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Great Barrier Reef Drive, Wet Tropics Coast, Queensland
Photo: Bahnfrend · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped

Drives Queensland, Australia Cairns, the Atherton Tablelands and the Daintree

Great Barrier Reef Drive

Captain Cook Highway · Smithfield → Mossman

Sweeping37 mi1 hr 5 min1,900 ft climbHigh point ≈ 200 ftOne way
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The drive

The Captain Cook Highway (State Route 44) runs north from Smithfield, just outside Cairns, to Mossman, and this 59 km (37 mi) stretch is the first part of the signed Great Barrier Reef Drive. The 140 km Captain Cook Highway and Cape Tribulation Road, from Cairns to Cape Tribulation, was rebranded with that name in late 2015.

The road follows the coast past Trinity Park, Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach, Clifton Beach, Palm Cove and Ellis Beach, then on through Wangetti, with the Coral Sea on one side and rainforest on the other. Rex Lookout, above Trinity Bay near Wangetti, is the best-known stop. Past the Port Douglas turnoff the highway turns west and then north-west into Mossman.

The highway opened on 17 December 1933 as a toll road, and the toll was abolished in 1946.

Along the way

  1. Smithfield (Captain Cook Highway)
  2. Ellis Beach
  3. Mossman (Mill Street)
Elevation
1,900 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 200 ft
SmithfieldMossman
Curves
Mostly gentle, with one twisty stretch
SmithfieldMossman
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Cyclones and wet-season storms can close or restrict the highway, so check QLDTraffic before you go.
  • Rex Lookout is a pull-out on the highway rather than part of the route, so slow down early if you plan to stop.
  • Check QLDTraffic before you go, as repair works and wet-season weather can cause delays.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check QLDTraffic.

Questions about this drive

How long does the Captain Cook Highway from Smithfield to Mossman take?

Smithfield to Mossman is 59 km (37 mi) and takes about 1 hr 5 min without stops.

What is the Great Barrier Reef Drive?

It is the signed name for the Captain Cook Highway and Cape Tribulation Road between Cairns and Cape Tribulation, about 140 km, rebranded in late 2015. This drive covers the Smithfield to Mossman part.

What beaches are on the road to Mossman?

The highway passes Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach, Clifton Beach, Palm Cove and Ellis Beach.

Was the Captain Cook Highway closed by Cyclone Jasper?

Yes. It closed in December 2023 and reopened on 20 January 2024.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
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Live Group TrackingAPEXEveryone on the route, on the map, by name.
Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
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More drives near here

All 21 drives in Queensland, Australia ›

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Great Barrier Reef Drive, from Smithfield to Mossman