Australians in general have a somewhat different concept of wide, open spaces to most visitors arriving from overseas. One reason for this, and it is particularly true in our neck of the woods, is the virtually borderless nature of some of the parks we head to when looking to get away from suburbia for a while.
Exactly when a park becomes simply unclaimed bushland and vice versa, is often open to debate. It is, in theory, technically feasible to wander for several hundred kilometres, or even a few thousand kilometres, in different directions from Cairns and only the occasional road or cattle fence would remind you of the presence of civilisation.
Local, State and Federal governments, over the years, have seen fit to declare various parcels of land 'Parks' of varying descriptions. Town planners Australia-wide have rarely complained at the requirement of a minimum of one park in every suburb and indeed, in Cairns, most suburbs have two or three at least.
Wherever visitors choose to stay in Cairns, there will be a suburban park somewhere near where they can read a book, throw a Frisbee or play on the swings with the kids. Here too, some Cairns' parks back onto around 1,000,000 hectares of World Heritage Rainforest, so sending the kids out to "play in the park" can entail more instruction than "look before you cross the road!"
Within Cairns, places such as Centenary Lakes, are popular with locals and tourists alike. Although only 15 minutes walk from the central CBD, once there it takes only a minute's stroll and it is a simple matter to forget the city is around you and get back in touch with nature and your natural self. Centenary Lakes is also adjacent to the Botanical Gardens, free to enter as well, so dedicating an afternoon to exploring this area will introduce you to a handy place to get away from it all, without leaving the city.
Almost all of the mid-urban-centre parks in our local region are also good places to find a few of the animal, bird, insect and plant species now difficult to locate in their disturbed natural environments elsewhere.
Far North Queensland provides a natural corridor for migrating birds and they often stop for a rest in the larger municipal parks. Further afield, the sheer size and often compulsory visiting and camping permits, make our National Parks a very different kettle of fish to those parks mentioned above.
There are plenty of places you can rock up to with a car full of adventurers and wander free and unshackled, though the risk of getting lost is very real. Make sure you touch base with a ranger who will kit you out with a permit and maps etc. A tour with an operator recommended by DestinationEX is the best way to appreciate and learn about the national parks.
