With its tropical climate, pristine beaches and plethora of natural wonders to explore, Cairns is a great place to visit at any time of the year. The most popular time for tourism however is the months of June, July and August when the weather is still warm, rains are less frequent and stingers are less present in the waters.
Cairns has a very laid-back atmosphere and while there may not be a huge array of specifically LGBT venues in the city, locals are open and accepting of same-sex couples. There are also a large number of exclusively LGBT or friendly resorts along the coast from Cairns to Port Douglas providing relaxing holiday havens.
The Tropical Pride Festival in Cairns is relatively new to the GLBT festival calendar but is growing each year. The third Tropical Pride Festival in August this year drew the biggest number or participants yet.
Held over two weeks to coincide with Festival Cairns, the Tropical Pride Festival incorporates a Fair Day, Community Awards Night and a float in the Festival Cairns Parade, which travels along the Esplanade to the City Centre.
This year the Festival Cairns Parade was held on August 22 and the Pride Float was hailed as a beacon of light, colour and movement. Led by a contingent of Dykes on Bikes and members of Pflag, the Pride Float featured OUTloud, the LGBT choir and a band of fabulous drag queens, while members of the LGBT community followed behind waving rainbow flags.
Over 500 people attended the official after-party at Blue Sky Brewery in the heart of the Cairns CBD.
On August 29, members of the LGBT community gathered at Skinny Dips Spa and Resort for the Tropical Pride Community Awards Night. Twenty three businesses and individuals were recognised over six categories for their contributions to the community.
The main event of the Tropical Pride Festival is Pride Fair Day, this year held at the Tanks Art Centre on August 30. Activities included the obligatory dog show, stalls, drag acts, a bucking bull and a handbag-throwing competition.
For the first time this year an art show titled Looking Queer Art Exhibition was included in the Fair Day line-up and was such a success that it will be extended and added to the annual program.
An after-party was also held to round-off Fair Day at Rydges Tradewinds on the Esplanade.
The next Tropical Pride Festival will be held in August 2010 and you can keep up to date on the festival events at the official website:
www.tropicalpride.com
Where to stay:
Skinny Dips Resort and Spa – Cairns
This exclusively gay resort is just 2km from the Cairns city centre and a short walk from the Esplanade. It has a private tropical courtyard, licensed restaurant and bar, a clothing-optional pool and heated spa and the Sanctuary Spa Centre, which offers a range of treatments. Other features include airport transfers, internet access and complimentary tropical breakfast daily.
Skinny Dips offers a range of accommodation packages and can assist in booking tours and activities around Cairns.
(07) 4051 4644
www.skinnydips.com.au
Turtle Cove Resort and Spa – Between Cairns and Port Douglas
Nestled between the rainforest and the sea, Turtle Cove has its own private beach, a pool and spa set in tropical gardens, a restaurant and bar and a spa centre which offers a range of massage treatments. The resort’s 30 rooms all have en suite bathrooms, televisions, mini bars, individual air conditioners and ceiling fans. Themed events and weekends are a regular feature at Turtle Cove with the annual Mardi Gras Recovery weekend always selling-out quickly.
1300 727 979
www.turtlecove.com
Pink Flamingo Resort – Port Douglas
Port Douglas is about a 50 minute drive north of Cairns and is well worth the journey. Pink Flamingo is a gay owned and operated resort with a stylish décor and award-winning tropical gardens. While well-behaved pets are allowed, children are a definite no-no and with only ten Private Villas and two Garden Studios, it is exclusive without feeling too small. The resort has a gym, games room, poolside bar, bicycle hire and a heated pool.
(07) 4099 6622
www.pinkflamingo.com.au
Things to do:
– Take a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef. There is a vast range of ways to see the Reef, from a sailing trip to massive anchored platforms offering helicopter rides, glass-bottomed boats and scuba diving. There are also a myriad of locations at which you can see the reef which is actually made up of 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands that stretch for over 2,600 kilometres. Tours leave from both Cairns and Port Douglas and vary greatly in price and services offered, so do your research first. Websites like www.active.fnqtravel.com.au allow you to compare prices and types of tours.
– Visit Kuranda. The mountain village set high in the hills behind Cairns is accessible by either scenic railway or the sometimes nail-biting Skyrail. It has a renowned art and craft market, wildlife sanctuary and walking paths through the heritage listed rainforest.
– See the rainforest. The Daintree Rainforest is a World Heritage listed area and at over one hundred and thirty-five million years old it is the oldest surviving example of this type of environment in the world. As it covers approximately 1,200 square kilometres of far north Queensland, it may be difficult to know where to start. Try www.daintreerainforest.com for an in-depth guide to tours, locations and activities in the rainforest.
*Photos courtesy of QNews
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