Cairns is connected to Townsville, Maclay and Rockhampton to the south by the Bruce Highway (1), and to Port Douglas to the North by the Captain Cook Highway (44).

Coach services: Operators running daily long-haul services between Cairns and Brisbane, via Townsville and Rockhampton, include Greyhound Australia (tel: 1300 4739 46863/GREYHOUND or (07) 4690 9950; website: www.greyhound.com.au) and Premier Motor Service (tel: 133 410; website: www.premierms.com.au). Smaller coach companies such as Coral Reef Coaches (tel: (07) 4098 2800; website: www.coralreefcoaches.com.au), Sun Palm Transport (tel: (07) 4084 2626; website: www.sunpalmtransport.com) and Country Road Coachlines (tel: (07) 4045 2794; website: www.countryroadcoachlines.com.au) run services to northern destinations such as Port Douglas, Cape Tribulation and Cooktown.