Gladstone to Cairns road trip: Distance, drive time & stops

The best stops on a Gladstone to Cairns road trip itinerary include Yeppoon, Airlie Beach and Townsville. The distance from Gladstone to Cairns is 1,171km, with a driving time of around 13h25m.

Planning a Gladstone to Cairns road trip itinerary

This Australia travel expert-researched guide is designed to help travellers plan their perfect Gladstone to Cairns road trip itinerary.

Industrial Gladstone is where you catch the ferry to Heron Island and Wilson Island on the Great Barrier Reef. To search for suitable Gladstone accommodation, come this way.

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.

If you want to plan your Gladstone to Cairns road trip, read on.

Gladstone to Cairns distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Gladstone to Cairns is 1,171km. This makes for an approximate Gladstone to Cairns driving time of 13h25m.

The best stops on a Gladstone to Cairns road trip are Yeppoon, Airlie Beach and Townsville

Things to do in Gladstone include visiting the Maritime Museum and taking the ferry to Curtis Island.

Gladstone to Cairns road trip: Gladstone to Yeppoon

The first section of the drive from Gladstone to Rockhampton is, alas, frankly tedious. The best stop of an underwhelming bunch is the Calliope Conservation Park in Calliope.

Top experiences to book in and around Rockhampton

(Highly recommended ✅) Great Keppel Island day trip – with lunch.
Cathedral Cave tour at Capricorn Caves. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
90 minute Deep Vault Cave and Flower Pot tour at Capricorn Caves.
Time Safaris walking tour.

Things to do in Rockhampton once there include getting culture and heritage doses at the Dreamtime Cultural Centre and the Rockhampton Heritage Village.

The best places to stay in Rockhampton, Queensland

The best Rockhampton accommodation choices are:

For character and charm: Denison Boutique Hotel.
For heritage: Quality Hotel Regent.
For well-equipped apartments: Quest Rockhampton.
For really good value: Rockhampton Serviced Apartments.
For a great pool: Korte’s Resort.

Coastal Yeppoon, a 35 minute drive away, is a more seductive place to stay, however. You can enjoy the walking trails and birdwatcher hangouts of Baga National Park on the way.

Things to do in Yeppoon include going for a dip in the Yeppoon Lagoon or Lammermoor Beach and catching the Great Keppel Island ferry for a Great Keppel Island day trip. These depart from the Keppel Bay Marina.

Other Yeppoon activities include fishing charters and seeing native wildlife at Cooberrie Park Wildlife Sanctuary.