Cairns in Summer/Wet Season?

[saximus]

Hey guys I just wanted to find out what people's experiences of Cairns have been like during the wet season? We're thinking of going up to do a live aboard dive trip in January but just worried about the weather and the jellyfish. We've done about four trips up there but all have been in June/July so don't really know what to expect. Thanks in advance

 

[RedFox]

Growing up in cairns, all I can say is don't do it. There is a reason it is called the wet season. On top of that it is stinking hot and humid and the reef will be full of irukandji, which are nice to look at but not something you want to be stung by. Winter is definitely the time to be up there.

 

[saximus]

Cheers man. That's exactly why we've been going up in winter but we missed this year cause of my uni thesis and I'm dying to be under water again and I was always a bit curious about just how bad it was

 

[Emilie]

Living up there for 10 years I have to slightly disagree. You will wear wet suit/stinger suit regardless on the reef, so the irukandji treath is minimal. Water temp is awesome, yes sure it's hot, but not much hotter than Brisvane on a hot day. I love TFNQ in summer and maybe in particular the reef and going to the rainforest. And, best of all there are fare between tourists lol

 

[RedFox]

I know I sounded a bit negative in my first post. It's not all bad. I just don't like the humidity. Cairns in summer is one of those things you have to experience to understand. Sax if you are curious it might be worth giving it a go. Just be warned. I love Cairns in winter and was lucky enough to spend a month up there with mum and dad.

 

[Magpie]

Living up there for 10 years I have to slightly disagree. You will wear wet suit/stinger suit regardless on the reef, so the irukandji treath is minimal. Water temp is awesome, yes sure it's hot, but not much hotter than Brisvane on a hot day. I love TFNQ in summer and maybe in particular the reef and going to the rainforest. And, best of all there are fare between tourists lol

In fact, quite a bit less hot than Brisbane on a hot day. In 5 years there, I still remember the day it hit 34C, Cairns almost came to a stop. Mind you, I was also there the day Cairns recorded it's record high temp of 41 or 42C and I was sleeping in a tent at the time. But in general, it's going to be between 31-33C most of the time in summer and the wet season is great fun if you don't have to live in it.
The water visibility will be poorer but there will be diferent fish around.

 

[scorps]

The reef won't be full of stingers, yeah the occasional one will come through but they arnt everywhere,

If your going diving just wear a thin wetty (was a working dive instructor for years in cairns and still go to the reef weekly)

Thiis time of the year is great out there, waters a lot flatter then during winter (tourist season)

 

[cheekabee]

What about the herps do get alot of them during the wet.

 

[RedFox]

Lots of frogs and you might see a scrubbie. Then of course there are cane toads. Not in Cairns itself but close by you can see a few different lizards and monitor. The thing about the cairns region is it os home to variety of habitats. There is the rainforest and if you go west an hour or two there is bushland which is temperate. At Ravenshoe my parents have a resident goanna.

- - - Updated - - -

Magpie I do not envy you sleeping in a tent on that day. And yes the temp is pretty much around 32 for half the year but the humidity is in the 90s. It is definitely different to being in a 38 degree dry climate.

 

[borntobnude]

we will be in mission beach for xmas as we are every 2 or three years . CYCLONES HOT WET SWARMS of INSECTS apart from that life will go on for every one there as it always does
Cane toads are a plus as long as you bring a golf club , stingers dont play on the reef , Cairns has NO beach and is full of smelly backpackers these days .

having said that we will be there and again in 2 years 8)

 

[slim6y]

In fact, quite a bit less hot than Brisbane on a hot day. In 5 years there, I still remember the day it hit 34C, Cairns almost came to a stop. Mind you, I was also there the day Cairns recorded it's record high temp of 41 or 42C and I was sleeping in a tent at the time. But in general, it's going to be between 31-33C most of the time in summer and the wet season is great fun if you don't have to live in it.
The water visibility will be poorer but there will be diferent fish around.

I was there when they recorded a near record low too... 7.1'C brrrrrrr...

Dan.... Wet season is AWESOME in Cairns... Very humid (as you can imagine)... But, the reef... Depending on the previous day or so weather, can be a bit murky and difficult to see anything.

If you can get a time when there's a few good days in a row then you're sweeeeeeet!

Even for this kiwi, I found it too cold to snorkel when the temp was 25'C!

Stinger suits are great, they do wonders for your figure too

Even if you didn't do the reef there's freakin' heaps to see in the wet season... Dry season is only good for euro-spotting at the lagoon....

 

[borntobnude]

I was there when they recorded a near record low too... 7.1'C brrrrrrr...

Even for this kiwi, I found it too cold to snorkel when the temp was 25'C!
....

And now you would kill for two days that hot in a row

when last there, NZ (easter ) idont think it got over 23 but we swam every day , even in creeks (but that was 31 c )

 

[slim6y]

And now you would kill for two days that hot in a row

when last there, NZ (easter ) idont think it got over 23 but we swam every day , even in creeks (but that was 31 c )

Actually I'm lovin' the distinct seasons - winter was bitter and cold (but could ski), the spring (now) is really changeable, and hot today (I worked up a sweat on the tennis court) and will be cold by tonight... I love that... Cairns... It was either really hot, or effin' hot!

But I do miss the Cairnsian winter... That was pure beautiful!!!

 

[Magpie]

Actually I'm lovin' the distinct seasons - winter was bitter and cold (but could ski), the spring (now) is really changeable, and hot today (I worked up a sweat on the tennis court) and will be cold by tonight... I love that... Cairns... It was either really hot, or effin' hot!

But I do miss the Cairnsian winter... That was pure beautiful!!!

Best thing was that you never had to think about what to wear.
Barefoot, shorts and T in the wet.
Thongs, shorts and T in the dry.

 

[borntobnude]

Best thing was that you never had to think about what to wear.
Barefoot, shorts and T in the wet.
Thongs, shorts and T in the dry.

there's my wardrode sorted for xmas .
thanks Magpie

 

[Renenet]

I arrived in Cairns in December last year and so have one wet season under my belt. It wasn't as bad as I feared. The air is almost as wet as the rain, with over 90% humidity. I can't say anything about jellyfish, but I imagine a stinger suit would sort that out. The only risk is if a cyclone comes through.

My verdict is if you've never been to the tropics during the wet season, it's worth trying it out at least once. You've been diving here a lot during the winter. If it were me, I'd be interested to see how the reef changes in the summer. You'll get herping opportunities you wouldn't get at other times of the year, with a lot of frogs on land.

 

[RedFox]

If you are going in december, Cairns hasn't had a bad cyclone at that time for along time. You might get a cat 1 or 2 but nothing extreme. Everything would be back to normal the next day and at least the air would be clear, plus you would have plenty to talk about when you go home. If you don't see a green tree frog I would be seriously worried. I always found the best part about that time of year is all the scrubbies come out to play. They are gorgeous snakes and are what got me into herps. That being said I still don't like the humidity and am quite happy to give a melbourne summer a go.

 

[Stevo2]

Go diving in Sydney I did my OWC there and did a couple of nice shore dives - Bare Island at La Perouse, and 'The Steps' on the other side of Botany Bay

 

[Chanzey]

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