Brisbane to Cairns road trip itineraries

Day 1

• Distance: 950km
• Drive time: 11 hours

Brisbane to Mackay

• Start early and drive along the Bruce Highway A1.
• Make a breakfast stop at the Sunshine Coast for views, or at the historic town of Gympie.
• Keep driving north and have lunch in Rockhampton or Gladstone.
• Call it a night in Mackay at the Rydges Mackay Suites.

Day 2

• Distance: 735km
• Drive time: 8 hours, 15 minutes

Mackay to Cairns

• Head north, stopping at Airlie Beach for brekky, with a view of the Whitsundays.
• Continue along the A1 to Townsville, where you can drive up Castle Hill to lookout points over the city and Magnetic Island.
• Stay in Townsville for lunch, or drop in at any number of the small towns along the way, such as Ingham or Mission Beach, for a feed.
• Complete your drive to Cairns.

Day 1

• Distance: 477km
• Drive time: 5.5 hours

Brisbane to Agnes Water

• Drive along the Bruce Highway A1, taking a break at the Sunshine Coast for breakfast or lunch on the beach. Or, if you're more active, drive to Noosa Springs National Park for a short hike or to check out its viewpoints.
• Continue driving north to Agnes Water and the Town of 1770. If the sun is still high, tour the water by kayak or boat.
• Spend the night in Agnes Water at Agnes Water Beach Holidays or on the Coral Coast at The Point.

Day 2

• Distance: 706km
• Drive time: 8 hours

Agnes Water to Airlie Beach

• Continue driving along the Bruce Highway and stop in Yeppoon for a feast of fresh seafood. Get in early enough and you can also add a quick snorkel, hike or surf to your day.
• Continue along the A1 to Airlie Beach, with a rest in Serina or Mackay when you need to.
• Finish the day at Airlie Beach and check out its buzzing promenade.
• Stay at Colonial Palms Motor Inn.

Day 3

• Distance: 622km
• Drive time: 7 hours, 11 minutes

Airlie Beach to Cairns

• Hoping to pop by the Whitsundays? From Airlie Beach, you catch an early ferry to Daydream Island or Hamilton Island to explore. The earliest ferry is at 7:55am and takes around 1 hour to Daydream Island and 1.5 hours to Hamilton Island.
• When back in Airlie Beach, drive up to Cairns. Good stopping points include Ayr, Townsville and Tully.

Day 1

• Distance: 140km
• Drive time: 2 hours

Brisbane to Noosa

• Depart from Brisbane and make your way to Australia Zoo on the way to Noosa Heads.
• Arrive in Noosa by midday to spend the afternoon exploring Noosa National Park and Main Beach, either surfing or relaxing.
• Stay in Noosa overnight at Seahaven Noosa Resort.

Day 2

• Distance: 0km
• Drive time: 0 hours

Noosa to Fraser Island

• Take a day trip to Fraser Island from Noosa.
• If you have a car that can handle the driving conditions on Fraser Island, stop by sites such as Lake McKenzie, Maheno Shipwreck and Eli Creek.
• Spend a second night in Noosa, or at Orchid Beach Retreat if you're staying on Fraser Island.

Day 3

• Distance: 377km
• Drive time: 4 hours, 20 minutes

Fraser Island to Agnes Water

• Make the drive from Noosa or Rainbow Beach to Agnes Water for a half-day in the small town.
• Spend time on the beach, take a Larc Cruise and watch the sunset from Bustard Bay Lookout.
• Spend the night in Agnes Water at Agnes Water Beach Holidays.

Day 4

• Distance: 706km
• Drive time: 7 hours, 45 minutes

Agnes Water to Airlie Beach

• Get going early for the long drive to Airlie Beach.
• In the evening, check out the Lagoon and explore the town for dinner.
• Spend two nights in Airlie Beach at Sea Star Apartments.

Day 5

• Distance: 0km
• Drive time: 0 hours

Airlie Beach to Whitsunday Islands

• Take a a full-day sailing trip to Whitehaven Beach.
• Alternatively, take a Whitsunday Islands scenic flight and do a half-day Whitehaven Beach tour.

Day 6

• Distance: 690km
• Drive time: 8 hours, 25 minutes

Airlie Beach to Cairns via Atherton Tablelands

• On your way to Cairns, make a slight detour to the Atherton Tablelands for stops at Ellinjaa and Millaa Millaa Waterfalls and the Curtain Fig Tree.
• Continue on to Cairns.

Day 7

• Distance: 0km
• Drive time: 0 hours

Cairns

• Spend the day in Cairns exploring the Great Barrier Reef on a full or half-day snorkelling/diving tour.
• If you're only doing a half-day on the Great Barrier Reef, try the bungee jump and Minjin Jungle Swing in the afternoon.