Picture Australia in your mind’s eye – what do you see? Probably sandy beaches stretching towards the horizon, crystal clear waves deepening into shades of turquoise, and marine life swimming amongst corals. You’ll see all of that and more on a Queensland road trip.
Home to the Great Barrier Reef and affectionately nicknamed the “Sunshine State”, Queensland covers a mind-bogglingly large area – 1.85 million square kilometers (for perspective, that’s bigger than Alaska, which is the largest state in the US). While the interior is very sparsely populated, small towns and cities are sprinkled across the lengthy coastline, most of them linked by the Bruce Highway.
The Bruce Highway stretches from Cairns in the far north all the way to Brisbane in the southeast, with both termini conveniently serviced by international airports. If you were to drive from one end to the other in one go, you’d be driving 1,699 km in 18 hours and 48 minutes.
Needless to say, I really, really wouldn’t recommend this. Especially not when you can split it up into a week (or more, if possible!) and have the time of your life.
My husband and I have traveled every inch of this road trip ourselves, during the 6 months that we spent in Townsville (a city in north Queensland near Cairns) and afterwards on our drive back to Brisbane. The recommended itinerary below includes a good mix of cities, popular seaside towns and small off-the-beaten track destinations.
Best time to go
If you visited the Sunshine State during the cyclone season, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it should be called the “Thunderstorm State” instead. From November to April, northern Queensland is susceptible to tropical cyclones, which includes gale-force winds, heavy thunderstorms, and lots and lots of rain. Basically, you want to avoid visiting during this time.
If you need further discouragement, this period of time is also summer – and in Queensland summer means extreme humidity and heat, as well as stinger season in the north, where the jellyfish come out to play.
The best time to visit is May to September, when the temperatures are pleasant (usually ranging from 15C – 25C), the sun is shining, and you don’t need stinger suits to go into the ocean.
Which month exactly to pick is a matter of personal preference. June to August (winter) is peak tourist season for north QLD, which generally means higher prices and more crowds – although really, there’s just so much space that you won’t feel the crowds for the most part. May and September are shoulder season, which means accommodation might be a bit cheaper.
Temperature-wise, if you are used to colder climates, you can comfortably swim in the northern section of this road trip any month of the year, even during the winter.
Queensland road trip itinerary
Due to both Cairns and Brisbane having international airports, it’s very possible to book an open-jaw ticket and fly directly into Cairns and out of Brisbane, saving you both time and money. It does depend on where you are flying from, as Cairns isn’t connected to as many international hubs as Brisbane is.
Before we set off, I should note that this drive doesn’t actually follow the coastline most of the time. The Bruce Highway is not located right by the ocean – it’s a bit further inland, and the beach towns that you will be visiting are typically a 10-20 minutes detour away from the highway. That’s why it’s so important to set aside at least a week for this trip – otherwise you’d just spend all of your time driving.
If you want coastal views during the drive itself, you should instead consider doing the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, which does hug the coast.
Day 1: Arrive in Cairns
Start off your Queensland road trip with a day in Cairns after touching down at the airport! Cairns is best known as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, so if you’re even the slightest bit interested in snorkeling or scuba diving, you should extend your stay to spend an extra day or two here.
The most vibrant coral and marine life is found in the Outer Reef, which is a 1.5 – 2 hour boat ride from Cairns each way. You’ll want to join a full day excursion to make the most of your experience. For non-swimmers, there are other options to see the reef: scenic flights, glass bottom boat rides, semi-submersibles, and even Seawalker, where you put a helmet on and walk on the ocean floor. Because the Outer Reef is located far out in the open ocean, however, it can be a bit of a rough ride. If you are prone to seasickness like I am, you’ll want to pick a tour operator that uses a large stable catamaran, and perhaps consider taking medication.
Aside from that, there’s so much to see and do in Cairns that even if you’re not interested in the reef, I’d recommend staying at least one night. There aren’t any beaches in Cairns itself, but Trinity Beach and Palm Cove are a short distance away.
The Barron Falls, nestled amongst emerald green rainforest hills, is magnificent to behold. You can take the Skyrail cable car or the Kuranda Scenic railway there, or buy a combo ticket where you take the cable car there and the train back. All of these tickets are pricey, though, at $135 per adult minimum. For comparison, the Eiger Express cable car in “notoriously expensive” Switzerland, which takes you to Jungfraujoch at 2,300km above sea level, is $90 pp return (after converting from CHF to AUD).
If you don’t want to pay, you can do what we did and just drive to the Barron Falls lookout point, which is completely free! The drive is quite easy and takes 35 minutes from Cairns on a sealed road. There is a carpark next to the canopy walk, which takes you to the lookout.
Note that if you’re driving, you can only access the lookout on the western side of the Barron River, which is the same lookout you’d get if you took the Kuranda railway up (it’s called “Barron Falls Rainforest Canopy Walk and Lookout” on Google Maps). You won’t be able to access the Edge Lookout on the eastern side unless you take the Skyrail.
Make it a day trip and have a spot of lunch and shopping at Kuranda Village, if you can. This quaint little village is a 10 minute drive from the Barron Falls carpark. It’s quite a touristy spot and the last cable car and train departs at around 4pm, so you’ll want to go early, as nothing will be open after that.
Unlike most of northern Queensland, Cairns is a multicultural hub and is absolutely bustling at night. The Night Markets are open late (extremely late by Queensland standards – you’d still have several food options at 9.30pm), as are several restaurants in the central area.
During our time in Cairns, we’d often grab spicy skewers, sugarcane juice, crepes, dorayaki, or economy rice from one of the many stalls in and around the night market and have dinner at 9pm. There are lots of people hanging out at the Esplanade up to around midnight: playing music, strolling around, just enjoying the warm tropical night. It’s a small microcosm of Southeast Asian nightlife, in the most surprising of places.
If you have another day to spare, Fitzroy Island is a 45-minute ferry ride from Cairns, and has my vote for prettiest island in Australia. Nudey Beach (not a nudist beach!) is picture-perfect, and the layers of turquoise and blue set against the white coral beach look even more spectacular in person.
Day 2: Cairns – Townsville (4h 11m, 347km)
After driving through lots and lots of sugarcane fields, you’ll arrive in Townsville, a small beachside city with a large brown hill (Castle Hill) in the middle. This earns it the moniker “Brownsville” from locals – which isn’t entirely fair, considering that the Strand (the main seaside esplanade) is mostly green!
Truthfully, Townsville itself isn’t a popular tourist destination. It has access to some reef, but it’s not as easily-accessible and varied as the options you’d get further up north. The main drawcard here is Magnetic Island, which you should visit if you have at least half a day to spare.
Magnetic Island (or “Maggie”) is a laid-back and very affordable island that’s just a 20-minute ferry ride from Townsville. At only $38 per adult return, this is one of the cheapest islands to visit in Queensland, if not Australia. You’ll arrive at the Nelly Bay jetty, and a 20-minute walk or a short bus ride gets you to Geoffrey Bay and Alma Bay. Gorgeous little Alma is a small curved bay nestled in between rocky outcrops, and Geoffrey Bay has tidepools full of marine life.
If you choose to stay in mainland Townsville, it’s worth taking a walk through the Strand – just about everyone living in the vicinity goes there either before or after work. If you have time to spare, hit up Castle Hill for pretty views of the city, or Pallarenda Beach for a picnic.
Day 3: Townsville – Airlie Beach (3h 13m, 277km)
Airlie gets a bit of a bad rap for being a “party town”. And yes it is a party town… but it’s also stunning, and it’s the base for sailing in the Whitsundays, flights to picturesque Heart Reef, or day trips to Whitehaven Beach (more about that later!). Really, I’d recommend Airlie to just about anyone, not just rave-seeking backpackers in their 20s. Just make sure you pick an accommodation that’s a bit of a distance from the main strip, if you want a quiet night (we stayed at a cute apartment in Shute Harbor, which was very quiet and had amazing views).
Take a swim in Airlie Beach lagoon, a free public swimming pool located right next to the harbour. Soak up the views at Boathaven Beach and Lion’s Lookout, then take an evening stroll on the Turtle Boardwalk.
Two of my favorite foodie destinations here are La Tabella Trattoria, where the owner is Italian and the ravioli is so good I’ve come back for it 3 times; and KC Bar and Grill, where you can try crocodile skewers (croc tastes like a mix between lean chicken and fish, in my opinion).
Day 4: Day trip to Whitehaven Beach, Daydream Island, Hamilton Island, and/or Heart Reef
Wait, what, no driving today? Yes, but you’d be amiss to skip this day. The Whitsundays are one of the most picturesque island groups in the world, located on the Great Barrier Reef itself. Whitehaven Beach, in particular, frequently tops the list of “Best beaches in Australia”, with white silica sand so fine that it squeaks under your feet and blows away in the wind when you pick it up.
Take a day trip from Airlie to Whitehaven Beach on one of the many day tour boat operators. It takes just over an hour and the seas in the Whitsundays are sheltered and phenomenally calm, so it’s likely to be a pleasant trip. I wasn’t seasick at all, even though I’m often prone to it.
Try to pick a tour that takes you to Hill Inlet (for that famous Insta shot!) as well as to the beach itself. Not all Whitehaven Beach tours include Hill Inlet even though that viewpoint is where virtually every feature photo of Whitehaven Beach was taken, so make sure to clarify in advance (if you can tell, I’m miffed that I missed out!).
If you have extra time, there are also day tours from Airlie to Daydream Island and Hamilton Island. Daydream is nice but not that special in my opinion, and Hamilton is more of a resort island where people go to relax on the beach, watch the yachts sailing among the tiny islands, and sip a pina colada at a pool bar.
Basically, if you only have one day, I’d recommend focusing on Whitehaven. If you have two days, spend a night at Hamilton Island (Whitsunday apartments, which we stayed at, has breathtaking views from the higher floors). You can then take a day trip to Whitehaven Beach from Hamilton Island – in fact, Whitehaven is a lot closer to Hamilton Island than it is to mainland Airlie.
And if you want to splurge… boy are you in for a treat! Airlie Beach is the gateway to Heart Reef, that picture-perfect heart-shaped reef formation that you see everywhere on the internet. A helicopter or seaplane will fly you from Airlie Beach over the reef, and to a pontoon in Heart Reef Lagoon. From the pontoon, you can snorkel, take a glass bottom boat ride, and do all the usual reef activities. Several tours combine Heart Reef with Whitehaven Beach or Hamilton Island as well, which saves you time but can feel a bit rushed.
It’s quite expensive: expect to spend over $300 pp for a flyover, and over $500 pp if you want to land at the reef. Taking a cruise is cheaper, but I wouldn’t recommend it – seeing Heart Reef from above is a huge part of the magic.
Day 5: Airlie Beach – Yeppoon (5h 29m, 500km)
Yeppoon has, hands down, the best free public swimming pool I’ve ever seen. Yeppoon Lagoon is huge, beautifully landscaped, and elevated with an infinity edge for perfect views of the ocean while swimming. You can see the Keppel Islands in the distance. There’s a restaurant and bar in the middle, and lots of shallow areas for wading and relaxing.
Wreck Point lookout features a shipwreck by the ocean – we saw a kookaburra chilling out on top of the ship mast when we were there! Fan Rock lookout and Turtle lookout are also popular, although we didn’t have time to go to those. If you have an extra day, you could take a day trip to Great Keppel Island, which is chock-full of beautiful beaches.
Now, let’s talk about Tsuruya.
Tsuruya is a Japanese restaurant that was built in the luxurious Capricorn International Resort, 15 minutes away from the Yeppoon CBD, within its sprawling grounds and extensive facilities. In 2016, the resort closed its doors for good. Not Tsuruya, though. They decided that they weren’t closing, and that they weren’t going anywhere either. From 2016 till the present day, they have been operating a full-service restaurant inside an abandoned resort.
Getting to the restaurant after sundown is an eerie experience. You drive for kilometers in total darkness, through a boom gate, and finally to a small parking lot. There are no lights on the outside of the building, and no sign except for a rather concerning one that says “Caution – feral pigs in the area”. Nervously, you step inside the front door, navigate the worn carpet in the dilapidated hallway, and through another set of doors…
And then you are greeted by lights, wonderful smells, the sounds of sizzling meat, a sushi bar, friendly waitresses, and all the decor that you would expect in a typical Japanese restaurant.
They did not disappoint. The tempura was perfectly crispy and light, the chirashi don was exquisite, and the dobin mushi, a soup dish served in a teapot, was an incredibly rare find. It was some of the best and most authentic Japanese food I’ve had outside of Japan. Be sure to make a booking in advance! We took their last booking slot at 7pm, and by 8pm they were closing up for the night.
Day 6: Yeppoon – Elliott Heads (4h 8m, 351km)
Elliott Heads is an unusual choice for a Queensland road trip stop, but I knew I wanted to visit as soon as I saw photos of the Elliott Heads rock pools.
The rock pools are located on Dr Mays island, which is accessible on foot from the mainland during low tide. The “island” is also a rare shorebird breeding area, so public access is only allowed from May to August (which is the best time for your road trip anyway).
Rock pools are not uncommon in Australia, but these rock pools are special, y’all. The pools are shallow and this area is sheltered and very calm, so it’s extremely safe to sit inside, even for non-swimmers. The water is crystal clear and there are a few different pools, all with views of the ocean. Small fish live in those pools and if you lie still for a while, they’ll dart around you and nibble on you. Marine life and shorebirds abound; we saw several birds that we’ve never seen before.
There isn’t much accommodation at Elliott Heads aside from a couple of holiday homes, so I’d recommend staying in one of the nearby beach suburbs or Bundaberg itself. We stayed at Bargara, another beachside suburb which is a 15-minute drive from Elliott Heads.
If you are here during whale migration season (July to November), consider adding a night at nearby Hervey Bay. Hervey Bay is one of the best spots in Australia for whale watching, and many tour operators will book you on their next tour for free if you don’t get a sighting (which indicates how rare it is not to).
Day 7: Elliott Heads – Brisbane (4h 3m, 367km)
Hey, you made it! Welcome to Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland, and our home for the last 7 years.
When family and friends visit us in Brisbane, we direct all of them to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Boasting the world’s largest koala sanctuary, Lone Pine is dedicated to research and conservation of our beloved marsupial, who are sadly threatened in the wild.
The koalas live in cage-free habitats, on trees with plenty of fresh eucalyptus leaves for them to munch. There are other native species as well: kangaroos and wallabies have a huge outdoor area to roam, and you can go into their habitat and feed them. They also have platypus, dingos, echidnas… and you should probably just visit their website for a more exhaustive list.
Back in the city, head to Kangaroo Point for that Brisbane skyline shot, and grill your own lunch at one of the many free public BBQs with views. South Bank is a nice spot to while away the evening – take a dip in the free public swimming lagoon, stroll along the Southbank Parklands with picturesque views of the CBD, then head to one of the many restaurants in the vicinity for dinner. I’m a big fan of Ramen Danbo and Ahmet’s Turkish Restaurant.
If you have an extra day or two, it’s worth heading to the Gold Coast, a bustling coastal city just an hour’s drive south of Brisbane. You’ve probably heard of it; lots of movies are filmed there, and all the big theme parks have set up shop – Dreamworld, Seaworld, Warner Bros Movie World, etc.
Tips for your Queensland road trip
- The Bruce Highway from Gympie to Cairns is single-lane, narrow, has no reflectors, and the surface is sometimes rough. There are no dividers, and trucks frequent this road at all times. Wildlife is abundant, and when kangaroos are active during dawn and dusk, they may jump out onto the road. Please only drive when you are fully awake and alert, and try to avoid driving at night, dawn, or dusk. If you must do any night driving, the stretch from Gympie to Brisbane is the only part where I’d even consider doing that.
- Australia is a country of early sleepers and early risers. Nowhere in the country is this as true as Queensland, and nowhere in the state is this as true as regional Queensland. Outside of Brisbane and Cairns, restaurants close very early – I wouldn’t count on getting dinner after 7pm or so in the smaller towns. Even if your map app says that a restaurant or pub is open till 10pm or later, the information online could be wrong or they might serve drinks only.
- Crocodiles ply the waterways of north Queensland year round. North of Yeppoon, don’t swim in unpatrolled beaches, and don’t swim in rivers or creeks at all unless you are very sure you know what you’re doing.
- Bug spray is your friend in northern Queensland! Yes, even in the winter. Midges are active year-round in the warmer locations, and if (like me) you aren’t born here with natural immunity to them, they’ll give you the nastiest bites. When I lived in Townsville for 6 months, I couldn’t set foot outdoors without covering myself with DEET, unless I wanted to wallow in itchy regret for the next few weeks. In the southern parts of the trip, you can get away without bug spray in the cooler months, but you’ll still need it in the summer.
If you have any questions at all about any of the destinations covered here, or the logistics involved in planning your trip, let me know and I’ll be more than happy to help. Happy road-tripping!
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