Is Cairns safe? Australia travel risk
Is Cairns safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Cairns scores 27/100 on our travel risk index (Moderate). The US State Department rates Australia Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions, updated 18 Aug 2026); the UK has no advice against travel; Canada says: exercise normal security precautions. No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Cairns scores 27/100 (Moderate). The score combines security, crime and scams, health and medical access, natural hazards and current alerts measured for this location and Australia (how it is calculated). The sections below are specific to Cairns: nearest emergency and transport facilities, 5-year natural hazard history within 100 km.
Driven by: natural hazards (54/100) and security (23/100).
A score of 27 is higher than the scores of 18% of the 241 countries we cover.
Consult the Australia travel risk page for nationwide security advisories, entry protocols, and consular warnings.
Territorial & Position Context
Cairns belongs to Queensland (Australia), centered at coordinates 16.9200° S, 145.7800° E (7 m above sea level). Distance to Canberra is 2,069.7 km towards the S.
Queensland
16.9200° S, 145.7800° E
7 m
Australia/Brisbane
146,778
Critical Services & Regional Transit
Adjacent Localities in Australia
Natural Hazard Calendar & History
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Wildfires | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Tropical Cyclones | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Most wildfire events within 100 km of Cairns happened in October (4 of 13 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the Australia travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the Australia entry requirements.
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