Every year we suggest to travellers either stay in Port Douglas until the day after, or go to Cairns the day before.
Every year the Cairns IRONMAN closes the entire highway from about 5.30am to 5.30pm.
In 2022 the Cairns IRONMAN closes the highway on 12 June.
If you are flying in or out of Cairns on 12 June 2022 this is particularly important for you, because you cannot travel down the Captain Cook Highway between 5:30am and 5:30pm.
Our travel options on 12 June 2022 will be:
- Leave Port Douglas at 5:00am – we accept bookings for this slot which is good for AM flight departures from Cairns, and will run several buses down the highway, or
- Leave Port Douglas once the highway reopens after 5:30pm.
- Arrivals at Cairns Airport will need to wait at Cairns Airport until the highway reopens. Access into Cairns is possible but restricted as the Ironman event restricts access all the way to Cairns Lagoon on the Esplanade.
- We do not offer service on Cairns IRONMAN day via the inland highway (Mareeba and Kuranda) due to the additional transfer time (about 2.5 hours), driver and fuel costs. It’s a good day for everyone not running and biking up and down the highway to relax, sit on the beach and put the feet up 🙂
