Cairns

Like it hot and tropical, with wonders to be explored on land and sea? You like islands ringed with pearly sands rearing up from opalescent oceans, undersea landscapes with an uncanny resemblance to outrageous 70’s style furniture? Or how about 1200 square kilometres of primeval forests that houses crocodiles, hand- sized spiders, mini kangaroos and the moody Cassowary, a large ridiculous looking bird which can claw you open in a very permanent way.

Then, of course, you can only be thinking of visiting the tropics of North Queensland. And a great base to start your explorations is Cairns. This city is the epitome of relaxed, and is one of the main points of departure to get you and your mates/family out into that big blue underwater playground, the Great Barrier Reef. In no time at all you can be paddling among the batfish or diving with the reef sharks (don't worry; their bark tends to be worse than their bite).

The reef can be explored while diving, snorkeling, cruising (a particularly good idea, but please remember to take some sunscreen) or by charter plane. Or maybe you'd prefer to do all of your reef exploration by sitting on a boat and hauling things out of the water. Cairns is officially a fishing paradise.

Cairns has almost every species of Pacific game fish in the blue waters near the reef. You can go fishing in the estuaries; you can go fishing in the rivers. You can go fishing offshore, onshore, and in sections of the reef. You can go fishing by yourself, or you can hire out a charter and go on a great adventure, cashing in on local knowledge for all the best fishing spots. Prepare yourself for a close encounter with the mighty Black Marlin, the Barracuda, and the Giant Trevally, they’re all lurking out there.

But this part of the world has more than it’s fair share of wonders. A couple hours north of Cairns are the Daintree Rainforest and Port Douglas. Trek Australia's oldest surviving stretches of rainforest, and then reward yourself with a few luxurious naps on the enormous stretch of beach in Port Douglas.

If you need a great car hire Cairns deal, you could save yourself time and money by booking online at Carhire.com.au. In one website you can compare all the deals and specials of Australia's most popular car rental companies like Avis, Europcar, Budget, Hertz and Thrifty. Carhire has negotiated special contracts with these rental companies and sometimes offers deals which are not available anywhere else on the Internet.

If you want some inspiration for your holiday, visit Cairns Online for information on surrounding areas, discount hotels, and city maps.

Check out the deals and specials for Car Rental Cairns.