5 bite-sized coastal road trips in Queensland

Looking for new experiences? Queensland’s famous coastline is the perfect canvas for road trip adventures – and you don’t need loads of time or much in the budget to make new memories on the road. 

Perfect for the school holidays, these five bite-sized coastal road trips in Queensland take just a few days to conquer, and are loaded with plenty of thrills, bucket-list experiences and pinch-me moments along the way.

You can easily extend, take detours or even do all five of them in succession. That’s the beauty of road trips – you can choose your own adventure! Let’s hit the road.

1. Sunshine Coast to Fraser Coast (Great Beach Drive): 380kms

Day one: Coolum to Great Sandy National Park

Before you begin your Great Beach Drive adventure, it'd be amiss not to enjoy a morning at the beach, and Coolum Beach is happy to serve. With a massive stretch of pristine beach to explore along with a bustling culinary scene for refreshments, it's absolutely worth steering your itinerary this way.

From here, make tracks to Noosa, the southern starting point to the Great Beach Drive. Take some time to explore the buzzing coastal town (there’s plenty to do, eat and places to stay in Noosa) then take the vehicle ferry from Tewantin to Noosa Shore. Cruise along the sand to Teewah Beach, the entry point to the UNESCO Great Sandy biosphere, before driving the sand highway north to the adventure-seekers playground, Double Island Point. The Leisha track leads to Rainbow Beach, where a well-earned cold beer with the locals at the Rainbow Beach Surf Life Saving Club awaits. The day will be dependent on tide times, so a little pre-planning is required. The Rainbow Ocean Palms nestled on the edge of the Great Sandy National Park near Carlo Sandblow makes for a perfect stay.

Day two: Great Sandy National Park to K'gari

Take a 15-minute drive to Inskip Point and roll onto the Manta Ray Barge that’ll take you to the land of the Butchulla people, K’gari. The world’s largest sand island is best explored by 4WD, so make tracks along 75 Mile Beach, stopping at landmarks like the Maheno Shipwreck, Eli Creek and Lake Wabby before pulling in for the night – rest your head at K’gari Beach Resort or choose an island camping spot.

Day three: K'gari to Hervey Bay

The Great Beach Drive then takes K’gari’s inland track west towards Kingfisher Bay, and (after a little more island time) from there it’s all aboard the Fraser Island Barge to River Heads and onto the seaside town of Hervey Bay. After a big few days behind the wheel, hit reset and spend a few days getting to know the quiet and charming Hervey Bay and Fraser Coast.

2. Bundaberg to Yeppoon: 330 kms

Traversing alongside the sapphire waters of the Southern Great Barrier Reef, this coastal road trip discovers plenty of secret beaches and laid-back towns, inviting you to go slow, unwind and soak it all up. Traversing alongside the sapphire waters of the Southern Great Barrier Reef, this coastal road trip discovers plenty of secret beaches and laid-back towns, inviting you to go slow, unwind and soak it all up. 

Day one : Bundaberg to Agnes Water and 1770

Before you make tracks to the Capricorn region, you’ll want to spend some time exploring Bundaberg – the official gateway to the Southern Great Barrier Reef. Its waters are teeming with resident turtles, while on land, rich volcanic soil creates an exceptional produce bowl – including sugar cane to craft its world-famous namesake rum.

A scenic 1hr 30min (122kms) drive north from Bundaberg (option for fans of fishing: throw in a line at Baffles Creek and Rules Beach on the way) will land you in the serene coastal communities of Agnes Water and Town of 1770, a laid-back haven for water-bound adventure, and a place where time slows down. The Agnes Water Beach Club is ideally positioned for an overnight stay, with a tasty pub meal at the Agnes Water Tavern just a short stroll away. Park the car and jump in the driver’s seat of a ‘doughnut’ boat from Cruising Around 1770 (fun fact: no boat licence is required), take a dip in Agnes Water Beach or venture around with LARC! Tours aboard its famous pink-hued amphibious 4WD to check out the must-see spots. 

Day two : Agnes Water to Yeppoon

Time to make tracks – but first, a snack. Pull into the Big Crab before you jump onto the Bruce Highway at Miriam Vale for an iconic mud-crab sandwich – the quintessential Queensland road-trip snack. That’ll get you through to the 100-kilometre drive north of Agnes Water for a pit stop at Tannum Sands, a stunning stretch of Gladstone’s southern coastline that’s linked by a bridge to the picturesque Boyne Island.

From there, it’s a quick 25 minute drive to Gladstone, a jewel in the crown of the Southern Great Barrier Reef. Swimming, diving, fishing, island-hopping, hiking – there’s plenty to do here. There are ample places to stay if you’re keen to stick around, otherwise grab lunch at Gladstone’s waterfront microbrewery, Auckland House, before hitting the road again.

The final stretch will take a little under two hours (around 150kms), veering inland so you can check out Queensland’s beef capital Rockhampton before cruising into Yeppoon. You’ve arrived in the beating heart of the Capricorn, launchpad to the spectacular Great Keppel Island the surrounding Southern Great Barrier Reef.

This small coastal town is a treasure trove of adventure, and is well worthy of more of your time. You could even add an Outback adventure via the four-day Capricorn Way road trip.

3. Whitsundays to Townsville: 270 kms

While you can tackle it in a day, this remarkable stretch of coastline is dotted with undiscovered gems, secluded beaches and jaw-dropping scenery, all jostling for your attention.

Day one: Airlie Beach to Bowen

The adventure starts in Airlie Beach, the access point to rainbow reefs and The Whitsundays 74 tropical islands. Keen to explore the Whitsundays before hitting the road? Here’s 30 things to do to fill your days.

Before heading north along the Bruce Highway, make like a local and follow the Airlie Beach to Cape Gloucester drive – a worthwhile detour (55-km round trip) that’ll takes you out to the secluded coves and sandy enclaves of the picturesque Hydeaway Bay and Dingo Beach.

From there, it’s an easy drive one hour (75km) drive to Bowen, where a ten-metre-high Big Mango will greet you as you drive into town. Strap on the snorkels to explore the majestic Horseshoe Bay or SUP the sparkling waters of Grays Bay. Lace up for the 2.5-km Cape Edgecumbe walking trail and reward your efforts at Birds Fish Bar overlooking the Bowen Marina. You can sleep just metres from the beach in the NRMA Bowen Beachfront Holiday Park.

Day two: Bowen to Townsville

Line up a great playlist and hit the road early – you’ve got 200kms to cover, a little under 2 hours and 30 minutes of driving. Stop half way in Ayr, one of the largest sugar cane and mango farming areas in Australia, and hang a right towards the undisturbed sandy shores of Alva. Keen fishos will find plenty biting in the mangrove-line estuaries and the calm Lynch’s Beach.

From there, it’s a relaxing one-hour drive before you arrive in Townsville where a bustling modern metropolis meets both the wondrous Great Barrier Reef and dense World Heritage-listed national parks. Why not stay a while? The magical Magnetic Island lies just a short 20-minute ferry ride from Townsville’s coast – a pocket of paradise where you’ve got 23 golden beaches to choose from.

4. Townsville to Cairns: 345 kms

This self-drive route is perfect to families, with plenty of thrills along the way – from the sapphire waters of the Great Barrier Reef to untouched ancient rainforests and thunderous waterfalls. 

Day one : Townsville to Mission Beach 

Get your bearings at the 360-degree lookout at Castle Hill before hitting the road to Mission Beach. Great coffee awaits after 100 kms in the town of Ingham, Queensland’s own Little Italy, but if you’re thirsty for adventure, detour for a morning dip at Little Crystal Creek. Or, if you’ve got some time, venture in,and to Wallaman Falls, Australia’s tallest single-drop waterfall. 

A quick stop at Hinchinbrook Lookout rewards you with views across to the untouched and uninhabited Hinchinbrook Island and its famed Thorsborne Trail. Then, keep driving to hit Cardwell, the action-packed southern end of Tropical North Queensland’s Cassowary Coast. Take respite from the tropical heat in the luminous blue Cardwell Spa Pools and the nearby Attie Creek Falls, then head to the foreshore for a roadside lunch from local icon Jesse’s Cardwell Pies. 

A further 50kms (keeping your eyes peeled for cassowaries) and you’ll arrive in the palm-fringed coastal village of Mission Beach. Kick off the shoes and overnight at Castaways Resort and Spa, or stay a little longer to explore the best of Mission Beach and the neighbouring Tully.

Day two: Mission Beach to Cairns

Pack the snacks and go slightly off-piste today. A visit to Paranella Park, an enchanting, fairy-tale-like rainforest wonderland neighbouring Mena Creek Falls, is a must-do when enroute to Cairns. 

Make a pitstop for an afternoon dip amongst the gorgeous granite gibbers at Babinda Boulders before a final stretch north for a warm welcome from the thriving tropical city of Cairns. Starring two remarkable World Heritage wonders, the Great Barrier Reef and the Jurrassic-era Wet Tropics Rainforest, Cairns boasts a catalogue of experiences that’ll stir  your soul and make your jaw drop. So, go head and overstay your welcome.

5. Cairns to Cape Tribulation (Great Barrier Reef Drive): 140 kms

Dubbed the Queensland equivalent of the Great Ocean Road, the Great Barrier Reef Drive weaves through rainforests, gorges and spectacular coastline, with picturesque pitstops aplenty along the way.

Day one: Cairns to Port Douglas

First up, a coffee stop. Take your pick from the many espresso-slingers that front the palm-tree-lined foreshore of Palm Cove, just 30 minutes out of Cairns. Dip your toes in a little further around the headland at Ellis Beach, one of many stunning tropical beaches that you’ll stumble across in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef. Grab lunch overlooking the golden sands at the Ellis Beach Bar & Grill before cruising the Captain Cook Highway to Port Douglas, catching glimpses of the famed reef as you go.

You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to accommodation in Port Douglas, and with so much to see and do, you may want more than one night. 

Day two: Port Douglas to Cape Tribulation 

Set your sights inland to the mesmerising Mossman Gorge within the World-Heritage listed Daintree Rainforest, a 20-minute drive from Port Douglas. 

From the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre, be taken on a moving journey through 50,000 years on the guided Dreamtime Walk tour, connecting with the culture of the Kuku Yalanji people, the custodians of the region.

The Daintree car ferry will take you across the Daintree River, before you can continue along the coast to Cape Tribulation, within the world’s oldest surviving rainforest. Stop in a the Daintree Discover Centre at Cow Bay, and stay where the rainforest spectacularly meets the reef at the Noah Creek Eco Huts or the Cape Trib Beach House – just some of the many  Though, if it’s absolute beachfront you’re after, camp steps from the sand at Cape Trib Camping.

Want to explore for longer? Check out these 7-day road trips along Queensland's coast.