Mt Surprise to Innisfail

jimricho · Guru

Mt Surprise to Innisfail

aussietraveller · Guru

Hi all we are looking for advice on travelling the Kennedy highway between Mt Surprise and Innesfail or maybe Mt Surprise to Cairns via Mareeba.

I have been told that this is a steep and windy route by a member of the Bushtracker club who said we should go out to the coast at Townsville, I have also been told that the route mentioned above is ok and not as bad as mate told us.

We will be travelling in the rig shown in my avitar, the van is 21' long.

We would appreciate any advice that members can give, we are currently heading to Emerald and then up to Cherters Towers.

kandagal · Guru

We have recently done Mareeba to Ravenshoe with our rig. Ravenshoe is not far from Mt. Surprise. Next week we go back down to Atherton. Road is good. Drove down to Atherton & back today in the Suzuki. Saw lots of caravans as big or bigger than yours doing the trip. Atherton to Mareba is then an easy trip.

aussietraveller · Guru

Hi Kandagal

thanks for your help we are also looking at the trip out to the coast as this is where we were told is the steep and windy section is at its worst, did you travel this section of road as well.

briggspc · Senior Member

Hi there Aussietraveller, don't go the coast road as you will miss so much on the Tablelands, head to Mareeba then Atherton have a look around then you can go 3 ways to innisfail, down the gilles to Gordanvale then the coast to Innisfail or through Malanda and down to Innisfail or leave Atherton and go look at the old tin mine town of Herberton and check out the old village and then down to Innisfail on the coast, there is so much too see on the tablelands I have lived there for 20 years.

Hope that helps

briggspc · Senior Member

Thank you for that Jimricho, did not say anything about windey roads( Sorry ) There was so much I wanted to say but hate typing, yes the Parmerson is the best road to take but I have been on all with my rig and had no problems.

jimricho · Guru

Some of the roads around Ravenshoe can be quite windy, please yourself how you pronounce "windy". You'll be right on both counts! (There's a wind farm just east of Ravenshoe)

Here's the Ravenshoe/Innisfail route from Google Maps. http://goo.gl/maps/92lh

As I recall the road signs will take you this way. It's possible a GPS may suggest a shorter way to Millaa Millaa that is not caravan friendly.

(edit to correct link)

-- Edited by jimricho on Friday 1st of June 2012 08:04:48 AM

Fried Rice · Guru

Depending on available time you should consider checking out the Tablelands as suggested (certainly lots to see).

Then heading to the coast from Mareeba (check out "Coffee Works"), via Mount Molloy and Mossman. Good free but busy camp at Rifle Creek, Camps 6 Qld 211, walking distance from Mt Molloy township.

Easy journeys from there to Port Douglas or Daintree/Cape Tribulation

then back down the Highway to Cairns etc..

-- Edited by Fried Rice on Friday 1st of June 2012 09:20:49 AM

vkgreenie · Senior Member

Hey Aussietraveller.

Good advice from all.

We lived at Undara Lava Tubes (5 months, winter of 2010) and they were just finishing off the Gulf Development Road to make it a lane each way from the Tubes turn off to Mt. Surprise. We used to go to Cairns every 10 days to see our son and family, and apart from a dodgy section around Ravenshoe the road is pretty good.

Forget going down the Gillies to Gordonvale. Our young bloke is working on a section of the Gillies to repair collapses from the wet season 2011. I am to believe it is closed anyway.

We are in Darwin at the moment however will heading back that way sometime in the next month, and yes we will go down the Karanda range. However going through Mareeba, Mt. Molloy and down the range from there, brings you out just south of Mossman.

Either way great place to visit, if it ever stops raining on the east coast.

Cheers & beers

-- Edited by vkgreenie on Friday 1st of June 2012 02:06:33 PM

brickies · Guru

Jimricho is spot on spent a lot of time up in the area up there every year Parmerston is the only way to go if you want to avoid winedy roads , I have tow the caravan up the Kuranda Range but wouldn't use it if I didn't have to, also do watch out for that short cut to Millaa Millaa don't want to take it

Beth54 · Guru

I've spent a bit of time in the area too. Ravenshoe to the Tablelands is fine.

The Parmeston or the Kennedy are the better ones, depending on your direction you want to go when you reach the bottom. The Kennedy comes out north of Cairns, and the Parmeston comes into Innisfail.

The Gillies is the shortest route to Cairns but very windy.

Cruising Granny · Guru

Just as an aside, I did the Savannahlander Rail Car trip to Forsythe. Three days up, and then down again, but it's an interesting trip, the train drivers are well informed and are willing to stop the train if you see something that grabs your attention, including the creek full of sand and garnets.
From the townships there are special trips and the Cobold Gorge was a highlight for me.
I don't think I would have seen as much if I drove.
Don't do the Gilles Highway with a caravan. The other highways to the coast are easy.

Nicholstones · Guru

Cruising Granny wrote:
... Don't do the Gilles Highway with a caravan. The other highways to the coast are easy.

Wish this topic had come up last year, we went from Undara Lava Tubes to Cairns, just looked in the Explore Australia map book we always used and picked what looked like the most direct route, had no idea what we were letting ourselves in for! Very hairy trip down the Gillies with the van on the back, not sure if the fact it was raining made it worse with the wet road, or better because we couldn't see over the side and had no idea what we were letting ourselves in for!

Beth54 · Guru

Nicholstones wrote:
Cruising Granny wrote:
... Don't do the Gilles Highway with a caravan. The other highways to the coast are easy.
Wish this topic had come up last year, we went from Undara Lava Tubes to Cairns, just looked in the Explore Australia map book we always used and picked what looked like the most direct route, had no idea what we were letting ourselves in for! Very hairy trip down the Gillies with the van on the back, not sure if the fact it was raining made it worse with the wet road, or better because we couldn't see over the side and had no idea what we were letting ourselves in for!

I suffer a bit with motion sickness, so I have a mental list of 'sick roads', and the Gillies is one of them. If I'm driving myself I have no problem, but when I stay at Malanda, it's my friend who drives down to Cairns.

aussietraveller · Guru

HI all
The response to my question has been fantastic I knew I could rely on the expertise of our members for good advice at this stage after reading your posts we will probably travel down the Parmeston highway and know that my wife will still be emotionally stable when we reach Cairns.
Thanks one and all smile smile

homer · Member

Thanks for the info everyone. I wanted to go from Cairns to Undara, but don't think we'll use the Gillies Highway - too windey from the sounds of it. Is the Palmerston Highway windey? Our blimmin' Pajero is a bit sick, so we're nursing it home to Coffs Harbour.