The Ultimate East Coast of Australia Road Trip Itinerary

So many people dream of undertaking an east coast of Australia road trip — an epic tour along Australia’s Pacific coast from Sydney to Cairns. From pristine beaches, ancient rainforests, cosmopolitan cities, incredible national parks, islands and wildlife — this coastline really does offer a bit of everything, and has enough activities to satisfy even the biggest adrenaline junkie.

This itinerary aims to show you the very best of Australia’s east coast — from scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, to driving a 4×4 along the world’s largest sand island, to hiking in the national parks and so much more.

I spent 6 weeks touring the east coast of Australia; here’s a low down of my route and itinerary up the coast from Sydney to Cairns!

An epic east coast of Australia road trip itinerary

Following the classic route from Sydney to Cairns, here is my recommended route for your east coast of Australia road trip. This itinerary will take about 6 weeks, but feel free to chop and change it as you like to fit in with your time budget.

Sydney

Where to stay in Sydney: Wake Up! Sydney Central

Start your east coast of Australia road trip in Sydney – the country’s most iconic city. I recommend spending at least 2 days here, but more if you can! It’s an effortless blend of both urban and beach lifestyles, where world-renowned landmarks meet world-class beaches.

Obviously, you’ll want to check out the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Head to Circular Quay, where you’ll be able to spend some time photographing these iconic landmarks. Just a few minutes walk away from Circular Quay, you’ll find the Royal Botanic Garden. A verdant oasis in the heart of Sydney, spend some time exploring the garden and perhaps bring a picnic to enjoy.

No visit to Sydney would be complete without hiking the iconic Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk — a beautifully scenic 6km route which will take you to some of the best beaches along the eastern suburbs of Sydney.

I also recommend you take the ferry across to Manly Beach for a day, a suburb known for its scenic coastal walks and excellent snorkelling. The ferry from Circular Quay to Manly Beach takes just 30 minutes, so it’s well worth the trip.

Things to do in Sydney

• Visit the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge
• Stroll around the Royal Botanic Gardens
• Complete the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk
• Visit Manly Beach

Byron Bay

Where to stay in Byron Bay: Byron Bay YHA

Ah, Byron. It’s easy to see why it’s one of the most popular spots on the east coast of Australia. I’ve not met anyone who didn’t fall in love with Byron’s charm – the vibe is chilled, the people friendly, and the beaches blessed with astonishing beauty.

There are plenty of beaches, bars, and restaurants to enjoy in Byron, and I highly recommend an afternoon of relaxation at Wategos beach, where it’s not uncommon to see dolphins at play.

One of the most popular activities in Byron Bay is walking to the Byron Bay Lighthouse at sunrise. Start your walk from the Beach Hotel, a famous pub on Bay Street. From here, simply follow the path parallel to the beach. The view from the lighthouse is awe-inspiring, and I promise the early morning wake-up call will be worth it!

While you’re in Byron, I also recommend taking a day trip to Nimbin – the alternative lifestyle capital of Australia. Nimbin is an interesting place to explore, adorned with shops selling psychedelic clothing, spiritual wares, and cafes where you can *ahem* relax. My trip to Nimbin was the wackiest day I had in Australia – we were driven through the hinterland in a rainbow-coloured bus, driven by an outlandish Bob Marley enthusiast called Jimmy.

Things to do in Byron Bay

• Walk to the Byron Bay Lighthouse
• Take a surfing lesson
• Spot dolphins at Wategos beach
• Visit Nimbin
• Relax on the beach

The Gold Coast

Where to stay on the Gold Coast: BUNK Surfers Paradise

For transparency, I want to state that I personally didn’t like the Gold Coast. However, lots of people do love it, so I’ve included it in this itinerary so that you can make your own decision about whether or not it’s somewhere you’d like to visit.

I found the Gold Coast to be somewhat tacky, but perhaps that’s part of the fun. It’s a huge entertainment city, full of shopping, theme parks and lively nightlife. If you love this kind of thing, then the Gold Coast may be perfect for you!

After feeling a little annoyed with the city, we took a tram to nearby Burleigh Heads National Park. It was really beautiful there, and we spent some time walking through the National Park, before arriving at Tallebudgera Creek. Tallebudgera Creek was beautiful; the sun was shining, and people were swimming, paddle boarding and jumping into the creek. If you want to visit Burleigh Heads National Park, too, you can get tram no. 700 going towards Tweed Heads. The journey is about 40 minutes.

Things to do on The Gold Coast

• Chill out at Surfers Paradise Beach
• Visit Q1’s Sky Deck for views over the city and coast
• Go hiking in Burleigh Heads National Park
• Hit up a theme park
• Shop, drink and party!

Brisbane

Where to stay in Brisbane: Selina Brisbane

Brisbane, or Brissie, as the locals call it, is a pleasant, modern city away from the coast.

Brisbane’s South Bank is the place to be; sprawling lawns and gardens, nice restaurants, bars and cafes, the Brisbane Ferris Wheel, and best of all, the lagoon. As Brisbane is not actually on the coast, a man-made lagoon has been placed in the city centre instead! It’s actually really nice, and we spent a couple of days here enjoying the sun and water.

Queen Street is the main street in Brisbane and is home to a mall, plaza and a plethora of restaurants and bars. We went out for dinner here one night (a rare event given our backpacker budget) and could easily have spent more time shopping and exploring around the area.

One of the most popular Brisbane attractions is the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. It’s the oldest koala sanctuary in the world and home to 130 of these critters! To get there, you can take a bus directly from Queen Street.

Things to do in Brisbane

• Chill out at South Bank
• Visit Roma Street Parkland
• Eat and shop at Queen Street
• Visit the Botanical Gardens
• Visit Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Noosa

Where to stay in Noosa: Halse Lodge Guest House

For fans of the great outdoors, Noosa is the perfect stop. It’s home to the Noosa Heads National Park, one of the Sunshine Coast’s top natural treasures. Noosa was without a doubt one of my favourite places along the east coast of Australia.

The national park comprises of over 9,800 acres of rainforest and heathland, and there are 5 designated walking tracks for you to choose from. The park is highly accessible, too; simply walk up the hill from Noosa Main Beach towards the Noosa National Park car park, from where 15 kilometres of hiking trails thread through the wilderness.

I personally completed both the Tanglewood Track — where I saw some wild koalas — and the Coastal Track, which is probably the most popular. I definitely recommend the Coastal Track if you like a good hike, but be sure to bring plenty of water as the majority of the track is unshaded. It starts at Noosa Heads and ends at Sunshine Beach, passing by lots of stunning bays, the so-called Fairy Pools and plenty of wildlife spotting opportunities.

Noosa town itself is also a nice place to look around. Be sure to check out Hastings Street, the heart of Noosa Heads, which is home to lots of restaurants, cafes, art galleries, boutiques and designer stores.

The town is fringed by Noosa Main Beach, a gorgeous crescent of golden sand, perfect for relaxing and enjoying the views. There was a surf festival on while I was there so the beach was pretty buzzing! Sunshine Beach, on the opposite side of Noosa Heads, is also spectacular.

Not only this, but Noosa is also home to one of only two Everglade systems in the world (the other being in Florida) and kayaking down them is a popular activity. I highly recommend a day trip, or even an overnight trip, to go kayaking on the Everglades. It’s simply beautiful.

Things to do in Noosa

• Go hiking in Noosa Heads National Park
• Go kayaking in the Noosa Everglades
• Relax at Noosa Main Beach and Sunshine Beach
• Shop and eat at Hastings Street

Fraser Island

Book your Fraser Island trip with Cool Dingoes

Fraser Island is up there as one of the highlights from my time in Australia, and if you can only afford one big-ticket attraction on your east coast of Australia road trip, make sure it’s this! Stretching 122km, and abundant in rainforests, sand dunes and freshwater lakes, Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world.

Fraser Island can be accessed from Hervey Bay or Rainbow Beach, both of which have ferry crossings to the island. We chose to spend the night before and the night after our time on Fraser Island at Rainbow Beach.

You can rent a 4×4 and drive yourself around the island, or you can join a guided tour. We personally chose to join a guided tour and signed up for a multi-day camping and 4×4 adventure package, which was one of the best things we did in Australia. We drove a 4X4 along the beach, swam in secluded lakes, discovered shipwrecks, and camped beneath the stars.

On Fraser, you’ll discover The Maheno Shipwreck — a 5000-tonne ocean liner that traversed Australia and New Zealand in the 1900s. In 1935, she was washed ashore after a raging cyclone and has been left abandoned on Fraser Island ever since.

Other highlights include Eli Creek, a meandering stream where you can sit on an inflatable tube and flow gently along its waters. Climb up to Indian Head Lookout, where you’ll be graced with a sensational view of the island. Or, take a dip in the Champagne Pools, a beautiful swimming hole known for its pools of bubbling water.

The ultimate highlight, though, is Lake McKenzie. Probably the most visited site on the island, its waters consist of pure rainwater and its shore of pure silica sand. It’s said that the sand is so pure, you can wash your jewellery with it. Spend a couple of hours swimming in Lake McKenzie’s perfect waters, and enjoy the impossible natural beauty of Fraser Island.

Things to do on Fraser Island

• Drive along Fraser’s “highway” in a 4×4
• Swim in Lake Mackenzie
• Visit the Maheno shipwreck
• Go tubing in Eli Creek
• See the spectacular view from Indian Head Lookout

Whitsunday Islands

Book your Whitsunday Islands trip with True Blue Sailing aboard New Horizons

From Rainbow Beach, head south towards Airlie Beach — the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands. The Whitsundays are a spectacular group of 74 islands, characterised by dense rainforest and snow-white beaches. It’s no wonder it’s one of the most popular sailing destinations in the world.

There are all kinds of sailing trips to choose from — fast-paced day trips, crazy party tours, adventure cruises, family cruises, and everything in between. Make sure to book one suited to you!

The Atlantic Clipper is by far the most famous; an exciting 2-night party tour featuring scuba diving, bush walks and merry, goon-fuelled evenings. You’ll be able to sunbathe on deck in giant bean bags, relax in the onboard Jacuzzi, and mingle with 52 other like-minded backpackers. Oh, and let’s not forget the huge inflatable water slide!

If you’re looking for a more chilled-out vibe, opt for a Whitsundays cruise with New Horizon instead. New Horizon is still social, but with a little more adventure. You’ll have the opportunity to go paddle boarding, scuba diving, bushwalking, and swimming.

Your sailing adventure will likely take you to Whitehaven Beach; an impossibly white stretch of sand that’s so soft, it’ll squeak beneath your feet. Be sure to walk up to the Hill Inlet viewpoint, where you’ll be graced with a mesmerising landscape consisting of blue and white swirls, where the shifting tide causes the sand and ocean to twist together.

Things to do in Whitsunday Islands

• Visit Whitehaven Beach
• See the spectacular view from Hill Inlet viewpoint
• Go snorkelling or scuba diving
• Sunbathe on the deck of your yacht

Magnetic Island

Where to stay on Magnetic Island: Nomads Magnetic Island

Another of my East Coast of Australia highlights, Magnetic Island — or Maggie, as the locals call her — is a beautiful, chilled-out little island 18km off the coast from Townsville. SeaLink offers 18 daily ferries from Townsville to Magnetic Island, so you’ll have no problem booking yourself onto one!

Once you arrive, I recommend you hire a barbie car. Magnetic Island is well known for these fun, brightly-coloured, topless cars that tourists hire and cruise all over the island. They’re fun, quirky and a novelty that you should absolutely buy into.

Magnetic Island is home to 23 little bays, and we had a lot of fun driving around to visit as many as we could. My favourite was Horseshoe Bay, as it was the most picturesque and a great place to watch the sunset.

Horseshoe Bay, Alma Bay/Arcadia, Nelly Bay and Picnic Bay are the main residential bays, but there are many quieter ones and you may just find one all to yourself. 

As dusk approaches, pull up into Geoffrey Bay and you’ll see dozens of rock wallabies hanging out. They’re pretty inquisitive and will have no qualms about coming up to you to investigate. You can also buy wallaby pellets from the store in Arcadia if you want to feed them.

I also recommend you take on the Forts Walk, which is a scenic 4km walk that takes you to the ruins of an old WWII Forts complex, as well as to lookouts providing stunning views across the ocean. Not only this, but Magnetic Island has the highest number of wild koalas in Australia and the Forts Walk is known as the best place on the island to spot them. We were lucky enough to see two! Early morning or late afternoon will give you the best chance of seeing them.

Things to do in Magnetic Island

• Hire a novelty car to drive around in
• Spot wild koalas on the Forts Walk
• Hop between the bays
• Feed the rock wallabies at Geoffrey Bay
• Watch the sunset at Horseshoe Bay

Cairns

Where to stay in Cairns: Travellers Oasis

Thought of as the adventure capital of Australia, Cairns is the perfect place to end your east coast road trip. Sandwiched between the ancient Daintree Rainforest and the world-famous Great Barrier Reef, you won’t be short of things to do in Cairns. It’s a lively backpacker town, with a range of adrenaline activities on offer — including bungee jumping, skydiving, and white water rafting.

While Cairns itself doesn’t really have a beach, it does have a beautiful man-made lagoon in the centre of town. Here, you can swim, relax, have a picnic, and escape from the stifling heat of tropical north Queensland.

Be sure to make a trip to the Daintree Rainforest, too; it’s the oldest tropical rainforest in the world, where you’ll discover spectacular waterfalls, beaches, and wildlife.

Now, it simply would not be a trip to Australia without visiting the world-famous Great Barrier Reef. Luckily, Cairns is the gateway to the reef, and there is no shortage of companies ready to take you scuba diving or snorkelling. Opt for a day trip with SeaQuest, where you’ll be whisked away to the outer reef for a day of sun, sea, snorkelling and scuba. Expect to see colourful coral, rainbow fish, and perhaps even a sea turtle.

If you’re looking for a party-orientated place to stay in Cairns, I recommend Gilligan’s. Popular with both locals and travellers, Gillie’s is cheap and sociable, with a wild nightclub attached to the premises. If you’re hoping to catch up on your beauty sleep, you’ll probably want to skip a stay at Gilligan’s, but it’s worth visiting for an evening of partying.

Top things to do in Cairns

• Go scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef
• Relax at Cairns Lagoon
• Visit the Daintree Rainforest
• Go bungee jumping, skydiving, or white-water rafting
• Party at Gilligans

Planning your east coast of Australia road trip

From the best time to visit to what kind of vehicle you need, here is everything you need to know about the logistics of planning your east coast of Australia road trip.

Best time to travel the east coast of Australia

As Australia is such a huge country, the weather in the north and south can vary massively.

In North Queensland, where the climate is tropical, the summers (December – February) are hot and humid, and the winters (June – August) are dry and mild. The summer months can bring strong monsoon rains, which you’ll likely want to avoid.

While the weather may be perfect in the north of Australia during the winter months, it may be a bit cold in Australia’s south – temperatures can drop to 7 Celsius in Sydney during this time.

This means that if you want good weather throughout your trip, you’ll likely need to strike a balance.

I travelled the east coast from south to north from February to April. This meant I was in the south of Australia during the end of summer and by the time I hit the north, it was autumn. The weather was pretty perfect the whole way and we had only a few days of rain.

If you travel from north to south, i.e. from Cairns to Sydney, travelling from the end of winter into spring may be ideal. This way, you’ll avoid scorching temperatures in the north and be in the south by the time spring hits.

How long does it take to road trip the east coast of Australia?

Many people just don’t seem to realise how huge Australia is. The distance between Sydney and Cairns is over 2,800km, which is about 36 hours of solid driving time. Given how vast the distances are, you’ll want to give yourself ample time to see and do things along the way – without feeling like you did nothing but travel! Travel between destinations often takes longer than it may seem on the map, so be sure to allow yourself enough time.

I would recommend an absolute minimum of 2 weeks if you’re strapped for time, but 4 – 6 weeks is ideal. You could tick off the main sights in 2 weeks, but travelling more slowly and taking the time to explore places properly will allow you to have a much better experience.

What kind of car do I need?

In my opinion, any Australian road trip is best with a camper van. The freedom is unparalleled and you can travel at your own pace. However, driving a campervan isn’t for everyone and travelling the east coast of Australia by car is also a great option. It entirely depends on your comfort level, and whether you’ll want to stay in hostels/hotels or are happy to spend nights in your campervan.

Can I travel the east coast of Australia without a car?

Absolutely! The famous Greyhound services Australia’s east coast very extensively, meaning you can go everywhere on this itinerary and more by bus. Greyhound’s Whimit Travel Passes are Hop On Hop Off tickets, offering unlimited and flexible travel along the east coast. This means you can travel from A to B at your convenience!

I hope this post has helped you to plan your east coast of Australia road trip!

Where to next?

• Take on an unforgettable Western Australia road trip itinerary
• See the best places to spot wildlife in Australia
• Learn how to be a sustainable tourist at the Great Barrier Reef

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