Both a scenic way to travel and a popular social alternative, rail travel to Cairns is a real option.

Traveltrain’s Sunlander runs from Brisbane to Cairns with Queenslander class. This premium, all inclusive style of travel features first-class accommodation, fine dining in an exclusive restaurant car, entertainment and local commentary, personalised service, and a host of extra special touches to ensure a memorable journey. Four weekly departures north from Brisbane – Sunday and Thursday to Cairns with Queenslander Class, and four weekly departures south to Brisbane – Tuesday and Saturday from Cairns.

For those who prefer a simpler style of travel, The Sunlander offers single, twin and triple berth sleeping compartments and seats.

The country’s most innovative train, the Tilt Train, has two return services weekly between Brisbane and Cairns. Departs Brisbane Monday and Friday afternoons. Departs Cairns Sunday and Wednesday mornings.

For further information visit the Cairns and Tropical North Queensland's official Regional Tourism website at www.tropicalaustralia.com.au.

Cairns’ seaport is the closest port to the Great Barrier Reef and is located on Trinity Inlet. It is a multi-purpose regional port which caters for a diverse range of industries including agriculture, mining and tourism.

Cairns Marina is a safe and modern floating marina with 214 berths surrounded by the Marlin Wharf and Sailfish Quay which doubles as a wave barrier. The marina berths can accommodate a variety of vessels up to 70 metres in length.

In respect of the cruise/tourism trade, Cairns is the country’s busiest cruise port and Queensland’s busiest commercial port with around 26 scheduled services each day to the Great Barrier Reef and islands off Cairns. It is a picturesque port, with passenger terminals and marina facilities located virtually in the central business district.

All travellers, except New Zealand citizens, will need a valid visa or electronic travel authority to enter Australia. For event organisers, information on how best to deal with visa issues is now quickly and easily available through the International Event Coordinator Network (IECN), part of Australia’s Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs.

The IECN is a designated group of experienced immigration employees who provide advice and support on visa issues to event organisers, as well as acting as a conduit of information between event organisers and the Australian visa offices overseas who will then process visa applications for intending participants.

To assist event organisers from the earliest stage of the event planning process, an Information Kit for Organisers of International Events to be held in Australia, is available from the IECN Coordinator in Canberra. To contact an IECN coordinator, or for more information on visas, visit www.immi.gov.au

You can claim a refund of the goods and services tax (GST) and wine equalisation tax (WET) that you pay on goods you buy in Australia. The refund only applies to goods you take with you as hand luggage or wear on to the aircraft or ship when you leave the country (the goods can be used in Australia before departure).

To qualify for the TRS, you must:

• Spend $300 or more in the one store and receive a single tax invoice;
• Purchase goods no more than 30 days prior to departure;
• Wear or carry the goods on board and present them along with your tax invoice, passport and boarding pass to a TRS facility.
• Claims are only available up to 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure of your flight. For information on duty free and customs clearing of goods imported into Australia, visit www.customs.gov.au

These are not required in Australia – this includes taxis – however you are welcome to do so if you wish to express satisfaction with service received.

Cairns has a public bus system, Sunbus, servicing the city, suburbs and beaches which extends to Palm Cove. Taxis are readily available in Cairns and Port Douglas. A taxi from the Cairns airport to the city costs approx AUD$18.

Casual, tropical attire is usually the order of the day here, with comfort a key option. Event managers will include briefings on what to wear and pack for different events and activities. Including a light jacket for evenings is usually recommended.

Internet, email, telephone and postal services are readily available throughout Australia. Most regions have very good mobile phone reception and you can either hire a mobile phone on arrival or bring your own with you. Contact your telecommunications supplier for the best option during your visit. Delegates visiting Cairns can access Telstra Mobile Broadband which provides mobile access to the Internet at broadband speeds. Average data speeds are 300-600 kilobytes per second (KBps), bursting to a maximum of 2.4 megabytes per second (MBps). Access is available via a laptop computer fi tted with a compatible PC card, or by a hand-held pocket computer.

Cairns has a public bus system, Sunbus, servicing the city, suburbs and beaches which extends to Palm Cove. Taxis are readily available in Cairns and Port Douglas. A taxi from the Cairns airport to the city costs approx AUD$18.

Cairns and the Tropical North Queensland region operates on Eastern Standard Time (EST). This can be calculated by adding 10 hours to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

A Great Climate : Summer all year round

Cairns boasts a superb tropical climate, with really only two distinct seasons. ‘Winter’ begins in May and runs through to November. It is the dry season – usually a time of idyllic weather with sunshine, low humidity, little rain and fresh breezes. ‘Summer’ extends from December to April.

Temperatures in Cairns are recorded in Celsius. The average maximum temperature is 31.4˚C (or 88.5˚F) and the average minimum temperature is 17.0˚C (or 62.6˚F). Cairns has an annual average rainfall of 2010mm (or 62 inches). The ocean temperature varies from a high of 28.7˚C (or 83.6˚F) in February to a pleasant low of 23.2˚C (or 73.7˚F) in July.

This helpful chart details our marvellous weather: