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How to get fromAirlie Beach to Great Barrier Reefby bus, plane, or car

Find Transport to Great Barrier Reef

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There are 3 ways to get from Airlie Beach to Great Barrier Reef by bus, plane, or car

Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.

  1. Line 860 bus to Whitsunday Coast Airport, fly

    best
    1. Take the bus from Airlie Beach Central to Renwick Rd at Stanbury Street hail 'n' ridebus bus
    2. Fly from Whitsunday Coast Airport (PPP) to Cairns (CNS)plane plane PPP - CNS
    4h 38m
    $286–1,151

  2. Bus to Mackay, fly

    1. Take the bus from Airlie Beach to Mackaybus bus
    2. Fly from Mackay (MKY) to Cairns (CNS)plane plane MKY - CNS
    8h 46m
    $289–607

  3. Drive to Moranbah Airport, fly

    1. Drive from Airlie Beach to Moranbah Airport (MOV)car car
    2. Fly from Moranbah Airport (MOV) to Cairns (CNS)plane plane MOV - CNS
    6h 46m
    $334–2,778

Whitsunday Coast Airport (PPP) to Cairns (CNS) flights

Calendar4Weekly Planes
Duration1h 25mAverage Duration
Ticket$348Cheapest Price
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Questions & Answers

Map of how to get from Airlie Beach to Great Barrier Reef.ExpandLaunch map view
  • Distance: 547.4 km
  • Duration: 4h 38m

What companies run services between Airlie Beach, QLD, Australia and Great Barrier Reef?

There is no direct connection from Airlie Beach to Great Barrier Reef. However, you can take the line 860 bus to Renwick Rd at Stanbury Street hail 'n' ride, take the taxi to Whitsunday Coast Airport (PPP) airport, fly to Cairns (CNS), walk to Cairns Airport, then take the shuttle to Cairns Central Shopping Complex. Alternatively, you can take the bus to Mackay, walk to Caneland station, stop A, take the line 303 bus to Mackay Airport, walk to Mackay (MKY) airport, fly to Cairns (CNS), walk to Cairns Airport, then take the shuttle to Cairns Central Shopping Complex.

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