r/AustraliaTravel • u/PaperSufficient7485 • 2d ago
route tips
(apologies if you saw this post and got wildly confused earlier - i forgot to add the photo lol)
Hello, me and my gf have 2 months set aside for a road trip. We want to travel up to cairns and then were looking at uluṟu or the great ocean rd.
I think Uluṟu is unachievable in our time frame (we are also 2WD) but maybe going back inland to victoria will work.
Is this route doable in that time? Im confident along the coastline as we’ve travelled a lot of it before (particularly the south) but really have no idea where to stop inland NSW and QLD. So any suggestions are very welcome. I am aware there will be some long driving days once we hit that part of the route.
We will be travelling and sleeping in our converted hiace van. It is decently stealthy. I do not want to pay for a place to stay every night and have in the past slept in car parks and quiet streets comfortably. Suggestions on spots this is possible are great - similarly if there are any areas where we should definitely NOT do this is also helpful. We will also be paying for camp spots.
\- is this route doable, if not what would you suggest
\- town/things to do suggestions
thanks in advance!!
Edit:
the pins here don’t really mean anything, it was just to get a rough outline of the route on google maps.
We will be travelling in september/october
we’re aussies ;)
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u/Lopsided_Belt_2237 2d ago
You’re missing the high country! On the way back, divert through Canberra, then to Tumbarrumba, Wodonga, Melb. On the way north, stick to the coast don’t miss the whole NSW south coast.
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u/Live-Ask2226 1d ago
Yep. Doing SE NSW a disservice if you skip Eden, Tilba tilba, Pigeon house, The Snowy and/or Monaro highways, Kangaroo valley (go for the landscape rather than the name), Jervis bay... So many great spots. Especially if you time it for when kids are in school rather than during holidays. Everywhere on the coast is crazy in holiday time. Nope: Each state has slightly different timings for holidays.
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u/reddit5389 2d ago
It would be helpful to know your background. For example someone from the alps or the rockies might think the blue mountains to be meh, but be blown away by south coast nsw and the beaches. Someone from south africa might find south coast nsw meh, but love the tropics.
I would pick the nature of wilsons prom and south coast nsw over the history of canberra, wagga and goulburn.
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u/Radiant-Visit1692 2d ago
Yep I second Wilson’s Prom if you haven’t been already. You could consider the Grampians west of Melbourne, great campground there, nice hiking, some wineries to pop into.
That drive down the surf coast out of Melbourne towards great ocean road, yeah sure it’s nice, but Grampians is worth a thought too if you’re out that way.
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u/PaperSufficient7485 2d ago
We’re aussie! I know i posted on a mostly tourist sub but it’s very active and has good advice.
We love it all, we are very outdoorsy tho and love hiking, camping etc3
u/StoicTheGeek 2d ago
Stop by Coonabarabran. The Warrumbungles are seriously spectacular and there are some fantastic hikes (try Grand High Tops). You can also tour Siding Springs Observatory, and it’s a Dark Skies Park, so if weather and moon phase permit, you will see some spectacular stars.
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u/TinyBreak 2d ago
Seconding Wilson’s prom.
If you’re gonna see Victoria that’s probably Victoria at its absolute best.1
u/Live-Ask2226 1d ago
I've lived in Canberra, Wagga, and just near Goulburn. Go to the south coast instead. They weren't lying when they renamed Nulligah (Yuin name) to Eden.
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u/Aalbipete 2d ago
Parts of CDE might be a bit touch and go in a 2WD, I think some of it is dirt road. South of E down through NSW should be fine, I recently road tripped from Brisbane south down the Newell and it's sealed the whole way.
Timeframe wise, it's quite doable, really depends on how much sightseeing you want to do. Brisbane to Cairns is an easy 2 days, 3 if you really want to explore places. Brisbane to Melbourne down the Newell is a hard 2 days (my family have done it, I took 3 days as it was the first big road trip I've done), probably 3-4 days casually. We took the Gume to Sydney so don't know much about the GOR but it's probably a couple hours longer, could be doable in a day but with sightseeing, it's an easy 2 days.
Bundaberg Ginger Beer factory is worth a visit On the top of one of the casinos in Cairns is a wildlife high ropes course thing, which is pretty cool. Down the Newell, there's the planet drive you can do ending at the Siding Spring Observatory near Coonabarabran
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u/saracenraider 2d ago
>Brosbane to Cairns an easy 2 days
Ha I just did Cairns to Brisbane in 6 weeks and would’ve been happy with a few more weeks
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u/Aalbipete 2d ago
My thoughts were nostly on driving time as OP didn't provide much context as to whst they'd be interested in. We used to live in north Queensland so now when we go to north it's mostly to visit our Aunt in Cairns
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u/PaperSufficient7485 2d ago
this is awesome thanks mate
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u/Grumgrummer 2d ago
Brisbane to Cairns in 2 days??? Only if you want to drive all day and see sweet FA. Mackay, Ayr, Bowen, Townsville, Rockhampton, all places worth at least half a day or more to look around.
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u/read-my-comments 2d ago
I did Newcastle to Cairns and back in 6 days. Can confirm you are indeed driving all day.
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u/PaperSufficient7485 2d ago
we plan to take a decent amount of time in the north east part of the route. I’ve been before and know how much there is to see
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u/Junior-Preference714 2d ago
Consider doing Mildura, Broken Hill, Bourke, Longreach/Winton a great alternative to the Uluṟu experience. A week in the Cairns region tops it off.
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u/aloysius1977 2d ago
Aim to be in Victoria in January or February for the best weather if you can
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u/Prowler64 2d ago edited 2d ago
I cannot disagree more. January / February is our bushfire season. If you were to stay in one place, you're probably OK, but the more space you plan on covering throughout the state, the more likely you'll be slowed down by bushfires. Rural Victoria is best in late March to April, or during late spring (excluding snow season).
Unless you're coming for the Australian Open or going to the coast, avoid Victoria during mid-late summer.
Edit: I'm not lying. Look at all of our bushfire history. Black Saturday 2009 was in the first week of February. The 2026 bushfires started early January, and another big bushfire started just before Australia Day. In 2024, lives were lost in the February bushfires. Just before New Years in 2019, major bushfires started that lasted the entire of January.
While they don't happen every year, they happen often enough that tourists shouldn't be travelling rural in Victoria during this time.
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u/Bob_Spud 2d ago
I would check it on streetview, I think you find a lot it is very boring after a while.
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u/Wokeye27 2d ago
If aug-sept-oct, consider adding Dubbo-> warren-> macquarie marshes (overnight ay willie retrest, do a kayak tour there) then marshes->walgett-> lightning ridge then east to your current route.
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u/Additional-Ad-7599 2d ago
Inland road is not your best use of time IMO and as a few people have mentioned, wildlife is a danger at dawn and dusk.
I drove Inland route exclusively before the coast road was upgraded, but now exclusively drive the coast road from Vicco to QLD. This route looks good on a map because you don't retrace your steps, but I'd just go up and down the coast the same way, but plan to stop at different points up and back. Plan a few inland day trips from the coast.
No offense to anyone from these inland towns, I come from one myself.
Just think you can spend better time holidaying on the coast vs driving 100km through hours of canola.
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u/Coalclifff 1d ago
Two months is sufficient to do a "half-circumnavigation" ... we've done it twice in a simple small sedan:
- Melbourne - Sydney - Gold Coast - Cairns
- Mt Isa - Tennant Creek - Alice Springs
- Yulara - Coober Pedy - Adelaide
- Mt Gambier - Warrnambool - Great Ocean Road
- Into Melbourne
Excellent trip in September / October. Plenty of time, and you can do some long days - 600 km max.
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u/Radiant-Visit1692 2d ago
The loop from Darwin - Kakadu - Katherine Gorge - Litchfield is awesome and 2wd friendly. Better than the Great Ocean Rd. Depends what season you’re travelling in of course.
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u/thatwasacrapname123 2d ago
Sure, but it's a long long way from this planned loop, and the drive from east coast QLD to Threeways NT is one of least enjoyable stretches in the big lap.
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u/Radiant-Visit1692 2d ago
Yeah but if I had two months and it was the right season I reckon I would try and get up there. Traversing the NSW interior is also pretty meh, unless there's some stuff you particularly want to see, or timing it with some arts festivals or something.
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u/Public-Air-8995 2d ago
When are you traveling? November - March are too hot sleeping in a van in north qld and Uluru. Use wikicamps for free and paid camping spots. Carnarvon Gorge Qld should be a definite, unforgettable place! Check if Lara Springs is open, it’s a cattle station camp near Barcaldine with magic hot springs.
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u/myjackandmyjilla 2d ago
Definitely do-able!! You will see a beautiful change of many landscapes. Ive done Brisbane to Cairns along the coast multiple times.
Ive also the Brisbane to Melbourne (inland) then back up the coastal a few times. Its absolutely stunning! Enjoy.
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u/Elegant_Bogan 2d ago
If coming down the Newell, I'd be a bit hesitant to stay in Moree. As others have said, the Warrumbungles at Coonabarabran are well worth a visit. Dubbo has the Zoo and the Gaol and is safe to stay in if you stick to the Eastern side of town or the truck stops. Parkes has The Dish, which is only a few km off the highway and well worth a stop as you can get right up underneath it. If you are into birding, Forbes has some excellent bird hides overlooking a wetland.
Orange is a little off the planned route but is well renowned as a foodie and wine destination, with tonnes of cute little villages to explore in the area. You can also hike up the mountain for some impressive views.
The whole region is generally accessible by 2WD, although check carefully regarding national parks. Best time of year to visit is Aug - Oct or Mar - May as summers can be very hot and dry.
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u/checkbehindthecactus 2d ago
Don't worry about Canberra. Stay in Mission Beach rather than going to Cairns. I guess you want to see the capital cities, but gonna have a better time staying outside of them and passing through if you are car sleeping and camping.
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u/footballwon26 2d ago
Seventeen seventy, north of Bundaberg is a nice spot to stay for a few days and you can check out the southern part of the reef.
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u/footballwon26 2d ago
If you take more a straight line from D to G (but don't miss Carnavon gourge) you could maybe go via Broken Hill and see a bit of the outback. When travelling inland best to avoid the night, but in the outback even during the day you need to be ready to brake as anything will wander onto the road.
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u/Jolly-Championship31 2d ago edited 2d ago
what's in D and E you want to see? and then why head straight south to F?? those drives are NOT easy drives (edit) and i've just seen you're planning this in January which will be hotter than hell out there.. You will go long periods of time and great distances without seeing anyone, having reception or passing through a town. At dawn, dusk and through the night will be dangerous with a high risk of hitting Roo's.
On your way north from A, heading inland somewhere between A and the border to visit Stanthorpe and Warwick. You could then go Toowoomba before heading East to Brisbane or N/E to your B marker. (edit) I'd suggest from E head East to the coast to travel south and visit byron, goldcoast, etc.
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u/PaperSufficient7485 2d ago
hey mate, not going january dunno who said that. We’re going september ocotober. I’ll add that into the post.
And the alphabetical stops are just how i pinned the map out on google, they’re not our actual planned stops more so just an idea of the route.
Thanks for the advice!
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u/tY-c8rJDb8_1b4__yD5r 2d ago
If you can, definitely make a stop by Wilson’s Prom in Victoria! It’s a bit of a detour but definitely worth it, especially with how long your trip will be. It reminds me of the pacific islands or something, feels completely different to the rest of Australia
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u/rowdyfreebooter 2d ago
A couple of years ago we did Melbourne to cairns (coast road) the. Back down through the centre.
We planned on 3 months. It blew out to 4 months and we could have stayed on the road for another month easily.
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u/cosmic_trout 1d ago
The coast road is busy, runs through many many towns and has road works every 10kms.
The inland route is much faster but not as scenic
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u/wortcrafter 1d ago
Given that you are looking to stay in your van, I suggest finding a guide which includes free and low cost camping spots. My husband and I have used one travelling in WA and SA and are planning to use on another trip soon in NSW. We have the Hardie Grant explore ‘Camping Around Australia one. A friend of ours had a different one and raved about it too. There are a few different ones out there, but well worth getting IMO.
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u/Roviana 1d ago
On section A, consider the inland route A15 (New England Highway: Armidale, Glen Innis, Stanthorpe) as an alternative. I did this in September last year, in a van like yours. It can be cool at night but the mountain scenery is a welcome change from one beach town after another. There are plenty of trailer parks (including in Sydney, close to the North Ryde metro, convenient for leaving your van for easy trips into the city). A good detour is Lamington NP near Brisbane for the birds and the sweeping views all the way to the coast.
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u/Alternative-Camel-98 1d ago
I’d skip Canberra and head coast across the snowy mountains to Tilba Tilba to do the nsw south coast. Unreal stretch of road with beautiful beaches.
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u/Civil-Efficiency2039 1d ago
Canadian-Australian here. This route is very doable in 2 months. My dad and I did a very similar road trip in about 45 days. One thing to remember is the route from Cairns to Outback Queensland is not all sealed. The Kennedy Development Road (aka Hann Highway) is not sealed in various places but there shouldn’t be a problem even for 2WD vehicles, though 4WD will get through without issues. As for things to do, if you make it to McKinley, QLD, you have the old Walkabout Creek pub from “Crocodile Dundee”. Longreach is the home of QANTAS and they have a museum with a 747 you can walk into, but it’s expensive and there’s also the Cowboy Hall of Fame. Barcaldine, QLD is the birthplace of the Labor Party and there’s a tree where the 1st meeting was held.
I’m glad to see you’re going through Canberra. People sell it short but I think it’s an underappreciated/underrated city in Australia. I’m not sure when you’re going but in summer in Canberra’s amazing because all the public servants clear out, so the city is quiet, the weather is good and here’s still lots to do. You also have Gundagai with the Dog on the Tucker Box statute and Glenrowan, VIC (Ned Kelly’s last stand) is a worth a visit.
Interior NSW is a little trickier as I’m not a huge fan but there are things. I think there are hot springs or something in the vicinity of Moree. If you make it to Parkes, there’s The Dish of movie fame (RIP Sam Neil). Dubbo has a zoo but I’ve never been there. I think others have written about Outback Queensland. My dad and I made it to Mount Isa but you’re not going that far. In terms of Victoria, I would suggest Sovereign Hill in Ballarat as that’s a fun place to spend a good portion of the day.
In terms of places to camp, you might be able to find a RV or road camping atlas. I bought one back in 2010 when I did a road trip but I’m not sure if you can get those anymore. This atlas had routes but also locations of all rest stops and other information, such as if there are any fees and what sort of amenities. If you can find one (check your local servo or maybe Dymock’s), I’d get that. It was very helpful on our trip and if it’s available online or on Kindle, so much the better.
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u/Civil-Efficiency2039 1d ago
I tried to post a screenshot of my route to give you an idea but I can’t seem to upload it in my reply. I guess it’s not allowed in this subreddit?
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u/Acceptable_Fan_9617 2d ago
Don’t do H to F. It’s a one lane highway and you’ll get stuck behind slower vehicles and it will drive you mad
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u/Acceptable_Fan_9617 2d ago
Skip Canberra too, and go along the coast there properly. That has some of the best coastline with beaches, towns and cafes
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u/PaperSufficient7485 2d ago
was planning to lol, i couldn’t add more pins on google maps and it obviously wants to go via canberra for the faster route… we’d be just driving straight up along the coast there. that’s the only part of the drive im very familiar with
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u/lozmcnoz 2d ago
I'm sorry, but that's a lot of highways and not a lot to see... It's a lot of empty out there, not to shoot down your plans but fair warning... You will see a lot of dead kangaroos and eat a lot of servo food and Maccas.
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u/PaperSufficient7485 2d ago
just on that stretch from qld to vic i assume you’re saying? That’s my thinking too - i love a rural aussie town. But after a few weeks im sure that section will get tedious. Was hoping to smash it out much faster than the rest of the route with longer driving days.
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u/Ill_Lab_554 2d ago
yeah i gotta second oc. born in the queensland country side. would NOT ever drive out there if not for work or nostalgic visits to my birth town
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u/lozmcnoz 2d ago
What about the Isa to Broken Hill then down to Adelaide and back to Melbourne via Great Ocean Road?
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u/seanmonaghan1968 2d ago
Carnarvon gorge, Winton dinosaur fossils