What is on, what is shut, and what has changed around Cairns and the Far North this week. We publish this every Monday, and top it up midweek when something moves. If you spot something we have missed, tell us.
On this week
- Stratford Sounds, Saturday 12 September. More than 30 artists across seven venues in Stratford Village, free entry. Our write-up: Stratford Sounds.
- Mission Beach All Stars, opening Friday 11 September. A collective exhibition of the Mission Beach creative community, curated by Bernard KC.
- Passport to Airlie, Sunday 13 September, Tank 5 at Tanks Arts Centre.
- Tropical Art Deco Festival, Innisfail, 16 to 20 September. Fashion parades, shire hall tours and guided art deco walks. Background: why Innisfail looks the way it does.
- Vika and Linda, Friday 18 September, Tanks Arts Centre. Same night, the ENERGY 2026 exhibition launches in Tank 4.
- Tiki Taane, Saturday 19 September, Tanks Arts Centre.
More in our festivals and events calendar and the Tanks and CPAC season guide.
Roads and getting around
- QSuper Cardiac Challenge, Saturday 19 September. One-lane road closures through Mareeba Shire. Worth knowing if you are driving the Tablelands that day.
- Mareeba CBD roadworks. Council has flagged congestion on Walsh Street and Constance Street around Rankin Street.
- Kuranda Range night closures continue, 9pm to 4am Sunday to Thursday, until 24 September. Detail: Kuranda Range night closures.
- Daintree ferry. Expect queues while the four-lane approach works are under way. See what to expect at the ferry.
- Daintree boat ramp. The floating walkway is being rebuilt through to about December, and the ramp stays open with occasional short partial closures. See the walkway rebuild.
Parks, tracks and swimming
- Planned burns. Queensland Parks has a run of burn closures across the Tablelands and Wooroonooran through the first half of September, including Goldsborough Valley and the Goldfield trail, Atherton Forest Mountain Bike Park, Tully Falls, Hallorans Hill and Little Mulgrave. Barron Gorge has burn operations running to 20 September. Always check park alerts the morning you go.
- Bartle Frere. The western trailhead access road closure has been extended to 28 September.
- Smithfield Conservation Park. Access restrictions on the Panguna Ridge trail until 17 September.
- Goldsborough Valley. No tap water and the emergency public phone is out of order, both until 19 October. Carry your own water.
- Babinda Pool is open again after its winter closure, but weekdays only, and it shuts between 11am and 1pm. Detail: Babinda Pool hours.
- Josephine Falls. The viewing platforms and swimming area close from 2 November through to 28 February, so you have until then.
Before swimming anywhere in the region, read our swimming safety guide.
New and worth knowing
- Ellis Beach has a new surf club. The new clubhouse opened on 6 September, finally on the beach side of the highway. See the new Ellis Beach surf club.
- Jetstar suspends Christchurch to Cairns from 24 October. If you have friends or family flying over from the South Island, they will need to connect. See what it means.
- Tully visitor information centre has stopped operating as an accredited centre. Mission Beach still has one. See planning without the yellow i.
- A very rare bird turned up on the Esplanade mudflats in August, believed only the second common redshank recorded in Queensland. See birdwatching on the Esplanade.
Coming up
- Savannah in the Round, Mareeba, 8 to 11 October. Book accommodation now if you are going. See getting there from Cairns.
- Yidinji Gala Dinner, “Celebrating Gimuy 60, 150 Years”, Cairns Convention Centre, 30 October.
- T20 Cairns Gold Clash, Cazalys Stadium, 22 November. See the Gold Clash.
- The new Esplanade Ferris wheel is expected to arrive in December, replacing the temporary one currently running. See the Ferris wheel changeover.
Compiled from Cairns Regional Council and Mareeba Shire Council notices, Queensland Parks alerts, Ticketlink, Tanks Arts Centre, the Cairns Convention Centre, Cairns Local News, Newsport Daily, The Express, The Observer and ABC Far North. Dates and closures change, so check the source before you build a day around one.
