Savannah Way
From Cairns to Northern Territory Border

Trip Length: 5 days  Total Distance: 1138 km  Road Conditions: Some unsealed roads

Cairns

Atherton

Ravenshoe

Georgetown

Croydon

Normanton

Burketown

Northern Territory Border

From the colourful corals of the east to the pristine pearls of the west, The Savannah Way leads you across the vast tropical savannah grasslands of northern Australia on absolutely one of the best adventure drives in the country.

The capital of the Tropics, Cairns with World Heritage-listed reef and rainforest surrounding it is where we begin the 1138 km section of the Savannah Way spanning north Queensland to the Northern Territory border. Relax and explore the wonders of nature's grand underwater exhibition, the Great Barrier Reef then up onto the Atherton Tablelands through lush rainforests where rare and endangered flora and fauna flourish, past plantations bursting with coffee and tropical fruit, sugar cane and diary farms; with every twist and turn in the road the landscape is forever changing. Make sure you have plenty of film in the camera for this trip! Rich with natural wonders of waterfalls, crater lakes, amazing lava tubes, rocky gorges, hot springs and wetlands, the diverse and spectacular scenery will continually astound you as you adventure west.

Find your fortune when you stop and fossick through once bustling mining communities where, with Lady Luck on their side many a traveller returns home well rewarded even to this day.

Then it's into the tropical savannahs, first referred to as 'the plains of promise'. To your north are wetlands, mangroves, and the Gulf of Carpentaria, to your south, wide-open grass plains speckled with trees stretch out to the horizon under a seemingly endless blue sky. Witness the spectacular Morning Glory, which only occurs here in the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Gulf of Mexico!

The tropical savannahs of northern Queensland are internationally recognised as a refuge for hundreds of native animals, many not found anywhere else in the world. One third of Australia's migratory birds use the wetlands in this stunningly beautiful area. It's also prize barramundi country and there is more than one or two great opportunities to bag a big one up here.

However, it's not just the scenery that makes this drive a special one. Say 'gidday' and yarn with the locals. They are sure to tell you some of the hidden secrets, share their experiences of life in the north and you'll be rewarded with friendly smiles and many a story to tell back home. Throughout the top end of Australia, Savannah Guides, professional tour guides, provide access to features on public, private and leased land.

The climate is characterised by two distinct seasons: the wet and the dry. The wet from December to March is hot and humid. The dry in contrast from May to October is generally the preferred time to venture across the Gulf. The road from Cairns to Normanton is fully sealed - fine for the family sedan.

The Savannah Way continues through northern Australia with wonderful attractions linking the east with the west via the Northern Territory and finishes at the pearling town of Broome in Western Australia. There's really no better time than now to venture forth, and discover why this drive is coined one of Australia's ultimate adventure drives!