We arrived in Cairns in the early morning, around 5:00 a.m. After going through immigration, picking up our luggage, and clearing customs and quarantine, we stepped outside the airport and were greeted by the pleasant tropical morning air.
It takes about 10 to 15 minutes by car from the airport to the city center. It was still just after dawn, but mornings in Cairns start early. People were heading toward the harbor, jogging along the Esplanade, and strolling with coffee in hand. I was a little surprised to find that it wasn’t just the travelers arriving on overnight flights who were up early—the city itself was already awake.
By the way, Cairns Airport isn’t the kind of airport where public buses and the like stop right in front of the terminal. It’s common to take a taxi, use a ride-sharing service, or take an airport shuttle that requires advance booking. Unlike airports in major cities, which are often located far out in the suburbs, Cairns City is just a short drive from the airport.
The first place I headed to was the hotel where I planned to stay. Since most hotels will hold your luggage until check-in, it’s best to go there first, drop off your bags, and travel light. It makes things easier if you set aside a separate bag for sightseeing in advance. I always pack everything I need for exploring the city into a backpack and store it in the most accessible part of my suitcase. Of course, it’s also fine to just use your carry-on bag as is for exploring the city.
To recover from the fatigue of the flight and satisfy our hunger, we dropped off our luggage and then had breakfast at “Wharf ONE Cafe” near the marina. This waterfront cafe overlooks Trinity Inlet and opens at 7:00 a.m. We arrived in Cairns early in the morning, dropped off our luggage, and had breakfast at a seaside cafe. It’s the perfect way to start the day and shake off the fatigue from the flight.
Wharf ONE Cafe is an open-air cafe located near the marina. The menu features dishes typical of Australian cafes. Just looking at the menu is enough to whet your appetite. I chose the “Brekky Burger.” “Brekky” is a casual way of saying “breakfast,” and it’s a term you often see on local café menus. It looks like a hamburger, but it’s actually a dish featuring bacon, a fried egg, spinach, and hollandaise sauce, served with hash browns and Bloody Mary sauce on the side.
The menu also features a wide variety of other items, such as the avocado toast “The ‘Avo’” and “Chilli Scramble.” “The’Avo’” is a dish featuring mashed, locally sourced avocado atop toasted ciabatta, combined with Persian-style feta, toasted seeds, balsamic glaze, and pickled red onions. “Chilli Scramble” consists of scrambled eggs mixed with Persian-style feta, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, and chili jam, served with toasted ciabatta.
As you look through the menu, you’ll also notice the gluten-free labels. Many cafes and restaurants in Cairns offer gluten-free options. If you see “GF” at the edge of the menu, it means gluten-free; “V” stands for vegetarian; “VG” for vegan; and “DF” for dairy-free.
Depending on the restaurant, you may see labels ending with an “O,” such as “GFO” or “VGO.” These are often used to indicate “Gluten-Free Option” or “Vegan Option”—meaning the restaurant can accommodate your request if you specify it when ordering. These labels are helpful not only for people with allergies or dietary restrictions but also for anyone choosing what to eat while traveling. However, the way these labels are used can vary slightly from restaurant to restaurant. If you require strict allergy accommodations, it’s safer to confirm with the staff when ordering rather than relying solely on the symbols on the menu.
Even the names of the coffee drinks have an Australian flair. The menu features items such as flat whites, lattes, cappuccinos, long blacks, piccolos, espressos, and mochas. Since Australia is a country with a deep-rooted coffee culture, in cafes, rather than simply ordering “coffee,” it’s more common to choose a specific type of drink.
If you want a black coffee, a “Long Black” is the easiest choice. It’s made by diluting espresso with hot water and is similar to an Americano. A “Short Black” is what’s commonly known as an espresso. It’s a strong cup served in a small cup.
If you want to try a quintessentially Australian drink, I recommend a flat white. It’s made by combining espresso with steamed milk and topped with a thin layer of foam. It has less foam than a latte, so you can really taste the coffee. A piccolo is a small milk coffee made by combining espresso with a small amount of milk.
One thing to keep in mind is iced coffee. In Japan, when people hear “iced coffee,” many think of cold black coffee. However, “Iced Coffee” often refers to a combination of espresso, milk, and ice cream. If you want cold black coffee, order an “Iced Long Black.”
After breakfast, it was finally time to explore Cairns City. Downtown Cairns isn’t a big area. Hotels, the waterfront, supermarkets, souvenir shops, cafes, and restaurants are all compactly clustered within walking distance. The city center features a grid-like street layout, with each block taking about 2 minutes to walk vertically and about 3 minutes horizontally. After walking one or two blocks, you’ll get a good sense of the city’s size.
An esplanade stretches along the waterfront. The marina, hotels, restaurants, and shopping areas are all within walking distance. Even if it’s your first time here, using the waterfront and the marina as landmarks makes it easy to figure out where you are.
The waterfront in Cairns City is a little different from what you might call a “white-sand beach.” When you think of a tropical seaside, you probably imagine a sandy beach where you can swim right away, but the coastline in the city center has more of a tidal flat-like appearance. Instead, the city has the Esplanade Lagoon, where both locals and tourists spend time by the water.
The area around the marina is also easy to walk around. Tour boats are lined up along the waterfront, making it the gateway for people heading to destinations like the Great Barrier Reef. If you plan to go on a reef tour the next day or later, it’s a good idea to check the location of the “Reef Fleet Terminal.” Reef tours depart early in the morning, so it’s less stressful to know where it is ahead of time.
June in Cairns falls during the dry season. There’s none of the muggy heat typical of midsummer; instead, the climate is dry and crisp. Mornings are relatively comfortable for walking. You might even feel a bit of a chill when you step into the shade. However, as the sun rises, the sunlight grows noticeably stronger. While temperatures don’t get too high, the sunshine is distinctly tropical. I recommend bringing a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. While locals don’t tend to use umbrellas for light rain, travelers often spend longer periods walking around town. It’s a good idea to carry a folding umbrella—it can serve as a sunshade to block the strong sunlight and also protect you from sudden showers.
The city is clean. Trash cans are located everywhere. In addition, Queensland is moving forward with regulations on single-use plastic products. It is a state that has implemented restrictions on plastic bags—commonly known as shopping bags—and other single-use plastic items. There is also a deposit-return program called “Containers for Change” for beverage containers. Under this system, you receive 10 cents per item when you return eligible plastic bottles, cans, and other containers. This is likely why you see so many trash cans and recycling signs throughout the city.
Whenever I travel abroad, I make a point of checking out the local supermarkets. Supermarkets provide a surprising amount of information about a country or city’s cost of living, food culture, and the kinds of items locals typically buy.
While walking around Cairns City, I stopped by a supermarket. It’s much cheaper to buy water and juice in bulk rather than one bottle at a time. The sun is strong in Cairns, so you’ll find yourself drinking more often even while walking around town. It’s more economical to buy everything you’ll need for your walks and for drinking in your room in one go before heading back to the hotel.
At first, the traffic signals might be a little confusing. At many crosswalks in the city, there are pedestrian push buttons. Cross when the light turns green. When the light is flashing red or displays “DON’T WALK” in red, do not start crossing. If the light starts flashing red after you’ve already started crossing, just keep going and cross quickly. Cars drive on the left side of the road, just like in Japan. Japanese cars seem to be very popular here as well.
It’s a good idea to set up your communication options before leaving Japan. A smartphone is essential right from the moment you arrive. You’ll need it for many things, such as calling a ride-sharing service or looking up the locations of stores. I used my mobile carrier’s international roaming service. Some carriers offer discounts if you sign up in advance. It cost me 5,000 yen for five days.
Payments are mostly made by card. Cashless payments are more widespread here than in Japan. I didn’t use cash at all during this trip. Whether at cafes, restaurants, activities, or shops, I could almost always pay by card or with my smartphone’s contactless payment feature. I used both my regular credit card and my Wise card depending on the situation.
You can load your Wise Card with Japanese yen in advance and then exchange it for Australian dollars via the app as needed. This makes it easy to use for people who want to set a budget for their trip. It’s a good idea to bring at least one Visa or Mastercard credit card for peace of mind. Be aware that JCB may not be accepted at some stores.
As evening falls, the atmosphere in Cairns City changes slightly. The intense midday sun subsides, and a pleasant breeze blows along the waterfront. On the Esplanade, people are jogging, taking walks, or sitting on benches gazing out at the ocean, each enjoying their own moment. This is the evening atmosphere of Cairns—distinct from both the quiet of the morning and the bustling tourist vibe of the daytime.
On the first day of an early-morning arrival, it’s best not to push yourself too hard. Even if you managed to sleep on the plane, your body is still recovering from the overnight flight. Rather than forcing yourself to cram in activities to kill time before check-in, start by taking a walk around Cairns City. Have breakfast near the harbor, enjoy a cup of coffee, and take a leisurely stroll along the waterfront and through the city streets. First, let yourself adjust to the city’s rhythm.
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