145 km north of Townsville. One hundred and twenty years ago there was nothing else to do here but fish for sea slugs. Now Cairns is a fast-booming resort with an international airport, and the main activity is fishing for tourists. The tourist boom didn’t hit Cairns until comparatively late, at the end of the 1960s, but it’s gone on ever since and shows no sign of abating – with a Hilton, Sheraton and Ramada Inn now all in place.

Cairns (or ‘Cans’ as the locals call it) is best visited between May and October. The rest of the year it’s like a steam bath. The main attractions are the nearby reef, the tropical islands, the Cape York Peninsula and big game fishing. The latter came to worldwide notice when Lee Marvin visited several years back, and since then it has been attracting the modern Hemingway generation. The tuna, marlin and barracuda are as fine as you’ll find anywhere. Though relaxing at the manmade Lagoon and visiting the many bars and restaurants that have sprung up over recent years isn’t a bad way to spend your time either.

Cairns is a large city, though the town centre is rather small. It has a population of nearly 150,000, which increases significantly when all the backpackers turn up in the winter for the cool season. There are loads of travel agencies dotted around the centre offering sky diving, snorkelling, barrier reef tours, day trips out to nearby islands and there are some great deals to be picked up. It’s also a great place to learn how to dive. Five-day courses take you out to the reef, and at the end you get a certificate. The cost? Around A$450 – except when there’s a price war on, then you can sometimes pick up amazing bargains. Try Down Under Dive (www.downunderdive.com.au/divecourses; reservations@downunderdive.com.au) (tel. +61 7 4052 8307).

Surprisingly, you have to travel 10 km or so north to the resorts at Palm Cove and Yorkey’s Knob for any decent beaches. However they realised this tourist weakness and built a 4800sq m saltwater Lagoon on the Esplanade. Its shallow waters mean it’s great for young children and reaches no more than 6 foot at its deepest. Lifeguards are on duty and there are showering and toilet facilities open daily until 9 pm.

For stunning snorkelling, you can always try a day trip to Fitzroy Island, 25 km down the coast, where you’ll find coral reef just off the main beach. Green Island is the same distance north, but much smaller (only 600 m long). Both islands have woodlands, but they’re also popular and can get crowded at high-season weekends. There are loads of travel shops in the town centre that will compete for your business, so shop around and play them off one another for the best deal. Inland, the terrain rises steeply to the Atherton Tableland, which is mostly above 900 m and refreshingly cooler than the coast. The main attraction here is the small mountain town of Kuranda, some 30 km north-west of Cairns. It can also be reached by a picturesque railway, which winds up through the rolling hills. Once upon a time Kuranda was a lovely spot – now it’s a tourist Mecca, complete with market selling souvenirs (not even tacky enough to be interesting).

The rest of the highlands have some stunning scenery, with waterfalls, lakes, forests and even a volcanic crater. This was all untamed jungle until as recently as the gold rush of the 1870s.

For food there are cheap food halls where a selection of international cuisines are on offer, or head down to the Esplanade where all the restaurants are. Front facing to the ocean you’ll be spoiled for choice, it’s not cheap, a meal for one will cost anywhere between $20-50. There is quite the nightlife too. In the winter months there are night markets selling tourist fare and offering cheap Thai massages, skip these they aren’t worth the cost.

As for drinking, the Woolshed (www.thewoolshed.com.au) and Gilligans (www.gilligans.com.au) are strictly backpacker venues, cheap food and drinks, always busy and good fun. Along the pier and near the Lagoon you’ll find The Pier Bar and Grill (www.pierbar.com.au), which serves great wood-fired pizzas and is better suited to people not looking to get stonking drunk. There is also the huge Reef Hotel Casino (www.reefcasino.com.au), which has a reasonably priced bar, make sure to wear closed toed shoes in here though otherwise they’ll turn you away.