Airlie Beach to Cairns road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
Airlie Beach to Cairns road trip attractions: Cape Gloucester and Bowen
Most people’s first leg is from Airlie Beach to Townsville. This initially heads on to the Bruce Highway, via Cannonvale and Strathdickie. Beach-seekers may prefer to divert east to chilled-out Cape Gloucester, where low key holiday towns of Dingo Beach and Hideaway Bay attract a loyal crowd.
Everyone else should continue to handsome Bowen, where Horseshoe Bay offers marvellous snorkelling and the Catalina Memorial tells the story of the World War II flying boats.
Where to stay in Bowen
The best Bowen accommodation choices are:
- For families: Queens Beach Tourist Village.
- For great value apartments with kitchens: Palm View Holiday Apartments.
- For Horseshoe Bay beachside location: Horseshoe Bay Resort.
- For central location, free parking and kitchenettes: Port Denison Motor Inn.
Airlie Beach to Cairns drive: Cape Upstart National Park and Alva Beach
After the Airlie Beach to Bowen leg, it’s time to drive from Bowen to Townsville. The best feasible detours on this section of the journey are Cape Upstart National Park and Alva Beach. The latter is where diving trips to the SS Yongala head off from.
Otherwise, the best stop is Ayr on the Bruce Highway. Things to do in Ayr, Queensland, include seeing the Ayr Nature Display’s mosaic and watching movies at the Stardust Drive-In.
The best accommodation in Ayr
The top accommodation picks in Ayr are:
- For a family-friendly holiday park: Discovery Parks Ayr.
- For a motel that gets it right: Country Ayr Motel.
- For cheap rates and a pool: Ayr Max Motel.
Next up: Townsville and Magnetic Island.