The Cairns Post
LUXE TWIST FOR KIDS’ PARTIES
A newly opened boutique studio is shaking up Cairns’ event scene, giving parents the ultimate upgrade for kids’ birthday parties. TK Luxe Studio opened its doors in Manunda last week, and owner Tracey Kingston-Bull has made it clear it’s not a...
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POLICE SHOOTING PROBE BEGINS
The coronial inquest into the death of Mareeba man Aubrey Joel Donahue has begun in Cairns, with a police investigator conceding that no officer other than the shooter reported hearing repeated commands to “drop the knife” before Mr Donahue was fatally...
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YORKEYS CELEBRATES MILESTONE
The 20th Festival of the Knob at Yorkeys this weekend was the largest event yet, with more stalls, more visitors and a return of the coveted “biggest tosser” title. More than 5000 people attended the daylong community festival, which boasted more than...
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RIDE ON!
Far North Queensland’s proximity to the fastest growing economies of Asia means it is poised to capitalise on a decade of growth by leveraging advances in airline technology that will put Cairns at the front of the queue for major destinations,...
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GROWTH GRIDLOCK LOOMS
With 18,500 new homes on the horizon, Cairns’ southside expansion is threatening to outpace critical road networks and swift action is needed.
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JOBS FOR THE FUTURE
Service industries are expected to drive the next phase of Cairns’ economy based on the analysis of more than 40,000 local jobs created in the past 10 years. According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the largest proportion of these...
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BUSH MATTERS
The largest conversation between the bush and powerbrokers starts today, as News Corp Australia launches its 2026 Bush Summit campaign. Regional Australians can have their say on issues that matter most in a new poll, which will help frame debate at...
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IT’S THE HEAL DEAL
Robotics, artificial intelligence and a Toxicology Centre of Excellence will transform healthcare in the region as part of the Far North’s biggest-ever health investment. The $1bn Cairns Hospital expansion will lift capacity, cut wait times and...
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ANCHORS DROP, MUSIC POPS
A homegrown festival will return to the Cairns Cruising Yacht Squadron for the second year in a row, showcasing a diverse range of local artists on Saturday. Anchor Drop, created by creative organisation Enter Stage Right, will offer music lovers a...
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FLEGLER’S EPIC ORIGIN COMEBACK
Billy Slater could be forced to issue an Origin SOS to Reece Walsh as Queensland fullback Kalyn Ponga faces a nervous wait following his send-off controversy. Ponga became just the seventh player in State of Origin’s 46-year history to be sent off...
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THIS IS COWBOYS’ COUNTRY
Rugby league in the Far North is set for a massive boost after the North Queensland Cowboys locked in a landmark six-figure deal to secure the game’s future in the region. In a win for grassroots footy, the Cowboys have partnered with Far North...
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ROUTES REVEAL
Tradies, apprentices and developers will leave Cairns unless $300m in critical infrastructure is fast-tracked “at great pace” to address the city’s housing crisis, an industry leader warns. But Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie has promised new homes in...
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CARNIVALE ROCKS TOWN
Port Douglas wrapped up a huge weekend with its annual Carnivale celebrations on Sunday, with thousands of people filling the town for three days of live music, food, entertainment and community events. Australian rock legends Dragon closed out the...
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COPS IN TRAGIC CRASH
An internal police probe is under way after a 71-year-old woman was struck and killed by a police 4WD in Cairns North. The Queensland Police Union said the three officers involved activated their emergency lights while rushing to apprehend a wanted...
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FEATHER THE NEST
Cairns’ “Northern Nest” is being readied for a major sporting coup that could deliver millions for the Far North economy and bring some of Australia’s top athletes to Cazalys Stadium from 2028.
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DUMP THE DRIVE
Families are encouraged to ditch the car and walk to school for National Walk Safely to School Day on Friday, May 22. Now in its 27th year and part of National Road Safety Week, the initiative calls on families to build regular walking into children’s...
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A HOT TAKE ON FITNESS
As the temperature drops outside, things are heating up inside Cairns’ newest fitness studios. Two boutique pilates businesses have introduced infrared-heated classes within weeks of each other, bringing one of the country’s fastestgrowing fitness...
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KIDS’ FIESTA GOES WILD
Far North kids were treated to a weekend of immersive learning and fun as the Cairns Children’s Festival returned for another year. The 12 and under event, which took place on Saturday and Sunday at various locations across the city, aims to inspire...
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YEP, IT WAS A WET ONE
New data reveals the 2025-26 wet season was the seventhhighest on record, dumping an average of almost 700mm across Northern Australia. The Bureau of Meteorology has released its wet season summary which showed parts of Cape York copped its highest...
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CIVIC RIFT BOILS OVER
Tensions boiled over at Cairns Regional Council as a routine meeting descended into a series of heated clashes between the Mayor and the organisation’s top boss. Cairns Mayor Amy Eden slapped a “first and final warning” on Division 2 Councillor...
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BEAT THE GRIDLOCK
The federal government has injected an extra $166m into the Cairns Western Arterial Road to overhaul the region’s transport network. In a move that brings the total commonwealth commitment to $382.3 million, the Albanese Government greenlit the...
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STALKED BY BANK APP
A sawmill worker who allegedly used bank transfer descriptions to stalk his ex partner has had his bail application denied in a Cairns court. But his defence lawyer said the messages he sent, along with money, were “misguided”.
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CENTRE OF ATTENTION
Union influence over the $176m Cairns Convention Centre redevelopment will come under the microscope this week as the CFMEU Inquiry descends on Far North Queensland. The Commission of Inquiry into the CFMEU will from Tuesday to Thursday hold public...
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‘DIG OR DIE’
Terrified and trapped inside their car, five space engineers scoping out a rocket launch site in the remote Cape York wilderness had their tyres deflated as they were ambushed by an armed trio, a Cairns court has heard. The group was forced to dig a...
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STAMPING TOWARDS SUCCESS
Cairns West state school year five student Gary’s favourite part of school is going to the library. “I like to see my friends and do science too,” he said. “It’s good to come to school everyday so I can learn.” Gary and his cousin Abraham have...
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TOASTIES TWIST
The Toasted Melt Bar has opened at Rusty’s Markets, offering a unique twist on the classic toasted sandwich. Owner Joseph Pickens ran food truck Burgerlicious for eight years but wanted to try something new. “These opportunities don’t come up very...
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TRAGIC LAST WORDS
The tragic final moments of 85-year-old Degarra resident Ray Dark have been pieced together following a coroner’s investigation into his disappearance during Tropical Cyclone Jasper’s catastrophic floods in December 2023.
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OUR KIDS, OUR FUTURE
Top doctors have warned the future of Australian children is at a critical crossroads and in dire need of worldleading medical research to reverse a situation where an entire generation’s health is now, for the first time, worse than their...
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‘I CRIED’: DANCE TEAM’S HUGE PACIFIC CALL UP
A young Cairns dancer and a choreographer have been head hunted to take part in an international dance showcase highlighting the talents of First Nations performers. Sand and Sea dance company founder Caitlin Sands and dance student Lolarose Lyons...
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Digging Deep
About 35 Trinity Anglican School students braved the rain to plant 400 trees in an hour as part of a school environmental challenge. TAS Head of Experiential Learning Darren Osmond said the school, which promotes revegetation, set the challenge after...
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CHANGES IN LATITUDES, PARTY ATTITUDES
Parrotheads will flock to Cairns this weekend, donning tropical shirts and raising margaritas for a good cause. The Barbary Coasters, led by Nikki Lowmass and Vance Fahey, are expecting at least 200 fans of Jimmy Buffett at the Yorkeys Knob Boating...
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GILLS AND THRILLS
Footage of two keen anglers using high-tech gear to reel in a 2m lemon shark in front of hundreds of onlookers at Rex Smeal Park in Port Douglas on Sunday has gone viral. The crowd cheered the teens on while they wrestled the shark for 45 minutes...
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TROPICAL DIG FOR RICHES
Miners are working to transform the Far North into a critical minerals powerhouse that supplies the high-tech resources the world needs. While tourism has longbeen the bedrock industry of the region, the mining sector is poised to do some of the heavy...
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‘EXPLOSIONS’ IN BUSH HOME BLAZE
Neighbours say they heard loud explosions before flames consumed a reclusive man’s rainforest home south of Cairns. Police later found a body at the scene, believed to be that of John Dunford, 68, who had lived alone at the Deeral property for more...
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CAPS OFF FOR RECORD GRADUATION
The next generation of pilots, engineers, nurses and educators have graduated from Central Queensland University at a special ceremony at the Cairns Convention Centre. Nearly 200 students graduated from multiple faculties on Wednesday including...
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FASHION THAT NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE
Sustainability and saltwater storytelling underpin Cairns fashion designer Nicole Enoch-Chatfield’s latest collection of one-of-a-kind threads, proving high-end couture can still carry a powerful message. The Yirrganydji and Nughi woman’s timeless...
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JAIL, BUT WHERE?
Three Far North members of the Crisafulli Government are urging their parliamentary colleagues to back new “breach of bail, go to jail” laws for repeat juvenile offenders. “I’ve had enough and I’m sure you’ve had enough,” Mulgrave MP Terry James...
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STAGE SET FOR GUY’S ‘WARM HUG’ TOUR
Celebrating life, love and family is at the heart of Guy Sebastian’s latest album and subsequent tour 100 Times Around the Sun. Speaking to this masthead ahead of his April 24 show at the Cairns Convention Centre, Sebastian admitted this was the first...
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DEATH ROCKS TINY STREET
Shocked neighbours say their street in a “quiet” part of Mareeba has been rattled by the alleged murder of their 54-year-old neighbour. A 34-year-old man has been charged with murder following the woman’s sudden death at the Downs Street home. Police...
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A FERRY BIG BILL TO SWALLOW
Up to $1.8m in damage to the Daintree ferry caused during floods in March is unlikely to be covered under Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. Douglas Shire Council has estimated the damage would cost ratepayers $1.33m for counter disaster...
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SURGERY STALEMATE
Queensland’s Health Minister has hit back at claims his government has been delaying specialist hospital appointments in a bid to slash the Cairns surgery waitlist.
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DIABETES WARRIOR, 10, BECOMES CITY’S TOP FUNDRAISER
Ten-year-old Kennedy Costa has become the city’s leading fundraiser for Type 1 diabetes research, raising thousands of dollars after being diagnosed with the auto-immune condition three years ago. Team Kennedy raised more than $3000 to help find a...
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Cairns Songkran Festival brings colour, delicious food and unity to Thai New Year activities
A period of blessings and renewal for the Thai community was joyfully shared with all of Cairns at a Songkran Festival celebration marking Thai New Year. Cairns Thai Community Association president Prapasiri Techa said she estimated between 1000 and...
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FAMILYFOCUSED MARKETS
Cairns is getting a new way to shop local with the launch of The Happy Market, a roaming twilight pop-up to support small businesses rather than big corporations. It will pop up once or twice a month, with the first event at the Cairns Jockey Club on...
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FUN IN THE SUN AHEAD OF RAIN NEXT WEEK
Australians now have a faster, easier way to protect themselves from scammers, with the launch of a real-time “verify call” feature in the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) app. The tool allows users to confirm, within 30 seconds, whether a call...
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NEW LAWS, SAME CRIME ISSUE
A verified explosion in armed robberies and car thefts have vindicated Far Northerners who for months have cast doubt over the impact of the LNP’s Adult Crime, Adult Time laws. As the state government spruiks a statewide drop in youth offending,...
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WALK ON THE WILD SIDE
Families have taken advantage of free activities in the Cairns CBD at the start of the school holidays. From local families to international holiday-makers, young families have an abundance of free, fun, interactive activities to choose from. English...
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WET SEASON WILD CARD
Weather weary North Queenslanders will be keeping a watchful eye on the development of Tropical Cyclone Maila, expected to strengthen to a Category 3 system. Despite a convoluted start to its journey, forecasters expect the slowmoving storm to track...
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BURNT BODY FOUND IN FIRE
The tight-knit Tablelands community of Dimbulah has been rocked by a gruesome discovery, with police alleging a 37-yearold man murdered his 70-year-old relative before attempting to burn his body in a backyard fire.
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GRADS CELEBRATE YEARS OF HARD WORK
After swapping the emergency department for 4am study sessions, an ex-nurse has finished her degree, celebrating her graduation from James Cook University with 250 peers at the Cairns Convention Centre. Mum-of-two Kylie Ferrier, who graduated with a...
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‘I KILLED MY BEST MATE’
Six weeks before he was supposed to be best man at his friend’s wedding, farm worker Thomas Carter killed his mate in a drunken car accident that ‘catastrophically’ changed dozens of lives irreparably, including those of the two very young sons who...
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SMASHING THE WORLD STAGES
Two of Cairns’ rising tennis stars have joined forces in training while back home in Far North Queensland as they chase their dreams on the national and international stages. Wheelchair tennis player Ben Wenzel, 18, and 12-yearold Vanessa Fitzgerald,...
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JOURNEY TO WORLD MUSIC AWARD
Djabugay and Western Yalanji artist Djawarray earns a world music nomination for his song about a man’s journey through country, which is both a love letter to his community and a way to share their culture broadly.
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RAIL SHUT DOWN RISKS FNQ EASTER SHORTAGE
Far North parents are being warned they might have to explain why the Easter bunny didn’t visit this year, as a crippling nine-day rail shutdown threatens to strip local supermarket shelves bare. It’s estimated that around 45 freight trains from...
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70 NEW UNITS
A six-storey apartment block at Trinity Park looks set to be rubber-stamped to deliver 70 new homes to the Cairns northern beaches. Cairns Regional Council officers have recommended approving the Trinity Residence twin towers at the corner of Reed...
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PREFAB POD FIASCO
A $426 million social housing mega project at the old Woree drive-in site has descended into a demolition zone, with heavy machinery moving in to dismantle modular pods so badly damaged they are now being sent to landfill. The development, initially...
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CLEAN UP TO BE COSTLY
Wild waves and tides have devastated Cairns beaches with damage potentially exceeding $1m, leaving footpaths hanging and roads buried under sand. Cairns deputy mayor Brett Olds, who inspected the damage at the weekend, said Clifton Beach and Palm Cove...
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REEF TRIP FUNDING
New $10 million fund paves way for students to visit the greatest classroom on earth.
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NARELLE DANGER LOOMS
Cape York towns are bracing for catastrophic winds of more than 250km/h as Tropical Cyclone Narelle explodes into a Category 5 monster. Forecasters expect the ‘very destructive’ system to cross the coast near Coen, north of Cooktown, on Friday...
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CITY TURNS GREEN
A sea of green flooded Cairns City on St Patrick’s Day as hundreds of residents swarmed PJ O’Brien’s to knock back 60 kegs of Guinness. Cairns punters flocked to the Irish pub on Lake Street for the allday celebrations, including Irish breakfasts with...
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‘YOU TOOK HIS LIFE’
A father has been jailed for 14 years for the death of his “defenceless and vulnerable” five-year-old son. Jason Ross Allan Fourmile (pictured above) was sentenced on Monday for the manslaughter of his son, Caiden, at a Yarrabah house. The Cairns...
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‘NOT HEAVY’ ENOUGH
The Bureau of Meteorology says an overnight downpour that caused flash flooding across the Far North did not meet its warning threshold. It comes as two people were rescued from their cars and Cairns residents woke up to level 4 water restrictions on...
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ONE-OF-A-KIND KEEPSAKES
Tourists can take home a one-of-a-kind piece of Cairns after visiting Norman Miller’s shopfront on Lake St. The Indigenous artist began the Munganbana Reef and Rainforest Aboriginal Art Gallery at his home 30 years ago. He’s spent the last seven...
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DAD’S 2AM WAKE-UP CALL
A Djabugay man’s devastating brain tumour diagnosis has sparked a powerful message urging men to seek medical help earlier, with the community rallying behind him with a $30,000 fundraising campaign. Long-time Cairns resident Tim Wason, described as a...
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FALLS OF FEAR
A camping trip to find glow worms at Barron Falls turned into a terrifying fight for survival when three Far North Queensland teenagers were trapped by raging floodwaters and nearly drowned. Reon Namba, 16, Amber Kukulies, 14, and Jacob Tait, 16, said...
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LANTERN FESTIVAL SHINES BRIGHT
Celebrations for the Year of the Horse have been reined in following almost a month of festivities marking the Chinese New Year. Chinese heritage in Far North Queensland dates back to the 1800s and this year’s celebrations kicked off with a...
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LIFETIME OF GRACE
Cairns has celebrated the region’s most inspiring women as part of International Women’s Day celebrations at Cairns Central Shopping Centre on Saturday March 7. The award ceremony is part of the region’s annual IWD and C150 celebrations, to...
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$150 COULD HAVE SAVED DEAN’S LIFE
The wife of a tourist who fell to his death at a Daintree zipline broke down in tears as an inquest heard all 120 nuts holding it up were dangerously loose. The inquest also heard that if a $150 wrench had been used in maintenance the accident never...
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LAKE BRAVERY HONOUR
A young diver who recovered a man’s body from the bottom of Lake Tinaroo in difficult conditions has received a state award for his bravery. Cairns man Shaun Whitmore (left), who has been recognised for his exceptional courage, used his own diving...
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COUNT YOUR TREASURE
If you’ve ever dreamed of owning your own pirate ship, now is the time to start counting your treasure. The iconic authentic Chinese junk, Shaolin, is looking for a new captain after sailing the high seas around Port Douglas as a tourist boat under...
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BIG ENERGY, BOLD MOVES
Even those of us with two left feet can learn to Bollywood dance like the stars on the big screen thanks to a local cultural group organising professional classes. GOPIO Cairns, a community group of locals of Indian origin, has teamed up with the...
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SEA CLAIMS SPEARO
The diving community is mourning the loss of a young spearfisher who was found dead at the Great Barrier Reef near Port Douglas at the weekend. The 23-year-old man’s body was pulled from the water at Batt Reef, 11km northeast of the resort town, after...
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GIMUY’S GRAND GLOW
The Tanks Art Centre is set to explode with colour and culture this July as the biggest-ever mob of Queensland artists hits the Far North. Tickets are now available for the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF), which will hold its 17th anniversary and...
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POINT ENTRY PAUSE
A showdown is brewing at Taylor Point as the site’s new owner seeks to delay public access to the coastal headland. Developer Audrius Macernis purchased the controversial Trinity Beach site for $7m from tourism identity Robert Prettejohn in 2024...
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SCOOP OF THE TROPICS
Grab your forks, spoons and loosen your belts, because the Far North is officially turning into a food lover’s paradise this April. Tourism Tropical North Queensland will today launch its new Tasting the Tropics event, a month-long party designed to...
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CITY FLEXES ITS MUSCLES
Research has revealed Cairns is one of Queensland’s fittest cities, with residents showing lower chronic disease rates and higher exercise participation than most cities. Research from Net World Sports has found that Cairns is ranked fourth in the...
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