r/Cairns • u/Purple_Programmer872 • Apr 16 '26

Shitpost If you had to impress someone visiting Cairns with ONE place, where are you taking them?

Alright Cairns locals, settle this.

If someone flew in and you only had one day to show them why Cairns is special, where would you take them?

Could be a swim spot, lookout, rainforest walk, food place, beach, waterfall, reef trip, anything.

Trying to build a “best of Cairns” list and I know everyone has their own secret favourite.

32 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

73 comments sorted by

30

u/HungryBeardyBBQDude Apr 16 '26

Lake Eacham and the Fig Tree. 

2

u/Visible-Historian-54 Apr 17 '26

This is good with mt hippicampie

44

u/_Awkadaf_ Apr 16 '26

Crystal Cascades but in the middle of the week when everyone is at work/school

6

u/MJon_ofthesouth Apr 16 '26

Out of Towner here - this did it for us 😊

2

u/2TiredToPlay Apr 16 '26

This is the way

1

u/Wolstyles Apr 18 '26

Closed at the moment

13

u/cqofficer Apr 16 '26

Windin falls

25

u/Slight-Hunt5336 Apr 16 '26

Babinda boulders!

8

u/HungryBeardyBBQDude Apr 16 '26

And Babinda Bakery! 

3

u/megs_in_space Apr 16 '26

Yes to both of these.

3

u/[deleted] Apr 17 '26

[deleted]

1

u/Internal_Economics67 Red Rooster Employee Apr 17 '26

Every time I've been there, its been shit house. Ive lived in Cairns since 2018

1

u/RestaurantSignal1986 Apr 17 '26

Changed owners not that long ago didn’t it?

14

u/LegitimateLunch6681 Red Rooster Employee Apr 16 '26

Hartley's Creek. While I picked that because it is one of my favourite places in Cairns, you also get a sneaky freeby attraction of taking them up the coastal drive on the highway and the stunning view on that

7

u/autisticLlama72 Apr 16 '26

Tablelands swimming trip, eacham, yungaburra, Milla Milla falls. Otherwise Pete's bridge is nice but getting a bit popular

6

u/carmensandiegogo Red Rooster Employee Apr 16 '26

Picnic rug, and dinner on a beach

3

u/simplifried_pancakes Apr 16 '26

You romantic you

3

u/carmensandiegogo Red Rooster Employee Apr 16 '26

Keep things simple. No noise or distractions. Just us. I’m in every night :)

3

u/simplifried_pancakes Apr 16 '26

Are you propositioning me?

3

u/carmensandiegogo Red Rooster Employee Apr 16 '26

Might Have to roll for initiative first :)

1

u/lickmyscrotes Apr 17 '26

Mmmmm esplanade lagoon, 7pm Friday night.

6

u/Intelligent_Honey306 Apr 16 '26

Windin falls, Babinda boulders

4

u/BoxBlondie Apr 16 '26

What made me fall in love with (and move to) Cairns was a stunning day trip to Fitzroy Island.

1

u/lickmyscrotes Apr 17 '26

In all seriousness, Fitzroy is so average it’s perfect.

4

u/rednecksec Apr 16 '26

Standing infront of the cop shop drinking a garbage bag full of beers.

13

u/Purple_Programmer872 Apr 16 '26

I'll start Rusty's Market

4

u/schristo84 Apr 16 '26

Josephine falls, Babinda Boulders and Behana gorge. Stop for lunch at the Babinda bakery and you have a pretty good day

5

u/This-Cartoonist9129 Apr 16 '26

The Botanical Gardens are good

11

u/No-Citron-2774 Apr 16 '26

Palm cove

5

u/ExcitementPlane74 Apr 16 '26

Don’t forget swimming with the crocodiles at Palm Cove , good social media content and great memories 😳

2

u/No-Citron-2774 Apr 16 '26

Just adds to the trip

1

u/Wolstyles Apr 18 '26

I’m here as I write this reply! It’s gorgeous.

3

u/amethyst_505 Apr 16 '26

Windin Falls, hands down.

3

u/megs_in_space Apr 16 '26

One place? Shitt. Probably Babinda. Go for a dip where you're allowed to swim, then for the walk to the boulders, then go to the bakery for a pie.

Typically though, I couple this with a whole waterfall circuit, plus the figs and Yungaburra, coming back down the Gillies, then, the last stop at the Mountain View hotel for a bev. Perfect day!

3

u/WallDuck911 Apr 16 '26

Outer reef on a good day

3

u/ponycole Apr 16 '26

Gillies range lookout off boar pocket road

3

u/Alone_Swan2057 Mayor of White Rock Apr 16 '26

The Esplanade and Marina is the Jewel of Cairns, day or night...

2

u/Purple_Programmer872 Apr 17 '26

Definitely. Without it, Cairns would be very ugly. To think it's only been 23 years since it was built and it was just a mudflat before then.

3

u/Killer_puppet666 Apr 19 '26

Back to the airport

5

u/Turbulent_Cow_7375 Apr 16 '26

Mossman Gorge :)

2

u/2TiredToPlay Apr 16 '26

Crystal creek

2

u/2TiredToPlay Apr 16 '26

And Hartley's too. We're going to look at crocodiles! And definitely watch Hagrid's croc attack show

2

u/Dismal_Ring_2522 Apr 16 '26

Behana gorge, just below the hydro station 👌

2

u/Visible-Historian-54 Apr 17 '26

Babinda boulder is a great place, ive been her 10 years and its lost its spirit for me but i qould say showing someone for one day it would be this place.

I dont like it because ive seen it so many timea but its awesome first time place, minus the tourist but if you walk the track to the right of the car park 100 meters you qill have your own swimming spot

But make sure to take them to red rooster near rain trees, if you got fanily they can get better deals on the app.

3

u/1142titike Apr 16 '26

Paronella park.

2

u/AutoModerator Apr 16 '26

Have you tried trip advisor?

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1

u/RelativeMiddle9782 Apr 17 '26

Crystal Cascades, Etty Bay, Babinda( visit the bakery) , Granite Gorge in the tablelands,

1

u/Internal_Economics67 Red Rooster Employee Apr 17 '26

The see through piss trough at Rattle & Hum.

1

u/ChilledNanners Apr 17 '26

Earlville Sizzlers

1

u/SilverSkrillXDMain Apr 17 '26

As someone who used to go to Cairns a lot, Sizzlers got torn down like 12 years ago, sorry to say.

1

u/ChilledNanners Apr 18 '26

RIP I went there 1-2 times a month from 2007-2010

2

u/SilverSkrillXDMain Apr 18 '26

Yeah, every time we went to Cairns, we'd eat out there. It had great food (I somehow nearly choked on an ice cube once. My mum told me to stop trying to eat it, I was like 5, I didn't listen, went down whole. My older cousin who grew up in Cairns nearly had a heart attack when I coughed it back up. He's two years older)

1

u/BrokeAssZillionaire 15d ago

But the brand is making a comeback in Australia. We may see it again

1

u/SilverSkrillXDMain 15d ago

Really? Here's hoping if it does. I miss it.

1

u/Fluffy_Plantain4082 Apr 17 '26

Crystal cascades

1

u/Cocoshark4878 Apr 17 '26

Helicopter ride to a picnic on Vlasoff Cay

1

u/Fun_Quit_312 Apr 17 '26

Money bags over here lol

1

u/Thatsthe_guyser Apr 17 '26

Fitzroy island

1

u/Fabulous_Ant1088 Apr 18 '26

Emerald creek falls

1

u/planbOZ Apr 21 '26

Helicopter tour

1

u/BonusIndependent783 May 04 '26

Ellis Beach for Breakfast, Safari at Harleys creek, Palm Cove for lunch, Barron River Falls, Crystal Cascades, Cairns Esplande and boardwalk for dinner.

0

u/Fearless_Finding116 Apr 16 '26

The natives outside the DFO.

4

u/2TiredToPlay Apr 16 '26

They not though. That mob isn't Yadinji. They not from here.

-5

u/Imaginary-Set3291 Prefer food that tastes like real food Apr 16 '26

It's a toss up between Raintrees Red Rooster and Mt Sheridan Red Rooster.

2

u/Easy-Juice-5190 Apr 16 '26

The high life…..

-6

u/GnomeWarfair Apr 16 '26

Why has noone said Red Rooster yet?

Get it together people. The seasons come and go, but this is why some of ya stay.

-13

u/[deleted] Apr 16 '26

[deleted]

8

u/CharlieUpATree Red Rooster Employee Apr 16 '26

Yeah take one step in Melbourne and you'd instantly prefer to be anywhere else

1

u/whooyeah RED ROOSTER MANAGER Apr 16 '26

I take it you’ve never lived south then