Emerald to Cairns road trip: Best stops, drive time & distance
Emerald to Cairns self-drive: Tully to Mission Beach
Further along, there’s the turn off for Murray Falls. But most will keep going towards Tully. This town is home of the Golden Gumboot – one of Australia’s notorious Big Things – and Tully Gorge rafting tours.
But it’s also where you branch off for Mission Beach. The drive goes past the Mount Mackay National Park.
5 great Mission Beach experiences to book in advance
- Small group Great Barrier Reef snorkelling cruise – with pristine snorkelling on the Outer Reef, barbecue lunch and snorkelling equipment provided.
- Hull River National Park eco cruise – spotting wildlife in the mangroves.
- Full day sports rafting on the Tully River – tackle the rapids while rafting through the rainforest.
- Skydive from 15,000ft – and land on the beach.
- Dunk Island day trip – with plenty of time for rainforest hikes.
Top things to do in Mission Beach include mountain bike rides through the Djiru National Park, skydiving onto the beach and getting a boat transfer to Dunk Island. There’s also the chance to do smaller group Great Barrier Reef snorkelling tours.
Accommodation options in Mission Beach include the gardens-surrounded Mission Beach Resort, the seafront Castaways Resort and Spa and the pool-focused Mission Reef Resort.
To the north of Mission Beach, Maria Creek National Park and Kurrimine National Park offer a lot of what you’ve already seen in Mission Beach.
Emerald to Cairns driving holiday: Mourilyan to Babinda
The next feasible stop is the Australian Sugar Heritage Centre in Mourilyan, but you’ll get more joy taking a slight inland diversion to rainforest-captured Spanish mansion Paronella Park.
Top things to do in Innisfail include a Johnston River crocodile cruise and turtle-spotting on the Warrina Lakes. Etty Bay Beach is also close by.
Top experiences near Innisfail to book in advance
- Get superlative rainforest views – on the Mamu Tropical Skywalk.
- Enjoy the strange Spanish castle surrounded by jungle – at Paronella Park.
- Save money with a Mamu Tropical Skywalk and Paronella Park combo ticket.
Innisfail accommodation picks include the budget-conscious Flying Fish Tourist Park and the highly-rated Barrier Reef Motel.
The coastal Ella Bay National Park and birdlife-heavy Eubenangee Swamp National Park come after Innisfail. But the best stop before Babinda is Josephine Falls, a stunning waterfall. From here, a serious hiking trail leads to Queensland’s highest mountain, Mt Bartle Frere.
In Babinda, the Babinda Boulders is the star attraction. Here, a tremendous swimming hole is surrounded by massive granite boulders. For overnight accommodation, try the Babinda Quarters.
Click through for the next section: Babinda to Cairns.