Cairns
History

                         
 Cairns in 1876     
                     


•  Founded in 1876, Cairns has a rich historical past, with its mines, aboriginal heritage, and the various sites of interest which surround the city. It was originally built on a mangrove marsh, surrounded by numerous rivers, and the hills which form the beginning of the mountain range which traverses the rainforest and then heads inland to the Outback in the heart of the country.

•  To the north are Port Douglas, Daintree (see Daintree River), Cape Tribulation, Cooktown, and the Cape York Peninsula.

Rainforest Heritage Some of the tall rainforest trees may live for hundreds of years but it takes 50-60 years for these forest giants to flower and produce seeds.
Once an area is cleared, it could take about 800 years for all the richeness of a rainforest to form again and then only if it has evolved the right strategies to cope with a particular type of disturbance.

Lake Barrine

•  Acrater lake. Aboriginal legends say this lake and Lake Eacham are connected underground. This is not exactlythe case but this lake does feature a 6km walking track around the lake and the "Kauri twins" - two large trees with a girth of more than 6 meters.


Lake Eacham



Barron Gorge

 

•  A splendid National Park featuring a natural History Museum and Animal Sanctuary.
A place to take a picnic and relax.


•  This is an overwheilming sight. take the Grand canyon and Niagara falls and imagine a minaiture version