Cairns is tropical North Queensland's gateway city, the jumping-off point for the Great Barrier Reef and the ancient Daintree Rainforest. It is not a pretty city in the conventional sense — there is no beach in the centre, and the mudflats at low tide will not make the postcards — but it has an energy and ease that grows on you fast.
The Esplanade Lagoon is where locals and backpackers alike cool off, a huge free saltwater pool right on the waterfront. Behind it, the boardwalk runs along the marina where reef boats and fishing charters line up each morning. The city itself is compact and walkable, with most of what you need between the Esplanade and Sheridan Street.
Cairns runs on tourism and does not pretend otherwise. The streets are lined with dive shops, tour operators, and bars competing for the backpacker dollar. But step past the tourist strip and you will find genuinely good food — especially seafood — and a laid-back tropical atmosphere that makes it easy to stay longer than planned. The weekend Rusty's Markets are worth a visit for tropical fruit you have never heard of.
Most visitors use Cairns as a base rather than a destination in itself, and that is a fair approach. Day trips to the reef, the Atherton Tablelands, and Port Douglas to the north are the main draw. But give the city a day or two of its own — the Cairns Art Gallery is surprisingly good, the Cairns Aquarium is one of the best in Australia, and the nightlife scene is livelier than you might expect for a town this size.