The East Coast of Australia is a great place for road trippers. You’ll discover picture-perfect beaches and hip cities along the sun-bleached road, as well as lush rainforests, The Great Barrier Reef, and native wildlife. There are many driving routes to suit any interest. They can range from epic road trips to specific itineraries that include must-do activities. Pack your hiking boots, surfboard, and appetite to hit the East Coast Road.
The Great Barrier Reef Drive from Cairns to Cape Tribulation (1 Week)
This trip takes you up the coast of far north Queensland. You’ll pass through classic old towns, upscale resorts, and stunning views of the Great Barrier Reef. A snorkeling or diving trip to the Great Barrier Reef must be made after a visit to Cairns. Then, you can pinball among the city’s hip restaurants, buzzing bars, and botanic gardens.
Then, via the scenic railway or gondola cableway, travel inland to Kuranda, where you can enjoy rainforest walks and the famous markets (try macadamias!). Do not miss the scenic Millaa Millaa Falls or a rainforest walk in Wooroonooran National Park.
Check into the plush Palm Cove Resort on Cairns’ northern beaches. Then, pull over for a photo opportunity at Rex Lookout, which is located above Wangetti Beach, further north. Port Douglas is next, a cosmopolitan holiday destination with great restaurants, bars, and more reef-trip activities.
Take a guided tour and cool off at a waterhole in Mossman Gorge. The rainforest is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Book a cruise on the Daintree River to spot crocodiles, then enjoy lunch in Daintree Village. Cow Bay is a great place to spend a few hours beachcombing. Cape Tribulation is the last stop, where rainforest and reef collide spectacularly. Stay at one of these upmarket lodges nestled in the rainforest.
The Gold Coast to Brisbane: A Tale of Two Cities
(7-10 days)
As you leave the cosmopolitan Brisbane and head to the relaxed Gold Coast surfing towns and northern New South Wales, your worries will disappear. You’ll need to spend a few days in Brisbane before you depart. It’s a semitropical city with a plethora of bars, cafes, and bookshops.
The Brisbane Powerhouse is a cultural hub that includes craft beer bars, live music in the West End, and the Gallery of Modern Art. Spend a night in the hedonistic Fortitude Valley, then take a ferry to North Stradbroke Island. There, you can enjoy surfing, sea-kayaking, and fish-and-chips on the beach. On the mainland, head west to the Granite Belt for some cool-climate wines and boulder-hopping at Girraween National Park.
The Gold Coast is an hour south of Brisbane. It has a beachy, brassy vibe. The epicenter of the Gold Coast is Surfers Paradise, with its bold sunshine and after-dark fun. Burleigh Heads, a more relaxed surf town, and Coolangatta are both great places to visit. You can find Byron Bay in New South Wales, a haven for alternative lifestyles, with endless beaches, wonderful accommodations, delicious food, and much more. Many wandering nomads choose to stay in Byron Bay and never leave.
The Great Beach Drive, Sunshine Coast, and Fraser Island
(10 days)
If you’re looking for a road trip that will be memorable, it may depend on your ability to access high-profile outdoor adventures. You might want to tackle the Sunshine Coast, located in southeast Queensland. You can start by exploring the Glass House Mountains with their breathtaking panoramas and rock climbing. The Australia Zoo is nearby, which is great if you’re traveling with children (or even if not).
Mooloolaba is the next stop, with its sand and surf vibes. It also boasts local “Mooloolaba King Prawns” that are caught fresh. Noosa is a half-hour drive north and offers a lush national park with koalas and river kayaking.
Just a couple of hours to the north, you’ll find Rainbow Beach. This beautiful beach is full of activities like fishing, surfing, and paragliding. Hiking, skydiving. Horse riding. Explore the dunes, “highways,” and bushwalks on Fraser Island. It is the largest sand island on earth.
Visit historic Maryborough and the birthplace of Mary Poppins, PL Travers. Then, explore Tin Can Bay to see a surprising number of sea turtles as well as dugongs, Indo-Pacific humpbacks, dolphins, and more.
Airlie Beach to Magnetic Islands – Offshore adventure
(10 days)
The two don’t seem to go together, but Queensland has so many islands that you can see a lot of them on a single trip that includes some unforgettable coastal drives.
Start your trip in Airlie Beach. You can leave the crowds behind and book a boat to the Whitsunday Island archipelago. Whitsunday offers a variety of day trips, but a longer trip will allow you to explore remote beaches that are untouched by other tourists. Whitsunday Island and Whitehaven Beach are often hailed as Australia’s most beautiful beaches.
Book a few days at an offshore resort after cruising around the islands. Hamilton, Hayman, and Daydream Islands await. Are you feeling more adventurous? Join an overnight island camping kayaking trip.
The next stop is Townsville, which is about three hours away. You can stroll along the waterfront and visit the Reef HQ aquarium. Climb Castle Hill and enjoy the impressive dining and drinking scene in Townsville. Divers with experience can book a diving trip on the famous SS Yongala wreck offshore.
End your journey at Magnetic Island. This unpretentious island is home to relaxed beach villages, abundant wildlife, and scenic bushwalking.
From Sydney to Melbourne, a little bit of everything
(1 week)
The coastal road between Sydney and Melbourne is a great way to see national parks, surf beaches, ocean wildlife, and small towns.
Sydney, Australia’s largest and brightest city, offers iconic experiences such as the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, harbor ferries that take you to Manly, and the bustling Bondi Beach. You’ll also find spectacular cliffs, bushwalks, and Grand Pacific Drive, which arcs out over the ocean.
Jervis Bay is home to white-sanded beaches, dolphins that play, and national parks. You can take a quick detour to the inland capital, Canberra, and check out the proceedings at Parliament House.
Narooma’s coast has beautiful beaches and good surf. Take a ferry from here to Montague Island. This is an important Aboriginal site and an impressive natural reserve. Eden, a sleepy town on the south coast of NSW, is a great place to go whale-watching. Don’t forget about historic Central Tilba, which has a picture-perfect setting.
You can cross into Victoria and glide through forests, farmland, and the Gippsland lakes district to Wilsons Promontory with its fabulous bushwalks, cams, pings, and beaches. Phillip Island is just beyond, where seals, penguins, and surfers play in the brine. Melbourne is the last stop.
Southern coastal classic: Melbourne and the Great Ocean Rd
(7-10 days)
This classic road trip is a traditional rite of passage that takes you south from Melbourne along the craggy Great Ocean Road. Expect beautiful little beach towns and great scenery. Melbourne is a city that will keep frequent flyers occupied for many months. Laneway bars, galleries and live music, shopping, Australian Rules Football, and much more. A little further south, the Great Ocean Road is calling.
Start your trip in Torquay, the surfing capital of Australia. Check out the surf at Bells Beach and then head to Anglesea, which emphasizes family fun, for a picnic and a lesson. Aireys Inlet, a lighthouse, and urbane Lorne are just around the corner.
The artsy village of Apollo Bay is a great place to relax for a couple of days. Then, head to Cape Otway and see the iconic lighthouse and koalas.
The next stop is Port Campbell National Park, with its famous 12 Apostles rock structure. Count them from clifftops and book a scenic flight. Continue west to the charming Port Fairy. Every March, the folk festival in Port Fairy sends this small town into overdrive!
