For what you want (to stop half way), Mission Beach or Tully would suit. While they're both synonymous with warm climates, the Great Barrier Reef and rich in . Say sayonara to the city and head 65km north to Paluma Range National Park, the southern gateway to the Wet Tropics World Heritage Rainforest. Join to apply for the Geotechnical Engineer | Cairns or Townsville role at Golder. At Mamu Tropical Skywalk, meander through the rainforest canopy on a raised boardwalk, and climb to the top of the 37m observation tower delivering epic views of the North Johnston River Gorge. Day 2: Magnetic Island No driving Ferries depart and return every hour (optional extra day exploring Charters Towers . How far is it between Cairns and Townsville. While youre there, take a wander round TYTO Regional Art Gallery and the Mini Military Museum at Hinchinbrook Shire library, too. Mission Beach, Queensland Chris McLennan, Tourism and Events Queensland. A variation of the _gat cookie set by Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to allow website owners to track visitor behaviour and measure site performance. Whichever you choose, you can expect a memorable introduction to the worlds largest coral reef, home to more than 3,000 individual reef systems and coral cays, plus hundreds of stunning islands with sun-soaked beaches. Heres where to quench your thirst in Cairns, whether youre a cocktail connoisseur, beer buff, gin junkie or simply love a glass of wine with a view. Allow yourself 3 to 4 hours up and back. If you havent seen a Cassowary during your travels, a trip to Etty Bay should be at the top of your to-do list. This picturesque island boasts tropical rainforest, secluded beaches and spectacular walking trails. An island day tour takes you down the picturesque Hinchinbrook Channel before arriving at Zoe Bay on the islands southeastern side. Head back onto the main drag and continue into Cairns and rest up at one of the many resorts and caravan parks available. For a fittingly European-inspired stay,Villa Veronis a charming bed and breakfast which also hosts an Italian festival every year. In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. Keep an eye out for the Frosty Mango along the Bruce Highway before you reach your final destination of Townsville. Pitch your tent, park your campervan or stay in a cosy cabin just metres away from the beach at Etty Bay Caravan Park. Drive the Great Green Way Tropical Drive between Cairns and Townsville, see high country and amazing waterfalls, spectacular rainforests, quaint towns, picture perfect beaches and expect the unexpected en-route, where nature displays its frivolity with massive vibrant butterflies and huge, colourful, flightless cassowary birds. CNS-TSV is a really nice drive, and 4 hours is about right if your drive sensibly. Back on the road, continue north along the Bruce Highway to return to Cairns, gateway to the islands, rainforest and reef of Tropical North Queensland. exclusive access for offers and promotions, Nandroya Falls, Wallicher Falls and Tchupala Falls, Atherton Tablelands | Wooroonooran National Park. alongside console screenshots of code examples: Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the websites components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website. Hop off Skyrail at the Kuranda terminal, stretch your legs with a stroll around the charming village of Kuranda and thenboard the historic Kuranda Scenic Railwayfor the 60-minute return trip to Smithfield. Cairns to Townsville by bus. who wants the trip to end? Practicalities. 115km. Forget what you've heard, Townsville is just as much a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef as any of its northern neighbours. The test_cookie is set by doubleclick.net and is used to determine if the user's browser supports cookies. RACQ's Trip Planner allows you to find places, get directions or plan your next road trip. Travel NQ You can see it rising from the sugar can fields, a rock pyramid, and it beckons you to climb it and once at the top you have uninterrupted 360 degree views. The direct drive from Cairns to Mackay is 457 mi (735 km), and should have a drive time of 9 hrs 25 mins in normal traffic. Townsville to Charter Towers. If youre not strapped for time, bail on your plans to head north straight away and head out for some island time at Maggies, as shes known by the locals. Spend the day on board a snorkelling and diving cruise of theGreat Barrier Reef. This leads to a Townsville to Cairns driving time of around four hours and four minutes. Next, drive north for an hour to see the sacredBloomfield (Wujal Wujal) Fallswith a guide, and learn about the cultural significance of this area for Indigenous Australians. Drive through the wetlands of Eubenangee Swamp National Park, a bird lovers paradise. Day 9-10. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Looking for ideas for more destinations within driving distance of Cairns? 35 kms south of Port Hinchinbrook on the Bruce Highway, the Hinchinbrook Lookout gives you unforgettable views of the Hinchinbrook Channel. 3,050 km | 21 - 26 days. Its a perfect spot to park the campervan and cool off in crystal clear water amid granite boulders. If you pay for entry into Paronella Park (around $46 per adult) you can stay in their caravan park for free. Pub and club tour. '//pixel.roymorgan.com/stats_v2/Tress.php?u=5tqi9smhs3&ca=20004853&a=daw1nwh3&cb=' + cachebuster; When is the best time to visit Australia? Paluma Range National Park. There are five flights from Cairns to Townsville on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Make a few hours of it and tuck into takeaway from Etty Bay Kitchen or save your appetite and head to the famous Oliveris Deli in Innisfail for European-inspired lunches and gourmet products. to Castle Hill Lookout for 360 degree vistas. And how can we get a piece of sand cay action? "startScreen": "aus-link-account" The road to Undara is sealed the entire way from Cairns, Townsville and . { Undara Experience is easily accessible by car, 4WD or Motor home. What day of the week has more flights from Cairns to Townsville? Hop off Skyrail at the Kuranda terminal, stretch your legs with a . Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously. Google DoubleClick IDE cookies are used to store information about how the user uses the website to present them with relevant ads and according to the user profile. Road trips call for recharging days and Mission Beach is made for reading a book on the sand, relaxing by the pool or walking barefoot along the beach. Photo: Julianchiarotto via Instagram, Babinda Boulders. Departure times vary between 06:00 - 18:50. stay for about 1 hour and leave at 3:46 pmdrive for about 1.5 hours, The Boulders Of course, Trippy is the perfect place to ask questions 2. This is the eastern half of the . Spend the afternoon just outside of town atLeahton Park, home to the largest herd of pure bred Texas Longhorn cattle in Australia. Sites are shady and separated from one another by foliage. Premier Motor Service also services this route once daily. The Townsville distance from Brisbane is nearly 15 hours but the distance Cairns to Townsville is just over 4 hours so you are well on your way to Cairns by now. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Drove Mackay to Cairns in 2002. It's okay, you can start planning your Depart Cairns 7:30am and Port Douglas at 8:30am approx. Loop around lush Tropical North Queensland fromCairns, gateway to theGreat Barrier Reef, up to Cooktown, rich with Aboriginal and early European history and down toTownsville, to explore ancient rainforests, fruit plantations, gold mining towns and secluded hideaways along the way. This cookie is placed by Pinterest Tag when the user cannot be matched. you can get answers personalized for your tastes, budgets, After parking the campervan at Port Hinchinbrook or Cardwell, you can ferry across to Hinchinbrook Island. You can also calculate the cost to drive from Cairns, Australia to Townsville . Day 3. The small commissions received cost you nothing extra and help fund more content for the site. Before you take to the wheel, head down to the Strand for a bit of brekkie. script.src = The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. 0. It stores a true/false value, indicating whether it was the first time Hotjar saw this user. Mission Beach would be better referred to as Mission Beaches with its 14km stretch of sand interlinking three beaches and four villages. Drive just 25 more minutes to end the day in Malanda, and spend the night under the rainforest canopy at Sharlynn by the river. Peruse the chic boutiques along Macrossan Street before a sunset stroll along the white sands of Four Mile Beach up to Flagstaff Hill Lookout. Townsville accommodation recommendations. The area is named after the endangered Eastern Grass Owl (TYTO Capensis) and is one of the few places in the world where you may be fortunate enough to spot one. But the facilities are in need of an upgrade. Save some dollars by buying a double pass for both Paronella Park and Mamu Tropical Skywalk, a scenic 30mins drive away. We road tripped over 1200km through tropical north Queensland from Cairns up to Cape Tribulation and down to Airlie Beach going via countless national parks, waterfalls, beautiful beaches and rolling hills. At over 1,853 million km Queensland is Australia's second-largest state. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible Day 5. and others. Good stops on a Townsville to Cairns road trip include Ingham, Cardwell, Mission Beach and Innisfail. Although they're both tropical cities, Cairns and Townsville are as different as chalk and cheese in many ways. Queensland Ambulance Service paramedics responded to a two-vehicle crash at 7.44am The crash, at the . Great Barrier Reef snorkelling cruise. Townsville is located in tropical north Queensland. If you wish to, you can just head up the Bruce Highway as quickly as possible. Days 4 and 5: Cooktown to Mount Mulligan, then back to Cairns. An easy loop walk through forest, mangroves and wetlands brings you to a grassy knoll with panoramic views of the paperbark swamp and water birds below. "homePagePath": "/content/australia/en_us.html", Continue to Townsville in time for lunch atThe Beet Barfor superfood bowls, salads and juices that celebrate local produce. The North Queensland coastline while driving from Townsville to Cairns features some of the most incredible beaches, spectacular scenery, great fishing and exciting things to do.. Hit the famous waterfall circuit, uncover those lesser known or stretch a little further and take a dip in Australias widest, single-drop waterfall on the Atherton Tablelands. Hughenden to Richmond. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Paronella Park between Townsville and Cairns. It ends in Townsville, Australia. Qantas and Regional Express fly from Townsville to Cairns 5 times a day. When you're ready to depart Cooktown, you can choose between driving just over four hours to Ravenshoe, or taking a detour to Mount Mulligan Lodge. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it. We've listed the highlights from north to south so if you're traveling from Townsville to Cairns, start from the bottom and work up. Facilities include flushing toilets and picnic tables. Cairns to Townsville Distance 347km - Driving Time 4 hours 25 minutes . Heart of Reef Shuttles, 48-50 Carlo Drive, Cannonvale, Queensland 4802 Phone: 1800 216 223, 40 French Street, Eagle Farm, Queensland 4009 Choose Cairns to be in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, where day boats and liveaboard boats launch from the massive dock area there. Youll pass Queenslands highest mountain, Mount Bartle Frere standing tall at 1622m as you head towards the Art-Deco inspired town of Innisfail. is not on the beach but it is only a 10 minute walk away. Veer back towards the coast to Mission Beach, four seaside villages linked by a 14km stretch of golden sand. Jet boat rides. Watch out for crocodiles though, theyve been known to sunbake on the nearby rocks. Why stop at the Mount Alexandra Lookout near Cape Tribulation? An 800 metre track across Henrietta Creek leads to Gooligans Picnic Area. Discover the dreamy charm of this quiet stretch of of coastline. "resetPassword": { Visit the Aquarium. Take a stroll along the beachfront to the jetty as the sun sets and keep an eye out for turtles and dugongs, which are often seen from the jetty. Australia Travel Questions is an independent travel advice site full of expert knowledge about Australia. Explore the islands 23 bays and beaches via extensive walking tracks or rent a Barbie car and cruise around in style. AppNexus sets the anj cookie that contains data stating whether a cookie ID is synced with partners. The mammoth jetty here stretches almost 6km into the sea. Cairns to Townsville Flights. 2.1 Day 1: Arrive in Cairns. Dogs are welcome on this part and there are many great spots to pull up and enjoy your lunch along the way. On the way back to Lucinda, watch out for the six-kilometre (four-mile) sugar loading jetty, the longest in the Southern Hemisphere. Allow four hours to complete the walk, which takes you across the ridge between Henrietta and Douglas creeks, before winding down to the spectacular, double-tiered Nandroya Falls. Then drive half an hour west to the spectacularMamu Tropical Skywalk, featuring a 350-metre (0.2-mile) elevated walkway above the treetops. This cookie is used for session tracking. 457km (one way) How. The half way point is Townsville which might be worth a stop. Posted in: One Way Specials Subscribe via RSS. Journeying through over 12 national parks, its easy to see how the Great Green Way got its name. | website by. However, as I found out recently there are lots of reasons to take a few days on this road trip and to make it more about the journey than the destination. "screenSet": "Aus-ProfileUpdate", And, if all else fails, you can visit the Big Cassowary statue at Wongaling Beach for a guaranteed sighting. Atherton Tableland waterfalls tour. This will take you to a small parking area and the path begins here. Your trip begins in Cairns, Australia. In the centre of Mossman turn left into . Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs, there may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Accessibility Statement. Then continue north on the Mulligan Highway for 20 minutes to historic Cooktown, and climb to the top ofGrassy Hillin the town centre for a breathtaking view. Etty Bay Caravan Park - gets well-reviewed for its location on peaceful Etty Bay. If time permits, drive about one hour west of Ingham to seeWallaman Falls, Australia's highest single-drop waterfall. }, This itinerary is perfect for couples, solo travellers, and families. Starting in Tropical North Queensland and finishing in the Top End, this epic 3500-kilometre journey of a lifetime from Cairns to Darwin cuts through a sensational swathe of northern Australia's tablelands, savannah, cattle stations and rust-red outback. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD). . Zoe Falls on Hinchinbrook Island. Cool off at nearby Little Crystal Creek before driving the remaining 45 minutes to Ingham, a sugar cane town with a distinctly Mediterranean feel thanks to the Italian and Spanish migrants who came here at the end of the 19th century to work in the cane fields. Explore seaside towns where the locals hang, walk to giant waterfalls, explore a castle, and see a giant gumboot- would it really be a straya road trip without one big thing? Kuranda Scenic Railway day trip. Follow the Flinders Highway east for 125 kilometres (78 miles) before detouring toBowling Green Bay National Park, home to rugged mountains, wetlands, salt pans and mangrove forests. 2 Cairns to Brisbane 14-days itinerary with map (or viceversa!) Hotjar sets this cookie to know whether a user is included in the data sampling defined by the site's daily session limit. Turn the drive into a Townsville to Cairns road trip, instead, and you can enjoy the Paluma Range National Park, Mission Beach and Behana Gorge. 149km. We have a range of suggested self-drive itineraries. "campaignIntegrationUrl": "/bin/create/recipient", 5. Call in at the relaxed beachfront hamlets that make up Mission Beach. Day 1: Airlie Beach to Townsville 275 km | 3 h 15 m . Lose yourself in one of the castles many hideaways, marvel at the rumbling Mena Creek Falls, and feel dwarfed as you take a stroll down the magnificent Kauri Avenue. After a day on the water, wine and dine amid a tropical garden at the well-knownNautilus Restaurant. Known as the greatest detour in the North, opt for the scenic route by deviating onto the Canecutter Way. Stop for lunch in Atherton, then explore the nearbyHallorans Hill Conservation Park. open-ended. If theres something worth chucking a u-ie for, its the largest single drop waterfall in Australia. It is a popular swimming and picnic spot. Although a difficult hike, the 360 degree Instagrammable views at the top are worth every sweaty second. var cachebuster = Date.now(); For families: Discovery Parks Townsville. Zoe Falls, Hinchinbrook Island, QueenslandTourism Australia. Sydney to Ballina road trip: Distance, driving time & best stops. "screenSet": "Aus-V3-RegistrationLogin", Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the websites HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. Passing through 15 hand carved tunnels, 37 bridges, spectacular waterfalls and into the stunning Barron . Project management and a drive for high quality service; High level of attention to detail with a creative approach to problem-solving; The entire route takes around 12 days and travels over 2079 kilometres from Cairns to Townsville. 83. From the camping area, stroll along the Butterfly walk (its renowned for the Ulysses butterflies that flit along this passage between September and February)through World Heritage-listed rainforest to the gorge. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Head southwest for 50 minutes toMillstream Falls, Australias widest single-drop waterfall, for a brief stop before spending the morning atInnot Hot Springs, relaxing in the therapeutic mineral waters that fill its six public pools. Near Townsville until May 1. Yes, even this step is optional, because if you're on vacation This cookie, set by Tribal Fusion, collects data on user visits to the website, such as what pages have been accessed . Additional adults $15. Drive half an hour west again intoWooroonooran National Park, home to fascinating native critters such as double-eyed fig parrots and musky rat-kangaroos, as well as Mt Bartle Frere, Queenslands highest mountain. Allow one and a half hours for the Kalkani Crater rim walk, which takes you up the side of a volcano and offers incredible views over the lava plains and fertile pockets of rainforest. Head to the foothills of Mount Bartle Frere and cool off at Josephine Falls. Facilities include showers and laundry. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific Detour from the main drag at Ingham and head 52km up the hill to Wallaman Falls, a mega 268m single drop. descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc. From: 1 traveler 2 travelers 3 travelers 4 travelers 5 travelers 6 travelers. Sydney to Cairns train. The Atherton Tablelands are lovely, and in September the nights will still be cool. Hope this helps Take the short ferry ride across to Magnetic Island, home to Northern Australias largest colony of koalas living in the wild. Take a refreshing dip in the main pool and wander along the rainforest path to the eeringly-named Devils Pools and discover the Indigenous legend behind this spooky spot. The route may look simple on the map, but you'll need to factor in which roads are sealed and unsealed, which are four by four only, and which have supply stops along the way. If you want to go by car, the driving distance between Cairns and Townsville is 345.47 km. Highlights: The Sunshine Coast, Hervey Bay, Airlie Beach and Townsville. 2.4 Day 4: Cairns to Townsville (347km) 2.5 Day 5: Townsville to Airlie Beach (275km) 2.6 Day 6: Day trip to the Whitsundays. Water taxis shuttle day-trippers toDunk Island. Mineral rich waters of Cardwell Spa Pools. From here, it's a 3-hour drive to Townsville. From the beach landing, take a short walk through rainforest to the sparkling freshwater pool at the base of Zoe Falls, an idyllic swimming hole. Museum of Underwater Art, Townsville, Queensland Tourism and Events Queensland. If you're seeking a thrill, take to the skies with Skydive Australia to soar above white-sand beaches, tropical rainforest and the awe-inspiring reef. History walking tour. Provided by Google Tag Manager to experiment advertisement efficiency of websites using their services. "screenSet": "Aus-V3-RegistrationLogin", Attractions in Townsville include the eco-tourism Billabong Sanctuary, the Museum of Tropical Queensland, and the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery. Mission Beach. Your email has been successfully verified, please click the button below to continue to log in. Henrietta Creek Campground - in Wooroonooran National Park near the waterfalls is the cheapest camping ground. 347km. Mossman Gorge 9:00am approx. Take a 20min ferry to this true-blue paradise and spot koalas, hang at one of the many bays or pull up a pew at one of the many beach-front bars and restaurants. There are two free campervan-friendly campsites nearby, which are mapped at the end of the article. Photo: Evokedotie via Instagram. Continue east for an hour to Mission Beach and check intoCastaways Resortbefore ditching the car for a bike and cycling along the citys foreshore, including theUlysses Link Walking Track, past artworks depicting the areas Aboriginal and European history. Last name. Single Cab Utility - One way from Cairns to Townsville . Turn off Bruce Highway to visitParonella Park, a labour of lovebuilt in 1935 by Spanish immigrant Jos Paronella andinspired by Catalan castles. Mount Mulligan Lodge, Mount Mulligan, Queensland Mount Mulligan Lodge. Make way to Tully, 30 minutes north and go grab a photo with a classic Aussie big thing. Typically 21 buses run weekly, although weekend and holiday schedules can vary so check in advance. Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from Cairns to Townsville. If youve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, well be happy to hear from you. Find out more. Save. It's a drive that can easily be done in half a day, but there is so much interesting stuff between the two that you could spend a full day, or two, completing the trip. Cairns to Borroloola (QLD/NTborder) 1,389km. 2.2 Day 2: Scuba dive on the Great Barrier Reef. Flying Fish Point Tourist Park - is right on the beach in Cassowary habitat so you are likely to see one of these enormous flightless birds.RATES: $36 powered for two people, $28 unpowered. Lesser known are the smaller beaches and coves that make up a huge part of its charming appeal. A 15-minute walk will lead you to an impressive 25m waterfall; you can swim at the base of the falls, so make sure you bring your swimmers. Spanning 457km down Australias East Coast, the drive from Cairns to Townsville takes you on a journey infused with exhilarating natural experiences and breath-taking beauty, with highlights from two world heritage listed areas, the Wet Tropics Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. Feel inspired by the extraordinary story of Jos Paronellas ingenuity and determination as he turned his dreams into a reality.