Spend a few days here indulging in the lodge's outback excursions, like private picnics and gold mine tours, or simply relax in the landscape of rolling hills and ancient rock formations. Walk 40 minutes to the top of extinct volcano Hallorans Hill to see the tablelands unique mosaic landscape and geological formations. Traffic reports and road conditions can be found on the QLDTraffic website qld.traffic.qld.gov.au, download the QLDTraffic app or call 13 19 40. Etty Bay is known as one of the regions most scenic beaches, but what really makes this little cove so special is its inhabitants home to the magnificent Southern Cassowary, youre very likely to see these notoriously hard to spot birds roaming the beachfront in the late afternoon or early morning. 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. 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. VisitJames Cook Museum, housed in a stunning 19th century former convent, for a look into Cooktowns remarkable history. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible Tourism Australia makes no representations whatsoever about any other websites which you may access through its websites such as australia.com. 2. Does Townsville warrant a couple. Atherton Tableland waterfalls tour. The Townsville to Cairns drive is 347km in distance, with a driving time of 4h4m. Youve made it to the beautiful coastal town of Cardwell; head straight to the Cardwell Beachcomber to set up camp or settle into one of their motel rooms, villas or cabins before refuelling at their beachfront restaurant its just the spot to catch the sea breeze and savour the ocean views. This information is used to pick out ads delivered by the platform and assess the ad performance and its attribute payment. driving 4 hours. First things first brekkie! Here's a detailed Cairns to Brisbane road trip itinerary that takes in the best sights along the east coast of Australia with your JUCY rental. Allow yourself 3 to 4 hours up and back. Day 4. Find the best hotels, restaurants, and attractions based on the 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. is 50 metres from a white sandy beach with views to Dunk Island. If time allows, drive 5mins up the road for (you guessed it! 3-day Brisbane to Cairns itinerary. This self drive route will take you through some of Australia's most beautiful and best known attractions. 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. "FYASignUpDtmConfig": { 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. Although a difficult hike, the 360 degree Instagrammable views at the top are worth every sweaty second. Cardwell Beachcomber Motel and Tourist Park. Near Townsville until May 1. History walking tour. Whether youre out to catch a barra, hike Australias largest island National Park or adventure your way through a scenic 4WD track, Cardwell is the perfect launch pad for an outdoorsy weekend with a friendly local twist. When your day starts with a giant gumboot, you know its gonna be a good one. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Allows using the site with your screen-reader. Highlights: The Sunshine Coast, Hervey Bay, Airlie Beach and Townsville. 12 brilliant experiences in Cairns 1. Please visit the operators website for further information. With the reef, Atherton Tablelands and the Daintree just a stones throw away from Cairns, youre gonna need that energy! According to a Queensland Police Service spokeswoman, Night Owl in Fairfield Waters was the target of a ram-raid and burglary at 2am this morning, when a stolen Toyota Hilux was used to drive into . One of the wettest areas of Australia, Tully is nestled between Mount Mackay and the thickly forested margins of Mount Tyson (it even has a giant Golden Gumboot to celebrate the record-breaking rains of 1950, which you can climb to the top of.) 138km. Parking is on a private sugar cane farm so don't block the road. > 11. Your return journey to Cairns will end with a dash of luxury if you take the time to spend the night at Mount Mulligan Lodge. Learn the Aboriginal legend of the Babinda lovers. Book ahead. The drive from Townsville to Cairns connects northern Queenslands two largest cities. If you pay for entry into Paronella Park (around $46 per adult) you can stay in their caravan park for free. "screenSet": "Aus-V3-RegistrationLogin", We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience. Another 30 minutes behind the wheel will bring you to Babinda. And, if all else fails, you can visit the Big Cassowary statue at Wongaling Beach for a guaranteed sighting. Great Barrier Reef snorkelling cruise. Water taxis shuttle day-trippers toDunk Island. 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. Keep an eye out for the Frosty Mango along the Bruce Highway before you reach your final destination of Townsville. If time permits, drive about one hour west of Ingham to seeWallaman Falls, Australia's highest single-drop waterfall. Day 12: Spend the day relaxing at Mission Beach, seeing some of the sights on the coast and in the rainforest. Borroloola to Limmen National Park. This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions. Self-made Spanish immigrant Jos Paronella built Paronella Park as a gift to his wife Margarita. 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. 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. Spanning 457km down Australia's 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. But the facilities are in need of an upgrade. By limiting the number of hikers, you have a chance to connect with and appreciate the raw beauty of Hinchinbrook. Take the ten-minute water taxi out to Dunk Island; situated only 4km off of the mainland. These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. "login": { How far is it between Cairns and Townsville. Users can also use shortcuts such as M (menus), H (headings), F (forms), B (buttons), and G (graphics) to jump to specific elements. 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. . 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. 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. The ten sites are spread generously across the campground, some tucked away into forest nooks, giving you privacy. 231km. I'd say by stopping in Townsville, you'd be missing one of the most beautiful areas in Australia, beginning around Ingham and extending north to Cairns and beyond . Alternatively, Greyhound Australia operates a bus from Townsville to Cairns twice daily. If you're going on a road trip from Townsville to Cairns, we did the research for you and compiled some great stops along the way with Paluma Range National Park and Little Crystal Creek, or the ever-popular . These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. stay for about 1 hour and leave at 3:46 pmdrive for about 1.5 hours, The Boulders Days 4 and 5: Cooktown to Mount Mulligan, then back to Cairns. If theres something worth chucking a u-ie for, its the largest single drop waterfall in Australia. This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. Adult round trip fares are around $150. Hop off Skyrail at the Kuranda terminal, stretch your legs with a . Edmund Kennedy National Park. Cairns to Townsville by bus. Sydney to Cairns train. 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. CNS-TSV is a really nice drive, and 4 hours is about right if your drive sensibly. 2.3 Day 3: Day trip to the Daintree Rainforest. The Atherton Tablelands are lovely, and in September the nights will still be cool. 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. Facilities include beachside BBQs, flush toilets, hot showers, free WiFi.RATES: $28 - $32 for two. 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. It took a while to plan . In the afternoon, drive just over one-hour toUndara Volcanic National Park, home to the remnants of the worlds longest lava flow from a single volcano. Additional adults $15. Optional Detour Tully Gorge National Park. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. There is a maximum stay of 2 nights.RATES: FREE. 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.. YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video. Paluma Range National Park. You can stop off at Lake Barrine for morning tea and scones, then onto the curtain fig tree, then onto the Hypipamee Crater . Turn off Bruce Highway to visitParonella Park, a labour of lovebuilt in 1935 by Spanish immigrant Jos Paronella andinspired by Catalan castles. From here, it's a 3-hour drive to Townsville. 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. However, this depends on the date you are flying so please check with the full flight schedule above to see . suggest every local activity or attraction, we'll leave it Zoe Falls on Hinchinbrook Island. 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 . Thus a trip to the Great Barrier Reef should be on your agenda! 6:32 pm arrive in Cairns. You won't be sitting in the car for long when you have some of Mother Nature's best water parks along the way. 375km. Cairns & Great Barrier Reef Cairns to Townsville Flights. First name. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers), both for Windows and for MAC users. Walk to McClellands lookout for spectacular views over the islands and coastline. Townsville-Cairns 350km. This cookie is placed by Pinterest Tag when the user cannot be matched. Reduced speed limit (40km/h). Instead of retracing your steps down the coast, this drive will take you inland, passing . Tickets cost $55 - $110 and the journey takes 5h 40m. Peruse the chic boutiques along Macrossan Street before a sunset stroll along the white sands of Four Mile Beach up to Flagstaff Hill Lookout. Wallicher and Tchupala Falls are a short walk from the car park and are well worth a gander at. Services are operated by Greyhound Australia and Premier Motor Service. Rockhampton marks, roughly, the halfway point between Townsville and Brisbane along the Bruce Highway. Explore seaside towns where the locals hang, walk to giant waterfalls, explore a castle, and see . This will take you to a small parking area and the path begins here. jQuery(document).ready(function() { The best time to visit Townsville is in the . The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". If you have found this site helpful, please book TOURS and ACCOMMODATION through our booking partners. This is where you branch off if you want to see Australias highest waterfall Wallaman Falls in the Girringun National Park. Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. 2023 Tourism Tropical North Queensland - Is a not for profit organisation and the official Regional Tourism Organisation (RTO) of Cairns and Great Barrier Reef, extending from Cardwell to the tip of the Torres Strait Islands and out to the Northern Territory border. and others. }, Trippy is where 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. This magical moss covered pleasure garden has enough nooks, crannies and sources of fascination to keep you delighted for hours. David Whitley. Tully River is popular with whitewater rafters and you cansee these thrill seekers take on the rapids fromFlip Wilson lookout. Make sure you check road conditions Zoe Falls, Hinchinbrook Island, QueenslandTourism Australia. Air Conditioning. This is the eastern half of the . 2.2 Day 2: Scuba dive on the Great Barrier Reef. It stores a true/false value, indicating whether it was the first time Hotjar saw this user. Typically 21 buses run weekly, although weekend and holiday schedules can vary so check in advance. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. This cookie, set by Tribal Fusion, collects data on user visits to the website, such as what pages have been accessed . Footpath Closure for works. Dr Helena Rosengren says she sees a large number of people along The Strand who are not heeding the sun safety message Orange dots mark camping sites, red stars mark highlights. Mission Beach would be better referred to as Mission Beaches with its 14km stretch of sand interlinking three beaches and four villages. Start with a trip to the Mossman Gorge Centre, the gateway to the rainforest. ); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups), Welcome to Tourism Australia. Practicalities. Mission Beach, Queensland Chris McLennan, Tourism and Events Queensland. You can also calculate the cost to drive from Cairns, Australia to Townsville . Feel inspired by the extraordinary story of Jos Paronellas ingenuity and determination as he turned his dreams into a reality. 252km. Drive just 25 more minutes to end the day in Malanda, and spend the night under the rainforest canopy at Sharlynn by the river. What day of the week has more flights from Cairns to Townsville? Walk one kilometre (0.6 miles) return toAlligator Creek lookoutfor a photogenic canopy-level view of the creek, before a quick dip in the nearby swimming area. you can get answers personalized for your tastes, budgets, There's no denying that fact, but it's still easy to underestimate the kilometers involved. Spend the afternoon just outside of town atLeahton Park, home to the largest herd of pure bred Texas Longhorn cattle in Australia. Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Experiences that will make you feel like an Aussie. Followed categories will be added to My News. Heading south, its not long until youll notice the distinctive silhouette of Walshs Pyramid rising steeply above the historic sugar-milling town of Gordonvale. Take a dip in the beautiful blue Cardwell Spa Pools and Attie Creek Falls, and enjoy scenic lookout points. Facilities include flushing toilets and picnic tables. "validationFavouritesUrl": "/bin/australia/favourites/sanitycheck", Day 7-8. Weve all seen those gorgeous wisps of whiteness poking out from an azure sea on Great Barrier Reef. Head back onto the main drag and continue into Cairns and rest up at one of the many resorts and caravan parks available. 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. driving 4.5 hours. To determine the most generic cookie path that has to be used instead of the page hostname, Hotjar sets the _hjTLDTest cookie to store different URL substring alternatives until it fails. Photo: Simona_198735 of Instagram, Paluma Range National Park. | website by. Hit the highway for a drive to remember on the Great Green Way. { 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. Check intoCape Trib Beach Housefor the night which is set on seven acres (2.8 hectares). Reclining Seats. The Far North up close and personal: Drive from Cairns to Townsville. 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. Mineral rich waters of Cardwell Spa Pools. All car and Motor home rental companies allow their conventional vehicles to go to Undara, or have offered discounted rates on their 4WD hire vehicles. You can reach out to the websites operators by using the following email. } But what are they? for images that are not described. Explore the phenomenal Museum of Underwater Art (MOUA), the Southern Hemisphere's first underwater art museum, before whiling away the rest of the afternoon along the Strand, apalm-tree studded promenade with beaches, bars and restaurants. Cape Tribulation-Cooktown (4WD only) 100km. Cairns to Townsville Distance: 347 Kilometers | 4 hours and 30 minutes. Although you cant walk on the jetty, you can head to the nearby fishing jetty to throw a line for giant trevally, Spanish mackerel, queenfish or northern bluefin tuna. Take Moss Road (off the Bruce Highway) for about 100 metres until you see a narrow gravel track on the right marked with a red rectangle. Reduced speed limit (60km/h). The total driving time is 4 hours, 17 minutes. This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. 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 . Dogs are welcome on this part and there are many great spots to pull up and enjoy your lunch along the way. Find the stand-out seafood dishes in Cairns below. To get here, take Bramston Beach Road (off Bruce Highway) and follow the signs to Eubnangee Swamp National Park. Overlanders Way drive takes you from the Great Barrier Reef to the Northern Territory outback, so be sure to pack your flippers and your hiking boots. Single Cab Utility - One way from Cairns to Townsville . The city of Rockhampton in Central Queensland is one of the oldest cities in Queensland and in Northern Australia, formed during the gold rush, making it an interesting place to stop on the road trip. With more than 320 days of sunshine each year, Townsville is an ideal destination for a tropical holiday in North Queensland. Spend a few days exploring the Whitsunday Islands and Whitehaven Beach before embarking on this 6 day Airlie Beach to Cairns drive. For a sassy, chic resort: Rambutan Resort. When is the best time to visit Australia? }); Now that youve finished exploring the bustling, vibrant city of Cairns and have the faded stamps from The Woolshed and Gilligans on your hand to prove it, its time to start your East Coast adventure. Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category . The road to Undara is sealed the entire way from Cairns, Townsville and . Bamboo grove at Paronella Park. While youre there, take a wander round TYTO Regional Art Gallery and the Mini Military Museum at Hinchinbrook Shire library, too. This is a True/False flag set by the cookie. Head back to Paronella Park for their Evening Experience, exploring the grounds and night and seeing the castle and Mena Creek Falls come alive with lights. Give yourself half a day to enjoy everything this scenic drive has to offer. 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. Moderator of the Cairns and Townsville stolen cars and sightings Facebook group Sam Testa claimed one of the boys charged was alleged to have been behind the wheel of the stolen Toyota Yaris that . Mission Beach (2 answers) Photo: Caravaningqueensland, Spa Pool near Cardwell. Townsville to Cairns drive, or go to the main page to plan a new road trip. Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, Mossman Gorge Centre, Queensland Tourism Australia. This self drive itinerary offers a handy guideline to base your day of exploring Cape Tribulation and the Daintree Rainforest. 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. Photo: ecologist.sHayes via Instagram. Considered one of Australias favourite skydiving destinations, Mission Beach is made up of four small towns spread along a 14km stretch of palm-fringed beach. Going direct, the Townsville to Cairns drive is 347km in distance. > 3. Distance: 1,718km. 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. It's okay, you can start planning your Pack a picnic and spend the morning exploring tropicalTully Gorge National Park. 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. 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. Our coaches stop in the heart of Cairns and Townsville, eliminating the need for a transfer. to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more. Undara Experience, Undara, Queensland Rowan Bestmann, Tourism and Events Queensland. Babinda Boulders. Alternatively, drive 62km up the road and chow down on a crab sanger in Cardwell. Cairns to Townsville Distance 347km - Driving Time 4 hours 25 minutes . travelers and answer their questions about Cairns! We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Hotjar sets this cookie to know whether a user is included in the data sampling defined by the site's pageview limit. Flights from CNS to TSV are operated 33 times a week, with an average of 5 flights per day. YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages. Cairns to Townsville Drive 348 km | 4.5 hours over 2 or 3 days. For business-friendly apartments: Quest Townsville . Year round. The swimming hole is waist-deep and sandy. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. 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. 2.1 Day 1: Arrive in Cairns. Dr Wawn is speaking out against the dangers of skin cancer ahead of Melanoma March Townsville at the Strand Rockpool on Sunday, March 12. Continue along well signed and flat . All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD). What may come as a surprise is that the spectacular waterfalls and crystal-clear pools tucked away in this lush green paradise are so easily accessible, despite feeling worlds away from the hustle and bustle of nearby city life. Mission Beach. 347km. Of course, Trippy is the perfect place to ask questions With its pristine beaches, rainforests, mangroves and inlets, Australias largest island National Park is worth planning for. Facebook sets this cookie to show relevant advertisements to users by tracking user behaviour across the web, on sites that have Facebook pixel or Facebook social plugin. Queensland 4870 Phone: 1800 216 223, 2/11 Northview St, Mermaid Waters QLD 4218 Phone: 1800 216 223, 273 Elizabeth Street, Coburg, is not on the beach but it is only a 10 minute walk away. Free WiFi. Travel between Cairns and Townsville in a convenient and comfortable Greyhound coach from just $66. Forget what you've heard, Townsville is just as much a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef as any of its northern neighbours. RACQ's Trip Planner allows you to find places, get directions or plan your next road trip. Paronella Park between Townsville and Cairns. Looking for ideas for more destinations within driving distance of Cairns? These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The Great Tropical Drive is an amazing way to experience Tropical North Queensland. And, if youre feeling ultra-adventurous, go big with Xtreme rafting for the wildest ride possible. document.body.appendChild(script); The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. 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. Day 3. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on Choose Townsville to get to Airlie Beach (which will then be a three-hour drive south), the place to easily reach the famed Whitsunday Islands. It takes 4-5 hours to drive the Great Green Way between Cairns and Townsville if you drive without stopping. This cookie is used for session tracking. 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. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside of it. Daintree and Cape Tribulation day trip. This leads to a Townsville to Cairns driving time of around four hours and four minutes. descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.