The Best Day Trips to Take From Cairns

For a road trip featuring incredible landscapes at almost every turn, Cairns is calling. The heart of Queensland’s tropical north has some of the country’s most spectacular natural wonders within easy driving distance, so you’ll have plenty of time for rock-pool soaking, trail navigating and wildlife spotting along the way. With so much to explore, the best way to navigate this patch of paradise is on four wheels. Hire a car with Avis at Cairns airport, and if you complete Avis PreCheck before you arrive, you can get on the road to start your adventure quicker. Here’s our pick of the best places to visit on your journey through the region.

Spot turtles at Palm Cove

This palm-fringed beach was just named one of the world’s best, so it’s well worth the 30-minute drive from the airport to lay beneath its iconic coconut trees. Spend your day swimming and strolling along the two-kilometre stretch of sand, or book a kayak with Pacific Watersports to nearby Double Island and keep a lookout for green sea turtles and eagle rays.

A long lunch is best enjoyed beachside at Nu Nu Restaurant, where you can sample their famous wok-fried chilli mud crab laksa. For something more casual, order a takeaway lime pepper calamari and prawn tacos from Lucky Fish.

Swim among the Babinda Boulders

Drive 55 minutes south along the Bruce Highway from Cairns through sugar cane fields, banana farms and ancient rainforest to find the undulating rock formations and emerald green waters of Babinda Boulders – a spiritual and sacred area to the Yidinji people. Here you can swim (these tropical creeks are fast-flowing so water safety is essential), stretch your legs on a 1.3-kilometre return walk to the Devil’s Pool Lookout and then settle in with a picnic spread alongside the swimming hole.

If you’re low on lunch supplies, stop at Babinda Bakery on the way to pick up a pie or one of its decadent cream buns.

Break a sweat summiting Walshs Pyramid

Head 25 kilometres south of Cairns to discover this 922-metre-tall pyramid-esque peak, which rewards hikers with 360-degree views of the region. The challenging six-kilometre trail will take five to six hours to complete, with steep and rocky sections interspersed with suitable spots to pause and overlook the surrounding ranges.

If you’re heading out on a weekend, fill your backpack with tropical fruit and snacks at Cairns’ Rusty’s Markets – it’s open Friday, Saturday and Sunday – and cool off with a post-hike swim at Behana Gorge, which is less than a 10-minute drive from the bottom of the mountain.

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Get blown away by Din Din (Barron Falls)

Barron Gorge National Park, 45 minutes from Cairns, is a must-visit, especially in the wet season from November to March as 265,000 megalitres of water crash over the 250-metre falls. Feel the cool mist as it drifts on the breeze from the viewpoint on the 1.2-kilometre return track, get a bird’s-eye view of the spectacular sight on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway or go the long way around on the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway.

Make a pit stop in the nearby village of Kuranda to refuel at Frogs Restaurant (you can’t go past the barra and tamarind curry) before spotting one of the region’s most iconic residents, the southern cassowary, at Birdworld.

Explore the Daintree Rainforest

A trip to Far North Queensland isn’t complete without exploring the World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest – and Mossman Gorge is one of the best places to start. From Cairns, follow the Great Barrier Reef Drive north for 77 kilometres – take in spectacular views over the sparkling coast along the way – until you reach Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre.

Here you can tick off the ultimate outdoor to-do list: dip in crystal-clear rockpools (the area is considered generally safe from crocs), take in the spectacular Cassowary Falls and wander through the 135-million-year-old rainforest. You can also join a guided Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk led by the local First Nations community who share their knowledge about the region’s flora and fauna.

Avis PreCheck™ is a digital check-in which helps to streamline your car pick-up process. By pre-adding your Driver’s Licence and method of payment details to your Avis reservation, you can breeze through pick up, saving time at the counter. You can complete Avis PreCheck™ via your booking confirmation email from Avis.