TNQ Writer
It’s that time of year again! School’s out and kids all over the country are begging to get out and explore. From wildlife to waterslides and everything in between, this is your ultimate guide to the school holidays near Cairns.
Spend Easter in the studio at Cairns Art Gallery
Cairns Art Gallery
What better way to spend the holidays than getting creative at the Cairns Art Gallery? If you’ve got a little Picasso on your hands, why not give them someone to aspire to at one of the gallery’s Artist or Exhibition Talks. Featuring special guests from the art world, get the inside scoop on what it’s like being an artist or dive deeper into featured art exhibits. Once you’ve heard from the pros, roll your sleeves up and have a go yourself by attending one of the gallery’s art classes. Whether you’re a total beginner or a seasoned pro, these classes are perfect for all experience levels and will have you exploring different mediums and techniques to unleash your inner Van Gogh.
Head to local libraries for the Easter Holiday program
Enjoy art and more at your local library
If the kids are looking for something a little different to do during the school holidays, look no further than your local library. The Cairns Libraries school holiday program offers a range of activities for kids of all ages and interests, from street dance workshops to cardboard construction classes.
Hunt down the best playgrounds
Say hello to Muddy the Mudskipper (and head to the cafe while the kids play)
When it comes to playgrounds, Cairns has got you covered. Located right on the Esplanade, Muddy’s playground is easily one of Cairns’ most popular playgrounds for kids and parents alike (thanks to its brilliant cafe). But don’t limit yourself to this brightly-coloured mudskipper, head towards the southern end of the Esplanade for the Fig Tree, an aptly named playground wrapped around a large fig tree. For something a little different, head to Centenary Lakes Nature Playground. Here you’ll find climbing frames, sandpits, a water pump, turtles and more.
Join the Rainforestation Pamagirri Mini Mob
Pamagirri Dancers
Pamagirri Dancers
Pamagirri Didgeridoo lesson
Pamagirri Didgeridoo lesson
The Pamagirri Dancers entertaining guests at Rainforestation Nature Park in Kuranda
The Pamagirri Dancers entertaining guests at Rainforestation Nature Park in Kuranda
Get the kids together and join a Pamagirri Guide on the Mini Mob experience. Master the boomerang, discover the secrets of the didgeridoo and go on a Rainforest Walkabout to learn about traditional food, plants and tools. Top it all off with the Pamagirri Dance Show at 12pm then explore the rest of Rainforestation.
Dive into underwater adventures with Scuba Kids
Learn to dive with Divers Den Scuba Kids program
Fulfil the dreams of all the water-babies out there with the Divers Den Scuba Kids program. After a quick training session on land, they’ll be fitted with all the necessary scuba gear and head for the dive pool for a range of underwater activities. With photographers on site to capture the moment, this is an experience they’ll never forget.
Explore the rainforest and visit a Spanish castle
The Tunnel of Love at Paronella Park
The Tunnel of Love at Paronella Park
Elevated Walkways at Mamu Tropical Skywalk
Elevated Walkways at Mamu Tropical Skywalk
Paronella Park castle
Paronella Park castle
Mamu Tropical Skywalk tower
Mamu Tropical Skywalk tower
Head a little south of Cairns towards Mamu Tropical Skywalk and learn about the incredible World-Heritage listed rainforest from both above and below the canopy. Afterwards, take a short 30-minute drive to Paronella Park and discover Jose Paronella’s incredible story, while the kids’ imaginations run wild in their very own Disney castle.
Step back in time at Historic Village Herberton
Explore a historic tin mining town
Explore a historic tin mining town
Let the kids explore the town and discover what life used to be like
Let the kids explore the town and discover what life used to be like
Explore a range of authentic antiques
Explore a range of authentic antiques
Be transported back in time at the Historic Village Herberton. Here you’ll find more than 50 restored period buildings set up as a historical tin mining town – mine and all! Make your way around the town and explore thousands of genuine antiques, collectables, machinery and more, with working exhibits brought to life over the holidays and weekends.
Head out on a family-friendly reef cruise
Learn from marine biologists with Quicksilver
Learn from marine biologists with Quicksilver
Waterslide at Sunlover's Moore Reef Pontoon
Waterslide at Sunlover's Moore Reef Pontoon
See what it's like to be a marine biologist
See what it's like to be a marine biologist
The Great Barrier Reef might be a complex ecosystem, but that doesn’t mean it has to be complex for young minds. With specially designed displays and accessible products, Quicksilver Cruises is tailored to families. Learn from marine biologists in and out of the water, or see what it’s like to be a marine biologist for yourself with Sunlover Reef Cruises, or on Fitzroy Island. If you weren’t already convinced, with Sunlover you’ll have access to the only waterslide on the Great Barrier Reef.
Hang with the fish at Cairns Aquarium
Discover thousands of aquatic creatures
Discover thousands of aquatic creatures
Get up close and personal with marine life without leaving dry land
Get up close and personal with marine life without leaving dry land
Explore the aquarium tunnels
Explore the aquarium tunnels
If your preference is to stay above the water, come and explore the Cairns Aquarium. Home to more than 15,000 aquatic creatures from both reef and rainforest, this is the only aquarium in the world solely dedicated to the habitats and ecosystems of Tropical North Queensland. Home to more than 16,000 marine and wildlife animals from across 71 habitats, there is plenty to see all while being in air-conditioned comfort. You’ll come face to face with sharks, rays, snakes, coral fish and much more.
Cairns Museum
Cairns Museum
Cairns Museum
Bring the family along to the Cairns Museum
Bring the family along to the Cairns Museum
Step back in time at the museum
Step back in time at the museum
Take some time to discover Tropical North Queensland through its fascinating history at the Cairns Museum. Let the kids get artsy with museum’s school holiday program, featuring a variety of workshops and activities to keep everyone entertained over the break.
Discover a cave of wonders in Atherton
Let the kids crack a geode
Let the kids crack a geode
Be mesmerised by stunning crystals
Be mesmerised by stunning crystals
Explore interactive crystal displays
Explore interactive crystal displays
Swap creatures for caves and head to the Crystal Caves in Atherton to crack a geode or two. Take a self-guided tour through 300 square metres of man-made cave in the main street of Atherton and explore interactive crystal displays. This is one of the few crystal tours around where touching is allowed (and even encouraged). Don’t forget to buy a few gems at the store or let the kids crack their own geode on your way out!
Discover dinosaurs in the Daintree Rainforest
Diprotodon at the Daintree Discovery Centre
You’ll be spoiled for choice at the Daintree Discovery Centre. Get your head in the clouds with the Canopy Tower, High Aerial Walkway and elevated boardwalks. Or learn about the rainforest from ground level at the Interpretive Display Centre. You might even spot a dinosaur wagging his tail in the Jurassic Forest, but don’t get too close or it might just let out a roar.
Meet the locals at Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas
Explore the immersive habitat exhibits
Explore the immersive habitat exhibits
Get up close and personal with rainforest wildlife
Get up close and personal with rainforest wildlife
Meet the locals at Wildlife Habitat
Meet the locals at Wildlife Habitat
There’s nothing quite like getting up close and personal with Australian animals. At Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas, that’s exactly what you’ll do. At this wildlife park, you can hand-feed wallabies and kangaroo, catch a glimpse of the legendary Southern Cassowary, watch snapping crocodiles or cuddle a koala. Explore five spacious unique environments, Wetlands, Rainforest, Savannah, Nocturnal and Woodlands, and meet with the animals that call these places home.
Spot a crocodile
Catch a croc feeding at Hartley's Crocodile Adventures
Catch a croc feeding at Hartley's Crocodile Adventures
Get close with the crocodiles on a river cruise at Hartley's
Get close with the crocodiles on a river cruise at Hartley's
Enjoy the new Slither n’ Slide Adventure Playground
Enjoy the new Slither n’ Slide Adventure Playground
For a wildlife encounter with a bit more bite, head to Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures and find yourself face to face with a saltwater crocodile. Take a cruise on the lagoon, watch interactive wildlife shows, wander back in time through the Gondwana Gateway and explore the other incredible precincts of the park. The brand new Slither n’ Slide Adventure Playground is sure to make the kids’ holidays memorable.
For those travelling through the Cassowary Coast, cruise along the Johnstone River with Snapping Tours and keep an eye out for crocodiles, birds, turtles and more.
Get a taste for farm life at KUR Cow
Feed the farm animals
Feed the farm animals
KUR Cow farm paddock
KUR Cow farm paddock
See the working farm from the saddle
See the working farm from the saddle
For a working farm turned visitor experience head to KUR Cow Barnwell Farm, just outside of Kuranda. Ride a horse, feed a cow, pick some fruit and veg on the organic farm and finish the day off with a meal at the onsite restaurant.
Have a family adventure in Kuranda
Glide over the rainforest canopy with Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
Glide over the rainforest canopy with Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
Explore the Kuranda Original Markets
Explore the Kuranda Original Markets
Cuddle a koala at a wildlife park
Cuddle a koala at a wildlife park
Journey through world heritage listed rainforest on the Kuranda Scenic Railway
Journey through world heritage listed rainforest on the Kuranda Scenic Railway
Forget driving, gliding over rainforest canopy with Skyrail Rainforest Cableway is the only way to travel to Kuranda. Stop and meet a Ranger at the stations along the way, or download the app for an interactive self-guided tour. Up the ante with the glass-bottomed Diamond View gondola for a bit more thrill. For the kids’ own Hogwarts Express moment, return home aboard the Victorian-era Kuranda Scenic Railway with two hours of rainforest, gorges and waterfalls right outside your window.
For a taste of local life, hit the Kuranda Original Markets. Stop in at The Magical Lane for a quest, a tea party, or just for a look at the mesmerising fairy gardens or visit Emu Bridge Gallery, with a fossil and gemstone museum and the famous Allosaurus skeleton. Fancy a game of mini golf? The Kuranda Original Markets even has a 9-hole mini course available to play a round in the rainforest.
Take a walk on the wild side while in Kuranda at one of the many wildlife parks in the area. Step into tranquillity at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary as thousands of colourful butterflies flutter around you; cuddle a koala, or perhaps a slithery snake, at the nearby Kuranda Koala Gardens; enter a twitchers paradise at Birdworld Kuranda, home to over 500 beautiful bird species; and visit some iconic Australian animals at Rainforestation Nature Park and even hand-feed a few.
Little Lifesavers offers an exciting opportunity for kids to stay active, engaged, and learn essential water safety skills. Located in Cairns Lagoon and Port Douglas, this program not only educates children about the importance of water safety but also boosts their confidence in the water. It’s the perfect combination of fun and learning for a memorable holiday experience!
