Before you depart
Travel and Health Insurance
The Conference does not provide insurance to delegates. We strongly recommend that you take out insurance policies to cover medical and travel expenses. If necessary, consult your travel agent.
Sustainable Travel
Bring Your Own - Coffee Cup
Coffee and other hot beverage cups are estimated to be the second largest contributor to litter after plastic bottles. This AusACPDM, remember to bring your own reusable coffee cup.
Every day, Australians throw out 2.7 million single-use, disposable coffee cups. This adds up to 1 billion cups per annum and around 60,000kg of plastic waste per annum (Clean Up Australia, 2022).
Bring Your Own - Water Bottle
Single use plastics persist in the environment for hundreds of years, harming wildlife, the environment, and our health. This AusACPDM, remember to bring your own reusable water bottle. The Cairns Convention Centre has free water refill stations throughout the venue.
Australians purchase almost 15 billion plastic bottles of water per year. Sadly, 12% of plastic bottles wind up in the environment and 53% of them are disposed of in landfills, adding to the 130,000,000kg of plastic that enter Australia’s marine environment each year (WWF, Plastic Revolution to Reality 2020).
Pack Light
Most of us who are planning to attend in person will need to fly to Cairns. Packing light (even only hand luggage?) instead of packing heavy suitcases makes a difference. Cairns in the middle of the year has a very stable temperature, with an average low of 17 overnight and a top of 26 during the day, leave the winter woolies behind!
Sustainable Accommodation
As many of us will be requiring accommodation in Cairns, it’s important to consider the impact your accommodation choice may have on the environment. All the accommodation options selected by the conference have been selected based on their proximity to the conference centre (walking/wheeling) and their sustainability practices.
Sustainable and Ethical Dining
Whether you’re eating at home or dining out with colleagues and new friends during AusACPDM, you have a footprint. Choosing foods from local producers and that are in-season are key to minimising your footprint. You can also choose restaurants who have a commitment to sourcing sustainable food, minimising packaging and food waste, reducing water usage and more. We have provided a list of local restaurants, bars, cafes, and grocery stores to help you while you’re enjoying your stay in Cairns, please visit the Sustainable Restaurants in Cairns website page.
Sustainable adventures
Whether it’s looking to get out in nature, plunging deep into the Great Barrier Reef, or looking for something a little more challenging, remember to use reputable providers that will ensure your impact on the surrounding environment is reduced; leave no trace, and be mindful of sticking to trails to reduce trampling of native vegetation or displacing small wildlife. We will provide a list of sustainable and ethical tourism operators within Cairns and the surrounding region closer to our meeting date.
https://www.tropicalnorthqueensland.org.au/plan-your-trip/sustainable-travel/
Walking/Wheeling, E-Bikes or Public Transport
When selecting accommodation and dining options, think about the proximity. By walking or taking public transport you will be reducing your impact on the environment each time. Our recommendations for accommodation and dining are all in walking/wheeling distance of the CCC.
What to pack
Climate
Cairns is a beautiful tropical location that has a reputation for its warm and humid weather. A tip for any visitor is to be prepared for anything. August, temperatures are still low with the monthly average temperature at 22°C. The highest temperature for August is 26°C and the lowest temperature is 18°C. With Cairns being a tropical location there is always a chance of rain, so please pack accordingly.
Transport from the airport
The Conference does not provide any transfers from the airport to Conference Hotels. All delegates must make their own transport arrangements from the airport.
Public Buses and Transfers
Excellence Coaches offers local Shuttle Bus transport to/from Port Douglas, Cairns CBD and Northern Beaches.
Car Rental
There are a range of car hire providers at Cairns Airport. The car hire companies’ desks are located in the Arrivals Hall area.
Taxi
The Taxi Rank is located outside of the Terminal, simply follow the signage inside the terminal. To purchase a ticket on arrival, please visit the shuttle bus desk located in arrivals.
T1 International Terminal
Excellence Coaches
Phone: 04754 57320
Website: https://www.excellencecoaches.com
T2 Domestic Terminal
Excellence Coaches
Phone: 04754 57320
Website: http://www.excellencecoaches.com
Accommodation Transfers
Many accommodation providers in the region operate their own courtesy coach service to and from the airport. Contact them directly for more information.
Taxis
Cairns Taxis provides passenger transport service throughout the Cairns taxi district. As well as the central business district, this covers the coastal area generally from Ellis Beach to the north to Wrights Creek, just south of Edmonton.
Best contact number: 07 4048 8311
Accessible Public Transport
TransLink’s public bus service, Sunbus, which includes new electric buses, operates throughout the city of Cairns, running from the northern beaches to the southern suburbs via the Lake Street bus terminal (located between Shields and Aplin streets).
Many buses are accessible for travellers using mobility aids and other passengers with a disability. To help you plan your journey, Translink’s website contains general information about public transport accessibility for people with a disability.
For the latest public transport information including bus routes, fares and bus service updates, visit the TransLink Cairns website, download the free MyTransLink app to your smartphone, or phone 13 12 30. https://translink.com.au/cairns
Accessible Cairns
The Accessible Cairns: Access for All Directory helps locals and visitors with a disability, as well as their family, friends, carers and support workers, to plan their trip to and access services around the Cairns region. Please view the City of Cairns website for further information.