Savannah Way starting from Cairns

Cairns Tours and Attractions

From reef to outback the Savannah Way is one of Australia’s last frontier journeys. Running from Cairns, across the base of Cape York to Normanton & Karumba it skirts around the edge of the Gulf of Carpentaria to the Qld/NT border; on to Katherine in the Top End and across to Broome in Western Australia's North West.

Cairns is a vibrant cosmopolitan city surrounded by the Great Barrier Reef on one side, tropical rainforests and palm fringed beaches. Enjoy fabulous shopping and warm balmy evenings strolling along the esplanade before heading up to the Atherton Tablelands to start your adventure; here the wet season has rejuvenated the land, creeks bubble and roar over awesome waterfalls on their way to the coast.

Call in on a coffee plantation and sample some of their liquid gold, try your luck fossicking for topaz near Mt Surprise or visit Undara Volcanic NP and check out the lava tubes, part of the longest lava flow from a single volcanic crater on Earth.

Visit outback copper and gold mining towns and marvel at their many National Trust and Heritage Listed buildings restored to their former glory as well as stunning natural attractions at Copperfield and Cobbold Gorges. A trip from nowhere to nowhere (Normanton to Karumba) aboard the Gulflander Train is one of Outback Australia’s truly unique train journeys and one to remember.

As you near the coast the wetlands between Normanton and Karumba and around Burketown offer excellent birdwatching, wildlife and fishing. Take a couple of days out to explore another of the Gulf’s little gems; Sweers Island Fishing Resort where you can experience those famous Gulf sunsets, the spectacular Morning Glory Clouds that sweep across the Gulf in spring, fishing or explore the island at a leisurely pace. Flights are available from Karumba or Burketown.

A detour to Lawn Hill NP will reward you with beautiful scenery, aboriginal art sites and canoeing up the gorge as well as amazing fossils at nearby Riversleigh.

In a bit over a thousand kilometres you will have seen heritage and history, fossils and gems, stunning gorges and beautiful birdlife, grasslands and wetlands ,rainforests, waterfalls, wildlife and aboriginal art….and you haven’t even left Queensland. This exciting Outback Australian adventure filled journey is too good to put it on your bucket list; book it now.

Click here to “View the Savannah Way Itinery”