East Coast Australia Road Trip

East Coast Road Trip Planner

Australia’s national parks, the Great Barrier Reef, Airlie Beach and the Whitsunday Islands, Byron Bay, the Hunter Valley wineries and most of our major cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Cairns) are concentrated on the east coast of Australia.

So hit the road, that magic grey ribbon, and let it take you to places you’ve never dreamed of. It’s the only way to truly immerse yourself in Australia and feel like you’ve become part of the land through which you travel.

East Coast Australia road trip itineraries

A two or three week east coast itinerary will pack in some amazing experiences and you have quite a few to choose from. But if you want to cover the whole coast from top to bottom, you'll need at least 5 weeks. All itineraries are listed below from 1 week to 6 weeks and more.

1 Week Itineraries

• Cairns to Townsville Drive
  345 km | 4.5 hr drive | 2 days
  2 days for the road trip, plus 2-3 days in Townsville to explore Magnetic Island, Carters Towers and Townsville itself.
  
  
• The Cairns region has a week's worth of exploring including Port Douglas, the Daintree, Great Barrier Reef, Undara Lava Tubes, Atherton Tablelands, the Waterfall Circuit and Wooroonooran National Park.
  
  
• From Sydney spend a 1-2 weeks exploring the Blue Mountains, Wollemi National Park, Hunter Valley wineries, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Bouddi National Park, Royal National Park and Myall Lakes National Park. 

• From Melbourne spend 1-2 weeks exploring Mornington Peninsula, Phillip Island, Wilsons Prom, the Dandenong Ranges and the Grampians. 
  
  
• From Brisbane and the Gold Coast spend 1-2 weeks exploring Byron Bay, Nimbin, Mt Warning, Lamington National Park, Springbrook National Park, Tamborine Mountain and all the theme parks and attractions on the Gold Coast. 
  
  
• Brisbane to Airlie Beach Drive 
  1,552 km | 19 hrs drive | 9 days
  The tropical northern part of the East Coast of Australia. Highlights include Byron Bay, the Whitsundays, Fraser Island, Hervey Bay whale watching. You could pack it into 1 week but 2 weeks is preferred. 
  
  
• Cairns to Airlie Beach Drive 
  348 km | 7 hrs drive | 1 week
  4 days for the road trip plus 3 days to explore the Whitsundays, Great Barrier Reef, Daintree, Port Douglas, Undara Lava Tubes and the Atherton Tablelands. 2 weeks is preferred.

2 Week Itineraries

1. Cairns to Airlie Beach Drive
   348 km | 7 hrs drive  | 2 weeks
   4 days for the road trip plus 10 days to explore the Whitsundays, Great Barrier Reef, Daintree, Port Douglas, Undara Lava Tubes and the Atherton Tablelands. 
   
   
2. Brisbane to Airlie Beach Drive
   1,552 km | 19 hrs drive  | 2 weeks
   8 days for the road trip, plus 6 days to explore the Whitsundays, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. 
   
   
3.  Brisbane to Cairns Drive
   2, 177 km | 26 hrs drive | 2 weeks
   11 days for the road trip, plus 4 days to explore Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Great Barrier Reef, the Whitsundays, Atherton Tablelands, the Daintree and Port Douglas (3 weeks preferred) 
   
   
4. Brisbane to Sydney Drive
   1,310 km | 28 hr drive | 15 days
   15 days for the road trip, no time to explore Sydney, the Gold Coast and Brisbane (3 weeks preferred) 
   
   
5. Sydney to Melbourne Drive (coast)
   1300 km | 22 hrs drive  | 2 weeks
   14 days for the road trip, no time to explore Sydney or Melbourne (3 weeks preferred) 
   
   
6.  Sydney to Melbourne Drive (coast and mountain)
   1,620 km | 26.5 hrs drive | 16 days
   16 days for the road trip, but give yourself additional time to explore Sydney and Melbourne. 

3 Week Itineraries 

1. Sydney to Melbourne Drive (coast)
   1300 km | 22 hrs drive | 3 weeks
   14 days for the road trip along some stunning coast and empty sand beaches, plus 1 week to explore Sydney and Melbourne and their surrounds.
   
   
2. Sydney to Melbourne Drive (coast and mountains) 
   1,620 km | 26.5 hrs drive  | 3 weeks
   16 days for the road trip, plus 5 days to explore Sydney and Melbourne.
   
   
3. Sydney to Brisbane
   1,310 km | 28 hr drive | 3 weeks
   15 days for the road trip plus 6 days to explore Sydney, the Gold Coast and Brisbane. 
   
   
4. Brisbane to Cairns
   2, 177 km | 26 hrs drive | 3 - 4 weeks
   11 days for the road trip, plus 10 days to explore Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Great Barrier Reef, the Whitsundays, Atherton Tablelands, the Daintree and Port Douglas. 

4 - 5 Week Itineraries

1. Melbourne to Brisbane Drive
   2,930 km | 54 hrs drive | 5 weeks
   28 days for the road trip, plus 6 days to explore Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. 
   
   
2. Sydney to Cairns Drive
   3,487 km | 55 hrs drive  | 5 weeks
   26 days for the road trip, plus 10 days to explore Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Whitsunday and Cairns. 
   
   
3. Sydney to Melbourne Drive (coast and mountains)
   1,620 km | 26.5 hrs drive | 4 weeks
   16 days for the road trip, 1 week to explore Sydney and around, and 1 week to explore Melbourne and around.

6 or More Weeks 

1. Melbourne to Cairns Drive
   4,787 km | 55 hrs drive | 6 - 7 weeks
   30 - 40 days for the road trip, plus 10 days to explore Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Whitsunday and Cairns. 
   
   
2. Melbourne to Brisbane Drive
   2,930 km | 54 hrs drive | 6 weeks
   28 days for the road trip, plus 14 days to explore Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. 
   
   
3. Sydney to Cairns Drive
   3,487 km | 55 hrs drive | 6 weeks
   26 days for the road trip, plus 16 days to explore Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Whitsunday and Cairns.