Cairns to Normanton road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time

Cairns to Normanton drive: Croydon to Normanton

Otherwise, blast down a drab stretch of highway for the 154km from Croydon to Normanton.

Normanton is what passes for a hub town in the Gulf Savannah. Again, it’s a former gold rush town with a smattering of handsome heritage buildings.

Around 30km to the south-west is Burke and Wills Camp 119, the final camp on the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition which narrowly failed to cross the continent.

But by far the most photographed attraction in Normanton is Krys the Crocodile, a giant model of supposedly the largest crocodile ever caught in Australia

Normanton accommodation options include the Normanton Tourist Park and Gulfland Hotel.

Krys the Crocodile statue in Normanton, Queensland — Krys the Crocodile in Normanton, Queensland. Photo courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland.

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.