December rains regenerate the landscape bringing wildlife out to forage and refreshing the rainforest. Waterfalls put on a spectacular show as waterways replenish from January through to March.
Life in the tropics thrives on the rain – it sustains the region's vibrant green backdrop year-round and the best part is that it's warm and it tends to fall in heavy downpours in the late afternoon, rather than dreary drizzle all day long.
Wildlife and adventure
The Cairns and Great Barrier Reef region's extraordinary wildlife is especially happy when it rains. The 54 species of frogs get vocal with the first raindrop, their croaking reaching an orchestral crescendo in a downpour. The wetlands and rainforests are a haven for birdlife during summer, with the wet tropics home to more than 370 species.
If you're chasing adventure, this is the time of year to go white water rafting on the surging Tully and Barron rivers. The Barron is easier and the closest to Cairns, about 20 minutes away. The Tully River is more challenging and farther away from Cairns – about two-and-a-half hours south, towards Mission Beach. It is widely regarded as the best white water rafting experience in Australia and New Zealand.
White water rafting also provides an outstanding opportunity to view World Heritage-listed rainforest from a different perspective. Barron Gorge National Park and Tully Gorge National Park are both situated within the wet tropics and meet all four natural criteria for World Heritage listing.
https://www.wettropics.gov.au/
https://www.whitewaterraftingcairns.com/
Check out the hinterland and outer reef
Waterfalls are at their most spectacular in summer especially the Barron Falls, which can be seen from The Edge Lookout as part of the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway experience. Kuranda Scenic Railway also takes in the Barron Falls as well as Stoney Creek Falls, as the train winds its way on the historical track from Cairns to the hinterland village of Kuranda. Here you will find markets including the original rainforest markets that date back to 1978, arts and craft shops, Indigenous culture, walking trails and more.
The Great Barrier Reef is not to be missed, even if it's raining. Try snorkelling with turtles at an island, dive on the outer reef to see extraordinary coral surrounded by colourful fish, or you can stay dry and explore the reef from the comfort of a semi submersible vessel. Seated about one metre underwater, you will experience a diver's view of the reef as you glide slowly through the reef lagoons in air-conditioned comfort.
With panoramic viewing windows, the vessel will enable you to see the outer reef in all its glory without even getting wet. Spectacular coral formations thousands of years in the making (and according to some environmentalists now under threat) are home to an amazing array of exotic, rainbow-coloured tropical fish - some 1500 species of them - as well as reef sharks and sea turtles.
https://www.skyrail.com.au/cairnstours/skyrail-kuranda-rail
Art, food and more
For accommodation take a look at Bailey, the newest hotel in Cairns. Claimed to be the thoughtful, arty member of the Crystalbrook Collection, it is located in the city's arts precinct. Your room's mini-bar includes a mystery book, wrapped in brown paper and tied with string, that you can relax with. You can also admire the local art on display throughout the hotel.
Traditional and contemporary art can be seen for free at the Cairns Art Gallery. The exhibition ARTNOW FNQ 2019 is on now through to 2 February 2020, bringing together 34 local artists for an insight into the region's cultural scene. Artists from remote Indigenous communities such as Aurukun's Wik and Kugu Arts Centre and Erub Arts in the Torres Strait are included in the exhibition.
Or you could stay in a rainforest treehouse and listen to the rainfall as you relax in a hammock surrounded by the wet tropics rainforest. Many of these are tucked away in the Daintree, where you may find the elusive cassowary and, in the Daintree River, abundant crocodiles.
Summer is the ideal time to taste tropical fruit with mangoes at their best and exotic treats like lychees, mangosteen and rambutan all in season. Call into Rusty's Markets in the Cairns CBD to see the array of summer fruit and vegetables and shop for local crafts undercover. Discover how to use the fresh seasonal vegetables of the tropics at Oaks Kitchen & Garden cooking school where the produce is grown in their garden at Oak Beach.
http://www.daintreejunglehouse.com.au/
http://www.rustysmarkets.com.au/
End the day with a sundowner
As the sun goes down on the Great Barrier Reef, a whole new world awakens at the Cairns Aquarium with both reef and rainforest creatures coming out to play. Join an ecologist guide on a tour through the region's unique ecosystems.
Or settle in for a sundowner followed by a seafood feast at your choice of restaurants overlooking the Cairns Marina. Enjoy local prawns and fish while watching the rain descend on the mountains across Trinity Inlet. It's a magical place.
A nostalgic look back
I first travelled to Cairns in 1988 for the Australian Society of Travel Writers' annual convention, and ended up staying for four years. Those were turbulent years with massive development taking place at the international airport, the seaport and in the city, not all of it welcomed by local residents. Airlines and cruise lines responded with additional flights and cruise ship visits and a boom period followed that lasted for 15 years. Today, Cairns may not be quite as dynamic as it was then, but it is still a mecca for both tourists and travel writers. This year ASTW was back, holding its convention there for the second time.
https://www.cairnsairport.com.au/