The Arrows Walking Track, right in the center of Cairns. What can I say about this one… set on the outskirts of the Cairns Botanical Gardens, my expectations were high. I imagined traipsing up the side of Mount Whitfield, surround by beautiful flora, looking out towards the Cairns vista. Let me tell you what we saw.

The Arrows walking tracks in Cairns are actually FOUR walking tracks. You begin on the Red Track, which will take you up to the lookout over the Cairns Airport. You then cross the Blue Track to get onto the Yellow Track… which takes you to a car park. The Blue Arrow Walking Track is the longest, the Green Track joins off the Blue Track, and it got just too damn hot, so we only did the first two. Here’s a map!

The Arrows Red Walking Track

So let’s begin. The Red Track is a WHOLE heap of uphill… which makes sense, as it’s on Mount Whitfield. Upshot is that it’s very short – only 1.5kms. The track is a lot of stairs, or slight inclines, surrounded by lush greenery. As you ascend your surrounds get drier and drier… but not that dry. You are in Tropical North Queensland after all.

You eventually reach a small flat lookout where you can watch the planes coming and going. It’s actually pretty cool place to hang out. Matt loved it, he loves planes. I would rate the Arrows Red Track a solid 7 out of 10.

The Arrows Yellow Walking Track

The Yellow Track starts with a heap of uphill, levels off and then heads back downhill. At the bottom you reach a small creek and then a car park. You then have to turn around and do it all again. There’s something about walking back on the same track that I hate. I prefer a circuit. The terrain is uneven and rocky, so you have to watch your step, especially on the steep sections. The Arrows Yellow track is a little longer at 2kms. There’s not really much else I can say out this hike. Solid 3 out of 10.

So there you have it, that’s the Arrows Walking Tracks in Cairns. I would recommend the short Red Walking Track, but give the Yellow Walking Track. There are other hikes around Cairns that are much more enjoyable! And if walking isn’t your thing, just go for a day trip!