Great Barrier Reef & Cairns

Currency

Barely worth exchanging cash — Australia is close to cashless and cards work everywhere, including on the reef boats. Airport bureaux are poor value. Watch for card surcharges, which are legal here and disclosed at the till.

ATMs & cards

Big-four bank machines (CBA, Westpac, NAB, ANZ) are free to use with most cards; the standalone machines in pubs and convenience stores charge a flat fee of around A$3. Decline conversion.

Australia is close to cashless and reef operators take cards on the boat. The pub machines charge a flat A$3 or so.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Crime is not the issue here; the environment is. Do not swim in the sea between November and May without a stinger suit — irukandji and box jellyfish are genuinely dangerous. Never swim in rivers or estuaries anywhere in the far north, because saltwater crocodiles are present and the warning signs are not decorative. The sun is brutal, and reef trips burn people through cloud.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.

Worth having

• Routine vaccinations up to date

Getting treated

Excellent. The UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Italy, Malta and Slovenia have reciprocal agreements giving their citizens access to Medicare for immediately necessary treatment; everyone else pays and should be insured.

Sun is the underrated one — the UV index is extreme by European standards. Swim between the flags; rip currents, not sharks, are what actually drown people.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Barramundi and Moreton Bay bugs are the local plates worth ordering. The Rusty’s market on a weekend morning is where the tropical fruit is — try a mangosteen and a black sapote.

Getting around

• Reef boats from the Cairns marina — 90 min to the outer reef, and the operator matters more than the price
• Walking — the Cairns esplanade and city centre are flat and compact
• Rental car — the way to do the Daintree and Cape Tribulation properly
• Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail — up one way, down the other, half a day
• Airport: Cairns (CNS) is 10 min from the centre

Must-see

Things to do

• Dive or snorkel the outer reef with a small-boat operator
• Walk the Daintree boardwalks and cruise for crocodiles
• Drive to Cape Tribulation where the reef meets the rainforest
• Take the Skyrail up and the railway down to Kuranda
• Swim the Millaa Millaa falls circuit on the Tablelands

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

Australian English — local usage

• HelloHow ya going?
• Thanks / no problemNo worries
• AfternoonArvo
• Flip-flopsThongs
• SwimwearBathers / Togs
• Petrol stationServo
• BarbecueBarbie
• Genuinely goodBloody good

Religion

No majority faith

Roughly 40% report no religion, the largest single group. Aboriginal spiritual sites such as Uluru carry restrictions that are legal as well as cultural.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Sit in the front seat of a taxi if you are alone; sitting behind reads as standoffish
• Buy your round in turn — shouting is a genuine social obligation
• Swim between the red and yellow flags, always
• Wear sunscreen even on cloudy days; the UV is genuinely extreme

Don't

• Do not tip routinely; it is not expected and staff are paid properly
• Do not boast — tall poppy syndrome means standing out invites deflation
• Do not take Aboriginal cultural sites lightly; some are closed to climbing or photography
• Do not underestimate the sun, the surf or the distances