We spent four days in Cairns. Cairns is a regional city and Local Government Area located in far northern Queensland. The city is rapidly expanding, with a population over 146,000 and is reliant on the sugar and tourism industries. Cairns is a popular travel destination for foreign tourists because of its tropical climate and proximity to many attractions. The Great Barrier Reef is only one-and-a-half hours away by boat. Located only 17 degrees below the equator the weather in Cairns was very similar to the weather in Hawaii. It was in the 80's during the day and 60's at night. We never encountered any storms and the weather for the most part was very tranquil. Chelle and I spent our time in Cairns snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef (Michaelmas Cay), visiting the Kurunda rainforest, and visiting with some Australian residents who used to live in our apartment community in St. Louis. Remember you can click on a photo for a larger image.