Every time we go camping, it is essential to see the sunrise and sunset.
You can look for a place you can see from the campsite, or ask the locals and drive if there is a good place nearby.
So, since I started living in Cairns, and while I’ve been to various places in the camp, I would like to introduce 10 spectacular spots where you can see the sunrise and sunset near Cairns.
Cairns Esplanade
The first is the Cairns Esplanade boardwalk and lagoon , which is a symbol of Cairns in the city and is a must-visit for tourists visiting Cairns.
The public pool lagoon, in a great location overlooking the sea, is open for free and can be used early in the morning.
If you go in the morning, the pool is almost reserved. You can see the rising sun from the sea.
Breakfast after a swim in the early morning is also exceptional! The cafe along Esplanade Street is open early in the morning, so sit on the terrace and gracefully enjoy your breakfast overlooking the sea.
Or try making your own breakfast at the free barbecue facility along the boardwalk. Bacon and egg toast that sits on the lawn and eats vigorously is also the best.
The beginning of such an active day is exactly the Cairns lifestyle!
Ellis Beach
The city is good, but I still want to go to a beach resort. Ellis Beach, 30 minutes north of Cairns, is recommended for those who like it .
The sea overlooking the Esplanade lagoon is not a beach because it is a tidal flat, but if you head north from Cairns city, you can find many beautiful beaches from local beaches to luxury resort beaches.
Among them, Ellis Beach has a small and quiet atmosphere. The sea Ellis Beach Oceanfront Bungalows to stay in, opened the door from the front of the bungalow, or while camping make a tent in front of the beach, the morning sun rising from the sea, the best day will start!
Cape Tribulation
Cape Tribulation, which is sandwiched between the two world heritage sites of Cairns, can meet the luxurious request of enjoying the Coral Sea of the Great Barrier Reef and the world’s oldest rainforest at the same time.
A two and a half hour drive north of Cairns. On the way, after crossing the Daintree River by ferry, you will run through the rainforest.
You can run along the coast where you can see the beach in some places, and at the observation spot where the altitude rises a little, you can see the spectacular view of the rainforest and the coral sea at the same time.
Camp at Cape Tribulation Camping and take a walk to the beach just a few tens of meters from the campsite in the morning. The rising sun over the sea of the Great Barrier Reef, which stretches far away against the backdrop of the rainforest, is exceptional!
Etty Bay
“I want to see the sunrise with wild animals unique to Australia!”
For those of you, I recommend Etty Bay , a small bay 80 minutes south of Cairns.
Here, there is almost a 100% chance that you will meet a bird that has been designated as an endangered species called Cassowary. Cassowary, one of the world’s three largest flightless birds, is also called the “hikuidori” in Japanese, and is said to inhabit the tropical rainforests of northeastern Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
The beach, which is crowded with people who come to play on a day trip during the day, has a very quiet and calm atmosphere in the early morning.
Staying at Etty Bay Caravan Park, getting up early and strolling on a private beach with almost no people, watching the sunrise with Cassowary is the beginning of an Australian peaceful and wild day!
Chillagoe Smelters, Chillagoe
You can also see the spectacular sunrise from where you can see and feel the history of Australian mining.
A small town called Chillagoe, 3 hours west of Cairns. This is a mining town that once flourished in the mining of various minerals such as gold, silver, copper and lead, and the facility used to smelt those minerals is the smelter called Chillagoe Smelters. It’s now abandoned, but it has an accessible area, a parking lot, a short walkway that starts from it, and two observation spots.
One of them, the best spot overlooking the east side. The chimneys and smelters, the wilderness outback, the Chillagoe airport, and the rising sun from afar will look beautiful.
A few minutes drive from the Chillagoe Observatory and Eco Lodge in Chillagoe Town . Let’s get up early and pick up the sunrise!
Bluff Walk Lookout, Undara
There are also wonderful sunrise and sunset spots where you can see and feel the extraordinary natural activities of ancient times in Australia’s vast land.
4 hours from Cairns, Undara Volcanic National Park is home to many volcanoes that were active and erupted 78 million years ago. One of them, the lava cave, which was created by a large amount of lava flow that flowed out when Mt. Undara last erupted 190,000 years ago, still remains.
Stay at the Undara Experience in the national park and head to one of the walking tracks, Bluff Walk.
A short and easy route of 15 minutes one way to Bluff Walk Lookout . From the observation spot there, you can see the outback around, and you can often see the volcanoes where the crater is clearly visible.
This is a spectacular spot where you can see both the sunrise and sunset beautifully!
Quartz Blow lookout, Cobbold Gorge
Near the newest canyon in Queensland, there is also a 360-degree panoramic view.
A mysterious canyon cobbold gorge in the Outback, 6 hours inland from Cairns. A unique canyon that started 1.7 billion years ago and is said to have been shaped by a small movement that happened 10,000 years ago.
Over the years, sand and mud deposits, their compression, sandstone formation due to intra-crustal movements, and the natural landscape formed by heavy wind and rain erosion and permanent springs are overwhelming.
The Quartz Blow Lookout is 8 km from your destination, Cobbold Gorge Village, and can be reached by trekking or by four-wheel drive . Quartz blow is the result of erosion of surrounding rocks caused by the eruption of ultra-high temperature liquid from deep underground, leaving quartz with higher hardness than others, which are piled up on the ground surface.
Climbing this small white hill is a spectacular 360-degree view.
The best coffee in the morning to drink at sunrise or sparkling wine toast while watching the sunset!
Diehms Lookout, Croydon
Australia is blessed with abundant mineral resources. A long time ago, the discovery of a gold mine caused a gold rush, and Croydon was once the largest town in Queensland. Nowadays, it is a small country town, and there is a little-known spot here.
7 hours from Cairns, the town with a population of only 250 has historical tourist information centers and museums that prospered as a gold mining town, and if you go north from the center, you can climb a small hill.
Just a few minutes drive, you ‘ll have a panoramic view of the entire city of Croydon, and beyond that you ‘ll find the Diehms Lookout, which offers spectacular views of the vast Outback.
This is the best viewing spot to see the sunset. The sunset over the Outback horizon is amazing.
Further up the hill from Diems Lookout is Lake Belmore, a dam lake created to supply domestic water to the town of Croydon, a popular spot for water sports and fishing.
From the off-road trucks around the lake, there are places where you can greet the beautiful sunrise on the surface of the lake!
The Sunset Tavern, Karumba
After all, I want to see the moment when the sunset sets in the sea! There are many places in Queensland on the east coast of Australia where you can see the rising sun over the ocean, but what about the sunset over the ocean? You can see it.
If you go to the west of the York Peninsula, which protrudes into the northern part of Queensland, you can see the sunset over the sea.
Karumba, the westernmost town on the Yorke Peninsula, closest to Cairns. A 10-hour drive from Cairns, this seaside outback town is one of Queensland’s most beautiful sunset destinations.
The best place to watch the sunset in the city is arguably The Sunset Tavern .
At the mouth of the Norman River, in front of the sea, the pub restaurant Sunset Tavern has a beer garden, and the view from here is undisputed.
Watch the best moments of the setting sun over the ocean while drinking beer and eating seafood!
Great Barrier Reef
The last is the Great Barrier Reef, an absolutely indispensable place to introduce Cairns.
The Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef area and a World Heritage Site, can be visited on a day trip or overnight tour.
At Pro Dive Cairns, a diving company that offers two-night, three-day boat tours, you can berth over the ocean on a boat with accommodation and enjoy diving and snorkeling activities.
Dinner while watching the sunset on the outdoor deck of the boat will make your meal even more delicious. After the night dive after dinner, the starry sky is a natural planetarium, with all unnecessary lights turned off.
And in the morning, if you can reach the rising sun from the waters of the Great Barrier Reef, there’s nothing more to say!
Summary
That is 10 spectacular spots where you can see the sunrise and sunset near Cairns. There are various spots from the sea to the beach to the hills to the mountains. The Sunrise and Sunset are beautiful no matter how many times you look at them.
I hope you find it useful when planning camping, traveling, first sunrise, etc.!
