{"id":5501,"date":"2025-05-14T01:44:10","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T01:44:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/?p=5501"},"modified":"2025-05-14T01:44:12","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T01:44:12","slug":"how-to-spend-a-weekend-in-cairns-with-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel\/how-to-spend-a-weekend-in-cairns-with-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Spend a Weekend in Cairns With Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For a getaway that involves balmy weather, Heritage-listed natural wonders and experiences your kids will never forget, it\u2019s hard to go past Cairns<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Split your time between swimming in tranquil (and warm!) waters, exploring coral reefs and wandering through ancient rainforest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s when you\u2019re not dining on tropical delights in family-friendly restaurants and having incredible adventures, like white-water tubing, meeting crocodiles, and visiting an aquarium after dark. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s your guide to where to go and what to do with the kids in Cairns. Whether you\u2019re there for a couple of weeks or a couple of months, you won\u2019t run out of ideas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cairns<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

WHERE TO SWIM WITH KIDS IN CAIRNS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As soon as you arrive in Cairns \u2014 and into the sublime tropical weather \u2014 you\u2019ll have one question on your mind: where do we swim?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re travelling with kids, take your first dip at the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon. This human-made slice of paradise gives you 4,800 square metres of saltwater to play in, complete with sandy beaches, wooden decks and fish sculpture. It\u2019s free to enter and you don\u2019t have to worry about meeting crocodiles or stingers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other great spots for swimming in and around Cairns with kids include Sugarworld Adventure Park (where you\u2019ll find slides, fountains, water jets and more), Trinity Beach (where there\u2019s a playground, barbecues and an esplanade perfect for cycling) and Kewarra Beach (where you can escape the holiday crowds). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

WHERE TO EAT WITH KIDS IN CAIRNS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 After all that swimming, the kids will have a serious appetite. Luckily, Cairns has plenty of family-friendly eateries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start your day with coffee at Wharf One. You\u2019ll be treated to fabulous water views while the kids keep themselves busy at the playground opposite. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Come lunch, jump in the car and head to St Crispin\u2019s for more views \u2014 this time over the Daintree, foregrounded by a private lagoon. You\u2019ll be feasting on prawn and saffron risotto; the kids will be fishing and spotting baby crocodiles from the shady deck. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At dinner, you\u2019re spoilt for choice. Restaurants with dedicated kids\u2019 areas include Trinity Beach Sports Club, Red Beret Hotel and Yorkeys Knob Boatclub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mossman<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

WHAT TO DO WITH KIDS IN CAIRNS <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since you\u2019ve travelled all the way to Cairns, you won\u2019t want to miss the Great Barrier Reef. A day tour is a great place to start \u2014 and there\u2019s a bunch of family-friendly companies to choose from, including Passions of Paradise and Sunlover Reef Cruises. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other natural wonder you shouldn\u2019t miss is the Daintree Rainforest. The kids will love wandering among waterfalls and mahogany trees along the Dreamtime Walk, which leaves from the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre. To see more of the rainforest, jump aboard a ferry to Cow Bay, where you\u2019ll find the Daintree Discovery Centre and a spectacular beach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other more unusual adventures on offer in and around Cairns include white water tubing on the Mulgrave River, coming face-to-face with a crocodile on a Hartley\u2019s Crocodile Adventure and taking an after-hours tour of Cairns Aquarium. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

GETTING TO CAIRNS <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cairns, located in Far North Queensland, is a 27-hour drive north of Sydney<\/a> and a 19-hour drive north of Brisbane<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unless you\u2019re hoping to take the road trip of a lifetime \u2013 making Cairns the end destination \u2013 it could be a good idea to fly to Cairns Airport<\/a>. It\u2019s just three hours by air from Sydney and 90 minutes from Cairns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SIXT has a branch onsite, so you can land, pick up your luggage, and jump into a car hire straight away. There\u2019s a variety of rental vehicles available \u2013 from smooth-driving SUVs to budget-friendly sedans. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For a getaway that involves balmy weather, Heritage-listed natural wonders and experiences your kids will never forget, it\u2019s hard to go past Cairns. Split your time between swimming in tranquil (and warm!) waters, exploring coral reefs and wandering through ancient rainforest. That\u2019s when you\u2019re not dining on tropical delights in family-friendly restaurants and having incredible…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":108,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[94,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-5501","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-travel","7":"tag-cairns","8":"tag-queensland","9":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nHow To Spend a Weekend in Cairns With Kids - SIXT Magazine Australia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In between exploring the Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest, go white-water tubing, meet crocodiles, and visit an aquarium after dark.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel\/how-to-spend-a-weekend-in-cairns-with-kids\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How To Spend a Weekend in Cairns With Kids - 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