Palmerston Highway

The road

The Palmerston Highway is 55 kilometres from the Innisfail coastal plain to the Atherton Tablelands, with 800 metres of elevation gain concentrated in the 28-kilometre escarpment climb - one of Australia's great short drives. The road climbs through the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, the rainforest closing completely overhead within the first few kilometres. The corners are tight and constant on the way up, the surface is well maintained, and the traffic is light on weekdays. At the top the road breaks out onto the Atherton Tablelands at Millaa Millaa with coffee and cheese available within five minutes of the summit.

The region

The Palmerston Highway connects the Cassowary Coast to the Atherton Tablelands via the southern section of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The rainforest on the escarpment face is subtropical and contains species found nowhere else - cassowaries, tree kangaroos and several endemic bird species. The road was built in the 1960s to provide a second access route to the tablelands.

Before you go

Fuel in Innisfail at the base and Millaa Millaa at the top. The Millaa Millaa Falls and the tablelands cheese factory are 5 minutes from the summit. Best driven April to October. Cassowaries cross the road in the lower section - drive carefully and do not stop near them.

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