The many attractions of Cairns >>

For many people the trip to Cairns is all about tropical beaches and the rainforest, which of course means the danger of stingers and crocodiles. Few people would be aware that Australia’s largest commercial crocodile farm is located in Cairns.

 

For almost 20 years Australian Crocodile Traders have been producing Saltwater Crocodile leather goods. Success in this field led them to purchase its suppliers of crocodile skins, and in 1993 they began farming crocodiles in Gordonvale (a suburb of Cairns) at the Cairns Crocodile Farm. The Farm now has two sites, having added another in the Northern Territory. Cairns Crocodile Farm is now the world’s largest producer of first grade saltwater crocodile skins and meats. It has developed to become an industry leader in innovation and technology.

 

For those interested in conservation the partnership between Cairns Crocodile Farm and the Mulgrave Central Mill is an interesting story. The Farm is a locally owned and operated business, but found that their ability to expand was limited by the need to provide more warm water for the ponds during the colder winter months. They found that rather than invest in a new boiler they could use the warm water that was produced by the local sugar mill. Even in the first month of piping water from the mill excellent results were seen. Production rates significantly increased and the Mill water has replaced the six million litres of bore water that was previously used each week. There have also been reductions in the on-farm energy usage as the water arrives at 40 degrees.

 

For the visitor Cairns Habitat Cruises offer three-hour, or half-day interpretative cruises of the Trinity Inlet, whilst including a visit to the Cairns Crocodile Farm. The tour offers you a close up view of hundreds of estuarine crocodiles, as well as an informative commentary about crocodiles and this relatively unknown but fascinating industry. The tour offers more though as the coach journey takes you through the sugar cane fields just south of Cairns, and enables you to enjoy the variety of water and wading birds which have adopted the lagoons of the farm as their home.

 

The tour aboard the M.V. Habitat Explorer, a modern air-conditioned 14 metre catamaran, offers something for everyone.

The many attractions of Cairns >>