One of the best ways to get around north Queensland is to pick up a rental car in Cairns and use it to explore the region. There’s plenty of exciting things to do in and around Cairns and with sealed roads and a luxury car hire for the duration of your trip – slipping behind the wheel and taking to the road is always a pleasure.
So what will you do? How will you spend your time here? Some people come for the sunshine, beaches, surf, diving, fishing and water activities. Others come for the rainforest, ecotourism, wildlife, bird watching, fishing and so on. Yet others come because they love hiring a luxury rental car and exploring new areas and meeting new people in the Cairns area.
Regardless of the main reason for being in Cairns, many people love visiting the local Art & Craft Galleries. This could just be because it’s raining or because they want to learn more about the culture in north Queensland. So if you’re ready to point your car hire in the direction of northern culture, check out Part 1 in our two part series on Art & Craft Galleries in and around Cairns.
As the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns is a popular starting point for most tourists in north Queensland. It offers a wonderful warm climate all year round with easy access to both the Daintree rainforest and the beaches, islands and Barrier Reef. To help you find out more about the local art and cultural scene, here’s our pick of the best Arts & Crafts Galleries in Cairns.
Located at the corner of Abbott and Shields Street in the CBD, Cairns Art Gallery is housed in one of the few remaining Heritage buildings in Cairns. It’s the premier destination for many historical and contemporary exhibits and admission is free.
From Cairns Art Gallery, it’s just a short 10 minute drive in your car hire to Tanks Art Centre on Collins Avenue. Transformed from a collection of WWII oil tanks into an art exhibition venue and set amidst a lush rainforest backdrop, Tanks Art Centre mainly focuses on local artists, whether visual art or music.
A pleasant 30 minute drive in your luxury rental car from Cairns brings you to the Kuranda Arts Co-op located in Coondoo Street, Kuranda. It’s organised by local artists to showcase their products and offers paintings, ceramics, prints, metal work, glass and jewellery.
Whether it’s your destination or you’re just passing through on your trip to Port Douglas, Palm Cove is a delightful resting spot for busy tourists. With its village-like atmosphere, tropical palm trees, white sand beaches and cobalt blue ocean, Palm Cove is paradise!
It’s just a 25 minute drive north of Cairns in your rental car along the Captain Cook HWY to Palm Cove.
Colloquially known as the Village Gallery, it’s actually the Ian Stephens Fine Art Gallery and is located on Williams Esplanade. As one of Australia’s most established artists, Ian’s artworks are of the highest quality and make a beautiful addition to any home.
Just over an hour’s drive north from Cairns in your hire car and 40 minutes from Palm Cove is the tourist destination of Port Douglas. With easy access to the Great Barrier Reef, Port Douglas offers a balmy topical climate, beautiful beaches and a range of quality accommodation. Port Douglas is a true paradise!
Located in Wharf Street, the Australian and Oceanic Art Gallery focuses on contemporary art from both indigenous and non-indigenous Australian artists. They provide limited edition prints for sale from some of the most collectable artists in north Queensland.
A short distance from Trinity Bay Lookout finds you at Studio 49 Artisan Gallery on Murphy Street. Located in Port Douglas’ oldest historic building (built in 1878), this small gallery focuses on contemporary and traditional paintings, sculptures, mosaics and jewellery, and they sell a great cup of coffee in their café!
If you’re interested in high-end Indigenous Art, then you can’t go past the Ngarru Gallery on Macrossan Street. Their collection includes a diverse range of artifacts, including sculptures, weavings, didgeridoos and much more.
Just a short 8 minute drive from Port Douglas’ CBD in your Cairns rental car brings you to Gallery 8, located on Ribbon Avenue. This small gallery offers the works of local artist, John Cooper and it’s well worth a visit if you love bright and colourful artworks!
Just a 2 minute stroll from the Australian and Oceanic Art Gallery brings you to the Lyons Gallery on Wharf Street. Focussing on modern art photography, pop art, urban art and unique celebrity images, Lyons Gallery is a high-end, fine art venue that’s definitely worth a visit.
Look out for Part 2 in our series of the Best Art & Craft Galleries in North Queensland!
To find out more about luxury car rental in Cairns, contact us today on 0447 809 899.
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