{"id":3021,"date":"2022-04-29T09:41:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-29T09:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"\/blog\/?p=3021"},"modified":"2023-11-28T01:22:24","modified_gmt":"2023-11-28T01:22:24","slug":"drive-city-to-jungle-on-the-great-barrier-reef-drive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/road-trips\/drive-city-to-jungle-on-the-great-barrier-reef-drive\/","title":{"rendered":"Drive city to jungle on the Great Barrier Reef Drive"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The 140-km journey from Cairns to Cape Tribulation, also known as the Great Barrier Reef Drive, is one of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Australia\u2019s best road trips<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is a one-one-of-a-kind journey taking you from the city to the jungle, passes two World Heritage areas, spectacular views over the Coral Sea, remote beaches, ancient rainforests, quaint villages and more. Here\u2019s just a taste test of the must-see attractions along the way.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Cairns<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If this is your first time exploring tropical North Queensland, spend some time getting acquainted with the laidback lifestyle of Cairns. With so much to see underwater, we recommend hiring snorkelling gear and taking time to enjoy the sealife. Don\u2019t forget to explore all the boutique shops, laneway-style bars, craft breweries and buzzing restaurants that the city has to offer before you begin to think about hitting the road.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Kuranda<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Just 20 minutes north of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/car-hire\/au\/cairns\/\">Cairns<\/a> is Smithfield, the terminal for the Kuranda Scenic Railway and the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. Leave the car in the carpark and take the train up to Kuranda in the morning before gliding over the canopy in a Skyrail cable car in the afternoon. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In Kuranda Village, you\u2019ll find an eccentric assortment of open-air market stalls selling locally grown produce and handmade wares. Stop by Petit Caf\u00e9 for mouth-watering crepes amongst the sights and sounds of the rainforest.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Palm Cove<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Palm Cove, half an hour north of Cairns, is a tiny beachside village centred around an esplanade lined with 500-year-old melaleuca trees. Hire a kayak and paddle right off the beach or take a tour to nearby Double Island. The Palm Cove jetty is a great fishing spot, with plenty of Spanish mackerel, cod, whiting and flathead to be caught. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tip<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: If you\u2019re keen to take a dip in the warm tropical waters, keep in mind that marine stingers are found in the ocean off Palm Cove from October to June, so it\u2019s best to swim only within netted areas.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Port Douglas &amp; Mossman Gorge<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">An hour\u2019s drive north of Cairns, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/car-hire\/au\/cairns\/port-douglas\/\">Port Douglas<\/a> is a picturesque hub for Great Barrier Reef tours. \u00a0From quick trips to the Low Isles to a full-day family-friendly jaunt on a glass-bottomed reef platform. High-speed cruises leaving from Port Douglas can reach the Outer Reef in just 40 minutes, giving you a full day of snorkelling or diving at a few different sites.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">About 20 minutes further north you\u2019ll find Mossman Gorge; the gateway to the ancient Daintree Rainforest. The Daintree has stood for 165 million years, and is one of the<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">most complex ecosystems on the planet. Walk through awe-inspiring greenery along elevated walkways, and keep an eye out for two iconic symbols of the rainforest, the bright-blue Ulysses butterfly and the endangered cassowary.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Cape Tribulation<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The northernmost point of the Great Barrier Reef Drive, Cape Tribulation is renowned for its scenic landscape, remote beaches and the heart of the Daintree Rainforest. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pick up some treats like ice-cream made from fresh tropical fruits at the Daintree Ice Cream Co. and organic tea from Daintree Tea on the Cubbagudta Plantation. Explore the beaches, reefs and rainforests on a kayaking tour, where you\u2019ll have company in the form of sea turtles, stingrays, dolphins, whales and dugongs. If you\u2019re looking for a challenge, head inland to the summit of Mount Sorrow \u2013 a tough but rewarding 7km trail with sweeping views along the length of the Daintree Coast and out to Snapper Island.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ready to explore the Greater Barrier Reef Drive? <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/car-hire\/au\/cairns\/cairns-airport\/\"><b>Hit the road in comfort with SIXT.<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 140-km journey from Cairns to Cape Tribulation, also known as the Great Barrier Reef Drive, is one of Australia\u2019s best road trips. It is a one-one-of-a-kind journey taking you from the city to the jungle, passes two World Heritage areas, spectacular views over the Coral Sea, remote beaches, ancient rainforests, quaint villages and more&#8230;.<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":108,"featured_media":3023,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[94,81,110,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-3021","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-road-trips","8":"tag-cairns","9":"tag-far-north-queensland","10":"tag-port-douglas","11":"tag-queensland","12":"entry"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Jungle to the Reef - Cairns Car Rental SIXT<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Great Barrier Reef Drive is one of Australia\u2019s most spectacular road trips. 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