East Coast Drive - Brisbane to Cairns

The best of Queensland in a 1200 mile coastal adventure beside the Great Barrier Reef from Brisbane to Cairns.

BRISBANE TO CAIRNS SELF DRIVE

DAY 1
BRISBANE – NOOSA (145 kms)

Pick up your HERTZ MEDIUM SEDAN (C car) rental car at the Brisbane City Depot (or Brisbane Airport at additional cost) and commence your drive to Noosa via the Bruce Highway for your overnight stay at the Breakfree Ocean Breeze Resort on Hastings Street.

NOOSA HEADS has a cosmopolitan atmosphere, coupled with the natural beauty of the area. The headland is a National Park and there are several walks meandering through it to the various attractions of Boiling Pot, Hell's Gates and Paradise Cave, to name a few. Noosa's boutiques and restaurants are first class, and there is no shortage of entertainment.


DAY 2
NOOSA – HERVEY BAY (187 kms)

Departing Noosa today travel to Cooroy where you turn right onto the Bruce Highway to Gympie. Continue through Gympie to Maryborough where you leave the highway and head to Hervey Bay and your accommodation at the Mantra Hervey Bay.

GYMPIE is the main entrance into the delights of Cooloola Beach, Great Sandy National Park and the glories of Fraser Island. At the Deep Creek Gold Fossicking Park you can explore an old goldmining site and pick, shovel or pan for gold.

MARYBOROUGH is one of Queensland’s oldest cities and was first settled in 1843. Many European immigrants arrived in the town during the second half of the nineteenth century. The splendid old houses have given Maryborough it’s reputation as one of the most beautiful historic towns in Queensland. This can be appreciated by following the Heritage Walk, which takes in 28 historic buildings in the central business district.

HERVEY BAY is full of history, beauty and attractions centred around sheltered waters and some 14 kilometres of golden beaches. Hervey Bay offers a colourful concentration of lifestyles and its waters are home to turtles, dolphins and dugongs. It is the whale watching capital of the world and the gateway to Fraser Island.

FRASER ISLAND is a unique part of the Fraser Coast region, and its unusual formation of sand and rainforest make it a special source of adventure for visitors to explore. Although well known amongst fishermen and 4WD enthusiasts, it is the history and Aboriginal culture that gives Fraser Island its individual character, expressed through wonderful coloured sand cliffs, unique fresh water lakes and diverse flora and wildlife.


DAY 3
HERVEY BAY

Full day at your leisure in Hervey Bay to explore the area or alternatively you may wish to take a full day tour to Fraser Island.

Optional Tour: Join Fraser Exclusive Tours on a “Day of Discovery” as you explore World Heritage Listed Fraser Island in comfort. Small numbers ensure personalised service and plenty of interaction with the natural environment and attractions of the Island. Each guest is provided with binoculars providing a closer look at the abundant birdlife, flora and fauna this Island sustains.
Your day starts with courtesy pick-up from your accommodation in Hervey Bay before boarding the “Fraser Dawn” for a 45 minute cruise across the Great Sandy Straits. Spot the diverse marine life on your journey across to Moon Point whilst listening to commentary from your guide.

Swim in the pristine freshwaters of Lake Allom and Eli Creek. Visit the Maheno Shipwreck, rainforests and the Coloured Sands. The Exclusive Tour is unique by being the only day tour that visits Lake Allom, home to freshwater turtles which surface regularly. You also have the chance to spot goannas and dingoes on your day out. Enjoy a delicious morning tea at Fraser Island Wilderness Retreat and sumptuous lunch at Frasers At Cathedral Beach. Relax in beautiful surrounds while your driver prepares grilled BBQ fresh fish or prime cut steaks with a selection of fresh salads and drinks.
Return to Hervey Bay at approximately 5.30pm.

DAY 4
HERVEY BAY - ROCKHAMPTON (393 kms)

Depart Hervey Bay and travel to Torbanlea where you turn right onto the Bruce Highway. Continue through the towns of Childers, Gin Gin, Miriam Vale and Calliope to Rockhampton where you overnight at the Travelodge Rockhamtpon.

CHILDERS is a sugar town as well as a National Trust town. Even though a 1902 fire destroyed much of the town, many impressive Victorian buildings remain and are listed by the National Trust. A visit to the Pharmaceutical Museum containing the original cedar fixtures, a 1906 cash register and leather-bound prescription books is a must. At the Isis Sugar Mill you can see raw cane turned into familiar white sugar crystals.

GIN GIN is a pretty town, situated on the Bruce Highway. Attractions in town include the Historical Museum, the Currajong Gardens and the Moonara Craft Spinning Inn. East of Gin Gin on the Bundaberg road are the Mystery Craters. These strange sandstone formations were probably made by meteors.

ROCKHAMPTON is the heart of the beef cattle country. Cammoo Caves, approximately 23km north of Rockhampton, are two cave systems, which are open to the public. Cave coral, fossils and gigantic tree roots can be inspected in these dry, limestone caves. A short distance away on the coast is Yeppoon the stepping-off place for visits to Great Keppel Island. Byfield State Forest just north of Yeppoon is a pleasant, secluded spot in a rainforest environment; at Cooberrie Park Flora and Fauna Centre visitors can cuddle a koala or feed a kangaroo; and Koorana Crocodile Farm offers something different. Mount Morgan is a historic township approximately 40km south of Rockhampton. Here you can tour through a 100-year-old mining town.


DAY 5
ROCKHAMPTON - MACKAY (330 kms)

Depart Rockhampton via the towns of Marlborough and Sarina to Mackay where you overnight at the Comfort Resort Blue Pacific.

EUNGELLA NATIONAL PARK is situated 84km west of Mackay and is one of Queensland’s most spectacular parks, with cloud shrouded peaks, deep gorges and lush rainforest. Most of the park is inaccessible but the southern section, adjacent to the access road, is popular with campers and day visitors. The park can provide a special treat for visitors lucky enough to see one of the resident platypus in the creek by the camping area. The park has graded tracks leading through rainforest to waterfalls and natural swimming pools.

MACKAY is surrounded by miles of sugarcane fields, which give the city its title of Sugar Capital of Australia. During the crushing season (July to November) Farleigh Mill, a working sugar mill, and Polstone Sugar Cane Farm offer tours. Mackay’s heritage walk takes in the Police Station, the Court House and Commonwealth Bank, buildings that are all over 100 years old and listed with the National Trust.


DAY 6
MACKAY - AIRLIE BEACH (150 kms)

Depart Mackay via the Bruce Highway to Proserpine where you depart the highway and head towards Airlie Beach and your overnight accommodation at the Mango House Resort.

PROSERPINE is a productive valley which was named after Proserpina, the Roman goddess of fertility, and supports a prosperous sugar industry. There is a pleasant hike to Cedar Creek in the rainforest-clad hills behind the town.

AIRLIE BEACH is a popular holiday resort, and Gateway to the Whitsunday Passage - home of hundreds of Barrier Reef Islands. The tropical island resorts of Hayman, Hamilton, Daydream and South Molle, to name a few of the 74 islands that are just off the coast of Whitsunday and which lie inside the Great Barrier Reef, are only some of the attractions of the area. Sunshine, blue water and sandy beaches are the theme of the Whitsundays.


DAY 7
AIRLIE BEACH

Full day at leisure in Airlie Beach to explore the area or alternatively you may wish to take a full day tour of the Whitsunday Islands

Optional Cruise: Whitehaven Beach and Island Resort
The only way to truly experience two of the Whitsundays best icons is in style and comfort aboard a large, high-speed and air-conditioned Fantasea Cruises’ catamaran. Hamilton Island is the largest island resort in the South Pacific, and boasts an exciting mix of things to see and do. Seven pools, galleries, bars, a number of restaurants, walking trails, and a koala and wildlife gallery are just a few of its features. Picturesque Whitehaven Beach is one of the Whitsundays premier natural attractions - seven kilometres (five miles) of glistening white silica sand complemented by crystal clear waters. Located on Whitsunday Island, Whitehaven Beach is fully protected and uninhabited due to its National and Marine Park status. Its shallows are graced by various species of turtles, and these ancient creatures are often sighted during daily visits. Take a leisurely walk along the pristine beach, join in the beach games or just relax and soak up the sunshine – the choice is yours!


DAY 8
AIRLIE BEACH - TOWNSVILLE (300 kms)

Depart Airlie Beach travelling back to Proserpine where you rejoin the Bruce Highway and travel through the towns of Bower and Ayr to reach Townsville where you overnight at the Mercure Inn Townsville.

TOWNSVILLE is the second largest city in Queensland and main commercial centre of Northern Queensland. Castle Hill offers a panoramic view of Townsville. Great Barrier Reef Wonderland is one of the most popular attractions in Townsville and is well worth a visit with its walk-through underwater tunnel, giving a great all-round view of the coral and the fish.


DAY 9
TOWNSVILLE - CAIRNS (335 kms)

Depart Townsville today via the Bruce Highway and head towards Cairns via the towns of Ingham, Mission Beach and Innisfail. Drop off your rental car at the depot in Cairns City or Cairns Airport. This drive is approximately 335km via the Bruce Highway.

INGHAM – The climate and soil were perfectly suited to the introduction of sugarcane back in the early 1870’s and Ingham continues to prosper from its sugar production. The region has a strong Italian and Spanish Basque background. The Wallaman Falls National Park with its 300 metre falls, bushwalks and spectacular rainforest and swimming and picnic spots is well worth a visit.

MISSION BEACH has fourteen kilometres of coastline and wide white sandy beaches met by rainforest. From Clump Point you can take a day trip to Dunk Island, just 4 km away.

INNISFAIL – The character of the district was established with the influx of migrants, mainly Italian, after World War I. The town and the area have retained that very cosmopolitan mix ever since. In the 1950’s Dr Alan Maruff started growing tea commercially at Nerada, west of Innisfail, and over the years the production of tea from the Nerada Plantation has continued to rise. Tours of the plantation are conducted regularly. At Mena Creek, south of Innisfail are the ruins of Paronella Park, a Spanish-style castle built by a migrant named Jose Paronella. There are also walks through rainforest and stands of bamboo and kauri pine to Mena Creek and Teresa Falls. Mt. Bartle Frere, north of the town, is the highest mountain in Queensland.

An interesting stop is at the Johnstone River Crocodile Farm, which is situated at the town of Innisfail. To take in this point of interest you will need to turn left off the main road at Innisfail and travel approximately 3 kilometres heading for Flying Fish Point. Before you arrive at Flying Fish Point you will travel down Flying Fish Point Road and this will lead you to the crocodile farm. There are over 1500 crocodiles on display at the farm ranging in size from 30 centimetres to a huge 5 metre monster called Gregory who weighs 1200 kilograms. They have guided tours of the farm where you can learn how the crocodiles breed and survive. There are also Freshwater crocodiles, kangaroos, wallabies, peacocks, emus & two Cassowary birds making this crocodile farm a worthwhile stop.


9 day self drive tour - from £609

Optional full day Fraser Island experience inc. lunch - from £95
Optional full day Whitsunday Islands cruise inc. lunch - from £79
Stay on Fraser Island instead of Hervey Bay - from £79

Accommodation specified is subject to availability and may be substituted to a similar or higher standard if necessary.