Mission Beach

Mission Beach is a tropical hamlet shrouded in the World Heritage rainforest, which abuts the Coral Sea down to its white-sand beaches.

A no-frills community eschews any pace of life in an eco-sensitive village atmosphere that has evolved under swaying palms and fostered a range of mid-level family and backpacker accommodation.

Famous for hosting substantial numbers of endangered cassowaries, it is one of the mainland’s closest neighbours to the Great Barrier Reef and a gateway to the formerly trendy Dunk Island.

Mission Beach is four villages with excellent accommodation in B&B’s, luxury resorts, and upmarket holiday homes.  If you love camping or caravaning, there are also great places for you to stay too.

Ten kilometres off the Mission Beach coast is also Bedarra Island, a favourite for romantic getaways.

Things to do

Close by adventure seekers will love white water rafting and skydiving.

Next, head out for a Great Barrier Reef tour or book a fishing charter to catch delicious table fish.  Then head to Paronella Park to discover a Spanish Castle right here in North Queensland.

Mission Beach Markets

Every first and third Sunday of each month, from 7 am to 12 pm, the Markets at the local Ulysses Park.  There is lots of variety from plants, fruit, vegetables, and delicious fresh food and snacks.   There are also arts and crafts as well as jewellery and hats.

How to get to Mission Beach

An excellent place to start is the Mission Link that operates daily from Cairns.   Bookings are essential.

Greyhound and Premier also run trips that stop at Mission Beach from Townsville and also Cairns.

Self Drivers head south from Cairns along the Bruce Highway for 117 kilometres, then turn at El Arish Road until you reach Central Avenue Mission Beach.

Travel time is around one hour and fifty minutes.

Along the way, keep an eye out for Cassowaries.