Queensland Orientation

Cairns is sandwiched in by forested hills to the west, a harbor to the east, and mangrove swamps to both the north and south. The Esplanade runs all the way along the waterfront. At the street’s southern end is The Pier, with both a manmade lagoon and an upscale shopping center in the heavily commercial Pier Marketplace. Farther south, the Esplanade becomes Wharf Street and runs past Trinity Wharf and the Transit Centre. Shields Street runs perpendicular to the Esplanade and crosses Abbott Street before running into City Place, a pedestrian mall with an open-air concert space and coffee shops galore. From this intersection, Lake Street runs parallel to the Esplanade. Continuing away from the water, Shields St. also intersects Grafton Street and Sheridan Street (called Cook Highway north of the city). The Cairns Railway Station is located on McLeod Street in front of Cairns Central, the city’s largest mall.

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