11 Day Cairns & Queensland by Camper

Welcome to Cairns – the gateway for the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. Relax and unwind at the Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort. Relax by the pool, wander the lush tropical gardens, or head out to discover Cairns. You are a short walk to the Esplanade and Cairns Marina.

Spend today at leisure. Why not book a snorkelling trip to the Great Barrier Reef, or take an excursion to Cape Tribulation to explore the Daintree Rainforest. Alternatively you could take the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway up to the rainforest village of Kuranda to explore this quirky town.

Today you will pick up your motor home ready to start your Queensland adventure. You have 9 days to make your way from Cairns to Queensland’s state capital – Brisbane. Travel at your own pace, in the comfort of your own vehicle and choose your own itinerary. Below is a suggested itinerary but you can tailor this to suit your own preferences.

Depart from Cairns and head south towards Mission Beach, a pristine and picturesque beach town less than 2 hours from Cairns. Mission Beach is made up of four coastal villages – Bingil Bay, North Mission, Wongaling Beach and South Mission - linked by 14 glorious kilometres of golden beach. If that’s not enough, it’s nestled between two World Heritage-listed wonders, the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics. 

A few hours further South you will reach Townsville, the jumping off point for the Magnetic Island. Magnetic Island is just a 20 minute ferry ride from Townsville where you will be greeted by palm-fringed beaches, endless sunshine, koalas, hiking trails, snorkelling adventures, and more. If you’d rather stick to dry land Townsville is also home to the Australian Institute of Marine Science which conducts important research into marine environments. You can join a free tour of the Cape Ferguson facility every Friday (March to November).

Make your way to Airlie Beach, the gateway to the Whitsundays. Spend a couple of days here island hopping and soaking up the sunshine. There are a multitude of excursions on offer but you can’t beat a cruise to see the iconic Whitehaven Beach and snorkelling in the pristine turquoise water. If you want to get a whole different perspective of the reef you could even take a scenic flight. If you wanted a night away from your campervan you could even opt to spend a night on Hamilton or Daydream Island. Please ask one of our Travel Experts for more details.

Just a short drive from Airlie Beach, we suggest an overnight stop in the town of Mackay. The historic town is filled with 1920s Art Deco buildings and public artworks, as well as a vibrant dining precinct. See wallabies on the beach at Cape Hillsborough National Park, dive with shy platypus in Eungella National Park or throw a line in at some of the state’s best fishing spots.

There is a bit of a drive ahead today but you will be rewarded when you reach Bundaberg, home to the famous Bundaberg Rum Distillery. No visit to Bundy is complete without a taste test of the twice-voted “best rum in the world”! From Bundaberg it is a short drive to Mon Repos Beach, the place to be to see the annual life cycle of marine turtles. Rangers can take you on a tour to see the turtles lay their eggs (November to January) and baby hatchlings waddle their way out to sea (January to March).

Next up, Noosa. On Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, is the chic coastal town of Noosa surrounded by stunning beaches, lakes, national parks and the lush hinterland of Noosa National Park. Noosa even boasts one of only two everglades in the world, this wetland wilderness rich with flora and fauna is one of Queensland’s best kept secrets just waiting to be explored. From Noosa you can also access Fraser Island, the worlds largest Sand Island

From Noosa it is just a 2 hour drive to Brisbane. It’s here where you must say farewell to your campervan but why not extend your stay and spend a few more days exploring this buzzing riverside capital city.