High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Cairns Taipans are an Australian professional basketball team competing in the Australasian National Basketball League. The club is based in the northern Queensland city of Cairns. The Taipans, named after a species of venomous snake native to Australia, entered the NBL in the 1999/2000 season. The Taipans play at the Cairns Convention Centre, and play in navy and white colours.