The ultimate Cairns to Cooktown 5 day road trip 2023
The route from Cairns to Cooktown is like a highlight reel of Tropical North Queensland; it passes through beaches that have been carved by the wind, a colorful reef, and rolling landscapes of rainforest.
By Carla Grossetti
Even though it’s easy to be charmed by the compact city of Cairns in Tropical North Queensland, which is famous for its reef and rainforest as well as its tropical gardens where palm leaves bow down to the ground, you’d be making a mistake if you decided to rest here and forego all of the delights that can be found between Cairns and the northern coastal town of Cooktown.
There are two primary ways to travel from Cairns to Cooktown: the 331-kilometer (206-mile) inland route, which can be completed in approximately four hours and is accessible by both cars and caravans; and the 234-kilometer (145-mile) coastal route, which can only be traveled by four-wheel drive vehicles, takes approximately six hours to complete, and offers spectacular vistas around every turn.
This plan takes the latter route over the course of five days, traveling from Cairns to Cape Tribulation via the Great Barrier Reef Drive and then following the Bloomfield Track all the way to Cooktown.
DAY 1: CAIRNS TO PORT DOUGLAS
Travel time: around 60 minutes
Make the most of your time in Cairns by staying a night or two at the brand-new Bailey hotel, which is part of the Crystalbrook Collection. This will allow you to make the most of your time in the city before beginning your journey further north.
Mix and mingle with members of the creative community in Cairns at CC’s Bar and Grill, or savor a tropical drink at the Whisky & Wine Bar located in Flynn, the hotel’s sister property. After you’ve had a good time in Cairns, it’s time to go back on the road.
From Cairns to Port Douglas, along the Great Barrier Reef Drive, you may take your time and enjoy the scenery.
Pull in at Palm Cove for breakfast at Nu Nu’s somewhere around the midway point, and then walk off your coconut and banana hotcakes with a stroll down the esplanade all the way to the pier, where resident osprey Scruffy makes frequent guest appearances.
Spend the morning wandering through the melaleuca (“paperbark”) tree-lined community of Palm Cove, and then drive a further five minutes’ north to Ellis Beach Bar & Grill, where you can have a bucket of prawns and beer while your toes are in the sand.
Join a crocodile tour at Hartley Creek Crocodile Adventures, which is just a 15-minute drive away; this will allow you to watch these enormous reptile animals lurching out of the water in a safe environment.
Continue to follow the road at a leisurely speed as it snakes down the coast to Rex Lookout, which boasts views over the Coral Sea, before finally arriving at the charming settlement of Port Douglas.
The Peppers Beach Club, the Hotel Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort and Spa, and the Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Resort are three of the greatest places to stay in Port Douglas, despite the fact that there is no lack of wonderful places to stay in the area.
DAY 2: Departure from Port Douglas and Arrival at Cape Tribulation
Best advice
If you want to spend more time in the middle of the Daintree Rainforest (and who wouldn’t? ), you may choose to stay the night at Daintree Eco Lodge or in a treehouse at Silky Oaks Lodge before going on to Cape Tribulation the following morning.
Travel time through the coastal route is around two hours.
Although the trip from Port Douglas to Cape Tribulation via the coastal road takes just around two hours, there is a lot to see and do along the way, so you should plan to take your time getting there and back. The Great Barrier Reef Drive is widely regarded as one of the best road trips in all of Australia.
It is located in northern Queensland and runs parallel to the coast as the region’s breathtaking scenery unfolds: on one side, there is white sand and sparkling seas, and on the other, there is a patchwork quilt made up of rich, fertile farmland and emerald-green rainforest.
Inside the Daintree National Park, which is on the list of World Heritage Sites, you may take a stroll through the 56,000-hectare (216-square-mile) Mossman Gorge.
You will arrive at the swimming hole after passing huge strangler figs and passing through curtains of fan palms. The swimming hole has fresh water torrents that rush in and around large granite rocks.
Alternately, the Ngadiku Dreamtime Gorge Walk located next to the Mossman Gorge Centre is an excellent way to learn about the Kuku Yalanji culture that is native to the area.
River Drift Snorkeling is a fun activity for more adventurous types, since it allows you to float around Mossman Gorge with the stream.
After getting back in the vehicle and getting back on the road, make a pit stop at Daintree Saltwater Barramundi Fish Farms in Wonga. At this catch-and-release sustainable fish farm, you will have the opportunity to try your luck at catching a barramundi.
After that, go further into the Lower Daintree Rainforest, where you will need to drive your car onto a ferry to get over the Daintree River (the only way to do this).
After you have returned to land, you should go to Cow Bay, which is less than half an hour away, to get some black sapote ice cream from Floravilla Biodynamic Organic Ice Cream.
The travel from Cow Bay to Cape Tribulation will take an additional half an hour. The Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef are both recognized as World Heritage Sites; nevertheless, Cape Trib is the only location on the whole earth where these two natural wonders meet.
Before heading to dinner at Whet Café, Bar & Restaurant, a local institution with a menu of dishes featuring a lot of local produce and fresh seafood, head to the beautiful and expansive Myall Beach to sink your toes into the sand and look out across the waters of the Coral Sea.
After dinner, head to the nearby Whet Café, Bar & Restaurant.
Make your reservation at the spa cabin at Black Pearl in Cape Tribulation to be immersed in the verdant jungle while yet being conveniently close to beaches, restaurants, and other activities.
DAY 3: CAPE TRIBULATION TO COOKTOWN
Fun fact
After becoming aground on the reef aboard the Endeavour, Captain James Cook stayed at Cooktown for a total of forty-eight days.
Travel time is around two hours.
Two-wheel-drive vehicles are able to navigate the distance from Cape Tribulation to Emmagen Creek, which is around three miles in length; however, if you want to continue down the Bloomfield Track to the north and reach Cooktown, a four-wheel-drive vehicle is required.
The Lion’s Den Hotel is a frozen-in-time testimony to the pioneering Australians who landed here as part of the gold rush in the late 19th century. It is located around halfway down the 33-kilometer (20-mile) circuit, and it is a great place to stop for lunch.
Continue driving through Cooktown in the direction of Hopevale to reach the Nugal-warra rock art sites. While you are there, a local elder named Willie Gordon will tell you the legends that are associated with the artwork.
The colourful sands of Elim Beach, which resemble a fallen rainbow and are managed by Thiithaarr-warra elder Eddie Deemal, are a great place to visit for those who have four-wheel drive vehicles and find themselves staying in the region for a longer period of time.
When you get back to Cooktown, stop by the James Cook Museum to brush up on your knowledge of colonial history. The museum is located in a beautiful former convent from the 19th century and gives visitors an insight into the intriguing history of the city.
After a long day of travelling, consider having supper at the Balcony Restaurant in Cooktown, which is located at the Sovereign Resort Hotel, where you will be staying for the night.
The restaurant offers views of the Endeavour River. Before you eat, if you have time on your side, you should swim for a while and then just rest.
Cooktown to Mount Mulligan and then Cairns are the destinations for Days 4 and 5 of this tour.
Mount Mulligan can be reached in three hours by car, whereas Cairns can be reached in two and a half.
If you make the effort to spend the night at Mount Mulligan Lodge on your way back to Cairns, you may add a touch of elegance to the conclusion of your trip.
This drive will take you inland, across Lakeland, and finally bring you to the working cattle station. Rather from going back along the coast in the same direction as previously, you will follow this route.
The five-star luxury lodge is stitched into the open savannah and is located in the shadow of Mount Mulligan, which is 18 kilometers (11 miles) in length.
The lodge can only accommodate sixteen people at one time. There is no additional cost for any of the meals, and you will even get the opportunity to muster some cattle.
Take in a delicious brunch at Mount Mulligan before winding your way back to Cairns to conclude an amazing road trip across Tropical North Queensland.
Topic: Cairns to Cooktown 5 day road trip
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I am arguably the most popular Australian writer of all time. I am from the town of Karrinyup in rural Western Australia. When I was young, I was fascinated by the unique landscape of Australia, and I decided to support himself by writing books about the Australian landscape.
