Bowen to Cairns road trip: Distance, driving time & best stops
The Bowen to Cairns driving time covers a 547km distance in a driving time of around 6h23m. The best road trip stops include Magnetic Island, the Cardwell Spa Pools and Josephine Falls.
The Bowen to Cairns drive connects an underrated holiday spot in Queensland’s Whitsundays region to the main departure point for Great Barrier Reef tours.
Bowen offers the WWII Catalina Flying Boats Memorial and snorkelling at Horseshoe Bay.
Cairns, meanwhile, brings holding koalas at the Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome, snorkelling tours to Green Island and rainforest bungy jumps.
If you have three days in Cairns, do a Great Barrier Reef trip, a Kuranda scenic train and cable car combo and a Mossman Gorge plus Cape Tribulation World Heritage rainforest day tour. With more time, consider mesmerising scenic flights over the Reef, dinner cruises and waterfall-packed Atherton Tableland tours.
To choose from a wide range of memorable Cairns tours and experiences, look here. To pick the Cairns accommodation best suited to you, book here.
However, if planning a road trip from Bowen to Cairns, there are plenty of good stops and attractions along the way.
Bowen to Cairns distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Bowen to Cairns is 547m. That makes for a driving time of around six hours and 23 minutes.
For an international comparison, that’s roughly the same distance as the Boise to Salt Lake City drive in the United States.
Trip-booster! 8 great day trips from Cairns to power-up your holiday
- Kuranda combo package – take the Kuranda Scenic Railway up and the Skyrail cable car down.
- Green Island tours with beach time, glass bottom boat and snorkelling. (Or pick a Fitzroy Island trip instead).
- Moore Reef day tour – with underwater observatory, snorkelling gear, glass bottom boat & semi-submersible cruises.
- Great Barrier Reef snorkelling cruise – with snorkelling stops at two excellent spots on the Reef.
- Cape Tribulation rainforest day tour – with Mossman Gorge Aboriginal cultural experience and Daintree River crocodile-watching cruise.
- Atherton Tableland waterfalls and rainforest tour – including wildlife-spotting and a swim in a volcanic lake.
- Outback 4WD tour – visiting Chillagoe Caves, Aboriginal rock art and Granite Gorge.
The Bowen to Townsville leg of the Bowen to Cairns drive is 201km long. There are potential but inessential detours to the Flathead Fishing Hole at the Elliot River mouth and Coconut Beach in the Cape Upstart National Park.
Just before crossing the Burdekin River, you can get good view from the Mount Inkerman Scenic Lookout. But the next proper stop is Ayr.
Things to do in Ayr, Queensland, include admiring the mosaics at the Ayr Nature Display 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.
Divers will be more interested in Alva Beach. This is where tours to the SS Yongala shipwreck depart from.
It’s about an hour’s drive from Ayr to Townsville, it’s around an hour’s drive.
6 Townsville experiences to book in advance
- Magnetic Island ferry tickets – head over to one of the most beautiful islands in Australia.
- SS Yongala wreck dive – sea how coral and marine life have made the shipwreck home.
- Great Barrier Reef and Museum of Underwater Art cruise – witness the extraordinary underwater art project up close.
- Helicopter ride along the coast – get amazing views from above.
- Sunset sailing cruise – watch the colours over the water, with alcoholic drinks included.
- Jetski tour to Cape Pallarenda – whizz past beaches and giant boulders.
Things to do in Townsville include going on a cruise to the Museum of Underwater Art, kicking back on a small group sunset cruise and catching the ferry to Magnetic Island.
Townsville accommodation recommendations
The best bets for Townsville accommodation are…
- For beachside location: Water’s Edge The Strand.
- For a good value, well located motel: Yongala Lodge By The Strand.
- For a sassy, chic resort: Rambutan Resort.
- For families: Discovery Parks Townsville.
- For business-friendly apartments: Quest Townsville on Eyre.
Click through to the next section: Paluma Range National Park and Ingham.