Brisbane campervan hire to Cairns
This Itinerary will take approx 28 - 30 hours drive time.
Recommend minimum 14 days.
From our depot in Newstead heading north from Brisbane gives you a lot of options!!
Before you get out of Brisbane completely if you haven’t already checked out Moreton Island it’s an awesome place to get active and do some activities that perhaps you haven’t tried yet.. Tanga Tours offers a huge discount of up to 75% off for tours starting from 1 day to several. Ph – 07 38915766
A popular stop about 1 hour drive north is the famous Australia Zoo, where you can see where the legendary Steve Irwin made his mark on the world, catch a wildlife show and even get a photo holding a koala!
From the zoo a great spot to relax and enjoy some sun and sand is Noosa as it is only roughly another hour away. The Halse Lodge YHA is our local Space Station (ph – 1800 242567) here and as well as just $10 per person camping you’ll be a very short walk to the beach and have loads of extra free stuff to do! Spoil yourself in one of the boutique stores, chill on the beach or take a walk through the national park to spot koalas in the wild… Noosa is a great place to recharge the batteries.
About 2 ½ hours drive will get you to Rainbow Beach. This great little town is not only the closest access point for Fraser Island, it also has that small town feeling that makes many a traveller stay longer than expected. Our mates at Frasers on Rainbow (ph – 1800 100170) are the people to see as you’ll get a great deal on Fraser Island tag along tours ($80 off per person!!!) as well as a place to stay before and after your adventure. Another must do while in Rainbow Beach is feeding the local dolphins! Ask the crew at Frasers on Rainbow for all the info.
Fraser Island is one of the East Cost’s most popular stops. It’s the world’s largest sand island, so a 4WD is the only way to travel and why you’ll have to leave the trusty spaceship behind! With beautiful scenery, pristine fresh water lakes, rainforest (yep it all grows in sand!) and the curious dingos to name only a few attractions, the island is definitely worth a look and we’d recommend the 3 day trip over a day trip anytime!
The other town that many tours depart from to go to Fraser Island is Hervey Bay. While you can’t feed dolphins here there are many cruises to dolphin or whale (in season) spot.
Roughly 5 hours drive will get you to another little gem on the coast called 1770. The only place named with a number! It’s next door neighbour is Agnes Waters so just follow the signs! This 2 street town is a rare area on the north Queensland coast as you can actually get a bit of surf here, despite the Great Barrier Reef. You’ll also find some great cheap activities here such as kayaking, scooteroo (they’re mini motorbikes which are great fun to cruise around on!) even scenic flights.
3 ½ hours further will take you across the magical line that marks the start of tropical Queensland! The Tropic of Capricorn passes through Rockhampton and this is where we’d suggest to keep an eye out for Emu Park signs. Emu Park is a great stop over to break up the journey and offers some great fishing, swimming and just plain relaxing. Our Space Station is Emu Park Beach Resort (ph – 07 4939 6111) and they offer $5 per person camping and all the best local info as usual!
Next main attraction is the Whitsunday Islands about a 6 hour drive away. A favourite of aussies and travellers alike this group of 74 breathtaking islands on the Great Barrier Reef is always on the list of things to do. We’d recommend taking a boat trip from Airlie Beach to explore the area and the longer the better! With options to snorkel or dive, simply relax on deck or learn a bit about sailing and taking a hike on an uninhabited island it’s easy to see why it’s so popular. Unfortunately we can’t all afford our own yachts, but there are plenty of options to get out on one at a reasonable price. Base Airlie Beach (ph – 07 49482000) is the place to get all the info on which boats will be best for you and they also offer great deals for Spaceship travellers. This place must be seen to be believed!
The next drive takes you through some of the best areas to fruit pick for a few extra dollars, or just to simply enjoy some to eat.. and will get you to Townsville in around 3 ½ hours. The most popular reason for a stop here is Magnetic Island. One of the cheapest places to learn how to scuba dive along the coast, it is also a great place to do some kayaking or hiking to spot koalas. Base Magnetic Island (ph – 1800 242273) have deals packaging accommodation, activities and ferry ride to make your stay a lot of fun, and as a spaceship traveller you’ll get a further discount!
As you get further north you’ll notice the crazier the activities get! Mission Beach is a further 3 hours and home to Bali Hai (ph – 1800 787718), our Spacestation. Here you will get a great deal on a skydive where you can land on the beach as well as a free week of camping! If jumping out of planes isn’t your thing or you just can’t get enough adrenaline the Tully River nearby is one of Australia’s best white water rafting locations! With a great beach and atmosphere to get back to after the craziness, Mission Beach is worth a stop.
A final drive of 2 hours will get you into Cairns, the playground of the north! Activities to choose from include Great Barrier Reef trips, rainforest tours, aboriginal dance shows, jet skiing, parasailing, waterskiing, go kart racing… just to mention a few! And all this is a tropical climate that lets you wear shorts all year round. No wonder it’s a great place to be! Our friends at Gilligans ( ph – 1800 556995) can help you make the most of your time here and with the pool, bar and restaurant all inhouse make a great base for while you are exploring the area.
