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.
