The tropical city of Cairns is located approximately 1,700 kilometres north of Brisbane and about 347 kilometres north of Townsville, 630 kilometres north of Rockhampton, 780 kilometres north of Mackay, and 1,058 kilometres north of Gladstone.
Its population has grown steadily over the years and is home to a population of approximately 150,000 residents. The city’s diverse community contributes to its dynamic and inclusive business environment.
Its geographic location also means it is the last large urban development on the run up the east coast from Brisbane. Despite its location, Cairns offers access to major transportation networks, including highways and the Cairns International Airport, facilitating efficient freight service delivery for international air freight shipments out of Asia and the USA.
Travel times to and from Cairns by road can vary, which can cause logistical challenges for freight companies, especially when it comes to timely and fast courier delivery services. Given the 1,700-kilometre travel from Brisbane to Cairns and the populated cities and town along the AI highway, there has been increased demand for faster freight deliveries to major centres.
Having said that, many freight carrier operate fast delivery services where it’s not uncommon to offer Same-Day, Overnight and Express Delivery to some of the outlier towns and cities within on day’s driving reach. Typically, larger freight carriers operating large Semi-trailers and B-Doubles would travel to Brisbane from Cairns direct, and at times may have 2 drivers on board to accomplish delivery deadlines to Brisbane. When a shipment from Cairns to Brisbane and beyond is required, domestic air courier services are also available. Each service can be selected and booked through the One World Courier Freight Management Platform, saving time and confusion when browsing many websites just to get a quote.
As well as fast bulk freight distribution networks, Cairns is surrounded by many regional towns and communities where access is restricted due to the road network which at times must navigate steep terrain and winding roads, especially when traversing the Atherton Tablelands on route to place such as Ravenshoe and further afar. In these instances, the large freight hubs employ a wide selection of smaller freight and courier delivery contractors whose job it is to distribute freight to its final delivery location. This is referred to as ‘last-mile’ shipping, where fast courier services operate light and nimble vehicles to get the Cairns parcels and packages delivered in a timely manner.
Cairns boasts a diverse economy with thriving industries such as tourism, hospitality, agriculture, and education. The city’s tourism sector benefits from its proximity to the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics rainforest, attracting visitors worldwide. Additionally, Cairns serves as a regional hub for healthcare, education, and government services, providing ample business opportunities and access to road, air, sea and rail freight services for fast delivery when required.
Cairns well-connected transport network and vast array of fast courier services makes it easy to organise the pickup and delivery of small parcels and packages for delivery to Cairns Central Business District as well as to the surrounding suburbs and towns such as Port Douglas, Cape Tribulation, Cooktown, and even as far as the Lockhart River communities in the north, west to Bolwara and Chillagoe, northwest to Gamboola, Wrotham, Innisfail, Mission Beach, Tully and Cardwell in the south, Mareeba, Ravenshoe and Mount Garnet in the Southwest. Various freight service providers operate in the city, ensuring efficient logistics operations for businesses in Cairns, both domestically and internationally.
