The most interesting street in Cairns is the Esplanade, with the sea on one side and a row of restaurants, hotels and backpackers lodges on the other. This area comes to life in the evenings, especially with the Night Market now held here. The Esplanade ended with a wall and mud flats below, not quite the romantic image which the city wished to propagate.
The solution, it seemed, was evident and simple - construct a beach. What was once a grassy park is now a world class facility, featuring an outdoor amphitheatre, a large sandy swimming lagoon, grassy picnic areas, walking tracks, free public barbeques, childrens playground, shops, restaurants, a Great Barrier Reef cruise departure terminal & an environmental interpretation centre, all right in the heart of the city!! The swimming lagoon is capable of accommodation 1,000 swimmers. Entry is free and is open from 6.00am - 10.00pm daily.
