Cairns Geography

Cairns is the gateway to two of the world's greatest natural attractions and World Heritage listed treasures - the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforests.

No matter which direction you go in you will find a lifetime of memorable experiences.

Mountains, beaches, tidal wetlands, freshwater lakes, mudflats, mangrove swamps, bays, rivers, estuaries and rich coastal plains are the features of this tropical region. It is also home to the State's highest mountain, Mt Bartle Frere.

Cairns has a long, narrow coastal strip edged between the Coral Sea and the Great Dividing Range. It extends from Ellis Beach in the north to the Johnstone Shire Boundary in the south. Cairns City Council covers more than 1670 sqkm.