Cheapest fuel stops from Townsville to Cairns
Plan your drive below with Townsville and Cairns 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 347 km and takes roughly 4h 25m 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 $37.86 — 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 55 km, between Ingham, QLD and Cardwell, QLD, starting about 110 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
Ampol Crystal Creek Servo in Crystal Creek is about 70 km from Townsville. Its reported price is $2.28/L, on the route.
Middle of the drive
United Cardwell in Cardwell is about 165 km from Townsville. Its reported price is $1.75/L, about 0.9 km off the route.
Final approach
Shell Express Edmonton in Edmonton is about 335 km from Townsville. Its reported price is $2.26/L, about 2.1 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 6.1c 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 | $2.40/L | 45 | $2.28/L at Crystal Creek, QLD |
| Middle third | $2.33/L | 8 | $1.75/L at Cardwell, QLD |
| Last third | $2.37/L | 44 | $2.26/L at Edmonton, QLD |
Towns selling fuel between Townsville and Cairns
54 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hermit ParkQLD | 0 km | 1 | $2.35/L |
| Railway EstateQLD | 3 km | 2 | $2.37 – $2.38/L |
| GarbuttQLD | 5 km | 5 | $2.35 – $2.42/L |
| Garbutt EastQLD | 5 km | 1 | $2.37/L |
| Rising SunQLD | 5 km | 1 | $2.37/L |
| Mount LouisaQLD | 10 km | 1 | $2.35/L |
| BohleQLD | 10 km | 1 | $2.38/L |
| InnesQLD | 15 km | 1 | $2.39/L |
| YabuluQLD | 25 km | 1 | $2.40/L |
| Crystal CreekQLD | 70 km | 1 | $2.28/L |
| TullyQLD | 208 km | 3 | $2.38 – $2.42/L |
| MourilyanQLD | 250 km | 1 | $2.40/L |
| InnisfailQLD | 260 km | 4 | $2.38 – $2.44/L |
| BabindaQLD | 290 km | 1 | $2.39/L |
| EdmontonQLD | 335 km | 5 | $2.26 – $2.41/L |
| EarlvilleQLD | 340 km | 2 | $2.30 – $2.34/L |
| ManooraQLD | 345 km | 1 | $2.29/L |
| PortsmithQLD | 345 km | 1 | $2.43/L |
| Cairns CentralQLD | 347 km | 1 | $2.27/L |
| Edge HillQLD | 347 km | 1 | $2.35/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 Petroleum9 stations listed$2.30/L
- Liberty6 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
- BP12 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
97 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 | 165 km | 0.9 km |
| Shell Express EdmontonShell · Edmonton · QLDReported | $2.26/L | 335 km | 2.1 km |
| OOM Energy Cairns CentralIndependent · Cairns Central · QLDReported | $2.27/L | 347 km | 1.1 km |
| United WoreeUnited Petroleum · Woree · QLDReported | $2.27/L | 340 km | 1.3 km |
| Liberty WoreeLiberty · Woree · QLDReported | $2.27/L | 340 km | 2.0 km |
| Ampol Crystal Creek ServoAmpol · Crystal Creek · QLDReported | $2.28/L | 70 km | On route |
| Caltex WoreeCaltex · Woree · QLDReported | $2.28/L | 340 km | 1.6 km |
| Liberty ManooraLiberty · Manoora · QLDReported | $2.29/L | 345 km | 4.5 km |
| 7-Eleven Woree7-Eleven · Woree · QLDReported | $2.30/L | 340 km | On route |
| Rollingstone FuelsBP · Rollingstone · QLDReported | $2.30/L | 55 km | 0.8 km |
Cheapest Diesel on this route
70 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 | 165 km | 0.9 km |
| Ampol Crystal Creek ServoAmpol · Crystal Creek · QLDReported | $2.64/L | 70 km | On route |
| Rollingstone FuelsBP · Rollingstone · QLDReported | $2.66/L | 55 km | 0.8 km |
| Shell Express EdmontonShell · Edmonton · QLDReported | $2.68/L | 335 km | 2.1 km |
| OOM Energy Cairns CentralIndependent · Cairns Central · QLDReported | $2.69/L | 347 km | 1.1 km |
| Liberty CardwellLiberty · Cardwell · QLDReported | $2.69/L | 165 km | On route |
| Pearl Energy DeeragunPearl Energy · Deeragun · QLDReported | $2.69/L | 15 km | 1.1 km |
| United WoreeUnited Petroleum · Woree · QLDReported | $2.69/L | 340 km | 1.3 km |
| Liberty GarbuttLiberty · Garbutt · QLDReported | $2.69/L | 5 km | 1.4 km |
| Liberty WoreeLiberty · Woree · QLDReported | $2.69/L | 340 km | 2.0 km |
Common questions
- How far is it from Townsville to Cairns?
- It is about 347 km by road, roughly 4 hours 25 minutes of driving before stops.
- Can you drive Townsville to Cairns 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 Townsville and Cairns?
- In the latest fresh reports, the cheapest ULP 91 on this corridor is $1.75/L at United Cardwell in Cardwell, about 165 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 39.0c a litre more than ULP 91 in the latest fresh reports.