We stayed at the Trendwest resort condos in Cairns. They were 4 star, as usual, and very well kept and clean. The pools and gardens were magnificent! Also, they are located very near to the town and activities. We rented a car, which was really important so that we could explore and come and go at our own leisure.
We arrived in the Australian winter (July) so there was not a huge amount of tourist traffic, etc. In fact, this made it much more tolerable for us. Keep in mind that this is a tropical rainforest climate, so the weather was very pleasant even though it was winter there. (in the 70's, etc.).
Must sees are the downtown beach area where most of the bathing beauties are sunning, and the train ride up to and the cable car ride down from the rainforest mountains. The views are unimaginable! We took an excursion to many local attractions with a guide that was unforgettable. Well worth the expense! Also, visit the night zoo and be sure to see the opal mine... more