What to know about Cairns
- The Cairns urban area had 153,425 people at the 2021 Census, with a median age of 39.Source: ABS 2021 Census QuickStats
- By our count, about 25.9% of people in the Cairns urban area were aged 20 to 39 in 2021.Source: ABS 2021 Census QuickStats
- In 2021, 57.9% of employed people in the Cairns urban area drove a car to work and 2.4% walked.Source: ABS 2021 Census QuickStats
- Cairns Regional Council's draft Aquatic Facilities Strategy names Tobruk Memorial Pool as a place to enhance and expand fitness opportunities, with short-term improvements targeted by 2027, subject to funding.Source: Have Your Say Cairns - Cairns Aquatic Facilities Strategy: Tobruk Memorial Pool
- Consultation on the draft Cairns Aquatic Facilities Strategy closed on 30 April 2026, and the final strategy is expected to go to Council late in 2026.Source: Have Your Say Cairns - Cairns Aquatic Facilities Strategy
Young, busy and in the car
Census figures put 153,425 people in the Cairns urban area in 2021, and the median age was 39. Roughly one in four, about 25.9% by our count, were aged 20 to 39. Expect the 6am and after-work slots to be the busy ones, and ask each gym to show you the floor at the hour you plan to come. Start before sunrise? Ask whether the doors open before your shift and whether staff are on site then.
Most people drive. In 2021, 57.9% of employed people drove to work and 2.4% walked. A gym that sits on your commute will get used. One across town that needs a special trip often will not.
Council pools: plans, not promises
Cairns Regional Council has a draft Aquatic Facilities Strategy. It names Tobruk Memorial Pool as a place to enhance and expand fitness opportunities, with short-term improvements targeted by 2027, subject to funding. Woree Sports and Aquatic Centre is listed for medium-term works by 2031, also subject to funding, including more shade over its 50-metre pool.
Consultation closed on 30 April 2026. The final strategy is expected to go to Council late in 2026, and the council says no decision has been made. So pick a gym on what exists now, not on what a draft might deliver.
If you change your mind
Cancel a new Queensland gym membership in writing within the cooling-off period and the fitness provider must refund any money you paid in advance. The refund has to reach you within 14 days (Queensland Government).
- Get a written record of anything you pay at sign-up.
- Note on your phone the moment you put pen to paper.
- No refund after 14 days? Follow it up in writing and keep copies.
Match the gym to the goal
Want to lift with a coach watching? Look at strength and conditioning. Want a fixed timetable and a crowd? Try group classes. Want a key fob and your own plan? A plain gym membership does the job. Not sure which fits? Say so on the form.
InterFit does not run a gym. We pass your enquiry to one local business, which may pay us for the referral. Start here.
Cairns gym questions
Will Tobruk Memorial Pool get more fitness facilities?
The council's draft strategy talks about expanding fitness opportunities there, subject to funding, and no final decision has been made. Ask the pool what it offers today.
Do you take enquiries from Palm Cove and Gordonvale?
Yes. Enquiries from anywhere around Cairns are welcome. We send each one to a single gym close to the suburb you give us.