Pick up your THRIFTY MEDIUM SEDAN rental car either at the Cairns Airport Depot or Cairns City Depot and commence your drive to Townsville via Innisfail, Mission Beach and Ingham to arrive at your overnight accommodation in Townsville at the QUALITY HOTEL SOUTHBANK. This drive is approximately 335km via the Bruce Highway.
INNISFAIL The character of the district was established with the influx of migrants, mainly Italian, after World War I. The town and the area have retained that very cosmopolitan mix ever since. In the 1950's Dr Alan Maruff started growing tea commercially at Nerada, west of Innisfail, and over the years the production of tea from the Nerada Plantation has continued to rise. Tours of the plantation are conducted regularly. At Mena Creek, south of Innisfail are the ruins of Paronella Park, a Spanish-style castle built by a migrant named Jose Paronella. There are also walks through rainforest and stands of bamboo and kauri pine to Mena Creek and Teresa Falls. Mt. Bartle Frere, north of the town, is the highest mountain in Queensland.
An interesting stop is at the Johnstone River Crocodile Farm, which is situated at the town of Innisfail. To take in this point of interest you will need to turn left off the main road at Innisfail and travel approximately 3 kilometers heading for Flying Fish Point. Before you arrive at Flying Fish Point you will travel down Flying Fish Point Road and this will lead you to the crocodile farm. There are over 1500 crocodiles on display at the farm ranging in size from 30 centimeters to a huge 5 meter monster called Gregory who weighs 1200 kilograms. They have guided tours of the farm where you can learn how the crocodiles breed and survive. There are also Freshwater crocodiles; kangaroos, wallabies, peacocks, emus & two Cassowary birds making this crocodile farm a worthwhile stop.
MISSION BEACH has fourteen kilometers of coastline and wide, white sandy beaches met by rainforest. From Clump Point you can take a day trip to Dunk Island, just 4 km away.
INGHAM - The climate and soil were perfectly suited to the introduction of sugarcane back in the early 1870's and Ingham continues to prosper from its sugar production. The region has a strong Italian and Spanish Basque background. The Wallaman Falls National Park with its 300 meter falls, bushwalks and spectacular rainforest and swimming and picnic spots is well worth a visit.
TOWNSVILLE is the second largest city in Queensland and main commercial centre of Northern Queensland. Castle Hill offers a panoramic view of Townsville. Great Barrier Reef Wonderland is one of the most popular attractions in Townsville and is well worth a visit with its walk-through underwater tunnel, giving a great all-round view of the coral and the fish.

Depart Townsville via the Bruce Highway , and travel through the towns of Ayr and Bowen to reach Proserpine. Here you travel out to the coast to reach Airlie Beach , and your overnight accommodation at MANGO HOUSE RESORT . The drive is approximately 300kms.

AIRLIE BEACH is a popular holiday resort, and Gateway to the Whitsunday Passage - home of hundreds of Barrier Reef Islands. The tropical island resorts of Hayman, Hamilton, Daydream and South Molle, to name a few of the 74 islands that are just off the coast of Whitsunday and which lie inside the Great Barrier Reef, are only some of the attractions of the area. Sunshine, blue water and sandy beaches are the theme of the Whitsundays.

Today you may wish to join an excursion to one of the Barrier Reef Islands in the Whitsunday Passage before departing Airlie Beach to Proserpine, where you join the Bruce Highway for the drive to Mackay and your overnight accommodation at the QUALITY HOTEL OCEAN INTERNATIONAL. This drive is approximately 150km.
PROSERPINE is a productive valley which was named after Proserpina, the Roman goddess of fertility, and supports a prosperous sugar industry. There is a pleasant hike to Cedar Creek in the rainforest-clad hills behind the town.
MACKAY is surrounded by miles of sugarcane fields, which give the city its title of Sugar Capital of Australia. During the crushing season (July to November) Farleigh Mill, a working sugar mill, and Polstone Sugar Cane Farm offer tours. Mackay's heritage walk takes in the Police Station, the Court House and Commonwealth Bank, buildings that are all over 100 years old and listed with the National Trust.
EUNGELLA NATIONAL PARK is situated 84km west of Mackay and is one of Queensland's most spectacular parks, with cloud shrouded peaks, deep gorges and lush rainforest. Most of the park is inaccessible but the southern section, adjacent to the access road, is popular with campers and day visitors. The park can provide a special treat for visitors lucky enough to see one of the resident platypuses in the creek by the camping area. The park has graded tracks leading through rainforest to waterfalls and natural swimming pools.