Water play and swimming for kids in Cairns & Tropical North Queensland

Things to doRainy dayPlaygroundsToiletsEat with kids
15 places to cool off across the region: water parks, pools, beaches, lakes and swimming spots, nearest first from Cairns. Choose your suburb at the top to sort from where you are staying.

Everything on the map

Over the border

Tennant Creek & the Barkly →Katherine & the Daly →Outback Queensland →Townsville →
Nearest first, from Cairns

Waterfalls, lakes and swimming

Cairns Esplanade Lagoon
Swimming spot
Cairns Esplanade Lagoon
under 5 min
Photo: Alex Monckton, CC BY-SA 3.0
Swimming spot illustration
Swimming spot
The Rocks Swimming Hole
about 10 min
Water park illustration
Water park
Cairns Aqua Park (Cairns Wake Park)
Smithfield
about 15 min
Tickets
Crystal Cascades
Waterfall
Crystal Cascades
If you swim, check the safety signs and conditions on the day, and stay with the children.
about 15 min
Photo: djcupitt, CC BY-SA 2.0
Water park illustration
Water park
SugarWorld
Edmonton
about 20 min
Over 30 minutes
from Cairns
Lake Barrine
Lake
Lake Barrine
about 45 min
Photo: Sheba_Also 43,000 photos, CC BY-SA 2.0
Babinda Boulders
Swimming spot
Babinda Boulders
If you swim, check the safety signs and conditions on the day, and stay with the children.
about 55 min
Photo: Sheba_Also 43,000 photos, CC BY-SA 2.0
Pool illustration
Pool
Babinda Pool
Babinda
about 55 min
Josephine Falls
Waterfall
Josephine Falls
If you swim, check the safety signs and conditions on the day, and stay with the children.
about 1 hr
Photo: Sheba Also 18 Million Views, CC BY-SA 2.0
Ellinjaa Falls
Waterfall
Ellinjaa Falls
If you swim, check the safety signs and conditions on the day, and stay with the children.
about 1 hr 15
Photo: Frank Wittig, CC BY 2.0
Millaa Millaa Falls dropping over dark basalt columns into a green pool, framed by rainforest
Waterfall
Millaa Millaa Falls
If you swim, check the safety signs and conditions on the day, and stay with the children.
about 1 hr 15
Photo: Little Places
Over 1½ hours
from Cairns
Pool illustration
Pool
Mission Beach Aquatic Centre
Mission Beach
about 2 hr
Water park illustration
Water park
Splash N' Dunk
Wongaling Beach
about 2 hr

Big playgrounds

Big playground illustration
Big playground
Muddys Playground
Cairns City
Cairns Esplanade splash playground: water play, flying fox, rope bridge, slides, mouse wheel and an all-abilities Liberty Swing; open 9am-7pm daily, cafe and toilets.
under 5 min
Big playground illustration
Big playground
Centenary Lakes Nature Play
Edge Hill
Nature play beside Freshwater Lake (Greenslopes Street): dinosaur bones to dig up, ropes, play huts to build, fairy garden, tunnels, balance logs and a digging patch.
under 5 min

Also in this region, more than 4 hours from Cairns

Georgetown (about 4 hr 45): Georgetown Library
Croydon (about 6 hr 45): Croydon Public Library
Coen (about 7 hr 30): Coen Library
Pormpuraaw (about 8 hr 30): Pormpuraaw Indigenous Knowledge Centre
Normanton (about 8 hr 45): Normanton Library
Karumba (about 9 hr): Karumba Library
Aurukun (about 10 hr): Aurukun Indigenous Knowledge Centre
Rocky Point (about 10 hr 45): Hibberd Library
Burketown (about 11 hr 15): Burketown Shire Library, Burketown Visitors Centre and Museum
Injinoo (about 13 hr): Injinoo Indigenous Knowledge Centre
New Mapoon (about 13 hr): New Mapoon Indigenous Knowledge Centre
Seisia (about 13 hr): Seisia Indigeneous Knowledge Centre
Keriri Island (about 13 hr 45): Hammond Island Indigenous Knowledge Centre
Thursday Island (no road: fly to Horn Island, then a short ferry): Green Hill Fort Museum, Torres Shire Municipal Library
Drive times are estimated from the distance, so treat them as a guide. Tap a card for the full page.
Region boundary: ABS Tourism Regions 2021 (Tourism Research Australia), CC BY 4.0. Outings from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and venues' own listings; nature spots from OpenStreetMap and park services.