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Voykit pocket guide · Australia
Tully
Stop 1–2 hours for the Golden Gumboot and a pie on the Bruce Highway, or sleep one night if you are driving Cairns–Townsville; skip it as a base.
Tully is a small sugar town on the Bruce Highway between Cairns and Townsville, in the wet tropics south of Innisfail. It holds Australia's recorded rainfall record and marks it with a 7.9 m golden gumboot. There is no beach, no reef access and no public transport: you come for the gumboot, the mill, the pies and a bed on a long drive.
- Country
- Australia
- Best months
- May–Oct (drier, cooler)
- Avoid
- Jan–Mar (wet season, heavy rain and cyclone risk)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- AUD
- Money
- Currency is the Australian dollar (AUD, A$). Contactless cards and phones are accepted almost everywhere, including public transport in the big cities; some small cafes are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget A$90–140 excl. bed · Mid A$140–220 excl. bed · High A$220+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telstra has the widest outback coverage; Optus and Vodafone (TPG) are cheaper and fine in cities and along highways.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 000 · From mobiles 112
- Plugs
- Types I · 230 V · 50 Hz · Angled two- or three-pin Type I, shared with NZ, Fiji and China; sockets have their own switch — turn it on.
- Tipping
- Cafés and casual meals: Nothing; a tip jar is optional.; Restaurants: Not expected; 10% for very good service in a nice restaurant if you wish.; Taxi / rideshare: Round up or nothing.; Tours and guides: Optional; A$10–20 for a great day guide.; Surcharges: Weekend and public-holiday surcharges of 10–15% are legal if shown on the menu.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in cities and towns; in remote places use signed drinking taps. Carry plenty on any outback drive or walk.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets in parks, beaches, shopping centres and petrol stations (servos); the National Public Toilet Map app lists them.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | A$4–6 |
| Meat pie | A$6–9 |
| Pub counter meal | A$22–35 |
| Motel double room, one night | A$120–260 (check) |
| Fuel, unleaded per litre | A$1.80–2.10 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CNS · Cairns Airport
- About 140 km (87 mi) north by the Bruce Highway; hire car or coach, roughly 2 hAbout 87 mi (140 km) north by the Bruce Highway; hire car or coach, roughly 2 h
- TSV · Townsville Airport
- About 210 km (130 mi) south; roughly 2 h 30 min by roadAbout 130 mi (210 km) south; roughly 2 h 30 min by road
Typical fares
- Cairns → Tully by coach
- about 2 h; fare varies by operator (check)
- Tully → Cardwell by car
- about 40 km (25 mi), 35 minabout 25 mi (40 km), 35 min
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk. The centre is flat and small, and the Golden Gumboot is a short walk from the main street. There is no public transport in town, so a car or coach is how you arrive and how you leave.
See and do
Known for
- Golden Gumboot
- Australia's wettest town record
- Sugar mill
- Tully Pies
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Cardwell | Bruce Highway south, about 40 km (25 mi)Bruce Highway south, about 25 mi (40 km) | About 35 min |
| Ingham | Bruce Highway south past Cardwell, about 90 km (56 mi)Bruce Highway south past Cardwell, about 56 mi (90 km) | About 1 h 15 min |
| Cairns | Bruce Highway north via Innisfail, about 140 km (87 mi)Bruce Highway north via Innisfail, about 87 mi (140 km) | About 2 h |
| Mission Beach | Bruce Highway north then the coast road, about 40 km (25 mi)Bruce Highway north then the coast road, about 25 mi (40 km) | About 40 min |
Sleep
- Bruce Highway motels (town edge)
- Drive-up rooms with parking; the practical choice for one night with a car.
- Bryant Street and Butler Street (town centre)
- Walk to the shops, cafés and the Golden Gumboot; a handful of rooms only.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thanks |
| Where is the Golden Gumboot? | It's just off the main street |
| Is the highway open? | Check road closures before you drive |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake or 'G'day' / 'How are you going?'; first names from the start; avoid: Formal titles; long answers to 'how are you'
- Rounds: Buy your round ('shout') when drinking in a group; avoid: Leaving before your shout
- Queues: Queue patiently; sitting in the front seat of a taxi when alone is common; avoid: Pushing in — it is noticed
- Country: Listen to Welcomes and Acknowledgements; use local place names when offered; avoid: Touching artefacts or photographing ceremonies without permission
- Beach: Swim between the flags; respect lifesavers' instructions; avoid: Swimming at unpatrolled beaches alone
- Humour: Expect teasing and understatement; laugh along; avoid: Taking dry sarcasm literally or boasting
- Walking and driving: Keep left on footpaths and escalators; wave thanks to drivers who let you in; avoid: Stopping on the road to photograph kangaroos
Scams and watch-outs
- Wet season (roughly Nov–Apr) brings very heavy rain and cyclone risk; check road closures on the Bruce Highway before driving.
- No public transport in town: without a car you are limited to what you can walk to.
- Fuel and food options thin out after dark; fill up and eat before evening if you are pushing on.
Low street crime; the real risks are weather and wildlife. Do not swim in creeks or rivers (crocodiles), and check for road closures after heavy rain.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Tully yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Golden Gumboot
- Australia's wettest town record
- Sugar mill
- Tully Pies
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tourism and Events Queensland — Tropical North Queensland: www.queensland.com/au/en/places-to-see/destinations/tropical-north-queensland
- Cassowary Coast Regional Council: www.cassowarycoast.qld.gov.au/
- Wikivoyage: Tully, revision 5295222 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5295222
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/tully). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.