Does anyone know what the road is like going from Rockhampton to Mareeba I have been told it is best to go to Innisfail the across to Ravenhoe then up to Mareebe instead of going up to Cairns then down to Mareeba.
Has anyone been there for Christmas in July can the tell me a bit about it. Do you have to book etc I have been told it is a big event.
Hi Rolex, You go UP from Cairns to Mareeba. Either way, you have to go up the range,. Your advisers probably meant that it might be an easier route up the southern road. I know the northern one [if I'm remembering correctly, ] is a bit steep.
Some-one else may have more recent info. Cheers, Sheba.
If you go via Innisfail to Mareeba you will drive up the Palmerston Highway. Very nice drive through Milla Milla, Malanda, Atherton and on to Mareeba. The highway is not as steep as others on the tablelands and you get to see some fantastic country.
If you go on towards Cairns you can turn off at Gordonvale, about 20k short of Cairns and take the Gillies Highway up to Atherton via Youngaburra. Would not reccomend this route as the Gillies is steep, long and winding and a pain in the rsend.
The last option is to go right through Cairns and turn off at Smithfield, North of Cairns on the Karanda Range Road. This is about 12 k of fairly winding road but I drag my van up there quite often and it is not hard. Then onto Mareeba which is about 35 k from Karanda.
Depending on how much time you have you can go up one way and down the other to see everything.
I spoke to the ladies at the Mareeba Heritage Centre and they are not aware of the date apart from being in July. Apparantly a Grey Nomads group run the event and they camp at the showgrounds and hold functions there and at Davies Park, a local football club. The ladies did not have a contact number for the nomads.
The Mareeba Rodeo is also in July and the showgrounds are usually full for a week or so prior to that. Hope to get there outselves this year but work/grandkids/work will likely get in the way.
We often camp at Walkamin which is 10 or 12 ks up the Atherton Road from Mareeba. $17 for powered site and unpowered camping is cheaper. Great spot with its own entertainment shed with stage and fireplace.
Perhaps someone else on this forum has a contact for the nomads involved in this event?
The Palmerston is my preferred option on the "up" track to the Tablelands. To go up from Cairns is not my preferred option. Gilles is too hard for tugging, Kuranda is better but still steep and windy, but the road is wider and safer than the Gilles. To go up from Mossman is also quite a climb with a couple of steep, winding sections, but a great trip to come down to Pt. Douglas/Mossman from the Tablelands. Don't make the trip hard if you have the advantage of prior advice to make it a bit easier on vehicle and driver. Have a great, safe trip.
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