Cairns Australia is a booming city of Northern Queensland. There are many wonderful attractions. Cairns Australia is the departure point for most cruises to the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef in the world. Hence, there are many cruise boats, catamarans and yatchs heading from here to the Great Barrier Reef every day. Cairns Australia is packed with many activities for the visitors to do. They can choose to do diving, snorkelling, cruising, white-water rafting, skydiving, fishing, bird watching and hot air ballooning.

Along the northeast coast of Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef stretches more than 2,300km, from Bundaberg in the south to the tip of Cape Town in the north. It is the largest natural feature on earth, made up by live organisms. Billions of tiny creatures known as coral polyps have formed the reef for more than 600 years. There are many tours to the Great Barrier Reef including day cruises, sailing trips and island stays.

One of the most popular spots, Cairns Esplanade Lagoon, is fabulous for swimming. This saltwater swimming lagoon is free to the public. The 3-km boardwalk promenade, northwest of the lagoon, is popular with strollers and joggers. Cairns Australia’s foreshore has fine spots for picnics and barbecues, as well as a playground for children.

If you want to experience some greenery, you can visit the Flecker Botanic Gardens. It has plenty of tropical plants with a comprehensive collection of over 100 species of palm trees. The rainforest, with native birdlife, is a wonderful natural attraction. A boardwalk leads from the botanic gardens to the Century Lakes. There is a freshwater lake and a saltwater lake. Both lakes provide areas for picnics and children’s play. The Century Lakes were created in 1976 to commemorate the city’s first 100 years.

For visitors who are interested to visit museums and art centres, there are the Cairns Museum, Tanks Arts Centre, Cairns Regional Gallery and Tjapukai Cultural Park. The Cairns Museum reflects the city’s early architecture. The museum has exhibits showing the beginnings and development of the region. The information it provides includes the Palmer River and Hodgkinson River goldfields, contents of a Chinese temple and the construction of the Cairns-Kuranda railway.

The Tanks Arts Centre showcases local artists’ art pieces and performance arts. Housed in a beautiful heritage building, the Cairns Regional Gallery holds exhibitions on both local and indigenous works. A shop located in the gallery sells handicraft goods such as jewellery, ceramics and glassware.

The Tjapukai Cultural Park has a Creation Theatre, a Dance Theatre and gallery. It is an indigenous-owned park, providing a range of educational performances on Aboriginal culture. The activities held here certainly offer visitors an insight to this interesting culture. There are boomerang and spear throwing demonstrations in an Aboriginal camp set-up.

In Cairns Australia, there is a mini zoo, Cairns Wildlife Dome. This mini zoo is perched in the glass atrium on the top of Reef Casino. In the zoo, visitors can see free-flying birds, koalas, wallabies, lizards and crocodiles in a rainforest atmosphere.

From the above, you can see that there is a wide variety of attractions in Cairns Australia.  Visitors can be involved in various kinds of activities. Based on individual needs, visitors can spent their time doing the activities they like here. Furthermore, there is the world-acclaimed attraction, the Great Barrier Reef, which you can visit through an organised tour departing from here. Visit Cairns Australia today, a rewarding experience awaits you.

Copyright: Rose Mary

Flights to Hobart Tasmania : Here is the answer. Port Arthur is Tasmania’s most popular attraction. It is one of Australia’s most significant heritage sites with more than thirty buildings, ruins and restored homes. Port Arthur is located about 60km south east of Hobart, the capital of Tasmania. This place was first established as a timber station and a prison settlement. The prison was in operation until 1877. Later, the ruins were restored through a conservation program. Port Arthur’s main highlights include the Penitentiary, Commandant’s House, Church, Government Cottage, Trentham Cottage, Hospital and Asylum.

The Penitentiary was originally a flour mill, which was later converted to into a penitentiary, housing near to 500 prisoners in dormitories and cell. The building was gutted by fire in 1897, but had undergone a conservation program which started in1960s.

The Commandant’s House is one of the first houses at Port Arthur. It started as a simple wooden cottage. After the close of the convict period in 1877, the building became a hotel and later a guest house which operated until 1930s. This cottage was restored and furnished in early 19th century style. This beautiful cottage was separated from the rest of the settlement by some high masonry walls.

The Port Arthur’s Church was built in 1836 and used by all denominations. It could accommodate a prison population of about 1,000. The building was once gutted by fire, but the ruins had been fully preserved through several conservation efforts. The Government Cottage was formerly used by visiting dignitaries and government officials. The Trentham Cottage was decorated with the early 19th century furnishings.

Completed in 1942, the Hospital was built with only four wards, having 18 beds in each ward. It also has a kitchen, baking room, laundry and morgue. The hospital was burnt in two fires. Today, the remains of sandstone building is a piece of architectural piece.

Another place to visit is the Port Arthur’s Asylum. Previously it housed more than 100 mentally ill patients. However, when the settlement was closed, it was converted to be the town hall. Currently, it is used as a museum and café.

Today, Port Arthur remains one of Australia’s most significant heritage sites.  If visiting a heritage site is you passion, then you will appreciate Port Arthur.
 
Copyright : Rose Mary

Brisbane Australia : Brisbane Australia is the capital of Queensland and is the third largest city of Australia. With its scenic beauty, friendly atmosphere and fine temperate climate, Brisbane Australia draws many tourists both from Australia and around the world. Brisbane Australia is known to be a cosmopolitan place with superb food and a vibrant, lively arts scene. In Brisbane the city, although there are modern high-rise buildings with steel structures and glass components, you can still find traditional wooden cottages as well as historical buildings. Due to the city’s beginning as a port, most of the historic buildings are found near the river. Brisbane Australia has some world-class galleries, museums, theatres and art centres. Besides lovely gardens and parks, there are also plenty of open-air spaces for eating and drinking. Tables and chairs are commonly seen spilling onto the sidewalks. Some fine restaurants and classy cafes are located here too.

Some of the popular parks and gardens tourists love to visit are the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Brisbane City Botanic Gardens and Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. The Brisbane Botanic Gardens is located at the foothills of Mount Coot-tha Forest Park, which is about 8km from the city centre. The Botanic Gardens has more than 20,000 specimens from 5,000 species of herbs, shrubs and trees. Popular attractions include a Japanese Garden, a Tropical Display Dome, a Lagoon and Bamboo Grove, Fern House, National Freedom Wall and eucalypt groves. The Aboriginal name of Mount Coot-tha Forest Park means “place of wild honey”. This name is given to it because of the tiny bees found in the area. The park has remarkable views of the surroundings and it offers good walking trails and wonderful picnic areas for strollers and picnickers.

The Brisbane City Botanic Gardens is the second oldest botanic gardens in Brisbane Australia. It consists of a mass of green lawn towering Moreton Bay figs, bunya pines, macadamia trees, etc. The garden provides paths for strollers, joggers and cyclists. Many water birds love to settle at the lakes of the gardens. If you are looking for a tranquil refuge from the bustling activities of the city, this place will be able to provide a wonderful spot to meet your need.

The Lone Pine Sanctuary is the oldest Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane Australia and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Brisbane Australia. It has more than 100 koalas, as well as kangaroos, emus, possums, dingoes, wombats, etc. Besides, there are Australian birds as well.

Brisbane Australia has a lively arts scene and this is reflected by the existence of some fantastic museums, art galleries and art centres in the city. Queensland Cultural Centre is regarded as the hub of Brisbane’s arts scene. It comprises the Queensland Art Gallery, Queensland Museum, Queensland Performing Arts Centre and State Library of Queensland. The Queensland Art Gallery has a fine collection of European art and Asian art. Besides this collection, it also has art pieces on Australian art as well as Aboriginal art. The Queensland Museum is a natural history museum, which is filled with full-scale exhibits. The exhibits include various mega fauna and endangered species. The Queensland Performing Arts Centre has a main concert hall and three theatres. The centre holds well-acclaimed operas, classical music as well as theatrical productions. The Queensland Maritime Museum displays relics from early shipwrecks as well as shipbuilders’ models. Read the rest of this entry »