Tips for saving money in Cairns

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The East Coast of Australia is home to idyllic beaches, more than inviting temperatures, abundance of wildlife and some of the most exhilarating adventure activities you will find on the planet. The great East Coast road trip is on the bucket list of almost every backpacker to Australia. Over a one or two month journey you will enjoy the diversity from the metro culture of Sydney and Melbourne to the lush rainforest of Cape Tribulation – above all else, it is one hell of an adventure. As the temperature begins to drop in New South Wales, the campervans loaded with keen young travellers on a budget begin to rise up the coast in search of warmer beaches.

It’s a long way up the coast, I should know having done the trip myself. By the time we got to Sydney from Melbourne I was beginning to wonder if my pasta diet was going to be enough to keep me close to budget and we still had 6 weeks to go. Nights out became less and less and consisted more of a ‘goon’ bag on a beach than the bar I was used to, but hey, I wasn’t complaining! The real problem we all faced was that the bulk of the real adventure activities lie at the end of the journey in the tropical paradise of Cairns, that’s what we were all here for, and we were running out of cash to do anything. I was not alone with this dilemma, as it happened every one of my fellow camper companions faced the same problem. It felt like we were heading to Glastonbury, without tickets, and hoping someone would just kind of let us in.

I fell in love with Cairns and actually never left. I want to share some of the 10 secrets of the place that will let you enjoy every day here even on a strictest budget, and tips that will save you massive amounts of cash.

1 – Chrystal Cascades – This is a local gem and it’s free. Head out to Redlynch and follow your nose out to the river. It is an unbelievably beautiful spot and is has a variety of water holes for swimming, bbq’s and a few beers on the river banks. There are no croc’s to worry about either!

2 – www.bookme.com.au – This will save you massively on reef trips, rainforest trips, skydiving and just about any other activity you can think of. These guys are new and very cool. They seem to keep a low profile but I’m guessing that is because the discounts they do on all their activities are a fair bit better than you will get locally. Check it out before you arrive as their deals are only on certain days.

3 – Tropical beaches toward Port Douglas – The most beautiful secluded beaches, in my opinion, are on the Captain Cook highway between Palm Cove and Port Douglas. Check them out, camp out, fish, swim, drink from coconuts, magic.

4 – Can’t afford a reef trip? – Kayak hire at Palm Cove will allow you to head out to the shallow reef at Double Island. Paddle over, snorkel, it’s the closest you’ll get to the real thing at a fraction of the price.

5 – Mossman Gorge – about 15 minutes north of Port Douglas you will come to Mossman, head left up the gorge and you will come to a beautiful area of the rainforest. There are walks and places to swim, best of all it’s free.

6 – Cairns Esplanade – As tempting as it is, don’t just stop at the pool, go for a walk and you’ll find more things to do than you can shake a stick at. Bouldering, beach volleyball, one of the top skate parks in Australia, free BBQ’s, outdoor gym… about 4km of activities

7 – Lake Eacham – Explore the Atherton tablelands and call in at this lake. It is a crater lake and has a great bbq area. Go for a swim (no nasty’s in the water), check out the turtles and keep an eye out for native wildlife, it is teeming with it here!

8 – Rusty’s Markets – The markets right in downtown Cairns with save you a packet and is full of fresh local produce. The entrance is off of both Sheridan and Grafton Street’s and is open every Thursday, Friday and Saturday

9 – Catch your dinner – The beaches north of Cairns are full of fish life and you can buy a fishing rod very cheap at any local department store. For $30 you can have fresh fish on the BBQ every night.

10 – Hosting on boats – A bit of leg work and a smile will get you a long way, maybe even out to the reef. It is harder to get these days, but ask around reef operators for day work on the boat, it is common for reef trips to need cleaners, deck hands and host’s to help out for the day, you may not get any pay but return you get out to the reef and in the water.

Hope this helps, enjoy your roady and make the most of your time in Cairns it is an amazing place.

Happy travels.

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