# Cairns (AU CNS)

**UN/LOCODE:** AU CNS  
**Country:** Australia  
**Water Body:** Coral Sea; South Pacific Ocean  
**Harbor Size:** Small  
**Harbor Type:** River (Natural)  
**GPS:** -16.9167, 145.7833

Handling about 1.2 million tonnes and roughly 1,600 vessel calls a year, Cairns works as a multi-purpose regional harbour on Trinity Inlet rather than a container gateway, run by the Queensland Government's Ports North. Its eleven berths handle bulk commodities such as sugar, molasses, silica sand, zinc, fertiliser and petroleum products, alongside project cargo, the fishing fleet and reef passenger ferries. Container shipping is marginal here, so forwarders moving boxes or large volumes should look to Townsville, roughly 350 km south, or to Brisbane. Bunkering is available at Wharves 7, 8 and 10 and by road tanker under supervised procedures. Road links via the Bruce Highway and rail connect the port to North Queensland's cane-growing and mining hinterland. Cairns is also one of Australia's busiest cruise calls, with a dedicated liner terminal beside the city centre.

## Transit Times & Routes

- [Sydney → Shanghai](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/sydney-shanghai)
- [Sydney → Shenzhen](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/sydney-shenzhen)
- [Sydney → Guangzhou](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/sydney-guangzhou)
- [Sydney → Hong Kong](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/sydney-hong-kong)
- [Sydney → Tokyo](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/sydney-tokyo)
- [Sydney → Busan](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/sydney-busan)

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*Freight Academy — Seaport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/cairns-port-au-cns](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/cairns-port-au-cns)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/seaports/en/cairns-port-au-cns](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/seaports/en/cairns-port-au-cns)*

*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/seaports/cairns-port-au-cns/llm-summary?lang=en*