Cairns · Month comparison

November vs July

July ranks #1 overall vs November at #9. Peak season — the best reef conditions of the year with Australian and international visitors at maximum

Cairns Esplanade in November with wet season clouds building

November

#9 of 12 months

Worth considering

Pre-wet season — humid, hot and with stingers returning; the least advisable month to visit

  • ↑Reef trips still possible; conditions not yet at their worst
  • ↑Great Barrier Reef coral spawning (November) — a rare and spectacular phenomenon
Great Barrier Reef Outer Reef in peak July conditions with coral and fish

July

#1 of 12 months

Best match

Peak season — the best reef conditions of the year with Australian and international visitors at maximum

  • ↑The most reliably excellent conditions: clear skies, flat seas and 30m+ reef visibility
  • ↑Dwarf minke whale encounters (June-July only) unique to the northern Great Barrier Reef
FactorNovemberJuly
Weather score
4
9
Value score
6
4
Crowd score
5
8
Events score
3
5
Atmosphere
5
8
Avg high temp32°C25°C
Monthly rain98mm23mm
Daily sunshine8.5hrs11hrs

November trade-offs

  • ↓Very hot and humid (28–33°C); afternoon thunderstorms becoming daily
  • ↓Box jellyfish season returns fully; open beach swimming requires stinger suits

July trade-offs

  • ↓Maximum crowds; popular reef pontoons at Agincourt can have 200+ visitors simultaneously
  • ↓July school holiday peak: every liveaboard and dive operator fully booked, prices at maximum
See all 12 months for Cairns →November in detail →July in detail →
Scores compare months within Cairns. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →