Spend time exploring Cairns and its rich colonial heritage before heading north. Visit local museums and art galleries, take a ride on the historic Kuranda train. Stop at the local Information Centre (Gateway Discovery Centre, 51 The Esplanade), to gather more details before heading off on your Heritage drive around North Queensland.

Don’t rush by the Northern Beaches of Cairns, make a stop for a swim or sip a cool drink in one of the numerous cafes and restaurants along the coastline.

Then head north from Cairns along the Cook Highway; stopping at Rex Lookout – the perfect point to view the Coral Sea and beaches.

Just south of Port Douglas lies the notorious Bump Track, once used by pioneers travelling from Port Douglas to the Hodgkinson and Herberton mining areas. Now a popular mountain biking and walking track, it was once lined with pubs as pack horses, bullock drays and coaches ferried goods and passengers up and down the steep coastal range.

On arriving at Port Douglas, visit St Mary’s Church near the jetty. This quaint old chapel remains the most popular place for North Queenslanders to marry. Stay overnight in Port Douglas.

Head off early for the drive north. Or, if time allows, spend an extra day in Port Douglas and head out for a full-day Great Barrier Reef cruise.

Just north of Port Douglas are Mossman and the stunning Mossman Gorge, the traditional home of the Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal people. Located a short drive out of town, the visitor area features walking trails, a waterfall and swimming holes.

Further north you arrive at charming Daintree village on the banks of the Daintree River. The river was named by explorer George Elphinstone Dalrymple in 1873, he described it as "the finest river scenery in the colony". He named the river after his friend and early Government geologist, Richard Daintree. Not just the river but a village, a national park and the whole region now share his name. You can visit Daintree’s arts and crafts shops, take a river tour and have a meal break before you take a trip on the wild side - on the other side of the Daintree River.

Use the vehicle ferry (operates daily; a fee applies) to cross the river to the Daintree coast, where the rainforest meets the reef. Enjoy the pleasant drive to Cape Tribulation and if you have time, stay a night to explore the reef and rainforest World Heritage Areas.

Continue north along the 4WD Bloomfield Track which crosses the Bloomfield River and enters Australia’s last great frontier – Cape York Peninsula. Stop at the historic Lion’s Den Hotel to view the unusual memorabilia and Keating’s Lagoon for some late afternoon birdwatching before arriving in Cooktown for the night.

WARNING - CROCODILES
Estuarine crocodiles are present in creeks, rivers and waterholes in this area. Estuarine crocodiles can be dangerous to people.

Explore the sites of historic Cooktown. Ideally you will need at least a couple of days to take in over two centuries of rich history, starting with Captain James Cook's landing in 1770 and then the gold rush in the 1870s. Explore Cooktown's history and culture, not only by walking through town, but also by visiting its museums and monuments. Each year the town celebrates its colourful history, including a re-enactment of Cook’s landing, over the Queen’s birthday weekend in June.

Heading south-west from Cooktown, stop at Black Mountain National Park and then travel on to Lakeland. Lakeland also provides access along 45km of unsealed road to the north to Laura and the world’s largest collection of prehistoric rock art.

Further south will take you past the Palmer River Roadhouse. In the 1870s tens of thousands of miners flocked to this area searching for gold, one of the last great goldrushes in Australia; they included over 7,000 Chinese miners. Today all that is left of the goldfields are legends of the hardships endured and mining memorabilia at the roadhouse and caravan park.

The small township of Mt Molloy has an important connection to Palmer Goldfields and the development of North Queensland. It is here that James Venture Mulligan, the founding father of the Palmer Goldfields, rests in the local cemetery. It is worth visiting the cemetery to read the inscription on his tombstone.

Continue south to the Highlands – the Atherton Tablelands - for the night.

Old mining towns – head west from Mareeba for a day’s drive (longer if you can) to explore the fascinating old mining towns with their intriguing stories of days gone by. Mount Mulligan (now a ghost town) was a coal mining town established in 1910 and prospered until an underground explosion killed 75 miners in 1921, pay your respects at the local cemetery. Tyrconnell was the most famous mine on the Hodgkinson goldfield in the 1880’s. Several original buildings and machines remain testament to that bustling era, now set in tranquil and stunningly beautiful surroundings. The 1880s tin town of Irvinebank is like a step back in time with its many original buildings and rustic setting. Start your Irvinebank adventure with a visit to Loudon House museum. John Moffat built the Loudon Mill, which devoured more than 100 tonnes of firewood a day as it crushed tin ore. Nearby Nearby lies Herberton, the oldest town on the Tablelands. It was once Australia’s richest tin mining field. Step into the past at the local mining museum and take a self-guided walking tour of the town.

Slightly to the east, Malanda is famous for the Malanda Hotel – the largest wooden structure in Queensland. Malanda Majestic Theatre is the longest running theatre in Australia.

In Atherton, the Hou Wang Miau Chinese Temple is the last surviving structure of Cedar Camp, the Atherton Chinatown, established in the mid 1880s. The temple and meeting hall were built in 1903. Chinese had lived in the Atherton area from the early 1880s. They were timber getters and gardeners and pioneered maize growing.

The Ravenshoe area has a range of accommodation options including B&Bs.

Ravenshoe is Queensland’s highest town, at 920 metres above sea level, and home to the ‘highest pub in Queensland’ – a great place to discuss the town’s varied history. Once a timber town, the town was decimated by World Heritage listing of the rainforests in 1988. Now the town relies on tourism, so order another drink and support the local community!

You can learn more about the town’s heritage at the Ravenshoe Visitor Centre.

Along the Kennedy Highway, stop at Innot Hot Springs. The spring is based around Nettle Creek, the source of natural mineral springs that were once bottled and sent to Europe. The springs come highly recommended for their rejuvenating qualities.

Follow the Savannah Way to the historic mining town of Mount Garnet, and down to Forty Mile Scrub National Park for a bush walk through an unusual vine forest thicket, before arriving at the ancient lava tubes of Undara Volcanic National Park. The Savannah Guide Station at Undara Experience offers a variety of tour options.

Overnight camping or lodge facilities are available in the park. Bookings are recommended.

Today’s route is a reasonably long drive, so get up early to make the most of it. Alternatively, if time allows, stay in extra day at Undara to explore more of the lava tubes and enjoy the bush walks.

Either head back to the Kennedy Highway and then south to The Lynd and the Oasis Roadhouse; or continue west through the outback town of Mount Surprise, and then follow the road south to Einasleigh, along the unsealed Gregory Developmental Road. Einasleigh is an old copper mining town, set on the banks of the Copperfield River which follows an ancient lava flow. Take a walk through the gorge.

Continue on to The Lynd Junction to the Oasis Roadhouse – reputably the smallest bar in Queensland! Next stop, Greenvale and the nearby Greenvale Corridor and Heritage Tea Rooms, Find true Australian Heritage, take a guided tour and view some indigenous rock art.

Further south visit Great Basalt Wall and Dalrymple National Park and observe the natural wonders of the volcanic times many years ago. There is no public access to the Great Basalt Wall National Park.

Travel further to Charters Towers for the night. This city encompasses heritage in the forms of historical pubs, landmarks and stories of the gold rush years of the 1870’s.

Charters Towers has magnificent heritage streetscapes that are largely unchanged since the gold rush days of the 1800’s. Once the second largest city in Queensland at the height of the gold rush, Charters Towers is now renowned for its historic character and for its collection of beautifully-preserved 19th and early 20th century buildings. Head to the Visitor Information Centre to obtain a navigational map for the Ghosts of Gold Heritage Trail or enquire about other attractions such as Zara Clark Museum, the Civic Club and the World Theatre, The Stock Exchange building, and the Venus Gold Battery.

Head east on the Flinders Highway to Townsville. On the way, make a detour to Ravenswood (38km each way from highway) – visit this ghost town with historic hotels, friendly ghosts and legendary stories.

Closer to Townsville, visit the Mingela Hotel for a drink.

If time allows, take a detour to Ayr to dive the historic Yongala Wreck! A ‘must do’ for any interested divers or underwater enthusiasts! While in the area visit the treasures of the earth display and Zaro’s Cultural allery.

On arrival into Townsville, visit one or more of the Townsville museums and walk the Townsville Heritage Trails

After spending a couple of days in Townsville and Magnetic Island forts , if time allows. Head north along the Great Green Way section of the Great Tropical Drive. Take the Rollingstone Heritage Trail and detour to Paluma to enjoy the history and remains of the tin mining industry and to visit some of the local ceramic shops. Don’t forget to stop at Big or Little Crystal Creek for a BBQ picnic, a swim and to view the historic stone art bridge at Little Crystal Creek.

Heading to Ingham, stop for an exotic fruit ice-cream and turn-off to Jourama Falls (6km each way; unsealed road) for great views and walking tracks. Upon arrival in Ingham visit Tyto Wetlands. The unique Tyto Wetlands, close to the centre of town, is home to over 100 species of birds, tropical plants and Australian wildlife including wallabies and crocodiles. Overnight in Ingham or surrounding beaches.

The friendly sugar town of Ingham is nestled in the heart of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Listed Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef. Beaches, wildlife and access to Australia’s largest national park island, Hinchinbrook Island.

After exploring Ingham and its historic pubs and hotels such as the Hotel Noorla, head to the coast to visit Lucinda’s sugar loading jetty, the longest (5.7km) in the Southern Hemisphere. Detour west to the historic Trebonne Post Office and visit Wallaman Falls, Australia’s highest single drop waterfall.

If time permits, complete the Hinchinbrook Heritage Walk, walk through the Ingham Memorial Gardens and visit the Water Tower of Ingham. In the afternoon, continue to Cardwell where you can catch a ferry across to Australia’s largest island National Park, Hinchinbrook Island. Spend an extra day to enjoy a night or trek the famous Thorsborne Trail or other walking trails in this pristine environment..
Visit the historic Cardwell Post Office and Bush Telegraph Centre. Located in the main street of Cardwell, experience a tour of these historical buildings (1870) and learn about the development of communication services, local government, police and judicial systems. Enjoy the interactive activities and try out the old jail cell.

Overnight in Cardwell or on Hinchinbrook Island.

After seeing the sights of Cardwell, continue north along the Great Green Way section of the Great Tropical Drive, passing through Kennedy.

On the way, don’t miss a detour to Edmund Kennedy National Park, or to Murray Falls (slightly to the west off the highway). Murray Falls is one of the prettiest falls in North Queensland.

Continue north from the falls via the scenic unsealed road to Tully Gorge National Park. On the way, a ‘must do’ are the Indigenous Tours and guided bushwalks at Echo Creek and Kooroomool. Enjoy waterfalls, crystal clear swimming holes, bushwalking trails and adventure activities, as well as camping (optional).

Head to the Tully River and Tully Gorge for whitewater rafting, a picnic or camping (optional). Make sure you take the 20-minute Rainforest Butterfly Walk at the gorge. Trek the Misty Mountains Trails and continue onto Tully or nearby Mission Beach for the night.

Local Tip: Be at the Flip Wilson Lookout in the Tully Gorge at 1.00pm any day to see white-water rafters negotiate a tricky set of rapids.

Spend more time this morning exploring the natural and local attractions around Tully and Mission Beach. Start the day with a visit to the Tully Visitor and Heritage Centre, browse through the interpretive area, gain more local information about what to see and do, and enjoy a free tea or coffee. The local attraction not to miss is the Giant Golden Gumboot – at 7.9m high you can’t miss it! Climb to the top of the viewing platform to get a great view over Tully and the Tully Sugar Mill.

Stretch your legs at the Lacey Creek Walking Trails just before arriving at Mission Beach. The trails offer a 45-minute circuit walk with an excellent pathway crossing the creek in several places.
In Mission Beach, walk to the Mission Beach site at South Mission Beach and take the 1.5 km Ulysses Link Walking Track that winds its way along the breathtaking Mission Beach foreshore. Perhaps spend a night or two on Dunk Island if time permits.

In the afternoon, head north to El Arish to take the scenic route north to Innisfail. El Arish is an historic soldier settlement where you can browse through old memorabilia and photographs in the local pub.

Take a detour to Mena Creek to visit the intriguing Paronella Park, a crumbling Spanish castle based around the remains of a Spanish grandiose home built in the early 1900’s.

Continue to Innisfail for the night. Visit the Australian Sugar Museum in Mourilyan, just south of Innisfail. Experience Innisfail’s high concentration of Art Deco buildings and visit the Lit Sing Gung-Chinese Temple (1940). There are an abundance of Queensland Heritage Listed buildings and sites in Innisfail. There are also a range of accommodation options in town.

North of Innisfail, visit Eubenangee Swamp National Park, an important wetland area that contains a number of rare plant species and assists in the conservation of the region's wildlife. Also not to be missed are Ella Bay National Park and Wooroonooran National Park. If you’re a climber, don’t miss Mt Bartle Frere is Queensland’s highest mountain (1622m).

Spend the day exploring these natural and scenic wonders, before heading further north via Aloomba, Gordonvale and Edmonton onto Cairns for the night. Stay a few days in Cairns and explore. A wide range of accommodation is available in and around Cairns.

For further detailed information visit one of the local Information Centres on the way, or one of the following.

Cairns:
Gateway Discovery Centre
51 The Esplanade, Cairns
Tel: (07) 4051 3588
www.tropicalaustralia.com

Townsville:
Flinders Mall Information Centre
Flinders Mall, Townsville
Tel: (07) 4721 3660 or freecall: 1800 801 902
www.townsvilleonline.com.au

	Complete Information Centre list
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