Route · AU

Cairns to Townsville

1 operator run this water, from 51 min.

Getting from Cairns to Townsville

Somewhere to stay in Townsville partner Left luggage in Townsville Everywhere from Cairns Everywhere from Townsville

Every way across

One row per operator and speed. Where a service is sold as fast and its average does not clear 45 km/h, the word appears in quotation marks — the boat is fast craft, the crossing is not.

Qantas CNS → TSV 284 km non-stop DH3 DH4 in the air 2 h 21 est. rate not held 332 km/h average

Other ways to reach Townsville

If this crossing does not suit, these quays also reach Townsville without a change. It is the question a single-route page cannot answer about itself and an atlas can.

Mackay – Townsville 55 min Qantas

Winton – Townsville 1 h 09 Regional Express

Cloncurry – Townsville 1 h 20 Qantas

Mount Isa – Townsville 1 h 28 Qantas

Brisbane – Townsville 1 h 53 American Airlines

Sydney (Mascot) – Townsville 2 h 37 Jetstar Airways

Darwin – Townsville 2 h 50 Airnorth

Melbourne – Townsville 3 h 04 Jetstar Airways

Nelly Bay Ferry Terminal – Townsville not held Sealink

Palm Island – Townsville not held Sealink

And other ways to reach Cairns

Coen – Cairns 1 h 04 Aero Condor Peru

Kowanyama – Cairns 1 h 04 Aero Condor Peru

Pormpuraaw – Cairns 1 h 07 Aero Condor Peru

Normanton – Cairns 1 h 08 Aero Condor Peru

Lockhart River – Cairns 1 h 09 Aero Condor Peru

Aurukun – Cairns 1 h 14 Aero Condor Peru

Weipa – Cairns 1 h 17 Aero Condor Peru

Bamaga – Cairns 1 h 26 Aero Condor Peru

Mount Isa – Cairns 1 h 29 Aero Condor Peru

Horn – Cairns 1 h 30 Qantas

Where else these quays go

Also from Cairns

Adelaide · Alice Springs · Auckland · Aurukun · Bamaga · Benoa · Brisbane · Coen · Darwin · Dunedin · Fitzroy Island · Gold Coast · Green Island · Horn

Also from Townsville

Brisbane · Cloncurry · Darwin · Mackay · Melbourne · Mount Isa · Nelly Bay Ferry Terminal · Palm Island · Sydney (Mascot) · Winton

Which months this runs

Season not heldwe can say when we looked, not which months run

Our records for the Cairns–Townsville crossing were read on 11 August 2026 and describe the network as it ran that week. We hold no month-by-month variation, so this page cannot tell you whether a crossing runs in February.

If you are travelling well outside August 2026, confirm with the operator before you plan around it.

What we do not know

No fares. Not for this crossing, not for any crossing, not for any mode.

No departure times. No rate is held for this pair either, so we cannot say how often it runs.