Perth to Cairns road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time
Perth to Cairns drive: Barcaldine to Townsville
The next leg of the journey, from Barcaldine to Townsville, is a 631km brute of a drive.
Go north towards Aramac, which has a campground, hotel, racecourse and Aquatic Centre.
Crucially, the Whitebull Roadhouse is the only fuel stop for a couple of hundred kilometres. You can fuel up again when you reach Torrens Creek on the Flinders Highway, but 4WDers may first wish to watch birds around the waterholes of Forest Den National Park or explore sheep station heritage in Moorrinya National Park. You’ll likely see kangaroos and wedge-tailed eagles here.
Turn east on the Flinders Highway towards White Mountains National Park. The Burra Range lookout is accessible to those in a conventional vehicle.
The three star Pentland Hotel Motel in Pentland is a possible overnight stop, but most will prefer to plough on towards gold mining heritage town Charters Towers.
Top Charters Towers experiences
- Delve in to the gold-mining past – on a tour of the Venus Gold Battery. You’ll be wowed by the sheer size of it.
- Hear entertaining stories from the golden era – on a Charters Towers walking tour.
- Listen to spooky stories – on a Charters Towers ghost tour.
Best Charters Towers accommodation
The best accommodation options in Charters Towers are:
- For families: Big4 Outback Aussie Oasis Holiday Park.
- For high quality adults-only apartments: Kernow Charters Towers.
- For a good value motel with a pool: Charters Towers Motel.
Things to do in Charters Towers include guided tours of the Venus gold battery and taking in the views from the Towers Hill Lookout. The neighbouring amphitheatre hosts movies about the region every evening.
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.
It’s 136km from Charters Towers to Townsville. The most appealing journey-breakers along the way are the Burdekin Duck Roadhouse, Macrossan Park camping area on the Burdekin River and Majors Creek swimming hole in Woodstock.
Things to do in Townsville include taking a cruise to the Museum of Underwater Art, relaxing 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.
7 Magnetic Island experiences to book in advance
- Sort out your return ferry ticket from Townsville.
- Get the best of the coastline on a five hour boat tour with snorkelling and stand-up paddleboarding.
- See the sky change – on a sunset and shipwrecks cruise.
- See all the island highlights – on an afternoon island tour combining heritage, culture and nature.
- Cram it all in on a five hour comprehensive island tour.
- Take to the water on a lunchtime sailing cruise.
- See subaquatic creativity – on a Museum of Underwater Art and Great Barrier Reef day trip.
Townsville to Mission Beach leg of the Perth to Cairns road trip
From here on it, it’s north up the Bruce Highway.
It’s another 235km from Townsville to Mission Beach, skirting Paluma Range National Park on the way. There are several waterfalls in this national park, but the star attractions are the rock pools of Crystal Creek.
Carry on up the Bruce Highway, and you’ll hit Ingham. Detour here for Girringun National Park and Australia’s highest waterfall, Wallaman Falls.
Ingham accommodation picks include the Ingham Tourist Park and the Tropixx Motel.
After Ingham comes Cardwell, where you can take a boat transfer to Hinchinbrook Island, Australia’s largest island national park.
The 32km Thorsborne Trail is the highlight on Hinchinbrook Island, which is kept deliberately wild and resort-free.
Otherwise, go for a swim in the eerily blue Cardwell Spa Pools.
Best Cardwell accommodation choices
The best places to stay in Cardwell are:
- For a holiday park with an outdoor pool and children’s playground: Cardwell Beachcomber Motel and Tourist Park.
- For prime location: Cardwell Beachfront Motel.
- If those two are fully booked: Kookaburra Holiday Park.
Turn off for Mission Beach at Tully, home of the Golden Gumboot, and you’ll pass Mount Mackay National Park.
Things to do in Mission Beach include mountain biking in Djiru National Park, skydiving onto the beach and getting the transfer boat to Dunk Island. You can also book Great Barrier Reef snorkelling tours.
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.
Mission Beach accommodation picks include the gardens-blessed Mission Beach Resort, the waterfront Castaways Resort and Spa and the pool-centric Mission Reef Resort.
Click through to the next section: Mission Beach to Babinda.