Author: Matt and Danielle
12 October 2023
Queensland is massive. It's seven times the size of the UK. Even after driving plenty of it, we had no idea how big it was until we ventured into the Outback. After conquering Australia's East Coast we set on our journey into the Red Centre. Little did we know it would take us over 16 hours to cross the border into the Northern Territory. That was driving the width, not the length! Going from Cairns to Alice Springs was no easy feat, but it taught us how big Australia really was.
For context, the longest drive in the UK is John o'Groates (North East Scotland) to Landsend (South West England) and that takes 14 hours. that means the length of the UK doesn't even cover the width of Queensland.
Because Queensland is so massive it's broken up into different parts. The South is wildly different to the North, and we're about to get into exactly why.
It's a grey area, but Tropical North Queensland is around Townsville and upwards. Technically speaking it ends at Cape Tribulation, above which is referred to as Far North Queensland. This is towards The Tip of Australia, and you need a 4-wheel drive to get anywhere near it. The roads are not even close to being suitable for any 2-wheel Drive. The climate in Tropical North Queensland is similar to what you'd expect to find in Southeast Asia. Towering palm trees, luscious greenery, sunny skies and crystal clear blue waters. The mango and pineapple you can get here are among the best you will ever taste in your life!
When you time it right the weather in this part of Australia is perfect. The sun will kiss your skin daily, you can eat as much delicious fresh tropical fruit as you like and enjoy all the natural beauty around you. Time it wrong and you may be facing monsoons, floods and severe sunburn. The best time of year to visit is June to October. This is when the stingers (horrible, tiny and incredibly deadly jellyfish) aren't anywhere near as common. The weather is also much more pleasant. The best time to be here is when it is Winter everywhere else, because that is the Dry season.
There is so much to see and do. Huge waterfalls, luscious rainforests, the Great Barrier Reef and world-class beaches all spring to mind. Here is everything you have to see when you take a road trip to Tropical North Queensland.
This is a list that will start in the South and work its way North, this order is not a ranking system for what to see. This way it makes it easy for you to put these incredible places into your Queensland itinerary.
Finding beautiful, swimming holes isn't so difficult in Tropical North Queensland. Finding crocodile-free swimming holes is another matter. Little Crystal Creek is a beautiful place where you can take a nice refreshing swim on a hot day. You are surrounded by stunning scenery and better yet... no crocs! It's very easy to reach as you can practically drive all the way up to the first swimming spot. From there you can take a walk around the area, or spend all day relaxing and swimming. There is a small waterfall here and some beautiful little streams.
Wallaman Falls is the tallest waterfall in Australia. It can be found in the spectacular Girringun National Park and is an impressive 256 meters tall. The views from both the top and bottom are phenomenal. The top is easiest to reach as you drive to the car park a few steps from the lookout spot. We came here bright and early and took in the sights with a morning coffee. It was the perfect way to start the day! If you want to take the walk down to the bottom then it takes around 30-40 minutes. It is steep at times, which makes it tough to come back up again, but it's a great scenic walk through the rainforest.
Being able to stand at the bottom and look out at the awesome sight of the powerful waterfall is one we will never forget. The water plummets down the face of the cliff and turns to mist at the bottom through sheer power. It's a special sight. You can't swim in the pool at the base of the waterfall, but there is a stream that offshoots from there. Whether you're technically "allowed" to swim here, we don't know, but plenty of people were swimming when we visited. It's a tiring walk down, so any chance to cool off is good!
We have entered The Cassowary Coast! Mission Beach is one of the more iconic places on this list, and for good reason. If you're looking to tick skydiving off your bucket list then this is one of the top places in Australia for it. Why is it called The Cassowary Coast? Well the cassowary is an animal that can be found here, and it is... let's say unique. They are flightless birds that are similar to emus in size. They have bright blue heads, a sort of mohawk, and huge scary-looking talons on their feet. From that description, you are probably thinking they hang out with the Loch Ness Monster and Sasquatch, but no...they are very real. You need to see one to believe it.
Mission Beach is a 2-mile long stretch of beach, with rolling waves on one side and tropical palm trees on the other. You won't be rubbing shoulders with strangers all packed into a tiny space here. Some of the palm trees have grown out in odd shapes, and they can help you get some amazing photos!
In truth, you're unlikely to see a cassowary on Misson Beach...Etty Bay is a different story! This is where we saw one in the wild and it blew us away. We couldn't believe how big it was! It was on the side of the road and didn't even flinch as our van drove close by it. They can often be found wandering around this gorgeous beach.
Now for the beach itself. It is a beautiful tropical paradise. This was one of our favourite beaches in Queensland, but do be careful if you decide to go for a swim. Saltwater crocodiles have been seen in the waters near here, so only swim in marked safe zones. at the very least, don't let the crocs scare you away from this beautiful beach. This is where you can start to see the luscious green rainforest making its way to the beautiful Great Barrier Reef.
Have you ever watched Peter Andre's 'Mysterious Girl' music video and danced along to it? Maybe you pretended to be in the waterfall and busted out all the moves? Now you can actually live out that fantasy! No joke, this is the real waterfall from that music video.
Millaa Millaa Waterfall is part of a trio of falls that can be found along a trail in the Atherton Tablelands. As well as this, you also have Zillie Falls and Ellinjaa Falls. Millaa Millaa is the star of the show, but a day chasing waterfalls is always a good day! This natural paradise is well worth a stop off on your North Queensland road trip.
More waterfalls here, although this one is different to all the others. This is more like a natural playground as you can safely jump, swim and hop on a natural waterslide. Josephine Falls is a beautiful tiered waterfall, and the bottom is where you can swim, jump and slide. Over many years the water has fallen down the rocks at the bottom tier and made them smooth and slippy. This means you can slide into the water without any risk of bumps and scrapes.
It's well worth a day trip as you're out and about exploring Tropical North Queensland.
This is something that you should definitely plan to see in Tropical North Queensland. There is a free campsite a few hundred meters from the boulders themselves. It is very small so get there early to secure a good spot. Once you're set up, grab your swimmers and head on over to the crystal-clear shallow waters.
Babinda Boulders is a huge open freshwater swimming hole and is completely croc-free. The water is amazing and you can always find people here cooling down on a hot day. If you want to swim in piece then wake up early and go for a morning dip. The water will be cold, but it's the perfect way to start your day!
Cairns is one of the smaller Australian Cities, but you will still want to stop off when you get towards North Queensland. There are tonnes of things to do just outside of Cairns, as well as in the city itself. You can even take a day trip to Port Douglas, a small seaside town which is only an hour north of Cairns. It's one of the best places to explore the Great Barrier Reef as there are a bunch of tours that leave from here. Why not hop on a Great Barrier Reef cruise or scenic seaplane flight for some outstanding views?
If you are looking for places to stay near Cairns then you can see a great free campsite here. It's only 30 minutes outside of the city! Wanting to stay more central? Not travelling in a campervan? check out some other
Mossman Gorge is a beautiful National Park. You can hike, swim in blissful waters and learn all about the culture and history of the indigenous Kuku Yalanji people. It's $13 per adult which gives you entrance and a bus ticket to take you up the steep hill to the national park entrance. If you want to take this opportunity to learn more about the Kuku Yalanji people then you can pay extra for guided tours. When we visited there were lots of people enjoying the various hikes, and cooling off in the beautiful Mossman River. There are places to jump, swim and enjoy the water in safety,
You can easily see Mossman Gorge on a day trip from Cairns. If you've booked to stay in Cairns for a few days and want to go see some incredible nature nearby then this is only an hour north of the city.
Also known as The Wet Tropics of Queensland. This is the oldest tropical rainforest in the world and where the rainforest meets the reef. This unique wonder is a world heritage site and is a staggering 180 million years old! The wet tropics are a must if you venture up towards the North of Queensland and there are a bunch of incredible things to see here. A guided tour is the best way to learn all about the rainforest, the animals that call it home and the plant life that thrives there.
Word of warning - do not swim here. There are a lot of saltwater crocodiles! Luckily, any walking trails near water are on raised platforms. Keep an eye out to see if you can see any lurking below.
Cape Tribulation sits within the Daintree Rainforest. It's a beautiful place with amazing beaches, nature and incredible scenic views. This is the furthest North in Queensland that you can comfortably reach in a 2WD. Any further up towards The Tip is full of awful corrugated roads.
Cape Tribulation is where the tropical rainforests stretch all the way out to the beautiful white sand beaches. There are some brilliant places here waiting for you to explore them. Shipwreck Bay, Cow Bay Beach, Madja Boardwalk, Myall Beach and Kulki Boardwalk & lookout are some of our favourites. Mason's Swimming Hole is another spot, and this is actually a safe place to swim too. We wouldn't recommend swimming in other spots, unless it's marked as a safe swimming hole.
We stayed at the Safari Lodge, which was clean, full of amenities and in a great location. There are also a bunch of other amazing accommodation options available to suit all budgets.
That covers our 11 must-see places along your epic Tropical North Queensland Trip. With Queensland being such a huge part of Australia we wanted to cover things in more detail. For everything South of Tropical North Queensland you can see that right here. There are so many stunning places along the coast of Queensland, and an epic 2-week road trip would be an incredible way to tick them all off. If you have longer then you can also check out our 3-week East Coast Australia itinerary.
For all the best free camps to stop at along your way you can see our guide to the best free campsites in Queensland.
Have we given you the travel bug? Book your flights, accommodation and travel insurance all here.
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