Exploring Australia: Road Trip from Gold Coast to Cairns
Australia is the ideal country for beachside escapes. The country’s coastline is just one beautiful beach after another - some offering pristine blue waters, others providing a gorgeous sunset view.
As a beach lover, Australia calls out to me time and again; I never fail to be impressed by this lovely country. This time I went back to explore the state of Queensland via a road trip which started from Gold Coast and ended in Cairns 5 days later.
Here’s the itinerary:
Day 1: Gold Coast
What to do?
Visit: Rainbow Bay, Mermaid Beach, Main Beach
Shopping: Harbour Town Outlet Shopping Centre
Where to eat?
Betty’s Burgers, Pancakes on the Rocks, Hurricane Grill & Bar, Paradox Coffee Roasters
Where to stay?
Most hotels along Surfers Paradise offer panoramic views of the city skyline as well as the Pacific Ocean. It’s also the most happening area in terms of finding nightlife and dining options.
Day 2: Sunshine Coast & Hervey Bay
What to do?
Visit: Noosa National Park Fairy Pools, and Urangan Pier at Hervey Bay
Where to eat?
Coast Restaurant & Bar, Eat at Dan & Steph’s
Where to stay?
Day 3: Bundaberg & Seventeen Seventy, Agnes Waters
What to do?
Visit: Bundaberg Rum Distillery
Must-do: Catch the sunset at Bustard Bay Lookout
Where to stay and eat?
Day 4: Mackay & Airlie Beach, Whitsundays
What to do?
Must-do: Jet Skiing
It’s an 8-hour drive to Airlie Beach from Seventeen Seventy. Look out for the sugarcane fields in Mackay on the way.
Where to eat?
La Marina Italian Restaurant & Bar
Where to stay?
Day 5: Cairns
What to do?
Must-do: Bar Crawl with the folks at PartyinCairns which brings you to some of the bars in Cairns including live entertainment place The Jack, Irish pub P.J. O’Briens, The Woolshed, and R&B club Republic.
Visit The Pier Bar where you can chill with some cocktails, play pool and dance the night away.
Where to eat?
Fasta Pasta for authentic Italian fare, Iyara By Sakare for traditional Thai cuisine
Where to stay?
Shangri-La Hotel, The Marina, Cairns
Day 6: Fitzroy Island
What to do?
Take a ferry from Cairns for a day trip to Fitzroy Island where you can snorkel, snuba, scuba dive, kayak or just laze by the beach. It’s a great island to view the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef. There’s also an Ocean Trampoline; never knew such a thing existed until I saw it here.
Must-do: Nudey Beach at Fitzroy Island was voted Australia’s number one beach. The waters are a beautiful colour of aquamarine and you can see lots of corals and fishes.
Remember to bring with you sunblock, a towel and shades or a hat. There is food on the island for purchase.
Day 7: Port Douglas
What to do?
Just an hour’s drive from Cairns, Port Douglas is a charming small town. Head to Mossman Gorge where you can do a 90-miunte trek and swim at the foot of the waterfall.
Catch the sunset from The Tin Shed.
Photo point: Rex Lookout
Where to eat?
Macrossan Street is lined with cafes, bars and restaurants.
