The northern part of Queensland is tropical paradise, known most famously for being the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef in the world. It's one of the best roadtripping destinations in Australia, with beaches, viewpoints, coastal towns and hikes to explore all along the way.
Cairns is often considered the entry point to Tropical North Queensland. From Cairns, you can roadtrip in both directions: down south towards Townsville, up north along the Captain Cook Highway along the Great Barrier Reef to Mossman (the focus of this guide) and further north to the Daintree Rainforest. I have done all three and am here to give you all the best tips of what to do along the way.
→ Check out my guide to visiting the Daintree Rainforest!
COMING SOON → Check out my complete guide to roadtripping from Cairns to Townsville!
We're currently living full-time in our campervan, a 2018 Mercedes Sprinter, and exploring Australia, with a plan of "driving the lap" (completing the entire perimeter of the country). I first visited Australia in 2019, following the classic backpacker route, mostly visiting big cities, staying in hostels and traveling by public transport. This time, with the freedom of our campervan, we're trying to hit the lesser known spots and go slower.
The route from Cairns to Mossman along the Captain Cook Highway is about 90km, including Port Douglas. This guide is in geographical order from Cairns north to Mossman and includes additional stops not on the highway itself but in the same region.
We first roadtripped from Cairns to Mossman in early May 2026 and returned at the end of the month after our time up north, driving the road in the opposite direction down south, and updated the original post with all the new things we did. This post was first published on 7 May 2026; last updated 23 May 2026.
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Heading to Australia? Every single spot (and more) that I mention in all my blog posts about Australia (including its three external territories) can be found in my Ultimate Australia Map!
This is a digital map featuring hundreds of my favourite:
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Each pin includes the exact location (plus the ability to open it directly in Google Maps), lots of photos for inspiration, detailed information to help you visit the spot plus a link to my relevant blog post to read lots more about it.
Useful Information for the Captain Cook Highway
Below is some useful information for preparing for driving the Captain Cook Highway. In all cases, please be sure to check with the relevant local authorities for the latest and accurate information.
Language: The official language of Australia is English. Along the Captain Cook Highway, the traditional language of the Yirrganydji people is Irukandji/Yirrganydji.
→ Learn more about the language of the Yirrganydji people.
Currency: The currency used in Australia is the Australian dollar, denoted as AUD $. I use a Wise account when I travel which allows me to have a single, free account with multiple currencies. I only have to pay once to convert my money in the app and then I can pay in AUD $!
→ Check the latest currency conversion between AUD $ and your local currency.
Data: Before you arrive, I recommend purchasing an eSim on your phone so that you can access data the moment you land. eSims are much more convenient as it means you don't have to put a separate physical Sim into your phone. AirAlo offers great deals for eSims of various data sizes and time lengths with Optus.
→ Load an international eSim on your phone with AirAlo.
If you are visiting Australia long term, you might wish to put a physical Sim in your phone as AirAlo is geared more towards short term visitors on holiday. This way you can access a local phone plan. There are three main mobile phone network providers in Australia: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Telstra has the best coverage across the country whereas Optus and Vodafone are good within cities. I recommend Telstra as it means you have the best coverage while you travel around the country, especially in rural areas.
We travel with a Starlink in our campervan which enables us to have unlimited WiFi wherever we are, even in places without coverage.
Visa: All passport holders except New Zealand require a visa to visit Australia. All arrivals must fill out an Australian arrival card before landing.
→ Check which visa you need for Australia.
Time of year to visit: Australia can be visited all year-round. Tropical North Queensland gets a pretty intense rainy season from November to April which can often see floods and many tourism infrastructure closed. The best time to visit is during winter and early spring from May to October for pleasant, warm, sunny, dry days.
If you choose to visit the Great Barrier Reef in the summer (May to October), you must wear a protective stinger suit against fatal stings from poisonous jellyfish.
Length of stay: A roadtrip from Cairns to Mossman is about 90km, including Port Douglas. You can do it in a day but I recommend at least two or three days to do it properly as there is so much to explore on the way.
How to Get to Cairns
By flight: Cairns has its own airport, connecting nationally across Australia as well as to multiple international destinations.
The airport is just north of the city, less than ten minutes by car or 15 minutes by bus.
By car: The most popular way of exploring Australia is by camping - whether with a motorhome, campervan, caravan or a roof tent on top of a car. This gives you the ultimate freedom of going as fast or as slow as you like.
→ Rent a campervan in Cairns with Apollo, Camplify, Indie or Juicy.
You can also do this roadtrip in a normal rental car, choosing to stay in accommodations along the way instead.
Where to Stay on the Captain Cook Highway
Hotel: Not traveling by campervan? Driving in a car? Whatever your reason for needing a place to stay, there are some great accommodation options between Cairns and Mossman.
→ Check out places to stay to suit your budget and accommodation type.
Camping: We are driving "the lap" around Australia, exploring the country in our campervan. The best way to find legal camping spots is to use an app. We use Wikicamps Australia, a cheap app that has every single amenity listed (both free and paid) that you might need on the road. This includes things like where to fill up fresh water, where to dump grey water, where to empty toilets, where to stay, gas stations, information points and also has suggestions for things to do as you go.
→ Download the Wikicamps Australia app.
While roadtripping from Cairns to Mossman, we camped at two different spots. In Cairns, we checked into Tasman Holiday Parks, a delightful paid campsite. It's small but peaceful and with all the amenities of a paid campground, including a swimming pool, power, laundry, kitchen and more.
While exploring the area, we camped at Rifle Creek Rest Area, a lovely, peaceful free campsite near Mount Molloy (about 40 minutes southwest of Mossman and Port Douglas inland). There are toilets, cold showers and a dump point. It's free to stay here with a nightly AUD $2 donation requested to support facility maintenance.
Where to Eat on the Captain Cook Highway
We had some fantastic meals as we explored the area between Cairns and Mossman, including finding our favourite restaurant in Australia! I've included my recommendations in geographic order from south to north.
In Cairns, we had massive bowls of delicious pho at Vietnam Pho Pho. The interior is really big and felt almost like a cafeteria but don't let that put you off, the pho is delicious! Come hungry as the portions are big.
Vietnam Pho Pho
In Smithfield, a northern suburb of Cairns, there is a shopping centre with some surprisingly fantastic restaurants. You might be wondering why I'm recommending a restaurant inside a mall but if you happen to be passing through Smithfield on your way north of Cairns, I can definitely suggest stopping for food!
We really liked the sushi from Sushi Train where you could take what you wanted off the train or order from their big menu, all freshly made.
We went back multiple times to Roll'd for outstanding Vietnamese food.
And don't forget to grab dessert from Samba Bowl, the frozen yogurt shop where you pay by weight for fro-yo and unlimited toppings!
Sushi Train
Roll'd
Samba Bowl
In Port Douglas, you absolutely must have dinner at Bam Pow, our favourite restaurant in Australia serving up a mouthwatering Vietnamese fusion menu. It was so good we went back three times and I swear their jackfruit curry will live rent-free in my head for the rest of my life.
In Mossman, stop by Beechwoods Cafe for delicious açaí bowls before you head into Mossman Gorge. I don't recommend their burgers, though!
Bam Pow
Beechwoods Cafe
Best Things to Do on the Captain Cook Highway
The drive from Cairns to Mossman is about 90km including Port Douglas which can definitely be done in a day but I recommend at least two or three days to properly explore all the wonderful things there are to do along the way.
Here is everything we did in geographical order from south to north (Cairns to Mossman):
Ride the Kuranda Scenic Railway
The Kuranda Scenic Railway is a historic train ride from Kuranda to Cairns through the rainforests of Barron Gorge National Park. Opened in 1891 and passing through 15 tunnels and across 55 bridges, this is a stunning ride through Queensland's heritage.
We didn't ride the railway as tickets were sold out in advance for the dates we wanted to go, but just wandering around the heritage old platform in Kuranda was beautiful in itself. Many of the spots you go past on the train in Barron Gorge National Park can also be visited by car as an alternative.
See Barron Falls from Upper Falls Lookout
One of the stops you pass on the Kuranda Scenic Railway (also accessible by car with a ten-minute walk along the boardwalk) is the incredible viewpoint of Barron Falls in Barron Gorge National Park from the Upper Falls Lookout.
Spot Cairns from Wrights Lookout
This simple viewpoint is just south of Kuranda in Barron Gorge National Park and worth visiting if you're already in the area near Barron Falls to spot Cairns off in the distance between two mountain peaks.
Wander through the Palm Tree Tunnel
Located at the south end of Palm Cove Beach, this is a super photogenic walkway lined with loads of tall palm trees. It was super windy when we visited so we didn't stay long but I can imagine it's also gorgeous here at sunset.
Spot Ellis Beach
We spotted Ellis Beach as we drove a curve of the Captain Cook Highway just north of Palm Cove and had to stop in the little pullover to snap photos of the gorgeous beach stretching seemingly endlessly.
Take in the view from Rex Lookout
This is an amazing viewpoint where you can pull over for a panoramic view over Hartleys Creek Beach and beyond to mountains of the Captain Cook Highway framed in the distance. Be careful as the parking lot is on the opposite side of the highway and you'll need to very carefully cross when there's no traffic.
Twirl under the palm trees at Palm Field
The driveway to the Thala Beach Nature Reserve is lined with fields of stunning palm trees that they've graciously opened up for people to stop and take photos in.
Please be respectful of the resort's property; drones are not permitted.
Spot crocodiles
Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed but the Crocodile Viewpoint is one of the most likely spots you can see crocodiles hanging out on the shores of Spring Creek. There is a bridge you can walk across to see if you can find them below!
Take in the view from Four Mile Beach Lookout
This is such an amazing viewpoint in Port Douglas! The trail starts at the end of the Esplanade and is just a short trek up steps to a platform overlooking Four Mile Beach. Truly breathtaking.
Take in the view from Trinity Bay Lookout
At the end of Island Point Road, there is a high up view of Four Mile Beach. Personally, we preferred the view from Four Mile Beach Lookout just below, but this was also a nice drive above Port Douglas.
Watch the sunset from Rex Smeal Park
Rex Smeal Park is one of the best and most beloved sunset spots in Port Douglas. Located on the west side of Port Douglas, you'll have prime viewing of boats coming in and out of the harbour. Keep an eye out for stingrays below!
Experience the Great Barrier Reef
One of the most famous attractions in Australia (and the world, for that matter), is the incredible Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef system. It's one of the top things people want to see when they visit down under.
The Great Barrier Reef stretches about 2,300km along the coast of Queensland, made up of over 2,900 reefs, so each boat and trip gets to visit a different section to avoid overcrowding. Most tours leave from either Port Douglas or Cairns.
There are countless ways you can visit the reef: on a multi-day live-aboard or on a half- or full-day trip and on all sorts of different kinds of boats. You can snorkel, fly above it, go in a glass-bottom boat or scuba dive into the depths. The options are endless!
We chose to do a day trip on a catamaran with Sailaway from Port Douglas to Mackay Cay. My favourite moment was spotting an octopus tucked into a brain coral!
→ Book a trip to experience the Great Barrier Reef.
Admittedly, we found the experience, variety and quality much better in the Whitsunday Islands earlier this year; if I had to pick just one, I would honestly choose the Whitsundays over the Great Barrier Reef (although I know the Reef is iconic and one of the seven wonders of the natural world).
Spend the day exploring Mossman Gorge
Mossman is the technical end of the Captain Cook Highway. Mossman Gorge makes up half of the Daintree Rainforest, located just west of the town of Mossman. In Mossman Gorge, there are two main activities: hiking and swimming.
→ Check out my complete guide to visiting the Daintree Rainforest!
Take in the view from Rex Range Lookout
Although technically no longer on the Captain Cook Highway, this lookout is just past Mossman on the way towards the free camp at Rifle Creek Rest Area where we were staying during our time here. The lookout is a pullout on the side of State Route 44 with incredible views north towards Cape Tribulation.
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
