Cairns is small enough to comfortably walk around. Most of the action
is centred around the waterfront and the CDB area which encompasses
a total of about 10 city blocks. People are friendly and happy to
point you in the right direction. Quality maps are freely available
from all hotels, in taxis and on buses. Cairns is a safe city however
it is recommended that some care be taken after dark by avoiding
poorly lit areas away from the main areas of activity.
Cairns
has a reasonably good public transport systems consisting mainly
of buses. These distinctive blue buses or Sun Buses offer frequent
services covering most areas. Fares are proportional to the distance
of your journey. At night and on weekends they are less frequent
and it pays to check a timetable rather than just turning up at
a bus stop and hoping for the best. In the heart of Cairns there
is a transit terminal where all Sun Buses start their journey. It
is easy to find and anyone will point you in the right direction.
The
local taxi company is called Black and White Taxis. They offer a
good service, available 24 hours per day. Waiting times are generally
only a few minutes and all fares are metered. It is perfectly normal
to wave a taxi down from the side of the road. There are also taxi
ranks located throughout the City. If you are planning to use a
taxi to get to the airport it is a good idea to prebook to avoid
any last minute delays.
There
is an airport shuttle bus service called "The Airporter. This is
a good, reliable service that stops at all accommodation houses
in Cairns offering scheduled departures to both the domestic and
international terminals. The fare is about $7 each way.
All
day tours will pick you up from your hotel and drop you off at the
end of your tour. Many hotels have a courtesy shuttle bus which
takes their guests to and from the CBD area.
All
other forms of travel are available in Cairns including push bike
hire, limousines, horse and cart, mopeds and motor bikes.
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