Mackay to Cairns road trip: Distance, drive time & stops
Things to do between Mackay and Cairns: The final stretch
The turn-off for Mission Beach is at Tully, home of the Golden Gumboot.
Things to do in Mission Beach include enjoying 14km of beaches, taking a boat to Dunk Island, skydiving onto the beach and reef snorkelling.
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.
It’s only 139km from Mission Beach to Cairns. Possible Mackay to Cairns road trip stops include Paronella Park, an odd historic Spanish mansion.
Innisfail offers crocodile cruises on the Johnston River and turtle-spotting on the Warrina Lakes. This is where the Palmerston Highway heads off into the Atherton Tableland, passing photogenic spots such as the Mamu Tropical Skywalk and Nandroya Falls.
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.
Keep on up the Bruce Highway and you’ll go past Josephine Falls and the hiking trail to Mt Bartle Frere. There’s also the Babinda Boulders swimming hole and the Behana Gorge walk towards Clamshell Falls.
Save time queuing – Book these Cairns attractions in advance
- From the air: Outer Reef helicopter flight | Sunrise hot air balloon ride | Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.
- At night: Sunset dinner cruise | Pub and club tour | Aquarium by Twilight experience.
- For wildlife: Birdworld Kuranda | Kuranda Koala Gardens | Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome | Cairns Aquarium | Rainforestation Nature Park
- For culture: Cairns Museum tickets | Street art walking tour | City and surrounds highlights bus tour.
- For thrills: AJ Hackett giant jungle swing | High speed jet boat tour | Barron Gorge white water rafting | Mulgrave River tubing.
More Mackay road trips
Mackay to Airlie Beach: Distance 151km, driving time 1h52m.
Mackay to Bowen: Distance 192km, driving time 2h14m.
Gladstone to Mackay: Distance 443km, driving time 4h53m.
Mackay to Proserpine: Distance 126km, driving time 1h27m.
Mackay to Townsville: Distance 386km, driving time 4h32m.
Rockhampton to Mackay: Distance 336km, driving time 3h35m.
Yeppoon to Mackay: Distance 360km, driving time 4h.