© Cairns Backpackers Guide 2013
Cairns Backpackers Guide
In Cairns you are spoilt for fishing choices. You can either throw you line anywhere into
the calm mangrove waters of Trinity Inlet or you can go all the way out to the reef.
These trips are half day trips either morning or
afternoon (the full day ones are just 2 x half day
trips) that go into the calm waters of the inlet.
Species that are commonly caught include
Fingermark, Mangrove Jack, Queenfish and
Barramundi to name a few. There are many
different companies running the inlet, and they
are all about the same cost, but “Gone Fishing”
has a toilet on board so in our opinion is the one
to go for.
To do a fishing trip on the reef requires a full day due to the distance, and this means it will be
financially out of the range of most backpackers, between $200 and $300 which includes your
lunch and all your equipment. You will be looking to catch trevally, tuna, mackeral and coral
trout just to name a few. You should book well in advance as the trips only run when they get
enough people to go.
Crabbing tours are typically half day adventures
that involve getting on a boat out to the estuarine
waters of Trinity Inlet where you get shown how
to catch crabs on lines. The boats also have
crabbing pots placed along the way which they
use to get enough crabs so that there are enough
crabs for a feed for all on board. Trips cost a little
under $100.
