140 mile long beaches and 500 national parks. Endless reef on all sides, and over two and a half million square miles of outback. Australia is huge. You’d be forgiven for thinking the only way to see it is on a backpacking odyssey stretching anywhere between a few months and a few years.
If you’ve got a set time frame to work with, your best bet for doing and seeing exactly what you want in Australia is definitely by hiring your own camper. (Psst – its hella cheap, too).
That’s why we thought we’d put together this ultimate itinerary that’ll suit roadtrippers who are heading Down Under for a few weeks of holiday, or are perhaps taking time off from the ‘work’ part of their year-long working holiday to see some of the country.
Now get ready for the most amazing road trip of your life.
Best Ways to Travel the East Coast
Koalified to drive? Good. You can rent a car or we recommend renting a camper van for the ultimate road trip adventure. View our Australia road trip tips if it will be your first time driving Down Under. If you don’t fancy driving the East coast yourself, you could book a tour. Several local and international travel operators offer trips with weekly departures, view gap year tours to find your ideal company. Another option is to travel on a service like the Greyhound which connects most towns and cities on the East coast.
Australia’s East Coast 2 Week Itinerary
Our featured itinerary includes all the highlights of Australia’s East coast, and starts in the hub of Sydney, where you’ll be able to pick up a trusty camper or find your transport. You can easily adapt this route, or even travel from Cairns south to Sydney. If you have more time you will really be able to go at a steady pace and see all the highlights in a relaxing trip stopping for longer in places you like.
Day 1:
Set off from Sydney and drive six hours north to Coffs Harbour, a chilled out coastal town famous for its ‘big banana’ – what’s not to love? Be sure to stop off on Port Stephen’s amazing beach for a lunchtime barbie, halfway.
Day 2-3:
It’s just a three hour drive up the coast from Coffs Harbour to Byron Bay. You may want to spend an extra day in Byron, getting a load of the awesome nightlife and surfing (or just the fit surfers).
Day 4:
Just an hour from Byron Bay are Gold Coast’s beautiful beaches of Surfer’s Paradise and Burleigh Heads. Hit them via a whizz around Springbrook National Park’s amazing plunge pools, waterfalls and rock formations – an hour west of the coast.
Day 5:
After a day at the beach, it’s another short drive to Brisbane, where you can spend the night soaking up the cosmopolitan city’s bar scene.
Day 6:
It’s time to hit the Sunshine Coast! Set off early in order to give yourself as much time as possible to soak up some sun as you drive north. We recommend you spend most of your day in Noosa, which is bang in between Brissy and your next overnight stop, Rainbow Beach.
Day 7-8:
Lock up the van, get perfecting your new profile picture pose, and jump off the mainland to explore Fraser Island.
Day 9:
It’s a long drive from Rainbow Beach to Airlie today – we recommend setting off early, switching drivers halfway through and stopping for regular rest breaks… trust us, the view of the Whitsunday islands that greets you as you reach town will be worth it.
Day 10-11:
Set sail from Airlie Beach to the amazing Whitsunday Islands on an overnight cruise – although technically not on land, they’re still the highlight of anyone’s east coast roadie.
Day 12:
Drive north to Mission Beach via Townsville. Mission Beach may have you glued, so choose to spend the whole of Day 13 here too.
Day 14:
Drive the short distance to Cairns, park up the van for the last time, check into one of Cairns’ vibrant hostels and soak up the best of the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree National Park or Atherton’s waterfalls.
Are you keen to discover the highlights of Australia’s beautiful east coast? Search our Australia gap year packages.