The area where Cairns now lies has a fascinating history. In 1770, the world famous explorer Captain James Cook first mapped the area and named it Trinity Bay. The area was later identified as suitable for developing into a port and Cairns was founded in 1876.
In its early history, Cairns achieved fame for the success of the architecture grown locally; however, you may be especially excited to learn about its crucial roles during World War II. During this time, the city included operational bases of the US Army Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force, while nearby Trinity Inlet was used for a major military seaplane base. It was from Cairns that combat missions were flown to support the Battle of the Coral Sea in 1942!
Today, Cairns is considered a major tourist destination. The opening of the Cairns International Airport in 1984 has made the city more accessible to many international tourists. Indeed, Tourism Australia has revealed that the Cairns region is, among international tourists, the fourth most popular Australia destination. The city also attracts many Australian visitors.
The city has attracted many Chinese tourists, thanks largely to direct flights to Cairns from Chinese cities including Shanghai. 20,000 Chinese tourists visited Cairns even just during the 2013 Chinese Lunar New Year period. From a base in an apartment in Cairns, there is also much near the city for a Chinese tourist to enjoy, including the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics of Queensland.
We at Southern Cross Atrium Apartments offer holiday apartments Cairns tourists of many types can greatly benefit from. We hope that what we have detailed here about Cairns has given you many new reasons to book with us! You can read elsewhere on this website to learn more about why we offer apartments Cairns tourists can enjoy.