Proper paint protection built for Cairns' UV, salt air and wet season. We'll tell you honestly whether it's worth it for your car, sort you a fair quote, and either you drop it to our Trinity Beach shop or we come to you.
The way I like to explain it: a ceramic coating turns your car's paint into a whiteboard. Bird droppings, sap, bug splatter, road grime — it all sits on top of the coating instead of biting into your paint, so it wipes off far easier and the paint underneath stays protected. If that makes sense.
It's a liquid we apply by hand, and once it cures it bonds to your clear coat — it's not a wax that washes off in a few weeks. It stays put for years. You know how some cars, when it rains, the water just beads up and runs straight off? That's the coating doing its job.
I'll be straight with you though — it's not right for every car, and I'd rather tell you that than sell you something you don't need. More on that below.
Cairns is honestly one of the harshest places in the country for car paint — not trying to scare you, it's just the reality up here, and it's exactly why a coating earns its keep. Here's what your car is up against:
Our UV index is among the highest in Australia. Left bare, your clear coat breaks down and the colour goes chalky and faded within a couple of years. The coating blocks a lot of that at the surface, so your paint holds its colour and gloss for far longer.
Near the water, microscopic salt settles on your car every single day. It's corrosive — it eats into paint and metal and speeds up rust. The coating puts a barrier between the salt and your paint so it can't bond straight onto the surface.
Our wet season dumps a huge amount of rain, and the humidity in between is perfect for water spotting and mineral etching. Because water beads and sheets off a coated car instead of sitting there, you get far less of that spotting.
I'd rather tell you straight than sell you something you don't need — and this holds regardless of whether you go with us or not:
If it is right for you, here's the good part: a coating genuinely lasts seven to ten years up here, and it's backed by a 10-year warranty. We use coatings built for tropical UV and salt — not whatever's cheapest on the shelf — because up here they cop a hammering.
That's about it. No re-waxing every few weeks, no babying it. You wash the car normally and the coating does the heavy lifting.
We start with a full hand wash, then a clay bar and a deionised wash to pull out everything a normal wash leaves behind — tar, tree sap, industrial fallout and mineral deposits. The paint has to be properly clean before anything goes on it.
A machine cut-and-polish to level the paint and take out swirls and light scratches. This is the step that lets a coating actually last — coat dull, swirled paint and all you've done is seal in dull, swirled paint.
We wipe every panel down with an IPA solution so there's no polish residue or oils left behind. The surface needs to be completely bare for the coating to bond properly.
The coating goes on by hand, panel by panel, and we do a double layer as standard — double the integrity — with curing time between coats. Each section is levelled so there are no high spots or streaks.
The coating needs to sit somewhere sheltered and dry for about 12 hours before it's driven (24 to be safe). We check every panel under proper lighting, then walk you through the aftercare and tell you when it's right to wash.
Every car's different — size, paint condition, whether it needs correcting first — so we'll give you an exact quote on a quick call rather than a flat number. Here's where it starts:
For newer cars in good nick — full decontamination, a light correction and a double layer of coating to lock the paint in while it's still fresh.
Paint corrected first — we cut back the swirls and oxidation so the finish underneath is right, then coat it. Our most common ceramic job.
Coat the bits that cop it too — wheels from $150, glass from $120, headlights from $300. Just ask and we'll fold it into your quote.
Prices are GST-inclusive and a $100 deposit holds your spot. Tell us a bit about your car and we'll sort you an exact figure — for comparison, dealerships usually charge around $2,500 for less coverage and a shorter warranty.
What customers say after a Posh Wash detail.
“Recently had our car detailed by Grace — friendly, professional, and great communication from start to finish. We booked the Signature Detail package and every surface was spotless. The car looks and feels like new again. Highly recommended.”
“Had two vehicles fully detailed inside and out. Both cars came up better than expected. The whole process from booking to completion was seamless. Grace was a pleasure to deal with.”
“Happiest I could be after Grace’s amazing service. Professionalism from booking through to the finished cars was outstanding — attention to detail was exceptional. We look forward to booking again.”
“I wouldn’t trust anyone else with my car. Grace does a beautiful job — no nasty chemicals that make me feel sick. Lovely energy. Posh Wash is 5 stars from me.”
Tell us a bit about your car and we'll say honestly what it needs and what it'll cost. We can pencil you in with no deposit to hold a spot — heads up, ceramic books out around two weeks ahead. No pressure at all.
Get your paint right before coating. We remove swirl marks, scratches and oxidation so your coating locks in a flawless finish.
Learn moreNot sure ceramic is right for you? Compare all your options — wax, sealant, ceramic and PPF — and what suits your car.
Learn moreA regular exterior detail keeps your coating performing at its best and stretches out its life.
Learn moreStraight answers about ceramic coating in Cairns — no jargon.
It starts from $1,000 for a new-car coating, and from $1,325 if your paint needs correcting first. The exact figure comes down to your car's size and how the paint's travelling — bigger or rougher means a bit more — so we'll give you a proper quote on a quick call. GST included, no surprises.
Genuinely seven to ten years up here, and it's backed by a 10-year warranty. Our UV and salt air are harder on a coating than down south, so we use products built for tropical and coastal conditions, and we offer maintenance washes to keep it performing.
For most cars up here, yes — arguably more than almost anywhere in Australia. The mix of extreme UV, salt air, humidity and wet-season rain is brutal on paint, and a coating handles all of it while making the car much easier to keep clean. The one time I'd say don't bother is if you're selling soon — a pre-sale detail makes more sense then.
It depends on the paint. A coating locks in whatever's underneath, so if there are swirls or scratches they'd be sealed in. Quick test: run your finger over a scratch — if it catches, it's into the paint and we'd want to correct it first. If the paint's near-new and in good nick, a light correction is plenty. We'll have a proper look and tell you honestly.
Both — whatever's easiest for you. You can drop it to our shop at Trinity Beach, or we'll come to you. The one thing a coating needs is somewhere shaded and dry to cure for about 12 hours, so if we're coming to you a garage or carport sorts that. No cover at your place? Just drop it to us and grab it the next day.
Wax sits on top of your paint and washes off within a few weeks. A ceramic coating bonds to your clear coat and lasts years. It's far tougher, gives you proper UV and chemical resistance, and that beading, easy-clean surface. Up here, wax just can't keep up — it's gone before it's done much.
Drop into our shopfront at 29 Vasey Esplanade, Trinity Beach, or stay put and our mobile vans come to your home or work right across Cairns and the Northern Beaches.
