Insider Guide to Cairns – 6 Tips from Traveller's 'Our Naked Australia'

Explore FNQCairns

Apr 3

Juz and Dave are just your average Melbourne couple who bought a Troopy back in 2012 and hit the road. On the way they created a Blog called 'Our Naked Australia' and have accrued a massive number of people who are keen to follow their experiences about 'going bush Down Under'.

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I was pretty damn excited to see their Troopy parked on the side of the road one day and I had to hit them up for their 'Travellers Tips' on Cairns. Here's what they had to say...

1. So WHY Cairns?

"To be honest, we didn’t have a choice. Not only had we run out of funds to continue our travels down the coast, but on our way south from Cape York the brake booster in our Troopy broke.

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Unfortunately, there weren’t any shops or wreckers in Cooktown with the part we needed, so we had to wait until we got to Cairns to have fully functioning brakes again. Needless to say, the off-road track from Cooktown to Cape Tribulation was a little hairy."

2. WHERE's the Best Coffee?

"The first coffee we ever had in Cairns was at Caffiend and we were so happy that we have been back a few times.

**Caffiend is a must if you love your coffee**

We are also impressed with Smith Street Cafe, which consistently delivers a perfect coffee."

3. Your Favourite FOOD Spots?

"Juz is a massive foodie and she is currently mad for Ganbaranba Noodle Colosseum and Tokyo Dumplings.

**The noodles at Ganbaranba Noodle Coluseum get a BIG thumbs up**

We also enjoyed BaMien Vietnamese Cafe, the craft beers at Green Ant Cantina, and the chicken fajitas at the Red Beret Hotel are awesome."

4. Best LOCAL Escape?

"We love going to Kuranda – the lush rainforest surroundings are beautiful. We did the Kuranda Wildlife Experience which was awesome and the crepes and coffee at Petit Cafe are yum.

Otherwise, Stony Creek is a nice place to cool off, or for the more adventurous - Behana Gorge."

5. Must DO Activity?

"We reckon that no visit to Cairns is complete without a stroll along the Esplanade, perhaps a dip in the lagoon, and a refreshing cocktail at Salthouse.

**Soaking up the rays at the Cairns Lagoon**

If you’re into both adventure and animals, the Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome atop the Reef Casino is a great way to spend the afternoon. Make sure you time your visit to do the Dome Climb at sunset for the best views of Cairns."

6. If money is no object?

"A ticket on the most luxurious reef boat out to the Great Barrier Reef for a day of snorkelling and scuba diving, with a fabulous buffet lunch and bubbly for the trip back to Cairns."