A road trip up the Queensland coast is one of the classic Australia trips and includes some of the best beach and ocean experiences in the world.
You’ve got 4WDing on Fraser Island, sailing the Whitsunday Islands, diving the Great Barrier Reef, tropical rainforest, giant waterfalls, and a string of beach towns and islands all the way up the coast. Add in the glitzy, hedonistic Gold Coast and the random giant roadside “Big Things”, and it becomes a very varied and very Australian road trip.
One of the best roadtrips in the world and a must for Australia.
In a nutshell:
- Australia’s classic road trip and one of the best in the world
- Fraser Island and sailing in the Whitsundays are the mega wow experiences
- Great for beaches, sailing, diving and warm weather
- Very varied: beaches, rainforest, waterfalls, islands and cities
- Best done as a self-drive trip from Brisbane to Cairns either supercharged in 10 days or more civilised in 3 weeks
- Go in the Australian winter (dry season in the north)
If driving along the standard East Coast of Australia route, I’d highly recommend taking the short detour slightly inland for the Atherton Tableland.
The higher altitude – the tableland is home to Queensland’s highest mountains of Bartle Frere at 1622m and Bellenden Ker at 1593m – makes for a pleasant break from the oppressive heat of the coastline and also fellow tourist numbers drop off dramatically.
Give yourself half a day to drive through the pockets of rainforest and see / swim in the magnificent waterfalls dotted all through the area.
For most people, the Australian East Coast trip ends at Cairns as it’s the last town to fly back from.
But, if you continue just another couple of hours north you hit the UNESCO World Heritage listed Daintree Rainforest – the oldest continually surviving tropical rainforest in the world.
The whole north trip from Cairns feels like you’re escaping the well trodden tourist path as you need to cross flooded roads, say goodbye to electricity from anything other than generators and leave yourself open to nature. You have jellyfish stopping you swimming in some places, the constant sound of birdsong and insects of the jungle, and frogs getting just about everywhere. A real getting-back-to-nature experience and prepare to get very very wet!
I know there are white sand beaches all all along the Australian East Coast, and, in a country that already prides itself on its beaches, the competition is fierce. Even so, the Whitsunday Islands takes the prize for the most paradisiacal beach setting in the whole country.
The Lonely Planet describes them as “like emeralds scattered on aquamarine velvet” – that goes part of the way to describing the beauty – you also need to throw in the sheer brightness of the whiter-than-white sand, the warm crystal clear waters and the range of corals all around.
Taking a day trip so you can get in amongst the islands and sun yourself on the perfect beaches is a great experience, and one not to be missed on your East Coast adventure.
Top tip – do a multi-day trip to enjoy them outside of the standard day trip would be truly magical. We didn’t and I regret it.
White sand beaches, practically no traffic, 90% natural bushland and a chilled out vibe. Very little not to like about Great Keppel Island and, whilst its not quite in the usual top lists for Queensland, its nevertheless a beautiful place to spend a couple of days.
Gorgeous beach, fantastic reputation as a hippy / chill out area and some epic surfing. Only problem is that the tourist wave has hit it hard and the commercialised backwash has taken something away from what it used to be.
Its a staple visit on the way up the East Coast and worth the half day / full day visit, especially if keen for lash / partying. But its a distant highlight compared to the stunning experiences of 4WDing around Fraser Island and the Sunshine Coast to the north.
Sure, you can learn to surf in plenty of places around Australia and Wollongong isn’t particularly special for it. But there’s something nice and easy about the long shallow waters that stretch out far enough for you to give the waves a good go without getting crucified by the big ones. Great fun for all levels and Pines Surfing Academy is the one you want.
Hardly controversial, but I’d suggest skipping Australia’s capital unless you have a spare afternoon looking to fill time or have generally given up on life. While the open spaces are nice, the museums are high standard and wandering through the National Parliament is interesting, it is just so far down the list of things to do in this wonderful country
You can do skydiving just about anywhere and it will be thrilling – the nervousness beforehand, the adrenaline burst whilst falling, the bizarre feeling of seeing all land below you – but it helps when you choose a place that has great views anyway and interesting things to see.
Sky diving over the Blue Mountains is a winner because you’ve got the mountain range and national park right below you, with Sydney and the Pacific in the distance. A great thing to do while traveling through.
Went with iFLY Downunder and they were great.
If you’re in this part of rural Australia and have a spare morning / afternoon, Dubbo Zoo (Taronga Western Plains Zoo) is worth a visit with its extensive grounds and set up to allow you to drive around. Zoos are never great, but obviously better if the animals have such extensive room to roam.
