Yo! Considering taking a road trip through Queensland? Picking up a sexy pair of wheels from our Wicked Campers depot in Brisvegas? Well this road planner is just what you’re looking for.
Capture some of Queensland’s biggest coastal attractions– from the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef to the pristine islands and rainforest national parks. If you’ve picked up one of our 4WD bad boys, then why not drive Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island. Or go check out the manta rays and turtles at Mon Repos, near Bundaberg. They’re so dreamy. Or stay in Rockhampton and visit Great Keppel Island and the Capricorn Caves. If you’re a water baby at heart, then why not snorkel or dive reefs and shipwrecks near Mackay and go sailing in Whitsundays. Walk the white sand of Magnetic Island, near Townsville and further north visit Hinchinbrook, Australia’s largest island national park. Man, I’m already jealous just thinking about these places! The vivid colours, smells and sounds of this bloody gorgeous coastline will stay with you long after your journey ends in Cairns – the gateway to Queensland’s tropical north.
Day 1 – Bris-bong to Fraser Island
Take your sexy beast through Noosa and stop to explore the boutiques, bistros and beachfront apartments of Hastings Street. Take a stroll through the beaches and bush of Noosa National Park, pausing (ever so) slightly at the lookouts on offer.
Back on the road, you’ll pass through the gold rush town of Gympie and Maryborough, Queensland’s oldest provincial city. Watch out for those big blue whale things in Hervey Bay or catch a boat to World Heritage-listed Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island, just north of Rainbow Beach. If you hire a 4WD on the island then you can get the most of the island’s attractions, from beautiful Lake McKenzie to the rainforest near Central Station and the coloured cliffs of the Cathedrals.
Ask our buddies at Johnny Feelgood Travel to help you out with really cheap Fraser Island tours!
Day 2 – Fraser Island to Bundaberg
Head back to the mainland and continue your journey to the city of Bundaberg – it’s famous for its sexy sugar cane and is the gateway to the southern Great Barrier Reef. You can stroll past colonial buildings and cruise down the Burnett River. Roll up a zoot and watch sea turtles nest and hatch on the small beach of Mon Repos.
Then try some snorkeling in the coral reefs and cays of Lady Musgrave Island and Lady Elliot Island, also home to a large population of manta rays. Swim at Elliot Heads, or spot kangaroos in Woodgate Beach – man, these are just some of the rad attractions along Bundaberg’s bloody gorgeous coastline.
Day 3 – Bundaberg to Rockhampton
Take a journey north through Gin Gin and the scenic beachside Town of 1770, named after the year it was discovered by the don Captain Cook. On a detour inland, you can bushwalk the rainforest of Cania Gorge National Park and discover ancient Mystery Craters in Eurimbula National Park. Next stop is the green city of Gladstone, surrounded by rainforest gorges, lakes and beaches stretching to the Great Barrier Reef. Arrive in Rockhampton and take a coral cruise to Great Keppel Island, or try the snorkeling at either Shelving Beach, Monkey Point or Clam Bay.
If all this sounds a bit hectic, then grab your goon sack and have a snooze in the Botanic Gardens. When you’ve worked up an appetite, test out Rockhampton’s reputation as Australia’s beef capital and order a mouth-watering steak.
Day 4 –Rockhampton to Mackay
Head to the Capricorn Caves – it’s a spectacular above-ground caves in a limestone ridge. Heading further north is the charming tropical village of Yeppoon, the gateway to the Capricorn Coast and Byfield National Park. Here you can enjoy a spot of bird watching, take a bushwalk through the rainforest and fish from the beach. Continue north to Mackay, where you can lunch at the marina, do a heritage walk and swim and fish from the city beaches of Lambert, Town, Illawong, Harbour, Bucasia, Blacks and Eimeo. Rad!
Hang out with possums, kangaroos, bush turkeys and echidnas on the beaches of Cape Hillsborough National Park. Do a day trip to the Brampton and Carlisle Islands in the southern Whitsundays. Do some more snorkeling at the Llewellyn shipwreck and pristine coral gardens near the uninhabited Scawfell Island.
Day 5 – Mackay to Townsville
Try heading west to the subtropical oasis of Eungella National Park. Back on the coast you’ll pass through Proserpine and Airlie Beach, both mainland gateways to the Whitsundays. Explore some of the 74 palm-fringed islands (yes, there’s heaps!).
Of course you all know about the Whitsunday Island, definitely one not to be missed. Or head for the white sands of Whitehaven Beach. Then you can continue north through the mango orchards and green sugar cane fields to Townsville. Take a wander down the scenic beach promenade and party through the night baby…heaps of backpackers await your arrival!
Day 6 – Townsville to Cairns
Known as the Great Green Way, this 350 kilometer journey takes you through 12 national parks and over 20 tropical islands. Drive through the museum of Charters Towers, detour to Paluma National Park or explore the Tyoto Wetland. Visit Wallaman Falls, Australia’s highest single drop waterfall.
Explore Hinchinbrook Island, the largest island national park in Australia, or take a stroll along Mission Beach. Check out the Chinese temple and art deco buildings in Innisfail, or if extreme is your thing, try the white water rafting in Tully Gorge National Park. Then go check out the National Park in Eubenangee Swamp, followed by the waterfalls in Wooroonooran. End your trip in Cairns, even more backpackers are awaiting dudes. Trust me, I got stuck in Cairns for about 3 months man…it’s one hell of a party.
