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Cairns is a regional city in Far North
Queensland, Australia. The city itself was named
after William Wellington Cairns (the then Governor
of Queensland). It was formed to serve miners
heading for the Hodgkinson River goldfield, but
experienced a decline when an easier route was
discovered from Port Douglas. It later developed
into a railhead and major port for exporting sugar
cane, gold, metals, minerals and agricultural
products from surrounding coastal areas and the
Atherton Tableland region.
The city is rapidly expanding, with a population of
122,731 at the 2006 census. Tourism is the largest
income producer for the region, followed closely by
the sugar industry.
Cairns is located about 1,700 km (1,056 mi) from
Brisbane, and about 2,420 km (1,504 mi) from Sydney
by road. It is a popular travel destination for
foreign tourists because of its tropical climate and
proximity to many attractions. The Great Barrier
Reef can be reached in less than an hour by boat.
Daintree National Park and Cape Tribulation, about
130 km (81 mi) 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.
The city has used its natural surroundings to its
advantage, with the construction of several small
theme parks for tourists. Among them are
Rainforestation Nature Park, Tjapukai Aboriginal
Cultural Park, and Kuranda Skyrail Rainforest
Cableway, which extends for 7.5 km (4.7 mi) over
World Heritage rainforest.
A notable feature of the Cairns esplanade is a
swimming lagoon with adjoining barbecue areas. In
May 2003, the then Cairns Mayor Kevin Byrne declared
that topless sunbaking is permitted here, as the
area is a gathering point for people from around the
world who may wish to do so. A boardwalk allows
pedestrians and cyclists to move along the foreshore
from the lagoon in a sustainable manner.
Geography
Location of Cairns in Queensland Cairns, view of the
foreshore. The Mulgrave River running through the
Goldsbrough Valley to the south of Gordonvale.
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway over the
rainforest.Cairns is located on the east coast of
Cape York Peninsula on a coastal strip between the
Coral Sea and the Great Dividing Range. The northern
part of the city is located on Trinity Bay and the
city centre is located on Trinity Inlet. Some of the
city's suburbs are located on flood plains. The
Mulgrave River and Barron River flow within the
city's boundary but not through the city itself. The
city centre's foreshore is located on a mud flat.
Urban layout
Cairns is a provincial city, with a linear urban
layout that runs from the south, at Edmonton, to the
north, at Ellis Beach. The city is approximately 52
km (32 mi) from north to south. Cairns has
experienced recent urban sprawl, with suburbs
occupying land previously used for sugar cane
farming.
The Northern Beaches consist of a number of beach
communities extending north along the coast. In
general, each beach suburb is located at the end of
a spur road extending from the Captain Cook Highway.
From south to north, these are Machans Beach,
Holloways Beach, Yorkeys Knob, Trinity Park, Trinity
Beach, Kewarra Beach, Clifton Beach, Palm Cove, and
Ellis Beach.
The suburb of Smithfield is located inland against
the mountains of the Great Dividing Range, between
Yorkeys Knob and Trinity Park. It serves as the main
hub for the Northern Beaches, with a modern shopping
arcade, called Smithfield Shopping Centre.
Located south of Smithfield and inland from the
Northern Beaches along the edge of the Barron River
flood plain are the suburbs of Caravonica,
Kamerunga, Freshwater, and Stratford. This area is
sometimes referred to as Freshwater Valley, though
it is actually the lower part of Redlynch Valley;
further up the valley are the suburbs of Redlynch,
on the western side of Redlynch Valley, and
Brinsmead on the eastern side. Stratford,
Freshwater, and Brinsmead are separated from Cairns
city by Mount Whitfield (elevation 365 m (1,198 ft))
and Whitfield Range. Crystal Cascades and Copperlode
Dam are also located behind this range. This area is
serviced by the Redlynch Central Shopping Centre, a
relatively new shopping centre, located in the fast
growing area of the Redlynch Valley. This shopping
centre is also due to be expanded in the future.
The city centre of Cairns is adjacent to the suburbs
of Cairns North, and Parramatta Park, Bungalow,
Portsmith, and in close proximity to Westcourt,
Manunda, Manoora, Edge Hill, Whitfield, Kanimbla,
Mooroobool, Earlville, Woree and Bayview Heights.
The small suburb of Aeroglen is pressed between
Mount Whitfield and the airport, on the Captain Cook
Highway between Cairns North and Stratford.
Southside Cairns, situated in a narrow area between
Trinity Inlet to the east and Lamb Range to the
west, includes the suburbs of White Rock, Mount
Sheridan, Bentley Park and Edmonton. The townships
of Goldsborough, Little Mulgrave, and Aloomba are in
close proximity to Gordonvale, located on the
Mulgrave River. This area is serviced by the Bruce
Highway, which is to be developed into a motorway
between Woree and Gordonvale to address increasing
traffic congestion.
Nearby localities
Several other small towns and communities within
Cairns' jurisdiction are sparsely located along the
Bruce highway, the furthest being Mirriwinni, 66
kilometres (41.0 mi) south of Cairns city; the
largest of these townships is Babinda, about 60
kilometres (37.3 mi) from Cairns.
The town of Kuranda is located upstream on the
Barron River on the western side of the Macalister
Range, part of the Great Dividing Range. Kuranda is
located in the Tablelands local government area and,
due to the geography of the Macalister Range, is not
part of the Cairns urban area; however, it forms
part of the Cairns economic catchment.
Climate
Cairns experiences a warm tropical climate,
specifically a Tropical monsoon climate (Am) under
the Köppen climate classification.[10] A wet season
with tropical monsoons runs from December to April,
with a relatively dry season from May to November,
though showers are frequent for most of this period.
Mean rainfall of Cairns is 1,992.8 millimetres (78.5
in). The township of Babinda at the southern end of
the city is one of Australia's wettest towns,
recording an annual rainfall of over 4,200
millimetres (165.4 in). It has hot, humid summers
and milder temperatures in winter. Mean temperatures
vary from 25.7 °C (78.3 °F) in July to 31.4 °C (88.5
°F) in January. Monsoonal activity during the wet
season occasionally causes major flooding of the
Barron and Mulgrave Rivers, cutting off road and
rail access to the city.
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