Reefs and islands just offshore are excellent. Green Island is a well-developed coral cay tourist spot, with good snorkeling and diving and is serviced by several operators. Fitzroy Island is a mainland island with good fringing reefs. The other islands are for day visits only, with Michaelmas being an internationally significant bird rookery.
Trips from Cairns access the Coral Sea, Far Northern reefs and Port Douglas to Lizard Island. Liveaboard trips and day trips are available.
Cairns has two distinct seasons ‘wet’ (summer and autumn) and ‘dry’ (winter and spring).
The ‘wet’ season . This is the time of year Cairns receives most of its annual rainfall and has quite high day time temperatures and humidity. (December – May)
The ‘dry’ season (June – November) has lower day time temperatures, humidity and generally, much less rainfall
Some of our best diving has been experienced during the ‘wet’ season, while the ‘dry’ season offers visitors more comfortable day time temperatures and conditions, and once in a lifetime opportunities to swim and dive with Dwarf Minke Whales
Cairns’ Great Barrier Reef water temperature varies throughout the year, from a comfortable 29 degrees in summer (December – February) to 22 degrees in winter (June – August).
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