Mission Beach Tourist Drive is a 44-kilometre drive, starting from El Arish on the Bruce Highway. The tourist drive heads to the coast and follows the coastal towns south, including Bingal Bay, Clump Point, and Mission Beach, before heading back to the Bruce Highway just north of Tully.
The tourist drive is 44 kilometres, however, you will likely travel further visiting various destinations along the way. The symbol for the Mission Beach Tourist Drive is a cassowary.
From El Arish to Tully
The Mission Beach Tourist Drive starts on El Arish Mission Beach Road, around 35km south of Innisfail on the Bruce Highway. It follows along the four beach villages along the Cassowary Coast, Bingil Bay, Mission Beach, Wongaling Beach, and South Mission Beach. The drive then returns back to the Bruce Highway just north of Tully.
Start of Tourist Drive
From the Bruce Highway, turn into El Arish Mission Beach Road towards Mission Beach. After 5.5 kilometres, turn left into Bingil Bay Road towards Bingil Bay.
Garners Beach and Brookes Beach
Following Bingil Bay Road for 5.2 kilometres and turn left to detour off the tourist drive into Garners Beach Road. Follow for 1.2 kilometres and you can either continue towards Garners Beach or turn right into Holt Road towards Brookes Beach.
Garners Beach Road turns into an unsealed road that is generally kept in good condition. The small beach is usually quiet and secluded. There are no amenities. The beach can disappear during high tide so best to time the visit during low tide, or at least away from high tide.
Brookes Beach is along Holt Road and is sealed. Just after a right-hand bend, the road become for local traffic only. There is little space for parking but like Garners Beach it isn’t a busy location. The pristine beach is lined with rainforest and beautiful inviting water.
It is crocodile country and stingers are always a concern in this part of the world, so be aware of your surroundings and enter the water at your own risk. Secluded beaches are great for privacy but reduces help around if needed.
Continue on Tourist Drive
Return back to Bingil Bay Road and turn left.
Bingil Bay
The first village greets you with the quirky, purple-coloured Bingil Bay Cafe, 1.9 kilometres from Garners Beach Road. Stop for a coffee or cold drink, or a full meal. The Bingil Bay Cafe is open most days.
Continue on another 500 metres to reach Bingle Bay, with a parking area on the right with a public toilet and access to the beach across the road.
Just before the parking area, turn left into the Bingil Bay Campground. The campground also has some space for day-use and of course, access to the beach as well.
Continue on Tourist Drive
From the parking area, continue south along the coast on Alexander Drive.
World Heritage Areas Rainforest meets Reef
500 metres from the parking area in Bingil Bay, there is a small parking area on the left next to a rock beach. On the other side of the road is the brown sign for World Heritage Areas Rainforest meets Reef 
. The short 800-metre stretch of Alexander Drive is bordered by the two world heritage areas, Wet Tropics and Great Barrier Reef.
Bicton Hill (Clump Mountain National Park)
Across from the same parking area is sign for Clump Mountain National Park. The start of a walk to Bicton Hill Lookout is here, and moderate grade 4-kilometre walk. The walk starts on the eastern side, circling around to the western side before coming to the Bicton Hill Lookout. There are four lookouts along the way. allow 2.5 hours to do the walk.
Continue on Tourist Drive
Continue driving on Alexander Drive for 2 kilometres to Perry Harvey Jetty.
Perry Harvey Jetty
Also known as Clump Point Jetty, the Perry Harvey Jetty has a small parking area, covered picnic table and toilets. Located at the southern end of Narragon Beach, the jetty is a popular fishing spot and a great place to spot marine life. We were not there long but sightings of dolphins and a variety of sea turtles is known to happen here.
Continue on Tourist Drive
Continue driving on Alexander Drive for 1.3km. To stop at Clump Point Lookout, turn left into Clump Point Road.
Clump Point
Clump Point has a lookout on the Clump Point, an outcrop of land separating Narragon Beach and Mission Beach. It is the only volcanic headland in the Wet Tropics. The lookout area is basic with views over the water towards Dunk Island.
Other than the lookout, Clump Point is also a boat ramp with lots of parking, floating walkways and berthing pontoons. A fly-over of the Clump Point boat ramps can be seen on YouTube.
Continue on Tourist Drive
Return to Alexander Drive and turn left to continue on. Follow Alexander Drive for 800 metres to reach Mission Beach Visitor Information Centre.
Mission Beach
Although it is in the middle of the Mission Beach Tourist Drive, the Mission Beach Visitor Information Centre is a great place to discover local information and things to do throughout the Mission Beach area.
The beach stretches for around 3 kilometres, from Clump Point to the north and continuing south onwards to Wongaling Beach. The length of Mission Beach has places to explore and parks to stop at. North of the visitor centre is the Ross Overton Park with a walk heading all the way to Clump Point Lookout. The main beach area is around 900 metres south of the visitor centre, off of Seaview Street. The water can look inviting, however, stingers are always a threat in Tropical North Queensland, as are the possibility of crocodiles.
Mission Beach has a stinger net that makes it far less risky during the peak stinger season. The nets are usually out from November through to May. That doesn’t mean you can’t be stung as the nets are primarily for box jellyfish. The less deadly Irukanji jellyfish are smaller and can get through the nets. Whether the nets are there or it is out of stinger season, it is best to wear full body swimwear and swim when lifeguards are patrolling.
Continue on Tourist Drive
From Mission Beach Visitor Information Centre, continue on Alexander Drive for 2.3 kilometres (or 1.2 kilometres from Seaview St). Turn left into Tully Mission Beach Road to head to Wongaling Beach, or continue straight ahead on El Arish Mission Beach Road for another 4.9 kilometres to reach Lacey’s Creek Day Use Area.
Lacey Creek (Djiru National Park)
Lacey Creek Day Use Area is in the Djiru National Park with a 1.5-kilometre easy walk through the rainforest. Halfway along the circuit walk is a viewing platform over a water pool of Lacey Creek. The picnic area is at the start with toilets, gas BBQs, and picnic tables.
Across the road is the Dreaming Trail, a longer moderately graded walk of 3.2 kilometres one way. It covers steep terrain, coming back out on El Arish Mission Beach Road 2 kilometres south of Lacey Creek Day Use Area. The option to continue for an additional 6 kilometres (total of 9.2 kilometres one way) along the Musgravea Track will bring you to Licuala Day Use Area. The Musgravea Track is mostly flat and shared for walking and mountain bikes. It follows an old forestry road used in the 1960s and 1970s.
Continue on Tourist Drive
From the day use area, head south again for 4.9 kilometres to return to Tully Mission Beach Road, turning right to head to Wongaling Beach.