Cheapest fuel stops from Cairns to Townsville
Plan your drive below with Cairns and Townsville already filled in. Add your car and fuel level to see stops you can reach. View route prices and details.
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This drive is about 348 km and takes roughly 4h 30m before stops. The prices and sample-car estimates below are a corridor snapshot.
Latest listed price report: . Individual stations may have older reports.
Filling 60 litres at the cheapest station on this route instead of an average one saves about $37.80 — before you count the detour to reach it.
The long stretch on this drive
The longest gap between listed stations on this corridor is about 50 km, between Cardwell, QLD and Ingham, QLD, starting about 185 km in. Most cars clear that on a full tank, so it is a stretch to be aware of rather than one to plan around.
Reported ULP 91 prices on this road range from $1.75/L at Cardwell, QLD to $2.49/L at Kirwan, QLD — a spread of 74.0c a litre. On a 60 litre fill that is $44.40 between the best and worst place to stop.
Fuel options along this drive
These are the lowest fresh ULP 91 reports in each third of the drive, among stations listed within 5 km of the route. They show where a cheaper stop falls in the journey; the lowest pump price is not always the best stop after a detour.
Early drive
Shell Express Edmonton in Edmonton is about 15 km from Cairns. Its reported price is $2.26/L, about 2.7 km off the route.
Middle of the drive
United Cardwell in Cardwell is about 180 km from Cairns. Its reported price is $1.75/L, about 1.4 km off the route.
Final approach
Ampol Crystal Creek Servo in Crystal Creek is about 280 km from Cairns. Its reported price is $2.28/L, about 2.3 km off the route.
Where the fuel gets dearer on this drive
No part of this drive is much dearer than another — there is about 7c a litre between the cheapest and dearest thirds, and the middle third comes out lowest on average. On a road like this one, which station you pick matters more than where along it you stop: the gap between two servos in the same town is usually wider than the gap between the two ends of the drive.
| Part of the drive | Average ULP 91 | Stations listed | Cheapest in it |
|---|---|---|---|
| First third | $2.38/L | 45 | $2.26/L at Edmonton, QLD |
| Middle third | $2.32/L | 7 | $1.75/L at Cardwell, QLD |
| Last third | $2.39/L | 48 | $2.28/L at Crystal Creek, QLD |
Towns selling fuel between Cairns and Townsville
56 towns on this corridor had a fresh price report at the last check. Listed below are 20 of them, spaced along the drive in the order you reach them. Where a town shows a range, that is the gap between its own stations — worth knowing before you pull into the first one you see.
| Town | Into the drive | Stations | ULP 91 reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cairns CentralQLD | 0 km | 1 | $2.27/L |
| North CairnsQLD | 0 km | 1 | $2.35/L |
| CairnsQLD | 1 km | 5 | $2.37 – $2.45/L |
| WoreeQLD | 5 km | 4 | $2.27 – $2.30/L |
| WestcourtQLD | 5 km | 1 | $2.32/L |
| Bentley ParkQLD | 10 km | 1 | $2.43/L |
| DeeralQLD | 45 km | 1 | $2.40/L |
| Goondi BendQLD | 85 km | 1 | $2.38/L |
| Comoon LoopQLD | 90 km | 1 | $2.38/L |
| SilkwoodQLD | 115 km | 1 | $2.42/L |
| InghamQLD | 236 km | 5 | $2.44 – $2.45/L |
| YabuluQLD | 325 km | 1 | $2.40/L |
| Bushland BeachQLD | 330 km | 1 | $2.42/L |
| BurdellQLD | 335 km | 2 | $2.47/L |
| GarbuttQLD | 340 km | 5 | $2.35 – $2.42/L |
| Garbutt EastQLD | 340 km | 1 | $2.37/L |
| KirwanQLD | 340 km | 4 | $2.45 – $2.49/L |
| Hyde ParkQLD | 345 km | 1 | $2.35/L |
| PimlicoQLD | 345 km | 2 | $2.37 – $2.44/L |
| Belgian GardensQLD | 347 km | 1 | $2.40/L |
Brands you will pass on this road
A discount docket or a loyalty card is only worth carrying if the brand turns up where you are going. These are the brands with a fresh report on this corridor, cheapest average first — averages across a handful of sites, not a verdict on the brand.
- United Petroleum10 stations listed$2.30/L
- Liberty7 stations listed$2.34/L
- Shell3 stations listed$2.36/L
- Pearl Energy2 stations listed$2.36/L
- Ampol5 stations listed$2.37/L
- 7-Eleven7 stations listed$2.37/L
- Mobil10 stations listed$2.38/L
- Independent11 stations listed$2.38/L
- Caltex9 stations listed$2.38/L
- Metro Petroleum1 station listed$2.38/L
- BP13 stations listed$2.39/L
- Ampol Foodary6 stations listed$2.42/L
- EG Ampol7 stations listed$2.43/L
- Shell Reddy Express9 stations listed$2.44/L
Will your tank make it?
Range here uses real-world consumption — about 20% above the lab figure most cars are advertised with — and holds back a reserve rather than running you to the last drop.
| Vehicle | Real range | Fuel used | One tank? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small car45 L tank, 6.5 L/100km | 513 km | 27 L | Yes |
| Mid-size SUV60 L tank, 8.0 L/100km | 563 km | 33 L | Yes |
| Ute or 4WD80 L tank, 9.5 L/100km | 632 km | 40 L | Yes |
Your car is not one of these three. Use your actual make and model in the planner above and OTW works it out from the manufacturer's figures and how much fuel you have right now. If you have measured your own fuel use, you can calculate your L/100 km.
Cheapest ULP 91 on this route
100 stations within 5 km of the road, averaging $2.38/L.
| Station | Price | Into the drive | Off the road |
|---|---|---|---|
| United CardwellUnited Petroleum · Cardwell · QLDReported | $1.75/L | 180 km | 1.4 km |
| Shell Express EdmontonShell · Edmonton · QLDReported | $2.26/L | 15 km | 2.7 km |
| OOM Energy Cairns CentralIndependent · Cairns Central · QLDReported | $2.27/L | 0 km | 1.1 km |
| United WoreeUnited Petroleum · Woree · QLDReported | $2.27/L | 5 km | 0.9 km |
| Liberty WoreeLiberty · Woree · QLDReported | $2.27/L | 5 km | 2.0 km |
| Ampol Crystal Creek ServoAmpol · Crystal Creek · QLDReported | $2.28/L | 280 km | 2.3 km |
| Caltex WoreeCaltex · Woree · QLDReported | $2.28/L | 5 km | 1.7 km |
| Liberty ManooraLiberty · Manoora · QLDReported | $2.29/L | 5 km | 4.2 km |
| BP EarlvilleBP · Earlville · QLDReported | $2.30/L | 5 km | 1.6 km |
| Rollingstone FuelsBP · Rollingstone · QLDReported | $2.30/L | 295 km | 1.8 km |
Cheapest Diesel on this route
72 stations within 5 km of the road, averaging $2.77/L.
| Station | Price | Into the drive | Off the road |
|---|---|---|---|
| United CardwellUnited Petroleum · Cardwell · QLDReported | $1.80/L | 180 km | 1.4 km |
| Ampol Crystal Creek ServoAmpol · Crystal Creek · QLDReported | $2.64/L | 280 km | 2.3 km |
| Rollingstone FuelsBP · Rollingstone · QLDReported | $2.66/L | 295 km | 1.8 km |
| Shell Express EdmontonShell · Edmonton · QLDReported | $2.68/L | 15 km | 2.7 km |
| OOM Energy Cairns CentralIndependent · Cairns Central · QLDReported | $2.69/L | 0 km | 1.1 km |
| United Hermit ParkUnited Petroleum · Hermit Park · QLDReported | $2.69/L | 345 km | On route |
| United Mount LouisaUnited Petroleum · Mount Louisa · QLDReported | $2.69/L | 340 km | 0.6 km |
| United WoreeUnited Petroleum · Woree · QLDReported | $2.69/L | 5 km | 0.9 km |
| Liberty GarbuttLiberty · Garbutt · QLDReported | $2.69/L | 340 km | 1.1 km |
| Pearl Energy DeeragunPearl Energy · Deeragun · QLDReported | $2.69/L | 330 km | 1.3 km |
Common questions
- How far is it from Cairns to Townsville?
- It is about 348 km by road, roughly 4 hours 30 minutes of driving before stops.
- Can you drive Cairns to Townsville on one tank?
- A small car (45 L tank, 6.5 L/100km) has an estimated real-world range of about 513 km, so it makes the trip without refuelling. A mid-size SUV (60 L tank, 8.0 L/100km) has an estimated real-world range of about 563 km, so it makes the trip without refuelling. A ute or 4WD (80 L tank, 9.5 L/100km) has an estimated real-world range of about 632 km, so it makes the trip without refuelling. These use real-world consumption, about 20% above the lab figure, and hold back a reserve.
- Where is the cheapest fuel between Cairns and Townsville?
- In the latest fresh reports, the cheapest ULP 91 on this corridor is $1.75/L at United Cardwell in Cardwell, about 180 km into the drive. Prices can change before you arrive.
- How far off this road is cheap fuel worth driving for?
- At the 74.0c spread currently listed between Cardwell, QLD and Kirwan, QLD, a 60 litre fill at the cheap end saves about $44.40. For a car using around 9.6 L/100km that pays for roughly 105.1 km each way off the route before the detour has eaten the saving — and that is fuel only, not the time.
- Is diesel cheaper than petrol on this drive?
- No. Along this corridor diesel is averaging about 38.9c a litre more than ULP 91 in the latest fresh reports.