凯恩斯水族馆评论和摄影之旅



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Is Cairns Aquarium in Far North Queensland worth spending your time and money on visiting during a trip to Cairns? It’s a good question, one that we debated a lot as we planned our Cairns trip. Now that we’ve been, I’ve put together this comprehensive Cairns Aquarium review to help you decide if it is right for you and your family.

Let’s cover a few of the details that you might want to consider.

Entrance Fees

Many of the reviews and comments I’ve found online feel that the entry fee for Cairns Aquarium is a bit high. Personally, I think the entry fee is reasonable for a couple of people, but it adds up very quickly.

Cairns Aquarium Entry
Cairns Aquarium Entry

Package options are available with other attractions and bundled with meals, but at the time of writing the standard entry fees for Cairns Aquarium are:

  • Adults: $44pp
  • Children: $29pp
  • Family (2 Adults, 2 Children): $132

So when you start to think about bringing a family, it definitely gets up there.

However, for comparison, let’s have a quick look at some of the other major Australian aquariums.

Sea Life Melbourne

  • Adults: $46pp (or $36.80 if you book in advance)
  • Children: $32pp (or $25.60 if you book in advance)

Sea Life 悉尼

  • Adults: $48pp (or $38.40 if you book in advance)
  • Children: $35pp (or $28.00 if you book in advance)

Sea Life Sunshine Coast

  • Adults: $44pp (or $35.20 if you book in advance)
  • Children: $31pp (or $24.80 if you book in advance)

So when you compare it to these other major aquariums, the pricing is pretty competitive.

Of course, regardless of what aquarium you visit, their prices all still stack up and they can be an expensive attraction.

The Best Way To Get Your Tickets

Admission fees are variable depending on what offer you go with. However, I found it was cheaper to purchase tickets through Viator than directly with Cairns Aquarium. The reason being that Cairns Aquarium applies a booking fee on direct bookings that isn’t present on 领航者.

You can purchase tickets at the door, but pre-purchasing will help to streamline your time there (on the day we visited, there was a queue out the door of people waiting to buy tickets) and in Covid days where capacity is more limited, pre-purchasing your tickets ensures you won’t miss out.

Book tickets on Viator.

Theme

Entrance fees aren’t the sole contributor to value though. What about the aquarium theme? Does it tell a story and do it well? Or is it just a bunch of marine life in really big tanks?

Most aquariums have a theme beyond simply housing sea creatures. At Cairns Aquarium, the attractions follow the unique theme of a drop of rain in Far North Queensland. Waterfalls in the form of rain, landing in the tropical rainforest before making its way through to creeks, streams, and rivers to mangrove flats and then out to the Great Barrier Reef and onwards to the depths of the Coral Sea.

The waterfall at the entrance to Cairns Aquarium
The waterfall at the entrance to Cairns Aquarium, where the journey of water starts as rain falls.

Far North Queensland is home to both the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef, and within these world heritage areas are many unique habitats that have been replicated within Cairns Aquarium.

Mangrove Swamp Display

Cairns Aquarium is home to thousands of creatures, both big and small from 71 different habitats, and in this Cairns Aquarium review, I will touch on as many as I can in later sections.

The Wet Season Sign

Generally speaking, I think it flows well between the two levels of the aquarium and does tell a unique story. I don’t think the story is fully explained though and parts of it can be easily missed. For the most part, the Cairns Aquarium does a great job of conveying the story of water from the rainforest to the depths of the seas. There are just little bits that get lost.

An Epaulette Shark in the Touch Tank at Cairns Aquarium
An Epaulette Shark in the Touch Tank at Cairns Aquarium

From a conservation perspective, I do appreciate that the aquarium is very much emphasising the education of its visitors on why these world heritage regions are important and need to be protected.

Quality and Maintenance

Are the Cairns Aquarium attractions and exhibits worth seeing? Are they quality attractions that are well maintained?

I would say yes. The aquariums are well set up, easy to see, clean, and very well maintained.

Juvenile Saltwater Croc Out of Water at Cairns Aquarium
Juvenile Saltwater Crocodile

Compared to other aquariums, Cairns Aquarium is relatively new, which probably helps, but even so, the glass seems to be very clear and easy to see through in all the exhibits.

There are a number of obligatory aquarium tunnels you can walk (or crawl) through, including the large Coral Sea Oceanarium where you can get up close with marine life. While nowhere near as extensive as the 80m long Ocean Tunnel at Sea Life Sunshine Coast, the Oceanarium is sure to excite the kids with rays and sharks swimming all around them.

Walking under a stingray in the ocean tunnel - Cairns Aquarium Review
Walking under a stingray in the Ccean Tunnel

I personally enjoyed the freshwater section of the aquarium. I had no idea that we have freshwater whip rays (or any kind oof freshwater ray) and sawfish in 澳大利亚!

River Monsters Signage

The real stand-out to me though is the 10m tall Ribbon Reef sea wall that spans both levels of the aquarium, the Deep Reef display. This aquarium can be viewed from both levels and allows visitors to see different fish as they move between shallow and deep water. The perspectives from both the upper and lower levels are fascinating (at least to me anyway).

Deep Sea Reef Lower - Cairns Aquarium Review
Deep Sea Reef Lower

I haven’t seen anything quite like this at any other aquarium and the insights into the Great Barrier Reef are remarkable.

Shark in front of the Ocean Tunnel

The Cairns Aquarium is a brilliant way to experience the Great Barrier Reef without getting in the water, as well as introduce you to the aquatic life of the Daintree.

If a reef snorkelling experience is too expensive, Cairns Aquarium might be a more viable option to see a snapshot of what the reef has to offer.

Time Commitment

Cairns Aquarium currently opens between 10 am and 3 pm daily with last admissions at 2 pm.

You can re-enter multiple times per day up until 2 pm.

We arrived at 10:45 am and spent about 2 hours in the aquarium itself and felt that we had sufficiently covered everything. You could spend more time if you read everything on the displays. You can also spend more time if you stay for lunch.

GF Fish and Chips at Dundees
GF Fish and Chips at Dundees

We opted to have lunch at Dundees restaurant at Cairns Aquarium and spent about 1 hour there.

So our total visit time including lunch was approximately 3 hours.

We did note that the aquarium was a lot quieter after lunch than it was before lunch so if you want fewer people, the afternoon might be the way to go.

Coral in the Oceanarium

My recommendation is if you don’t plan on having lunch at Dundees, have lunch before you go and aim to arrive around midday. You then have 3 hours until closing time which should be more than enough to see everything while the aquarium is a little quieter.

Comprehensive Cairns Aquarium Photo Tour

Now that we’ve covered the key things you might want to consider as to whether a visit to Cairns Aquarium is something you might want to do, let’s look at the attractions and exhibits in more detail with a comprehensive Cairns Aquarium photo tour and review.

Outside Cairns Aquarium

Just like Cairns Aquarium, we’ll follow the flow of a drop of water in Far North Queensland.

Welcome to Cairns Aquarium

A quick note on this though, the actual path through Cairns Aquarium only roughly follows the flow and there are many sections that overlap, just like they do in nature.

Freshwater (Creeks and Streams)

The freshwater section of Cairns Aquarium incorporates creeks and streams (of which there are many in Far North QLD).

Freshwater Fish and a Pig-Nosed Turtle at Cairns Aquarium
Freshwater Fish and a Pig-Nosed Turtle at Cairns Aquarium

You can expect to see the unusual freshwater moray eels, turtles, Australian long-finned eels, crayfish, and all kinds of fish including barramundi and perch.

Freshwater Moray Eel at Cairns Aquarium
Freshwater Moray Eel at Cairns Aquarium
Sleepy Cod at Cairns Aquarium
Sleepy Cod at Cairns Aquarium

Freshwater creeks and streams flow into the river systems of Far North Queensland.

River Monsters (Gulf Savannah and FNQ River Systems)

As you move from freshwater creeks and streams into the river systems and billabongs of Far North Queensland you will see river monsters that you probably had no idea exist or ever existed, like freshwater whiptail rays and the freshwater sawfish (note, this shy one).

Freshwater River System Display
Freshwater River System Display
Freshwater River System Display
A freshwater whip tail ray
A freshwater whiptail ray

The Gulf Savannah is a massive area that spreads across much of North-Western QLD to the Northern Territory border and includes a number of river systems.

Gulf Country Information Sign

The two stand-outs to me were the fossil replicas of extinct marvels, the Riversleigh Giant Lungfish and the Riversleigh Giant Platypus.

Riversleigh Giant Lungfish
Riversleigh Giant Platypus
Riversleigh Giant Platypus

The river system that is perhaps most well-known from Far North Queensland is the Daintree River, which flows through the Daintree Rainforest, and so we progress to the aquatic and reptilian life that lives in this world heritage rainforest.

Rainforest (and the Forest Floor)

Heading into the rainforest there is lots of information on what plant life and endemic wildlife you will encounter there.

Welcome to the Rainforest Sign

This information and wall displays set the scene for the rainforest-covered aquariums we are about to see.

Rainforest Informational Signs
Life in the Rainforest at Cairns Aquarium

The walkthrough (or perhaps crawl-through for adults) rainforest waterway tunnel gets you up close to lots of little fish that frequent the rainforest streams and reptiles.

The Rainforest Tunnel
The Rainforest Tunnel

The rainforest tunnel shows off all the turtles of the rainforest including pig-nosed turtles, long-neck turtles, short-neck turtles, saw-shell turtles, and snapping turtles.

A long-neck turtle in the rainforest display
A long-neck turtle in the rainforest tunnel

You’ll also find here many other reptiles and amphibians from snakes and water dragons to various frogs, lizards and turtles.

Rainforest Terrariums at Cairns Aquarium
A Jungle Carpet Python
A Jungle Carpet Python
Water Python
A Water Python
Green Tree Python
Green Tree Python
Green Tree Frog
Tree Frog
Rainforest Terrariums
Boyd's Forest Dragon
Boyd’s Forest Dragon
Mangrove Monitor Lizard
Mangrove Monitor Lizard
The Freshwater Crocodile Terrarium
The Freshwater Crocodile Terrarium
Juvenile Freshwater Crocodile
Juvenile Freshwater Crocodile
Green Frog
Green Frog
Green Lizard
Lizard Terarium
Lizard Terrarium
Lizard at Cairns Aquarium

You might also find some spiders hiding in a few terrariums. I say might because they are pretty good at hiding. I wasn’t able to get any pictures of them at all, though I could see where some were hidden.

Mangroves (Swamp)

The mangroves are where we start to meet bigger reptiles, like crocodiles, and we begin to see saltwater marine life.

Mangrove Swamp
Mangrove Swamp
Saltwater Croc Display

Cairns Aquarium doesn’t keep large crocodiles, but you will see juvenile saltwater crocs as well as freshwater crocodiles.

Juvenile Saltwater Crocodile
A Mostly Submerged Juvenile Saltwater Crocodile

You will also see more fish, saltwater fish that live among the roots of mangrove trees, and other marine life too.

Juvenile Saltwater Croc
Juvenile Saltwater Croc

大堡礁

As we enter the Great Barrier Reef portion of Cairns Aquarium we start off with some oddities like upside-down jellyfish before moving into the shallows.

Upside Down Jellyfish
Upside Down Jellyfish

Here, there is a fantastic shallow water crawl-in aquarium where you can crawl into the aquarium and pop up in the middle of it for a different view (note, you can’t see anything while crawling through).

Shallow Water Aquarium
The Crawl-In Shallow Water Aquarium

In this shallow aquarium, you’ll see blue-spotted stingrays, warm water lobsters, and an array of fish.

Blue-Spotted Stingray
Blue-spotted Stingray
Warm Water Lobsters at Cairns Aquarium
Warm Water Lobsters

From the shallows, move into a darkened section of the aquarium and you’ll be treated to a little bit of a light show.

Why Are Sea Creatures White?
Why Are Sea Creatures White?

Cairns Aquarium has created a series of tanks that are grouped by colour along with explanations of why reef creatures (and coral) are particular colours.

Yellow Fish at Cairns Aquarium

White, yellow, green, blue, purple, and more! So many colours.

A clownfish
A clownfish and anemone
Black-blotched Porcupine Fish
Black-blotched porcupine fish
Dogface puffer fish and crown of thorns starfish
Dogface pufferfish and crown of thorns starfish
Common Lionfish at Cairns Aquarium
Common Lionfish
Blue Tang Fish (aka Dory)
Blue Tang Fish (aka Dory)
Reef Fish at Cairns Aquarium

And, of course, there are other things living in the Great Barrier Reef as well.

Olive Sea Snake
Olive Sea Snake

Deep Reef Upper

Early on in the Great Barrier Reef displays, we pass the Deep Reef Upper aquarium.

Looking down at the Deep Reef Tank from the upper level
Looking down at the Deep Reef Tank from the upper level

This is on the top floor of Cairns Aquarium and you can look all the way down to the deeps of the deep reef below.

Up close with the Deep Reef Tank
Up close with the Deep Reef Tank at the upper level

This display is designed to let you see how marine life lives in the surface water of the deeper reef sections and how some creatures move up and down between the depths and shallows.

A Fish Diving in the Deep Reef Upper Tank
Grooved Razorfish at Cairns Aquarium
Grooved Razorfish
Barbours Seahorse at Cairns Aquarium
Barbours Seahorse
Touch Tank at Cairns Aquarium
Get up close with marine life and touch some starfish and other sea creatures.
Colourful Coral
Colourful Fish & Coral
Colourful Coral
Colourful Coral
Colourful Coral
Bioluminescence Display at Cairns Aquarium
Bioluminescence Display
A Clownfish Hiding in the Bioluminescence Display
The clownfish isn’t bioluminescent, but the anemone is.

Oceanarium

The Oceanarium is the main aquarium and contains the biggest sea creatures, visible through the ocean tunnel.

Sharks in the Oceanarium at Cairns Aquarium
There are many kinds of big sharks and rays in the Oceanarium
Shark and Ray

Sit and watch at either end of the tunnel, or meander through for a different perspective.

Relax and Watch the Oceanarium
Relax and watch the mesmerising Oceanarium
Oceanarium

At one end of the tunnel is a smaller viewing area and at the other is the Deep Reef Lower and Coral Sea Amphitheatre.

Fish in the Oceanarium
Fish in the Oceanarium

Here you can watch big stingrays, leopard sharks, reef sharks and fish of all shapes and sizes.

Deep Reef Lower

Watch the deep reef, double story sea wall from the bottom floor.

Deep Sea Reef Lower
Deep Sea Reef Lower

I love watching it from this level, looking up at the lights twinkling through the water two stories above.

Looking up at the Deep Reef Lower at Cairns Aquarium
Looking up at the Deep Reef Lower

The movements of the sea life up and down the wall is absolutely hypnotising.

Coral Sea Amphiteatre

Watching the Oceanarium from the Coral Sea Amphitheatre
Watching the Oceanarium from the Coral Sea Amphitheatre

Look back through the Oceanarium from the Coral Sea Amphiteatre seating.

One of the big fish in the Oceanarium at the Coral Sea Amphitheatre
One of the big fish in the Oceanarium at the Coral Sea Amphitheatre

Under the Pier (Dundees Restaurant)

It’s easy to miss this display if you don’t dine at Dundees Restaurant. Under the Pier is located outside of the main aquarium and can be seen from the external entrance to Dundees, or of course, from within Dundees.

Under The Pier at Dundees Restaurant
Under The Pier at Dundees Restaurant

Under the Pier is a large aquarium wall with a simple pier display. It’s intended to replicate the environment that people create around piers and the marine life that makes those new environments home.

Fish Under The Pier at Dundees Restaurant
Fish Under The Pier at Dundees Restaurant
Shark Under The Pier at Dundees Restaurant
Shark Under The Pier at Dundees Restaurant

I do suggest having a meal here if it’s within your budget and watch the fish. It’s a good feed, and it will give you time to spot some of the more secretive creatures.

The Super Salad and GF Fish and Chips at The Pier at Dundees Restaurant
The Super Salad and GF Fish and Chips at The Pier at Dundees Restaurant

By the way, they have a fantastic special dietary requirements menu to cater for guests requiring gluten-free and/or vegan meals. And for gluten-free vegan guests, this menu even includes dessert options that aren’t just fruit or ice cream.

Dundees Special Dietary Requirements Menu
Dundees Special Dietary Requirements Menu
Dundees Dietary Special Requirements Dessert Menu
Dundees Dietary Special Requirements Dessert Menu

Cairns Aquarium does permit you to exit the aquarium and return within the same day, making it easy to go out to the restaurant for lunch and come back in afterwards.

Matt Under The Pier at Dundees Restaurant
Matt Under The Pier at Dundees Restaurant

You can expect to see a variety of fish, sharks, catfish, jellyfish, and stingrays.

Planning a Visit to Cairns Aquarium

How to Get to Cairns Aquarium

Cairns Aquarium is conveniently located to most accommodation options in Cairns city, with the closest being the Ramada by WyndhamIbis Styles Cairns.

Address: 5 Florence St, Cairns City QLD 4870

The main entry is on Florence St halfway between Abbott St and Lake St, however, there is also a secondary entrance, primarily for Dundee’s customers on the corner of Florence St and Abbott St. This entrance is through Dundee’s Restaurant so I would only advise entering this way if you are going to the restaurant first.

Public Transport

If you are travelling by public transport, you can either get off at “Cairns City Bus Station” or the “Lake St at Cairns Private Hospital Station” and both are about a 5-minute walk to Cairns Aquarium.

Walking from Cairns City Bus Station

Walking from Cairns Private Hospital Station

By Private Vehicle

I would not advise arriving by private car as parking can be awkward and the aquarium is just so convenient to bus routes and accommodation providers.

There is no dedicated customer parking at Cairns Aquarium. Instead, you will need to find a park in the street or at one of the city car parks. These are all paid parking.

There are three parking lots nearby but the closest is probably the Lake St Car Park which costs $1.80 per hour at the time of writing and is located adjacent to the Cairns City Bus Station.

More off-street parking options and their current rates are listed on the Cairns City Council website here.

What Should You Pack For A Cairns Aquarium Visit

The answer to this question will depend on your plans and whether you are taking children or not.

The Basics

I’d recommend taking a small day bag with some water and your camera gear as a starting point.

I’m a big fan of my Fill2Pure Advanced Filter Water Bottle and use it pretty much everywhere to avoid using single-use plastic bottles. Part of the reason I like this one is that it does squash a bit for travelling when space is tight, and it can be drunk out of by both sucking the straw and squeezing the bottle. This is much easier than filtration bottles or straws that rely solely on suction.

餐饮

If you are only going to spend a few hours here before or after lunch, you won’t need to pack much, but a few snacks is definitely a good idea. If you are going to stay over lunch but aren’t going to eat at Dundee’s Restaurant, then definitely bring a packed lunch to save yourself walking somewhere else for food.

Footwear

Otherwise, I’d recommend some comfortable walking shoes. There are plenty of places to sit down for a break, but even so, the floors are hard and you will likely be on your feet a lot so you want to be comfortable.

I recommend 斯凯奇. Their GoWalk and GoRun range are so light and breathable, but even their more dressy shoes are very comfortable for long days on your feet. I’m onto my fifth pair of Skechers now and wouldn’t go back!

Hygiene

In this day and age, I’d also suggest a good quality, natural hand sanitiser that isn’t going to dry out and damage your skin. I love the Arianrhod Aromatics Natural Hand Sanitiser. It feels more like you are using a hand moisturiser than a hand sanitiser.

The Best Places To Stay Near Cairns Aquarium

There are so many choices for accommodation in Cairns. As I mentioned earlier, the Ramada by Wyndham is directly opposite Cairns Aquarium which makes it the most conveniently located for a visit to Cairns Aquarium, but there are a lot of other great choices nearby as well.

I personally really like the Oaks on the Esplanade, it is very conveniently located for most things on a Cairns visit and is an extremely comfortable hotel. It’s a 10-minute walk direct to the aquarium, or a leisurely stroll along the esplanade.

Other great options include:

Find more options:

  • 雅阁 – I found they were usually the best price for Cairns hotels with a few exceptions.
  • Trip.com – Sometimes these guys have some amazing deals – we got the Oaks in Cairns for half the price of booking direct WITH the Oaks loyalty diiscount.
  • Expedia – Generally the next best prices after 雅阁 outside of Trip.com deals.
  • Booking.com – Has the broadest range.

That’s It

That’s my comprehensive Cairns Aquarium review all done and dusted. I hope you found it helpful in planning your trip to Cairns and potentially visiting the aquarium while you are there. If there is anything I missed or anything you’d like to know about planning your trip to the Cairns Aquarium, let me know in the comments below!

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Matt in Noumea

Matt专职从事数字营销业务, TerraMedia。不过,在业余时间,他喜欢和妻子一起旅行,所以他们通常都会做很多事情。
故乡是澳大利亚,尽管他们并没有花所有的时间去环游世界,但马特和他的妻子喜欢花时间真正地探索和了解一个地方,即使那意味着在那里花的时间比正常游客可能要多得多。

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