Walk Cairns along the Esplanade
Cairns is a tropical city between the Great Barrier Reef and the rainforest, with a long seafront esplanade and a lagoon pool. FOG keeps the map dark until you walk it, and the esplanade is the line to start with.
The Esplanade
The Cairns Esplanade runs along the waterfront for a few kilometres, with a boardwalk over the mudflats, where birds feed at low tide. The Esplanade Lagoon is a big free saltwater pool by the sea.
The Marlin Marina and the Reef Fleet Terminal, at the south end, are where boats leave for the reef. The Pier and the marina have restaurants.
The city
The centre is a small grid of low buildings with night markets. The Cairns Botanic Gardens, a few kilometres north, have tropical plants and a walking track up Mount Whitfield behind them, with views over the city.
The Esplanade boardwalk is the best place to see the birds, and the city is the starting point for trips to the reef and the rainforest.
Heat and water
Cairns is hot and humid most of the year, with a wet season from December to April. The dry season, from May to October, is the best time to walk.
Saltwater crocodiles and stingers live in the waters around Cairns, so swim in the lagoon, not the sea.
Background walking, private by design
FOG reveals the map with the screen off. Turn on background exploring and every street you cover in Cairns clears on its own, whether you were sightseeing or just walking back from the shops. On Android a notification stays up while it runs, so you always know it is on.
Your trail is processed and stored only on the device. There is no account and nothing is uploaded, ever. Export a GPX backup from Settings so the map survives a lost phone. Ranks, gear for your character and a monthly and yearly logbook all grow out of the same walking, and the basics are free.
Questions people actually ask
Can you swim at the Cairns Esplanade?
Yes, in the Esplanade Lagoon, a free saltwater pool by the sea.
When is the best time to visit Cairns?
The dry season, from May to October.
Does FOG work for running and cycling too?
Yes. It clears fog for walking, running and riding, anywhere on Earth, in the same way.
Start with a dark map.
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