About Cairns

Cairns is your gateway to discovering the magic of Australia’s true tropics. From Cairns, you can swim among the bright colourful fish and coral in the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, escape to a private tropical island, walk through some of the oldest rainforests on the planet and discover adventure in the diverse environments that make up wonderful Tropical North Queensland. It’s the ultimate destination to enjoy spectacular natural beauty at its absolute best, and to find fun, adventure or relaxation.

Cairns features domestic and international airports so access from around the world is simple. Refer to the General Information section of this website for details of which carriers service Cairns.

Time

Cairns is 10 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Please note there is no daylight savings in Queensland.

Climate

October is spring time in Australia and temperatures vary greatly from the north to the south of the country. Cairns is on the North coast and will be hot at this time so light clothing is advised.

With an average annual maximum temperature of 29°C and 62% humidity. it's one of the most balmy cities in Australia. For most of the year the climate in Cairns is simply perfect: blue skies, warm weather and gentle breezes but there are only two seasons - the wet and the dry.

The dry season runs from June to October with rainfall averaging approximately 35 mm.

Tours

Explore the city on a half day Cairns city sights tour, cruise to the Great Barrier Reef, or experience a taste of Australia's outback on horseback. Visit Kuranda the Village in the Rainforest, get up close and personal with the mighty salt water crocodile at Hartley's Crocodile Adventures, get your day off to an exhilarating start with 30 minute hot air ballooning experience over the tropical Tablelands.

For further information or to book an optional tour please visit http://gp10.standbycairns.com

Dengue fever in Cairns

Dengue fever is a viral disease transmitted by specific mosquitoes and found in most tropical areas of the world including north Queensland, Australia.

There are occasional outbreaks in north Queensland, Australia. On 24 September 2010, Queensland Health announced that a local transmission of dengue fever has been confirmed in Cairns.

The disease can cause a range of symptoms some of which can be severe and patients should seek medical attention for treatment. You must see a doctor as soon as possible, if you develop dengue fever-like symptoms.

Advice to tourists and visitors to north Queensland

(Source: www.health.qld.gov.au/dengue/reduce_risk/advice_tourists.asp)

The only precaution visitors need to take is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. In particular, visitors should:

wear insect repellent, particularly during the day when the dengue mosquito is most active (dusk and dawn)
wear long, loose, light-coloured clothing
use flying insect spray to kill any mosquitoes in rooms
use mosquito coils or plug-in insecticide mats in rooms

Since dengue fever mosquitoes breed in urban environments, the usual tourist activities in north Queensland such as reef and rainforest trips carry a low risk. The risk can be further minimised by staying in screened or air-conditioned accommodation.

For more information, please contact Queensland Health. Visit www.health.qld.gov.au.

How to claim your CPD points

All GP participants need to complete the online evaluation to provide feedback for quality improvement. Once you have completed the evaluation, you will be eligible to claim your category 2 CPD points.

Click here for more info

Key Dates

Abstract Submissions Open	March 2010
Abstract Submissions Close	14 May 2010
Registrations opened	May 2010
Authors notified of acceptance	July 2010
Early Bird Registrations close	Extended to 13 August 2010
Photo competition closes	27 August 2010
Presenter registration deadline	August 2010
GP10	6-9 October 2010