Accessible travel guide to Cairns & Great Barrier Reef

Cairns is a dream holiday destination for many - and not just for its balmy climate and palm-fringed beaches. It’s a town that offers the conveniences of the city, while providing a gateway to otherworldly experiences.

Cairns is in the enviable position of being only a boat ride away from the underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef, and a short drive from the unruly wilderness of the world’s oldest continually surviving rainforest. Cairns is also accessible to visitors of all abilities, with many areas and attractions providing full wheelchair access, along with support for those with vision and hearing difficulties or other needs.

Looking for a pro to guide you along the way? Check out Out There Travel Care, who can offer a tour companion, respite care or personal care on your holiday, including on tours and activities from Cairns to Port Douglas, or general care while you relax and explore the tropics.

Take a look at how to turn those daydreams into reality with this accessible travel guide to Cairns & Great Barrier Reef.

Getting to Cairns

If you're flying into Cairns Airport, you can feel confident that you'll be taken care of should you require a little extra support. Cairns Airport is equipped with wheelchair access and assistance for those with mobility needs, along with hearing loops, tactile indicators and braille, as well as a Hidden Disabilities program. Find out more information here. 

Where to stay: accessible accommodation in Cairns

Cairns is brimming with accessible accommodation options to suit all budgets and needs. Choosing a hotel located near the Cairns Esplanade allows you to take advantage of the level wheelchair accessible walkways, especially popular for early morning strolls and sunset watching over Trinity Inlet.

The Riley offers stylish, modern, accessible rooms, some with a view of the Esplanade and Trinity Inlet. The centrepiece of the resort is a 1000 square metre lagoon-style pool with a man-made beach.

The DoubleTree by Hilton Cairns hotel has accessible accommodation with the option of an interconnecting room, making it ideal for families or larger groups travelling together. A welcome gift of a DoubleTree signature warm chocolate chip cookie will quickly make this Cairns base feel homely.

Novotel Cairns Oasis Hotel is in the heart of the shopping and dining district, only a couple of blocks back from The Esplanade. It also offers accessible accommodation with the option of an interconnecting room. A resort vibe is enhanced by a large pool, complete with a sand beach. The gentle slope from the sandy shoreline may provide easier access for some guests with mobility restrictions.

For the more budget-conscious, Cairns Plaza Hotel offers an accessible room equipped with a double and single bed and is located on the Esplanade.  

If you’re looking for a high level of support, the purpose-built Spinal Life Healthy Living Centre may be the ideal choice for you on your accessible Cairns getaway. Every element has been designed to be fully accessible, including the accommodation, gym and café. 

Play: accessible things to do in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef

A Cairns holiday offers plenty of opportunity to relax, but be warned: with so many accessible activities on offer, it’s difficult not to end up with a jam-packed itinerary.

Starting in town, many attractions are within walking distance of the hotels mentioned. The option of leaving the car behind adds to the relaxed holiday vibe. Level and easy to navigate streets make it simple.

Explore the Esplanade

Take in the sights and sounds of the tropics along Cairns Esplanade, a 2.5km palm-lined foreshore through parklands, with views out to the Coral Sea. The flat surface pathway is suitable for wheelchairs, prams and mobility devices - but it's what you'll find along the way that will truly delight.

Families will love Muddy’s Playground, located on the Esplanade. It’s an ideal place for kids to burn off their energy, engage in imaginative play and cool off in the water play area. A Liberty Swing (wheelchair swing accessed with a MLAK key) within the playground will have wheelchair users joining in the fun too.

Given the tropical climate, a refreshing swim at the Cairns Esplanade Swimming Lagoon is a popular way to cool off for locals and visitors. Kids love its sandy shore for building sandcastles. Level access, a variety of water depths and underwater seating makes this good swimming for all abilities. Balmy evenings have the lifeguards keeping a watchful eye until 9pm each night. Accessible change and bathroom facilities (MLAK Key locked) are available beside the pool, and a beach wheelchair is provided in the lifeguard room. 

The nearby picnic area is also equipped with BBQ facilities and tables with roll-under access.

Discover a marine wonderland at Cairns Aquarium

If you don’t have the time, or sea legs, for a trip to the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns Aquarium will introduce you to our underwater wonderland. Dedicated exclusively to the habitats and species of the Tropical North Queensland region,  you’ll get up close without the need for an air tank or snorkel.

Spacious walkways and large viewing windows from the top level make watching the various tropical fish easy for all guests, including toddlers and wheelchair users. The touch-tanks can also be enjoyed from wheelchair height.

Sign up for a tour of the turtle hospital, or book the Aquarium by Twilight experience to come face to face with the Coral Sea’s largest night time predators including sharks, rays, groupers and more. 

Free wheelchair hire is also available. 

Relax at one of the region's accessible beaches

Fancy a beach day? The Cairns & Great Barrier Reef region has many accessible beaches that offer beach matting and beach wheelchair hire throughout the year.

For the all-round tropical experience of towering beach palms, sand between your toes and an ocean swim, take a short 30 minute drive to Palm Cove. This quiet seaside town is popular for its trendy boutiques, cafes and offers an accessible waterfront pathway among the palms. Palm Cove’s beach is also home to a Sandcruiser beach wheelchair. It’s free to borrow during patrol hours from the lifeguard tower on Williams Esplanade.  

Further north in Port Douglas, famous Four Mile Beach offers a safe swimming enclosure, ramp onto the sand and a beach wheelchair - along with accessible toilets and change room, accessible BBQs and picnic tables, and easy access to the Surf Club Bar and Bistro if you get hungry for a beachside lunch. 

More accessible beaches can be found at:

• Ellis Beach, Cairns: a beach wheelchair and beach matting is available from April to November each year. 
• Holloways Beach: a foreshore park features paved walking trail, accessible BBQs, picnic tables, toilets and water fountain. 
• Yorkeys Knob: just 15-minutes drive from Cairns, facilities include, accessible BBQ’s, picnic tables, and toilet.

Day trip to the Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest and longest coral reef system and for many, a trip to Cairns wouldn’t be complete without a visit. And a boat ride will get you up close to the life and soul of the reef.  

If you have a mobility restriction, Quicksilver Cruises offers the best accessible experience on the Quicksilver VIII catamaran to Agincourt Reef. The pontoon base here is equpped with a water-powered lift (hoist) that will lower you into the water. Once immersed, you can swim directly off the lift to enjoy exploring the reef, or simply enjoy the feeling of tropical waters while you relax in the chair.

Quicksilver offers floating devices for those who want a little more support to feel comfortable in the water - and there are a range of activities on board to fill your day. 

Want to take things to the next level and learn to scuba dive? Quicksilver Dive is the Great Barrier Reef's first PADI Adaptive Dive Facility. Based in Port Douglas, the school offers PADI dive courses for those with varying levels of mobility, needs and abilities, and is equipped with lifts, ramps, disabled facilities and wheelchair access to classrooms and the training pool. 

Escape to Green Island

If a shorter boat ride is more your style, there are reef exploration options closer to Cairns. For an island getaway, set sail for Green Island National Park to explore a 6000 year old coral cay island covered in dense rainforest. The resort here offers accessible hotel rooms with tranquil rainforest surroundings, interconnecting rooms suitable for carers or larger families – and it’s just 45 minutes boat ride from Cairns. The resort areas and rainforest eco-walks are also wheelchair accessible. Unlike many other Great Barrier Reef islands, Green Island has its own jetty for improved accessibility from boat to shore.

Lifeguards patrol Green Island’s clear waters, popular with snorkellers and swimmers. Some mobility is required to access the beach. 

Kids will love taking part in the Reef Biosearch Marine Biologist eco tours too. 

Immerse yourself in ancient Wet Tropics rainforest

The density and beauty of the rainforest can be best experienced by riding high above its canopy on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway  These gondalas will soar you over ancient Wet Tropics rainforest, and are wheelchair accessible for manual wheelchairs, depending on size. The Skyrail also supports those with sensory needs or hidden disabilities, and is equipped with an audio guide and Interpretive App that provides commentary including subtitles which can help those with visual and audio disabilities. The Cableway stops at stations along the route to give you the chance to wander the accessible boardwalks where you’ll truly feel the heart of the rainforest. Allow time for a free informative ranger-led tour to learn more about the ancient world surrounding you, and peer over rushing Barron Falls from The Edge lookout.

For train buffs, those who enjoy a slower pace, or visitors with a large wheelchair, you’ll want to ride the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway. The train offers an effortless way to take in the changing scenery including the dense rainforest, mountain ranges and waterfalls along the track to Kuranda.

Want to explore more wonder in the Daintree? You’ll find three wheelchair accessible trails within the Cape Tribulation section of Daintree National Park – Marrdja, Dubuji and Kulki – and a fourth boardwalk that is partially accessible. Further south, connect with the rainforest through First Nations stories at Mossman Gorge, which is both wheelchair and pram-friendly.

Connect with Indigenous culture

Spend some time learning the history, customs and stories of the First Nations People. Set within Rainforestation Nature Park, you'll gain insight into the world's oldest surviving culture at the Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience. The iconic World War army ducks, which are the best way to tour the property, are also wheelchair accessible.

For those who prefer to get hands-on, Janbal Gallery in Mossman offers Indigenous art classes. The gallery is accessible for those who are deaf or have hearing loss and accommodates people who have challenges with learning, communication, understanding and behaviour, along with those who use a wheelchair. 

Go wild with our native animals

Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures will let you safely get up close to their residents. Take an accessible boat tour to appreciate a croc’s size. Nothing beats the thunderous clap of a crocodile’s jaw as it closes around it’s dinner. Timber boardwalks and pathways lead visitors through the park to the easy viewing displays of tropical birds, reptiles, and native animals.

While Hartley’s is home to Australia’s most fearsome residents, Wildlife Habitat will introduce you to some of our most cuddly. Viewing the animals from the different sub-climates of North Queensland is easy from the accessible elevated boardwalks which link the enclosures. But, if you’d like a more hands-on experience you can feed the lorikeets, cassowaries or kangaroos, and cuddle a koala. It's also possible to book a private ranger tour if you'd prefer a more one-on-one experience.

Kuranda is also home to some gentler wildlife interactions. Before returning to Cairns, make time to explore Kuranda’s cafes, markets and attractions. The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary is home to over 1500 magnificent tropical butterflies, all hand reared on site. The butterflies are in abundance and will dance and tease you as you make your way around the wheelchair accessible attraction (a few steep ramps are located at the base of the aviary). Join a free tour to visit the caterpillar breeding nursery and learn more about the butterflies.

Nearby Birdworld Kuranda is home to almost 60 species of birds, including some of Australia’s most beautiful. Accessible boardwalks connect the various habitats set in the naturally landscaped space with waterfalls, ponds, exotic and native plants providing a lush home for the birds. If you’re looking for an interactive encounter, make sure you purchase some food to hand feed the birds. You’re sure to make a new best friend. Some steep inclines may prove challenging for manual wheelchair users.

Where to eat and drink in Cairns

You simply can't beat dining by the water while holidaying in Cairns or Port Douglas.

Wander Cairns Esplanade and you'll discover many eateries, but a nearby favourite is Salt House which offers ramped access alongside Trinity Inlet views and a menu that celebrates North Queensland flavours. 

Cairns Night Market is a great place to feast on a smorgasbord of flavours and pick up souvenirs along the way.

While also the jump-off point for tours to the Great Barrier Reef, Port Douglas' Crystalbrook Marina is a great dining and entertainment centre with Choo Choos, Lure Restaurant and Bar, and Hemingway’s Brewery located within the terminal complex. Accessible toilets are located at the end of the building.