Darwin to Cairns across the top with a caravan or motorhome
Darwin to Cairns across the top runs 2,864 km from Darwin to Cairns. With a car and caravan, you're looking at about 40 hours behind the wheel. Our map shows it sealed the whole way.
We planned it on Motocamp's own router for a car and caravan and for a motorhome, at the sizes in the table below, so every number here comes from a real plan, not a guess.
The stops: Darwin · Katherine · Tennant Creek · Mount Isa · Cloncurry · Normanton · Georgetown · Cairns
Is Darwin to Cairns across the top OK for a car and caravan?
Yes, on our plan. It gets through for a car and caravan without using a road signed too low, too short or closed to caravans. Here's what to keep an eye on.
- 1 km of it is steeper than 8%. The steepest kilometre is about 8% downhill on Kennedy Highway, at km 2,745.
- The longest run with no fuel station on our map is 260 km, from km 1,201. Fill up before it.
- Road reports change daily out here. Motocamp checks NT Road Report and Queensland Transport and Main Roads for the day you travel.
The plan, rig by rig
| Car and caravan | Motorhome | |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | 2,864 km | 2,864 km |
| Driving time | about 40 hours | about 38 hours |
| Unsealed | none | none |
| Steeper than 8% | 1 km | 1 km |
| Total climb | 7,758 m | 7,758 m |
| Longest gap between fuel | 260 km | 260 km |
| Signed limits it goes round | 0 | 0 |
| Planned at | 3.1 m high, 14.3 m long and 6.8 t | 3.7 m high, 10 m long and 8.7 t |
Towns on the way
- Darwin · km 0
- Palmerston · km 20
- Acacia Hills · km 61
- Pine Creek · km 227
- Katherine · km 317
- Mount Isa · km 1,651
- Normanton · km 2,156
- Mount Surprise · km 2,551
- Mount Garnet · km 2,674
- Ravenshoe · km 2,719
- Atherton · km 2,770
- Walkamin · km 2,788
- Kuranda · km 2,837
- Cairns · km 2,864
Caravan parks on the way
- Malak Caravan Park · km 10
- Oasis Tourist Park · km 26
- Hayes Creek Wayside Inn · km 171
- Riverview Tourist Village · km 318
- Dunmarra Wayside Inn · km 635
- Outback Caravan Park · km 990
- Mount Isa Caravan Park · km 1,654
- Normanton Caravan Park · km 2,156
- Bedrock Village · km 2,551
- Tolga Caravan Park · km 2,775
- Kuranda Rainforest Accommodation Park · km 2,837
- Mindarra Holiday Village · km 2,864
- and 45 more in the app
Free camps on the way
- Bridge Creek Rest Area · km 147
- Free camp · km 274 · no caravans
- Elsey freedom camping · km 436 · caravans OK
- Wonarah Bore · km 1,241 · caravans OK
- Camooweal Billabong · km 1,461
- Inca Creek Rest Area · km 1,531 · caravans OK
- Bang Bang Rest Area · km 2,046 · caravans OK
- Normanton RV Camp · km 2,156
- Cumberland Mine Historic Site · km 2,437
National park and other campgrounds
- Fishers Rest · km 35
- Emerald Springs Roadhouse · km 194
- The Daly Waters Pub · km 586 · fees apply
- 41 Mile Bore · km 1,085
- Mary Kathleen Canning Grounds · km 1,709
- Monstraven Layby · km 1,869
- Leichhardt Lagoon Camping Park · km 2,180 · fees apply
- Planet Earth Adventures · km 2,551 · fees apply
- Gallo Park · km 2,766
- The Billabong Kuranda · km 2,833
- and 57 more in the app
Rest areas
- COOLALINGA ROADHOUSE · km 29
- EMERALD SPRINGS · km 194
- DINO BILATO · km 375
- DINGO HILL RHS · km 608
- MUCKATY STATION · km 861
- WONARAH · km 1,241 · water
- Rest Stop · km 1,448
- Hayden creek · km 2,223
- picnic area - 40 mile scrub · km 2,610 · toilets · water
- Cairns Esplanade · km 2,863 · toilets · water
- and 78 more in the app
Dump points
- Free Septic Dump Point · km 9
- at Darwin FreeSpirit Resort · km 18
- at BIG4 Howard Springs Holiday Park · km 26
- World War 2 Rest Area · km 1,597
- at Sunset Tourist Park · km 1,648
- at Motorist Rest Area with facilities rest area · km 2,550
- at BIG 4 NRMA Atherton Tablelands Holiday Park · km 2,770
- at Trinity Plains Caravan Park · km 2,805
Fuel stops
- United · km 0
- FuelXpress · km 7
- Coles Express · km 29
- Mataranka Central · km 423
- Mobil Lone Star · km 990
- Service Station · km 1,709
- Midway · km 2,458
- Norwest Gate Roadhouse · km 2,673
- Walkamin General Store · km 2,788
- Mobil on Spence · km 2,864
- and 43 more in the app
Plan this trip for your own rig
Free for 14 days. Cancel any time.
Tell Motocamp what you drive, from an enduro bike to a 25-foot off-road caravan or a 10-metre motorhome, and it plans this trip for that vehicle: the roads it fits, the low bridges and closed roads to steer clear of, and places to stay on the way. The maps keep working where there's no signal.
Plan this trip for your own rig Already have Motocamp AUS? Open it hereCamps, fuel and road limits come from OpenStreetMap and state agencies, and some can be missing or out of date. Distances are along our plan. Always go by the signs on the road.