Cairns, Cape Tribulation, the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics
While it may not be accessible on wheels, a tour—whether by boat, plane or snorkel and flippers—to the world’s largest living structure is a must. More than a destination, the reef is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We do recommend undertaking the Savannah Way in the dry season (April-September), so it could be a little chilly if you plan to get wet, but a boat or plane tour is definitely still on the cards!
To get to the reef from Cairns, we recommend making your way to Cape Tribulation, along the Great Barrier Reef Drive, to where the rainforest meets the reef. The road there is sealed but winding and narrow in places. Larger RVs can make it but take it slow. There is no fuel in Cape Tribulation, so fill up at Mossman or Daintree Village.
Where to stay:
- Cape Tribulation Camping - beachfront sites
- Safari Lodge - for compact RVs, campers and caravans
- CMCA Greenpatch Campground Gordonvale - for a head start on Atherton
Cape Tribulation is not the gateway to just one UNESCO World Heritage site, but two, with the Wet Tropics of Queensland, which includes the Daintree Rainforest, sharing a border with the reef. Rainforest walks like the one to Emmagen Creek, where you can swim in the crystal-clear creek, and the elevated Madja Boardwalk, where you walk over mangroves and maybe even a cassowary! Halfway through, there’s a viewing deck overlooking Noah Creek where you can spot crocodiles. You can reach both walks with an RV and they serve as great ways to get off the road and stretch your legs before the real journey begins.
Enjoy some time by the beach exploring the living kaleidoscope of the reef and the living, breathing Daintree Rainforest before you venture west towards dust, termite mounds and thousands of kilometres of open road.
motorhome driving through rainforest
Atherton Tablelands and Undara Lava Tubes
If you ever get sick of lounging by the beach and snorkeling over reefs, or you’ve got to get moving due to time restraints, it’s time to wind your way 140km south-west through the Atherton Tablelands.
The Tablelands are known as the ‘food bowl’ of Tropical North Queensland, attributed by the fertile soil and more forgiving climate when compared to the coast. Peppered with crater lakes, tumbling waterfalls and caves formed from unique circumstances, the Atherton Tablelands are a must-visit.
First things first: coffee. Where better to get that morning boost than straight from the source? The Atherton Tablelands are one of Australia’s two major coffee-growing regions and home to Australia’s oldest coffee plantation in Skybury Farm.
Skybury Farm has been growing coffee in the Tablelands rich soil since the ‘80s and it’s not only the perfect place to visit for a roastery and plantation tour, but you can stock up on their beans for the remaining 40+ hours of driving on the Savannah Way (you’ll need it).
There are almost 2,000 other farms on the Tablelands, growing some of the best tropical fruit in Australia. You can try this produce for yourself at the Yungaburra Markets. Held on the fourth Saturday of each month, local growers, producers and artisans come together in the village of Yungaburra and showcase their goods. A well-established market that has been held in the region for over 40 years, this is a great chance to try some local food and support the region’s small businesses.
Once you’ve recharged with a coffee and feasted on some local food, it’s time to use that energy to explore some of the natural wonders the Tablelands have on offer. Waterfalls like Millaa Millaa Falls and Zillie Fall (within 10km of each other) are perfect excuses to pull over. Both have swimming holes at their bases, but due to the altitude in the Tablelands, the water can be quite brisk! For less moving water and more space, try one of the crater lakes in the Crater Lakes National Park. Lake Eacham is a popular spot to cool off in the blue water, which is supposedly home to a freshwater crocodile (it doesn’t bite). All the spots mentioned are RV-accessible.
trees on side of road going into horizon with cloudy weather
If you’re a music lover, depending on what time of year you’re undertaking the Savannah Way, stop in at Mareeba, an hour west of Cairns, and get in on the Savannah in the Round music festival. Held in October each year, there is RV camping on-site, making it a perfect addition to your Tablelands journey. This four-day festival hosts some of the biggest international country, rock and pop acts with the 2025 lineup featuring the Zac Brown Band, Kasey Chambers and Jackson Dean. If you can fit this into your itinerary, it’ll set the tone for the next stretch of the adventure with high vibes and what’s a road trip without some singalongs?
I previously mentioned some uniquely formed caves and Undara and its lava tubes are a perfect example of this. The Undara Volcanic National Park is home to the remains of one of Earth’s longest flows of lava originating from a single volcano. Due to the volcanic conditions, the soil here allows rainforest plants and animal species to thrive and create a mosaic of basalt tunnels and green pockets, all accessible via a guided tour with Discovery Parks.
Where to stay:
- Lake Eacham Tourist Park - 1km from the lake
- Undara Experience - tours and accommodation
Mount Surprise, Goldfields and Sunsets over the Gulf
As you part ways with the Tablelands and head into the Gulf Savannah, the first stop is often one of two gold and gem fossicking towns: Mount Surprise or Georgetown. Both are hubs for gemstones, and you can find topaz, quartz and garnets here—great souvenirs! Mount Surprise is just shy of 50km away from Undara and Georgetown is a further 100km west.
If you’re after something in between, the Talaroo Hot Springs are a great stop off with its own caravan park and the opportunity to soak in one of the ancient hot springs.
The next town along the Savannah Way is Croydon, another town built on the discovery of gold in the 1880s. 150km west of Georgetown, this historic town is a great pitstop, especially for keen fishers. Lake Belmore is a barramundi-filled oasis, stocked all year round to ensure that the seasonally unrestricted fishing is always fantastic. To fish, you must have a current Stocked Impoundment Permit (SIP) and you can find out more here.
If you opted to venture on the Savannah Way during the recommended dry season, you may be in town just in time for the annual Poddy Dodgers Festival. This weekend-long festival usually takes place in June and celebrates the town’s history as a former cattle duffing capital. Events include wild cow milking, mutton busting (a kids rodeo, but on sheep), greasy pig chases and steer wrestling. The name “Poddy Dodgers” refers to those who steal unbranded calves, aka. cattle duffers. The event has free entry and camping at the Rodeo Grounds all weekend and is a great way to learn about the history of the region and immerse yourself in some of their outback traditions.
The next stop of the Gulf Savannah stretch is Karumba, on the water of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Pull your RV into one of the Karumba Point parks and enjoy the “Outback by the sea” experience, only available in this unique coastal town.
camping at night in the remote outback of Queensland, Australia
Renowned for its barramundi fishing, Karumba Point Beach is the also the only beach in the Gulf accessible by bitumen road. That means you and your RV will be good as gold navigating your way down to the beach and catching a Gulf sunset.
Burketown is the penultimate stop along the Gulf Savannah and provides another opportunity to explore diverse and unique habitats. Flat, grassy plains lay to the south of the township and immense salt flats and wetlands to the north. Sitting on the Albert River, the Gulf is accessible from Burketown by boat and is a great base while exploring the surrounding land.
One of the must-sees in Burketown are the Morning Glory Clouds, found commonly during the months of September and October. These rolling banks of cloud, sometimes up to 1,000km log, appear in the sky above Burketown and can travel at speeds of up to 60km/hour. A weather phenomenon that is considered rare in other parts of the world, Burketown is the only place where they appear frequently and predictably at set times of the year. These clouds provide the ultimate thermal wave for soaring gliders and hang glider pilots and sitting and watching them rise and fall with the clouds is a spectacular sight.
Where to stay:
- Goldfields Van Park - Georgetown stopover
- Talaroo Hot Springs Campground and Caravan Park - for something different
- Karumba Point Holiday Tourist Park - for Gulf sunsets
- Burketown Caravan Park - in the heart of town
Riversleigh World Heritage Area, Boodjamulla National Park (Aboriginal Land) and Fossil Fields
A 200km drive towards the NT border will get you to Boodjamulla National Park (Aboriginal Land). Boodjamulla encompasses Lawn Hill Gorge and the Riversleigh World Heritage site, part of the Australian Fossil Mammal Sites World Heritage Area, making this the third UNESCO World Heritage listed site along the Savannah Way.
Lawn Hill Gorge is a beautiful oasis in this outback setting and has played host to the Traditional owners of the land for at least 17,000 years. The Waanyi people consider this area to be sacred and believe Boodjamulla—the Rainbow Serpent—formed the gorge and created the permanent water sources found within. Today, they help manage the park, welcoming visitors and sharing their knowledge of the area. Guided tours are offered along the Rainbow Serpent track where you can learn about their connection with the land and walk the Wild Dog Dreaming track where rock art and engravings plaster the sandstone and limestone caves and cliffs.
All of this limestone creates a favourable environment for fossil preservation. This area was once a shallow, inland sea, and so shells and skeletons of ancient animals were buried in mud and sand, where they were protected from scavengers and decay, and gradually replaced by minerals, creating fossils. This has resulted in an area over 10,000 hectares being identified as a UNESCO Heritage Listed fossil site.
Of this massive area, only one site, ‘Site D’, is open to the public. You can take the self-guided Riversleigh Fossil Trail, a moderate walk which should only take around an hour and explore the limestone outcrop and its ancient surrounds. This trail will let you see a glimpse of the diversity that the area is renowned for with remains of a towering flightless bird and bones of the largest known freshwater crocodile.
Boodjamulla is an area that, in the stormy season, is vulnerable to flooding and in 2023, the gorge rose 30m in water level. Again in 2024, floodwater hit the gorge and caused further setbacks to the area. The park is currently working on reopening and rebuilding, and you should check the status of the park here before visiting.
Where to stay:
For your RV, there are a couple of options that allow you to camp in the gorgeous landscapes of the Boodjamulla National Park. Lawn Hill Gorge has one camping area accessible by conventional vehicle during May to October and is suitable for rigs with a maximum overall length of 12m. You must book in advance, but once there, you will have access to the emerald waters of the gorge where you can swim and kayak to your heart’s content. Learn about the specifics here.
The second option is the Miyumba camping area, near the banks of the Gregory River and closer to Site D at Riversleigh. This site is 55km south-east of the gorge and only accessible via unsealed road, so may not be suitable for all RVs. Make sure you come prepared to both camps with plenty of water, food and at least two spare tyres. You can find out more about the Miyumba camping area here.
caravan and four wheel drive vehicle camped next to gum trees in Australia
With any of these areas in remote Queensland, it’s always important to check the following:
- Park alerts for the latest information on access, closures and conditions
- If you need a camping permit and any other park-specific camping information
- Bureau of Meteorology for weather forecasts
- Current bushfire warnings and incidents and fire bans and restrictions
That wraps up the Gulf Savannah stretch of the Savannah Way and part two of our Savannah Way series. Check back into the Big Lap next week for the next stretch of the journey where we head into the Northern Territory to explore more of Australia’s natural beauty and history.