Driving the Curvy Gillies Range Road in Queensland
Gillies Range Road is the name of a very curvy road straddling the Cairns and the Tablelands regions of Queensland, in Australia.
Why is it Called the Gillies Range Road
The road was named after William Neal Gillies, a former Premier of Queensland, in March 1934 (though it was proposed earlier after his death).
Is the Gillies Range Road Worth the Drive
Tucked away deep into the Australian tropics, the drive offers sweeping views of the mountains and forests.
- World Heritage: The road winds through the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area
- Lookouts: The drive features spectacular lookouts like Heales Lookout, offering views over the Mulgrave River valley to the coastal mountains, including Queensland's two highest peaks: Bartle Frere and Bellenden Kerr.
- Volcanic Land: The area around the Atherton Tableland is volcanic, leading to features like the crater lakes (Lake Eacham and Lake Barrine).
How Long Is the Gillies Range Road
The road is officially known as the Gillies Highway (State Route 52) and is totally paved. It is 55.7 km (34.61 miles) long, running east-west from Gordonvale (in the Cairns Region) to Atherton (in the Tablelands Region). Transport and Main Roads (TMR) recently reviewed speed limits on the range (near the Bruce Highway) and changed fluctuating speeds (60km/h to 100km/h) to a consistent 80km/h, along with installing speed advisory signs on curves.
When Was the Gillies Range Road Built
The road is also known as Gillies Highway and Cairns Range Road. Construction of the road started in March 1925, and it was officially opened on Saturday, July 10, 1926. When the road first opened, it was initially only wide enough for one-way traffic. Traffic flow was regulated by a timetable, with vehicles having to wait at "Top Gate" or "Bottom Gate" for their turn. This system lasted until the late 1950s when the road was finally widened. A toll was imposed around 1930 and collected until 1945.
What Happens with the Southern Cassowary on the Gillies Range Road
A major, recent hazard is the presence of the endangered Southern Cassowary. These large, flightless birds are iconic but can be very dangerous. There have been recent alerts about a cassowary wandering on a 5 km stretch of the road, approaching cars for food. Drivers are urged to slow down, keep windows up, and never feed the cassowaries (it is illegal and dangerous—they can inflict serious injuries with their large, clawed feet).
How Many Corners on the Gillies Range
Running through the Gillies Range, the road is extremely curvy, with hundreds of turns. The most popular section of the road is 19 km long, with 263 corners and 800 m elevation change. The road is not easy because you have rock walls on one side and very steep drops on the other. It is steep in parts and tops out at 829 m (2,719 ft) above sea level. Today the road is busy and can see up to 8,106 vehicles per day.