Australia · 14 days · 3,700 km · One-way

Cairns to Darwin — Savannah Way and tropical north

The great Australian tropical traverse. Daintree Rainforest, Mossman Gorge, Atherton Tablelands, Karumba on the Gulf of Carpentaria, Lawn Hill gorges, Roper Coast, Mataranka Hot Springs, Katherine, Edith Falls and Darwin finish. Long distances with very low population density.

Start: Cairns · End: Darwin · May to October. Wet season closes Darwin Dec 1 to Mar 31. · Difficulty: challenging

Highlights

  • Daintree Rainforest (UNESCO)
  • Mossman Gorge
  • Atherton Tablelands (Millaa Millaa Falls)
  • Undara Lava Tubes
  • Karumba (Gulf sunset)
  • Lawn Hill Gorge (Boodjamulla NP)
  • Mataranka Hot Springs
  • Bitter Springs
  • Nitmiluk Gorge
  • Edith Falls

Day-by-day itinerary

  1. Day 1

    Cairns → Cape Tribulation (Daintree)

    Cairns → Cape Tribulation · 140 km

    Overnight: Lync Haven Rainforest Cabins

  2. Day 2

    Daintree → Atherton Tablelands

    Cape Tribulation → Atherton · 200 km

    • · Millaa Millaa Falls
    • · Crystal Cascades

    Overnight: Atherton Halloran's Leisure Park

  3. Day 3

    Atherton → Undara Lava Tubes

    Atherton → Undara · 280 km

    Overnight: Undara Experience

  4. Day 4

    Undara → Normanton

    Undara → Normanton · 460 km

    Overnight: Normanton Tourist Park

  5. Day 5

    Normanton → Karumba

    Normanton → Karumba · 75 km

    • · Gulf sunset

    Overnight: Karumba Point Sunset Caravan Park

  6. Day 6

    Karumba → Burketown → Lawn Hill (Boodjamulla)

    Karumba → Lawn Hill · 480 km

    Overnight: Adels Grove

  7. Day 7

    Lawn Hill — gorge kayak

    Lawn Hill · 50 km

    • · Boodjamulla canoeing

    Overnight: Adels Grove

  8. Day 8

    Lawn Hill → Borroloola

    Lawn Hill → Borroloola · 380 km

    • · Cross into Northern Territory

    Overnight: McArthur River Caravan Park

  9. Day 9

    Borroloola → Cape Crawford

    Borroloola → Cape Crawford · 110 km

    Overnight: Heartbreak Hotel

  10. Day 10

    Cape Crawford → Daly Waters

    Cape Crawford → Daly Waters · 380 km

    Overnight: Daly Waters Pub Caravan Park

  11. Day 11

    Daly Waters → Mataranka

    Daly Waters → Mataranka · 170 km

    • · Mataranka Hot Springs
    • · Bitter Springs

    Overnight: Mataranka Homestead Tourist Resort

  12. Day 12

    Mataranka → Katherine → Edith Falls

    Mataranka → Edith Falls · 200 km

    • · Nitmiluk Gorge boat

    Overnight: Banyan Tree Caravan Park

  13. Day 13

    Edith Falls → Litchfield

    Edith Falls → Litchfield · 240 km

    • · Florence Falls
    • · Buley Rockhole

    Overnight: Litchfield Tourist & Van Park

  14. Day 14

    Litchfield → Darwin (drop-off)

    Litchfield → Darwin · 130 km

Recommended brands for this route

Selection based on road type and trip length. Tighter budgets — we can also quote Mighty.

Get a quote

Tell us your road trip and we send you a personalised quote within 24 hours.

We will only use your data to reply to your request.

WhatsApp