Housed in a restored 1936 landmark heritage building, Cairns Art Gallery is the region's leading gallery, featuring historical and contemporary art made by national and international artists. There is also a permanent collection, showcasing unique history and living cultures of Far North Queensland. Gift shop and cafe are quite pleasant.

Ishiteji, as it's known in Japanese, is No. 51 of the 88 temples that form the Shikoku Pilgrimage, and you can usually see a few pilgrims in their white garb and cone hats. The main hall and pagoda are built in the architectural style of the Kamakura Period (1192-1333). Behind the temple buildings is a doorway to a dark hole in the mountain which forms the backdrop to Ishite. This leads to a series of tunnels filled with peculiar Buddhist statuary, leading out to an inner courtyard area containing a strikingly modern golden dome.

The Waikiki Aquarium, located right on the shores and run by the nearby university, attempts to recreate diverse tropical Pacific reef habitats to function as home to a number of aquatic species, including some rare fish species from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and the moon jellyfish.