On-board Restroom. Once youre full enough to face the day, make way for Babinda Boulders, a stunning rainforest swimming hole just seven minutes away from the township. Edmund Kennedy National Park makes a rewarding detour to mangrove forest boardwalks, empty beaches, and enormous lace monitor lizards. At Babinda Boulders (1 hour south of Cairns) the water is refreshing year round. Start your final leg of the drive with another scenic detour on the Cardwell State Forest Drive. Before you take to the wheel, head down to the Strand for a bit of brekkie. 0. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD). 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. This anonymous data helps us to better understand users' needs and customize the website accordingly. 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. The sites, though small, are separated by walls of tropical foliage for privacy. 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. 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. 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. regardless of circumstance and ability. Although they're both tropical cities, Cairns and Townsville are as different as chalk and cheese in many ways. Cairns to Cooktown Road Trip: Bloomfield Track or Inland Road? If you havent seen a Cassowary during your travels, a trip to Etty Bay should be at the top of your to-do list. Followed categories will be added to My News. disabilities to adjust the websites UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs. Allows using the site with your screen-reader. Pub and club tour. The road to Undara is sealed the entire way from Cairns, Townsville and . 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. 532 helpful votes. Ingham is the second major township along Bruce Highway between Cairns and Townsville. Photo:overlandersway via Instagram. var script = document.createElement('script'); 14 years ago. Good stops on a Townsville to Cairns road trip include Ingham, Cardwell, Mission Beach and Innisfail. We've listed some beautiful places to camp along the way, some of them free, so this is a great journey to do in a campervan. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive Wallicher and Tchupala Falls are a short walk from the car park and are well worth a gander at. Facilities include showers and laundry. 203km. Looking for ideas for more destinations within driving distance of Cairns? You can also calculate the cost to drive from Cairns, Australia to Townsville . The mammoth jetty here stretches almost 6km into the sea. Rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available prices of products and services. Lucinda. These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Australias largest island national park is covered in mountains, fragile heathland, tropical rainforest and mangrove fringes. "startScreen": "aus-link-account" Edmund Kennedy National Park. Sites are shady and separated from one another by foliage. "validationUrl": "/bin/ta/postauth", }, If you're travelling through Port Douglas on a Sunday, check out the weekly markets which offer everything from arts and crafts, coffee and jewellery. Optional Detour Tully Gorge National Park. > 12. Save some dollars by buying a double pass for both Paronella Park and Mamu Tropical Skywalk, a scenic 30mins drive away. YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video. 13 years ago. 10:00 am start in Cairnsdrive for about 45 minutes, 10:45 am The Boulders Hughenden to Richmond. With more than 320 days of sunshine each year, Townsville is an ideal destination for a tropical holiday in North Queensland. 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. This cookie is set by Facebook to display advertisements when either on Facebook or on a digital platform powered by Facebook advertising, after visiting the website. Cairns-Cape Tribulation 150km. 35 kms south of Port Hinchinbrook on the Bruce Highway, the Hinchinbrook Lookout gives you unforgettable views of the Hinchinbrook Channel. First name. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. Alternatively, drive 62km up the road and chow down on a crab sanger in Cardwell. August Moon - Located in Innisfail, August Moon gets five stars on Trip Advisor and has large sites and full facilities including a beautiful swimming pool. And how far/driving time is Cairns to Townsville. The Atherton Tablelands are lovely, and in September the nights will still be cool. Weather conditions: Check road conditions from Cairns to Townsville, or you can get reverse directions from Townsville to Cairns.If you're trying to avoid mountains or steep grade roads, check the elevation profile from Cairns to Townsville.Or if you are hungry, look for places to eat between Cairns and Townsville.If you want to plan a road trip with stops along the way, you can view a full . 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. While youre there, take a wander round TYTO Regional Art Gallery and the Mini Military Museum at Hinchinbrook Shire library, too. More chilled than thrill? History walking tour. and answers related to Townsville. Continue to Townsville in time for lunch atThe Beet Barfor superfood bowls, salads and juices that celebrate local produce. And, if youre feeling ultra-adventurous, go big with Xtreme rafting for the wildest ride possible. Take your camera! 2.1 Day 1: Arrive in Cairns. This leads to a Townsville to Cairns driving time of around four hours and four minutes. 457km (one way) How. DAY 1: CAIRNS - ATHERTON TABLELANDS - RAVENSHOE . The drive from Rockhampton to Noosa Heads is one of the longest so far, so get an early start to make the most of the day. This mode enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations. This cookie is used to collect user information such as what pages have been viewed on the website for creating profiles. > 8. 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. Join a local guide for a tour and discover the history of the park, which was built by Spanish cane farmer Jose Paronella in 1935. Hope this helps This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. It takes 4-5 hours to drive the Great Green Way between Cairns and Townsville if you drive without stopping. Cooktown-Cape York Peninsula (4WD only) 815km. Hotjar sets this cookie to detect the first pageview session of a user. The best time to visit Townsville is in the . In addition to the highlights listed on road trips #4 and #5, the Sydney to Cairns drive includes Babinda Boulders, Josephine falls, The Pyramid summit climb, Paronella Park, Mission Beach, Hinchinbrook Island, and empty palm-fringed beaches and national parks in which to camp. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Your email has been successfully verified, please click the button below to continue to log in. You can also sign up for SMS traffic alerts for selected far north or south coast regions. If you pay for entry into Paronella Park (around $46 per adult) you can stay in their caravan park for free. 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. "custAction": "event2" script.async = true; Stay Updated: Dine alfresco by the ocean, uncover the stories of a military past, explore dramatic landscapes or immerse yourself in a remarkable diving experience on the Great Barrier Reef. 4:47 pm The Boulders. Don't forget about exploring your own hometown with a staycation. 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. 5. drive for about 45 minutes. to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more. Venture intoBlack Mountain National Parkand see the imposing mountain range of black granite boulders, stacked precariously on top of another, defying gravity. ), even more waterfalls. Find out more. For a sassy, chic resort: Rambutan Resort. Victoria 3058 Phone: 1800 216 223, 23-25 Erskine Rd, Caringbah, The total driving time is 4 hours, 17 minutes. For the keen hikers, there is a 6km return walking track that climbs up to the summit. But the facilities are in need of an upgrade. Eat: PepperVine Restaurant serves a range of cuisines, each dish beautifully presented with outstanding flavours. Alternatively, Greyhound Australia operates a bus from Townsville to Cairns twice daily. Itinerary Airlie Beach to Cairns Drive. If you're going on a road trip from Cairns to Mackay , we did the research for you and compiled some great stops along the way with Townsville and $ Airlie Beach and top places to visit like Historic Village . The Great Tropical Drive is an amazing way to experience Tropical North Queensland. Australia Travel Questions is an independent travel advice site full of expert knowledge about Australia. by calculating the distance from Cairns to Townsville. Self-made Spanish immigrant Jos Paronella built Paronella Park as a gift to his wife Margarita. 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.