By train
Cairns Station is right in the city centre, easily within walking distance of the waterfront and most hotels.
Queensland Railways (http://www.qr.com.au) Tilt train and The Sunlander services connect Cairns to Brisbane via Townsville and Rockhampton, taking 32 hr for the full journey. Even though the Tilt Train reaches speeds of 160km/h between Townsville and Brisbane, the diesel Tilt Train running between Brisbane and Cairns runs at a maximum of 80km/h between Townsville and Cairns due to the poor alignment of the line. Although a trip between Townsville and Cairns takes 4 hours by car, it can take over 7 hr by train.The Tilt Train departs Cairns for Brisbane at 9:15AM on Wednesdays and Sundays, arriving at Townsville at 3:15PM and Brisbane at 9:10AM the next day.The Sunlander departs Cairns for Brisbane at 9:15AM on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, arriving at Townsville at 4:10PM and Brisbane at 3:55PM the next day.
The Kuranda Scenic Railway (http://www.kurandascenicr...), also operated by Queensland Rail (http://www.qr.com.au), runs from Cairns to Kuranda, stopping over the majestic Barron Gorge to allow passengers to leave the train and enjoy the beautiful view over the water.Trains depart Cairns at 8:30AM and 9:30AM daily arriving at Kuranda at 10:15AM and 11:15AM.
The Savannahlander (http://www.savannahlander...) also travels from Cairns to Kuranda but then continues on to the outback town of Forsayth. It leaves Cairns at 6:30AM every Wednesday with a compulsory overnight stop at Almaden with transfers available to Chillagoe, before arriving at Forsayth Station at 5:45PM on Thursday. The Savannahlander does not run between December and March.
By car
The 1,700 km Bruce Highway running south along the coast connects Cairns to the state capital of Brisbane. It takes 22 hr to drive without stopping, and you should allow at least 2-3 days of solid driving, or longer for a more relaxed pace of drive up the coast. There are regular towns along the coast which make good stopping off and sightseeing points.
By plane
Cairns International Airport (http://www.cairnsairport.com/) IATA: CNS, ICAO: YBCS is the primary international gateway into the region and is also served by many domestic flights. Cairns airport has two terminals; a domestic terminal and an international terminal, both within walking distance from each other.
The international airlines serving Cairns are:
Jetstar (http://www.jetstar.com/) from Tokyo-Narita, Osaka-Kansai effective April 2010, and Singapore; codeshares with their parent carrier, Qantas (http://www.qantas.com.au/).
Air Niugini (http://www.airniugini.com.pg/) flying from Port Moresby.
Air New Zealand (http://www.airnewzealand....) flying from Auckland.
Cathay Pacific (http://www.cathaypacific.com) from Hong Kong 4 times a week.
Airlines PNG (http://www.apng.com/) flying from Port Moresby, Tabuil and Mt Hagen.
United Airlines flying from Guam.
Airfast Indonesia flying from Timika.
The domestic airlines serving Cairns are:
Qantas flying from Horn Island, Weipa, Gove/Nhulunbuy, Alice Springs, Yulara Uluru, Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.
Virgin Australia (http://www.virginaustrali...) flying from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Jetstar flying from Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Darwin, Perth, the Gold Coast, and Brisbane.
Tiger Airways (http://www.tigerairways.com/) from Melbourne
SkyTrans (http://www.skytrans.com.au/) flying from regional Queensland including Townsville and Mount Isa.
The hourly-or-so Airport Shuttle (http://www.australiacoach.com/) bus into town costs $7, while a taxi will do the same trip directly to your destination for around $15.