in the city.
If you head north and end up in Cooktown – the town named after Captain Cook who discovered the whole country – check out their recently refurbished botanical gardens.
Even if you can’t get out of the immediate Cairns city, visitors will get a dose of Wet Tropics flora from the many rainforest plantings in and around the city.
