Hi Scott,
My Mum and Dad live in Cairns for 4 months each year to avoid the Sydney winter. Mum suggested whitfield, cairns central, cairns north, edge hill, trinity beach, holloways beach, yorkeys knob, trinity beach as nice suburbs ie not many undesirables live there.
Depends whether you want central Cairns or the beach suburbs.
She also said that most of the suburbs starting with "W" should be avoided.
Cheers,
Crystal