Cairns was a tropical coastal country town that has become an international tourist mecca. Many visitors are attracted by the tropical climate and the migrating birds that flock to the rich feeding grounds along the tidal flats of Trinity Inlet. When the tide retreats however, the muddy flats stretching for 800 metres present a disappointing image.
A design competition was held in 1998 to overcome this problem without destroying the bird habitat, and to establish a safe swimming lagoon free of box jellyfish and crocodiles.
Landscape Architecture
Urban design
Planning
RAIA, AILA, PIA Award Winner
In the winning design by Tract and Cox Rayner Architects, a curved seawall at one end of the long esplanade creates a raised lagoon - functioning like a ha-ha - so that even when the tide is out there is water in the bay.
Along the new boardwalk, 6 to 8 metres wide, people walk, jog, cycle, birdwatch or relax by the waterfront. Nodes from the boardwalk extend back into the town, helping to revitalise the town centre with new activities and direct visual links to the bay.
