Darwin to Cairns Road Trip Recommendations📋

Driving from Darwin to Cairns was by far the longest road trip and probably the least to offer in terms of interesting sights along the way. However, there are some fun things you can fill your time with, which I will be recommending. We had the camper for 6 days, which was plenty of time for us and meant we didn’t need to rush!

In my last blog, I recommended that you stop off in Katherine on your road trip from Broome to Darwin if you had more time. I definitely recommend doing this, especially if you decide to fly to Cairns from Darwin instead of driving, as you won’t want to miss out exploring Katherine. However, if you decide to drive to Cairns like us, I’d recommend saving Katherine and stoping off on your way to Cairns. This is because there are very little interesting stops to visit, so going to Katherine on the way makes it more exciting!

Stop 1: Edith Falls, Katherine

Length: 287 km / 3 hours drive

Stop off at Edith Falls first, which is on the way to Katherine and explore the amazing waterfall there. If you are short on time, I would spend it chilling in the natural pool at the bottom of the waterfall, which is only a 5 minute walk from the car park.

If you have more time, I would definitely recommend hiking up to the Upper Pools of Edith Falls following the Leliyn Trail. The lovely lady at the kiosk was really helpful and gave us a map of the route. Just over a 1 hour return hike, it is completely worth it and you can spend a majority of your day here. The hike up involves steep steps and climbing over rocks so make sure to wear good shoes and bring lots of water and food with you.

Before you get to the Upper Pools, stop off at the Bemang Lookout where you can see the gorge and the waterfall and natural pool below. At the Upper Pools there are different pools where you can swim and chill in, just be careful as the rocks are very slippery. There is also a plunge pool by the waterfall, which you can jump into from all heights.

Lastly, there is a much longer walk, called the Sweetwater Pool Walk which leads to a third natural pool, but it is a hard and much longer walk and was not recommended to us in the heat. If you have more time and are up for the challenge, you can also do this!

Stop 2: Katherine

Length: 65km / 45 minute drive

Night 1: Breeze Campsite - $50 a night
Stop off in Katherine town and spend a night or two here. There’s not a lot to see in town, it’s more to make a base whilst exploring Edith Falls and Katherine Gorge, which are the two main sights!

Stop 3: Katherine Hot Springs

Length: 3.2km / 5 minute drive

Spend your morning chilling at Katherine Hot Springs. Despite the name they aren’t hot springs like you would expect, but natural pools, which are so refreshing to have your morning swim in. There are three main pools, my favourite being the one hidden round the corner as it was the biggest and clearest natural pool, which you could also jump in.

Stop 4: Katherine Gorge & Cruise

Length: 32km / 28 minute drive

Next drive to Katherine Gorge, where you can spend the day and a night if you have time. Katherine Gorge is quite big, and if you’re into your hiking, I would recommend spending a night as there are a lot of gorgeous walks to do. However, if you are tight on time and only up for doing short walks, the Baruwei Loop is better suited.

You can also do an afternoon or sunset cruise up Katherine Gorge, which we didn’t manage to fit in, but are hoping to next time we visit. It is another expensive activity, but you can cruise up the river, learn about its history, kayak on it and have delicious food and drinks included as well.

Stop 5: Baruwei Lookout & Loop

The Baruwei Lookout and Loop is the most popular walk of Katherine Gorge as it’s the shortest. It is only a 900m walk to the Lookout but a 2.2km walk for the whole Loop. It‘s definitely worth to do as its a lovely walk and you can see some pretty incredible views of the gorge at the top.

If you do the Loop, it joins up to the other walks, which take a few hours and where you can see more sights along the way, such as Jeda’s Rock and Butterfly Gorge. There is a map at the start of the Loop, which shows all the routes and stops. Make sure to bring lots of water and food with you!

Stop 6: Daly Waters Pub

Length: 304km / 3 hours 15 minutes drive

Stop off at Daly Waters Pub to break up your journey, which is a a funky pub in the middle of the outback, that has a lot of random souvenirs from travellers who have stopped in for a drink.

Stop 7: Renner Springs

Length: 246km / 2 hours 33 minutes drive

Night 2: Renner Springs Campsite - $40 a night
Park up at Renner Springs Campsite for the night before waking up early to get to your next main stop.

Stop 8: Mount Isa City

Length: 773km / 8 hours 11 minutes drive

Night 3: Mount Isa Caravan Park - $40 a night
Drive to Mount Isa, which is probably the longest and most boring straight road of the drive across the outback. The only thing which is interesting is driving past the ‘Welcome to Queensland‘ sign where you drive into the next state. It’s just before you reach Camooweal, so make sure to keep an eye out and stop to get a picture of the sign. After that, it is pretty much a straight road all the way to Mount Isa.

Stop 9: Mount Isa City Lookout

Length: 1km / 3 minutes drive

Start your day early and do a quick pit stop at Mount Isa Lookout to see the views over the city. The viewpoint is meant to be really nice at sunset where you can see the city start to turn their lights on but we went in the morning instead.

Stop 10: Porcupine Gorge National Park

Length: 584km / 6 hours 30 minutes drive

Stop off at Porcupine Gorge, which was pretty incredible despite the lack of water. We went just after sunrise, which made the views even better. You can look all the way through the gorge as well as hike down to the bottom, however, it is a 2 hour hike return, which we didn’t have time for.

Stop 11: Milla Milla Waterfall, Milla Milla

Length: 438km / 4 hours 46 minutes drive

Drive straight to Milla Milla and do the loop where you can see the three waterfalls in the area. The landscape of Milla Milla and surrounding areas is like a little slice of English countryside. Lush green hills, dotted with black and white cows and incredible views, gave us a reminder of home. That is until you venture into the surrounding woodland and realise you are indeed in a gorgeous tropical rainforest, packed with wildlife and home to some of the best waterfalls in the Tablelands. First up on the waterfall loop is Milla Milla waterfall, this is probably the most impressive/instagramable of the three and is also the best waterfall to chill, swim and soak up the sun.

Stop 12: Zillie Falls, Milla Milla

Length: 7.9km / 8 minutes drive

Second waterfall in Milla Milla, is Zillie Falls. You can see an amazing view from the top of the waterfall, and walk down to the bottom, which we did, but you aren’t able to swim in it - still a great hike though!

Stop 13: Ellinjaa Falls, Milla Milla

Length: 2.3km / 2 minutes drive

Third and final stop is to Ellinjaa Falls, which is a small walk down to the base of the fall. You can swim in it but it’s definitely not as nice as Milla Milla.

Stop 14: Milla Milla Caravan Park

Length: 6.8km / 7 minutes drive

Night 4: Milla Milla Caravan Park - $37
Stay the night in Milla Milla and spend the next day exploring the little town and going to one of the cute cafes before making your way to your next stop.

Stop 15: Lake Echam

Length: 40km / 37 minutes drive

Spend the afternoon at Lake Echam, which is this gorgeous lake only an hours drive away from Cairns. Take a snorkel, rubber rings or floaties and spend the day relaxing on the lake.

Stop 16: Curtain Fig National Park

Length: 8.3km / 10 minutes drive

Stop off at Curtain Fig National Park on the way to Cairns and learn about the Curtain Fig Tree and it’s history. The tree is estimated to be over 500 years old and is unique because of the extensive aerial roots which drop 15 meters to the forest floor that form into a curtain. Walk around the boardwalk to view the tree from all angles before moving on to your next stop.

Stop 17: Crystal Cascades

Length: 82km / 1 hour 22 minutes drive

Drive to Crystal Cascades, which is the last stop of this epic road trip. Only a 23 minute drive from Cairns, you can choose to stop here for the afternoon or do a day trip from Cairns on another day. Crystal Cascades are multiple secluded natural pools, hidden in a cool tropical rainforest. Small waterfalls flow into much larger pools which are surrounded by granite boulders, rainforest trees hang over, keeping the pools cool and refreshing. There are places to chill, have picnics and BBQs which is why I’m not surprised locals want to keep it a secret from tourists.