Why Camper Hire from Cairns Will Give You the Full Tropical Experience

The tropics is home to a treasure trove of natural beauty. Learn the ultimate way to see it all!

Grab your travel partner & head north!

Want to know the best thing about camper holidays? They’re totally immersive, literally putting you in the driving seat to new adventures.

When you’re exploring a destination famous for not just one World Heritage-listed site, but two, you’ll be grateful for the flexibility to stay amongst the famous icons, saving time otherwise spent commuting from more traditional accommodation.

Pull up the handbrake, unfold your camping chair, pour yourself a cuppa – there’s no better way to enjoy the full tropical experience in Cairns than with a camper.

Forget overly complicated trip-planning, when you make Cairns your launchpad, it’s as easy as picking up a camper from Apollo Cairns and hitting the road. 

Buckle up, adventures like these await. 

To chase waterfalls

The Wet Tropics rainforest lives up to its moniker with countless waterfalls worthy of chasing in your camper.

Cairns even has a dedicated Waterfall Circuit on the Atherton Tablelands, which packages some of the best drops into a return road trip.

Connect to the Waterfall circuit via the windiest highway in Australia, the Gilles – which includes 263 turns and 800m of elevation. The journey is all part of the adventure.

From there, follow the brown visitor signs to Millaa Millaa, Zillie and Ellinjaa Falls, where short bushwalks through dense forest lead you to photogenic falls.

New views every day from your camper of choice

To chew with a waterfall view, pick up fresh supplies from the Atherton Tablelands farm gates and roadside stalls along the way and picnic at the base of each fall.

Looking for waterfall action closer to Cairns? Punch Crystal Cascades into your GPS to discover a string of swimming holes that lead to the main attraction, Fairy Falls.

Finding Fairy Falls will require a bit of hiking and rock hopping until you reach this top drop, which includes a rope swing and deep pool primed for swimming.

To hit the reef

On the doorstep of Cairns is none other than the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef.

To explore the UNESCO-protected site, join one of the many reef trips which launch from the Cairns or Port Douglas marina.

Choosing a reef tour depends on how much time you’d like to dedicate to this world heritage wonder and how much you’re willing to share - tours range in length from half to multi-day and size from intimate to hundreds of passengers.

Seeing the reef isn’t all about scuba tanks and snorkel masks though. If you prefer to spend more time in your camper – you can easily see the reef without leaving the mainland or getting wet.

Head to where the reef meets the rainforest in Cape Tribulation

For a reef experience on dry land, take your camper north of the Daintree River to Cape Tribulation, the only place in the world where two World Heritage sites collide. It’s here that the rainforest memorably meets the reef.

South of Cairns, Mission Beach delivers some of the best vistas of the area, with golden beaches for days, easy access to tropical islands (think: Dunk and Bedarra) and the reef.

Take your pick from the beach front campgrounds in Mission Beach, where you can park up under palm trees, watch the sun set over the sand and slip blissfully into tropical time. 

To experience the world’s oldest culture

Cairns might have two World Heritage-listed sites on its doorstep, but it’s also where two Indigenous cultures meet – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.

Connecting with both is easy, with countless tours, art galleries and festivals dedicated to celebrating their cultures across the region. 

To experience the world’s oldest rainforest with the world’s oldest culture, join Mossman Gorge Discovery Centre for a Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk.

These tours start with a traditional Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony to ward off bad spirits, before heading into the famous foliage to hear rainforest stories and legends as told by the Kuku Yalanji people.

Experience the Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk at Mossman Gorge | Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland

Thinking of taking your camper from Cairns to Kuranda? Pay a visit to Rainforestation Nature Park for the Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience, which combines dance and didgeridoo displays with tours through the ancient rainforest. 

You’ll learn about the connection of the Indigenous people to this place, a relationship which spans more than 60,000 years.

If you prefer to learn about a culture through art, there’s no shortage of Indigenous galleries to explore – whether it be contemporary galleries or ancient open-air rock art galleries.

For an all-encompassing introduction to Australia’s Indigenous art collection, time your trip to coincide with the iconic Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF), which takes over the city for one week of the year. 

Forget luggage limits! You’re in a camper with plenty of space - buy that extra-large souvenir and take home an item you’ll treasure forever. 

To enjoy a rainforest ramble

How does a road trip through the world’s oldest surviving tropical rainforest sound? 

The Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage-site, runs for 450km, offering five distinct precincts and a myriad of national parks for you to explore.

Together, the Wet Tropics of Queensland is recognised as the second most ‘irreplaceable’ natural World Heritage Area on earth and the sixth most irreplaceable protected area in the world.

Admire the flora in the Wet Tropics of North Queensland 

Undoubtedly, the most famous precinct of the forest is the Daintree Rainforest. To explore it, the Daintree Discovery Centre will put you face-to-foliage with the 180-million-year-old forest via a 23 metre Canopy Tower and aerial walkways.

Connect to the forest closer to Cairns on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway – a scenic gondola ride that links Smithfield with Kuranda.

Once at the top, explore the rainforest village of Kuranda, home to the famous Kuranda markets, selling everything from clothing and jewellery, wood carvings, fresh produce, crocodile leatherwork and Indigenous art. 

To explore miles of isles

There’s no shortage of tropical islands off the Cairns coastline, ranging from uninhabited national parks to uber luxury resorts.

For a tropical island with easy access, park the camper at the Cairns marina and swap the mainland for Green Island.

The tiny island promises sheltered snorkelling right off the beach, making it easy to connect with the underwater world at its doorstep.

Be mesmerised at the kaleidoscopic Great Barrier Reef

For a blend of rainforest and reef, put Fitzroy Island on your list. Within its 4km2, you’ll find one resort, two restaurants, a National Park and a whole lot of activities to keep you busy.

Don’t leave without taking a dip at the award-winning Nudey Beach. Don’t let its name fool you – swimmers are absolutely essential here. 

No matter which itinerary you choose, make the most of Cairns’ tropical weather, which calls for shorts and t-shirts (even in winter), by exploring the great outdoors.

All you need is an Apollo camper and a sense of adventure to get amongst it. Are you ready? 

Here's Why Brisbane is Your Perfect Road Trip Holiday Launching Point Discover Outback Queensland on These 3 Road Trips