ABC Wednesday, C for Cairns.

Click on photos to see more details. One of the hotels on the Esplanade.

When I arrive in Australia to see my daughter, we often stay at the "Gray Whale", a motel in Cairns, because Cooktown, where my daughter lives, is 360kms from Cairns, and I always arrive early in the morning.She meets me at the airport, we have breakfast and go to the motel or hotel.We do the same when I leave. Sometimes, however, we stay at a holiday resort (see slide).The two bottom photos are from the Esplanade.

Cairns is a regional city in Far North Queensland, Australia. The city itself was named after William Wellington Cairns (the then Governor of Queensland). It was formed to serve miners heading for the Hodgkinson River goldfield, but experienced a decline when an easier route was discovered from Port Douglas. It later developed into a railhead and major port for exporting sugar cane, gold, metals, minerals and agricultural products from surrounding coastal areas and the Atherton Tableland region.

The city is rapidly expanding, with a population of 122,731 at the 2006 census.Tourism is the largest income producer for the region, followed closely by the sugar industry.

Cairns is a popular travel destination for foreign tourists because of its tropical climate and proximity to many attractions. The Great Barrier Reef can be reached in less than an hour by boat. Daintree National Park and Cape Tribulation, about 130 km (81 mi) north of Cairns, are popular areas for experiencing a tropical rainforest. It is also a starting point for people wanting to explore Cooktown, Cape York Peninsula, and the Atherton Tableland.

The city has used its natural surroundings to its advantage, with the construction of several small theme parks for tourists. Among them are Rainforestation Nature Park, Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, and Kuranda Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, which extends for 7.5 km (4.7 mi) over World Heritage rainforest.( see Wikipedia)

With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC.For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar or Here. This week we are looking for words beginning with C.