Tropical North Queensland is a region of extremes and many hidden gems

Discover a unique Cairns touring experience – where you can start your day on the Great Barrier Reef, spend the afternoon in World Heritage listed Daintree rainforest and sleep under a thousand stars of the vast Outback.

Whether you choose to drive the entire 2000km or just a few hundred, a tour of the Cairns region will be one of the most memorable road trips you’ll ever have.

There are 20 Discovery Trails that will take you to some of the planet’s most amazing places, either along the Cairns coast or inland across the Atherton Tableland – whichever route you choose, you’ll be surrounded by history, breathtaking natural beauty and discovering some of Australia’s best kept secrets.

Along the way you’ll see magnificent waterfalls and for the more adventurous, you could even stop and try the ultimate adrenalin rush of Cairns white-water rafting to the south.

Dive into an adventure on the Great Barrier Reef and see a vast array of colourful fish and living coral which exists under a sheet of crystal clear water or laze on some of the world’s most spectacular, pristine and uncrowded Cairns beaches.

If peace and tranquillity are more your cup of tea, take a trip inland to the Atherton Tableland.

Enjoying a cooler climate to the coastal region, the Atherton Table is home to a number of tropical fruit farms and wineries as well as plantations which supply 90 per cent of Australia’s commercial coffee.

Marvel in the 900,000ha of tropical rainforest – a place where time has virtually stood still. Home to some of Australia’s most diverse flora and fauna, it is also a place where you will discover some species that can be found nowhere else on earth.

Visit volcanic craters which have, over millennia, formed massive lakes, making them the ideal place for a cool swim.

There are numerous Cairns walking trails which will take you through dense rainforest or up hills to reveal views as far as the eye can see.

For those who like heights and great views, the Atherton Tableland is the hot-air ballooning capital of Australia.

For history and heritage buffs, the Cairns region is a place to sate your appetite.

From ancient Aboriginal caves with 40,000-year-old rock carvings and paintings and guided walks through traditional indigenous homelands to deserted gold mines, shipwrecks and the glorious Cairns Outback, you can be the master of your destiny.

See our Cairns drive maps for more information, or check our Cairns Car Hire

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