Campervan hire in Cairns: reef on one side, rainforest on the other

Cairns is the only place in Australia where you can snorkel a reef in the morning and stand in rainforest by mid-afternoon without a flight. The depot is at 75 Sheridan St, Cairns, QLD 4870, on the main road that runs north out of the city and becomes the Captain Cook Highway — which means the best drive in the region starts a few turns from the yard.

What is around the depot

The Esplanade is the centre of gravity: a wide waterfront strip with a lagoon pool, grass, barbecue areas and the Reef Fleet Terminal at its northern end, where the boats to the outer reef leave. It is also where the city walks in the evening.

Sheridan Street itself is a long commercial artery with supermarkets, camping stores and takeaway, which is convenient when you need to stock a van before heading north. The Cairns Botanic Gardens, at the top end of town, has rainforest, saltwater lakes and a boardwalk system that is a good introduction to what the region looks like without a long drive.

For the rainforest, the Kuranda Scenic Railway and the Skyrail cableway both climb the range from the northern beaches. The road up — the Kuranda Range — is the same climb by car, and it is steep and busy with trucks.

Which way out

North. The Captain Cook Highway along the coast to Palm Cove, Port Douglas and Mossman, then the Daintree River ferry and the road to Cape Tribulation. This is the classic drive and the one most people are here for. The Daintree requires a ferry crossing and the road beyond has creek crossings that flood in the wet.

South. The Bruce Highway to Innisfail, Mission Beach, Tully and Townsville, and eventually south to Brisbane. Mission Beach is the quiet stop; the waterfalls around Millaa Millaa and the Atherton Tablelands are the detour inland.

West. The Gillies Range or the Kuranda Range up to the Atherton Tablelands — Mareeba, Yungaburra, the crater lakes, Millaa Millaa Falls. Cooler, greener and much less crowded than the coast.

Who this depot suits

Reef and rainforest travellers who want one base and short drives. Anyone driving the east coast north to Cape Tribulation or south towards Townsville and the Whitsundays. Families, because the lagoon, the beaches and the tablelands are all easy days. And people flying in from overseas who want to start a trip without navigating a huge city.

Before you collect

The wet season is the thing to plan around. Roads north of the Daintree and the range roads inland can close with little notice between roughly December and April, and creek crossings that look shallow in the morning can be impassable by afternoon. Check conditions the day you travel.

Ask whether the vehicle is allowed on the Bloomfield Track or the unsealed roads beyond Cape Tribulation — many are not, and the ones that are need clearance. Confirm what the quote includes and whether a one-way drop south to Brisbane or north is possible for your dates.

Stock up properly before you leave town: water, food, insect repellent, and a proper cooler if the fridge is small. If you are still choosing between a compact van and something with a shower, compare the campervan hire Cairns options before you lock in a wet season booking.