Located in the northeast of Australia, Cairns is surrounded by authentic nature and dreamlike landscapes.
Cairns is a small city with a population of about 120,000 people. It is located in the northeast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. Living in Cairns will serve as a base to explore other spectacular places in addition to being a place worth visiting.
It has multiple nearby natural attractions such as tropical rainforest, streams and lakes, beautiful white sandy beaches, etc. Visiting its markets is a must, where you can buy crafts, accessories, and clothing.
If we had to point out a drawback of living in Cairns, it would be that salaries are not as high as in other Australian cities. However, the cost of living is also lower, so a part-time job will be enough to cover your stay in the city. Living in Cairns can be a great advantage if you are a biologist or simply attracted to tropical places, since its climate creates a very particular ecosystem worthy of study.
If you want to know more about the city of Cairns, keep reading or fill out our contact form. A Dingoos Guide will get in touch with you to give you personalized information.
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Cairns offers multiple options for all budgets. From backpacker hostels to resorts and hotels. All this makes it one of Australia’s favorite tourist destinations, and in fact more than two million people visit it every year.
If you are looking for a room in a shared apartment, these are the average prices this city offers:
The most common public transport to get around Cairns is the bus. You can also take buses to the main tourist destinations. Therefore, it is not essential to have a car. In any case, being a relatively small city, you can walk or even rent a bike.
Food in Cairns is affordable. On average, the price of a weekly grocery shop is $80 AUD. In addition, you can take advantage of the offers that are usually available right before supermarkets close, where you will find rock-bottom prices on fresh products such as meat and fish.
Living in Cairns also gives you the possibility to shop at its urban markets, many of them with tax-free products.
Cairns combines a very tropical climate with white sandy beaches, jungles, and lots of wildlife. It is one of the favorite tourist destinations in Australia thanks to the Great Barrier Reef, so here you won’t lack plans, excursions, good weather, work, and people.
A great idea to meet people, make plans, look for accommodation, and find some job offers is to join the Facebook groups in your city.
Cairns has two very distinct seasons. Summers (from December to February) are usually hot and humid, with temperatures ranging between 23 and 30ºC. And the milder and drier winters (from June to August) have an average temperature of 18ºC. The time of year when the city of Cairns receives the most visitors is in winter, when the temperature is more pleasant and you can even see the migration of humpback whales.
Cairns receives many students every year who are interested in living the Aussie experience while studying and working, and the fact is that this city has very good schools.
You can choose between English courses or the well-known VET courses, although you can also study at the university.
To study in Cairns you just have to choose the course and the school, enroll, and process your student visa. The best part? At Dingoos we can help you with all the paperwork in a totally personalized and free way. Write to us!
With a student visa, you will be able to combine studies and work during your stay in Australia. Specifically, you will be able to work part-time (24 hours a week) during classes and full-time (48 hours a week) during vacation periods.
With your student visa, you will only have to apply for your Tax File Number (TFN) once you are in Australia to get your first job in Cairns. Also, if you come to Australia with Dingoos, we will also help you with this process.
Salaries are not as high as in other Australian cities; however, this is offset by the fact that the cost of living is also lower. In any case, working part-time will be enough to cover your basic expenses such as accommodation, food, and transportation in the city. The average salary for a part-time job is $450 AUD per week.
The most in-demand jobs for international students in Cairns are usually related to the service sector. In any case, if you already have a good level of English and a decent CV, you will surely be able to apply for more qualified jobs.Hospitality
Studying in Australia is not the hardest thing in the world, but it’s also not as easy as waking up one day on a whim and saying, “Today I feel like going to the other side of the world for six months, I’m going to pack my suitcase.”
Australia is a very safe country, with unstoppable economic growth for more than 25 years and with lots of opportunities and advantages for all those who want to grow professionally and personally.
Our goal is to make everything crystal clear from the start so that you know at all times what you will find on the other side of the world and you don’t get any surprises. Ready?
At Dingoos we are experts in Australia and we will accompany you every step of the way to help you decide which visa suits you best. And once you have it clear, we will help you with all the paperwork so that getting it is so easy you won’t even notice.
If you like the idea of living in Cairns and finally decide to travel to this wonderful city, here are some of the places you should not miss:
In the beaches of the cities in northern Queensland you can find saltwater crocodiles, so we recommend, as an alternative, taking a refreshing swim in this pool that simulates the beach. With well-maintained facilities, it has free changing rooms and showers.
Just 25 km from Cairns you have Kuranda, a rainforest and UNESCO World Heritage Site where you can take a train excursion through the forest. To return, you can take the cable car.
Just 3 km from Cairns, you can enjoy a great walk through these gardens with one of the largest collections of tropical plants in all of Australia.
It is a beach bathed by the coral reef. It is one of the best options if you want sun and a white sandy beach surrounded by palm trees with crystal-clear waters.
You will have a great time interacting with Australian wildlife. You will have the opportunity to hug koalas, the most popular attraction. There is also a large terrarium where you can see a wide variety of reptiles typical of the country.
As you can see, in the city of Cairns you can have a lot of unique experiences, but if adrenaline is your thing, take advantage of your stay in the city to go bungee jumping in the jungle. Not for the faint of heart!
It is the largest coral reef in the world. It has a length of 2,600 kilometers and can be seen from space. You can book guided excursions to go snorkeling or fly over it in a helicopter to appreciate its enormous size. This is a must-visit!
If you are interested in learning more about Cairns or even coming to study an English course, or combining work and studies, do not hesitate to contact us. We will advise and accompany you throughout the process so you can have an incredible experience.
We know it’s very difficult to choose a destination, so we want to help you as much as possible and give you positive and negative points to consider when choosing the city where you want to study.
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