Sydney to Cairns inland road trip: Distance, time & best stops
Sydney 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.
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.
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.
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.
Sydney 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.
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.