How Long Do You Need To Do The East Coast Of Australia?

Lily Kerley

February 14th, 2024

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7 minute read

At least 3 weeks, or ideally 1 month, is recommended to fully explore the East Coast of Australia, from Melbourne to Cairns. However, you can do it in 2 weeks, enjoying highlights like K’gari (Fraser Island), Airlie Beach and Cairns along the way! 

If you have longer than a month to spare, we undoubtedly recommend that you take 6 weeks to travel the East Coast and delve deeper into natural wonders and beachy towns. We’ve listed our favourite hidden gems and local favourites, as well as bucket list destinations you can’t miss while you’re in Australia.

How long does it take to drive along Australia’s East Coast?

It takes about two weeks to drive from Brisbane to Cairns, four weeks to drive from Sydney to Cairns and about 4.5 weeks to drive from Melbourne up to Cairns.

Don’t want to rent a car? You can do the East Coast by coach or bus, with the popular Greyhound Whimit Pass allowing you free travel anywhere on the East Coast within a specified time period. For more information on travelling Australia by bus, check out our handy coach guide! 

With an abundance of East Coast car rentals, campervan rentals and bus passes, as well as relatively easy-to-navigate roads, road-tripping in Australia is an awesome option! Here are our itinerary guides to the East Coast, from Melbourne to Cairns!

Melbourne to Cairns: Roadtrip Itinerary Guide

Melbourne to Cairns

Distance: approx. 3550 km (along the coast)

Timeframe: four-week road trip + recommended

Driving to Melbourne to Cairns, or reversely from Cairns to Melbourne, will set you back about 39 hours of driving time. We recommend at least a month for this journey, however, it can be done in three weeks.

Here are our favourite Cairns to Melbourne itineraries (all are reversible):

4 Week CNS - MEL Explorer

Our favourite & recommended trip! 

• Cairns (4 days): Great Barrier Reef reef snorkel tour & Atherton Tablelands waterfall day trip

• Magnetic Island (2 days)

• Airlie Beach (2 days)

• Whitsunday Islands (2 days): Sailing trip to Whitehaven Beach

• Rainbow Beach (2 days)

• K’gari (Fraser Island) (3 days): Guided island camping 4WD safari

• Noosa (2 days)

• Byron Bay (3 days)

• Sydney (2 days): City harbour exploring and Blue Mountains hiking trip

• Melbourne (3 days)

3 Week CNS - MEL Express

Perfect for those on a time budget!

• Cairns (2 days): Great Barrier Reef reef snorkel tour

• Airlie Beach (2 days)

• Whitsunday Islands (2 days): Sailing trip to Whitehaven Beach

• Rainbow Beach (2 days)

• K’gari (Fraser Island) (3 days): Guided island camping 4WD safari

• Byron Bay (2 days)

• Sydney (2 days): City harbour exploring and Blue Mountains hiking trip

• Melbourne

6 Week CNS - MEL Ultimate

Dive into hidden gems and take your time travelling the East Coast

• Cairns (5 days): Great Barrier Reef reef snorkel tour, Atherton Tablelands waterfall day trip & Cape Tribulation Daintree Rainforest experience

• Mission Beach (2 days): Beach skydiving & White Water Rafting 

• Magnetic Island (3 days)

• Airlie Beach (2 days)

• Whitsunday Islands (2 days): Sailing trip to Whitehaven Beach

• Rainbow Beach (2 days)

• K’gari (Fraser Island) (3 days): Guided island camping 4WD safari

• Noosa (4 days): Australia Zoo & Noosa Everglade canoe tour

• Brisbane (2 days)

• Gold Coast (2 days)

• Byron Bay (5 days): Surf lesson, dolphin sea kayak & Nimbin day trip

• Sydney (5 days): City harbour exploring and Blue Mountains hiking trip

• Melbourne (2 days)

Sydney to Cairns: Roadtrip Itinerary Guide

Sydney to Cairns

Distance: approx. 2700 km (along the coast)

Timeframe: four-week road trip recommended

Travelling from Sydney to Cairns, or Cairns to Sydney, will take about 30 hours of driving time. While this can be done in about 4 days, we recommend three weeks to a month. This section of the East Coast is by far the lushest and beachiest, as northern New South Wales and Queensland are renowned for their awesome surf spots. Take your time and explore natural marvels like Byron Bay, Noosa, Gold Coast and more! 

Here are our favourite Cairns to Sydney itineraries (all are reversible):

4 Week CNS - SYD Explorer

Our favourite and recommended trip!

• Cairns (4 days): Great Barrier Reef reef snorkel tour & Atherton Tablelands waterfall day trip

• Magnetic Island (2 days)

• Airlie Beach (2 days)

• Whitsunday Islands (2 days): Sailing trip to Whitehaven Beach

• Rainbow Beach (2 days)

• K’gari (Fraser Island) (3 days): Guided island camping 4WD safari

• Noosa (2 days)

• Brisbane (2 days)

• Gold Coast (2 days)

• Byron Bay (3 days)

• Sydney (2 days)

5 Week CNS - SYD Ultimate

The do-it-all option between Sydney and Cairns

• Cairns (5 days): Great Barrier Reef reef snorkel tour, Atherton Tablelands waterfall day trip & Cape Tribulation Daintree Rainforest experience

• Mission Beach (3 days): Beach Skydive & White Water Rafting 

• Magnetic Island (2 days)

• Airlie Beach (2 days)

• Whitsunday Islands (2 days): Sailing trip to Whitehaven Beach

• Rainbow Beach (2 days)

• K’gari (Fraser Island) (3 days): Guided island camping 4WD safari

• Noosa (4 days): Australia Zoo & Noosa Everglade canoe tour

• Brisbane (2 days)

• Gold Coast (2 days)

• Byron Bay (4 days): Surf lesson, dolphin sea kayak & Nimbin day trip

• Sydney (2 day)

3 Week CNS - SYD Express

The short-on-time option for Cairns to Sydney journies!

• Cairns (3 days): Great Barrier Reef reef snorkel tour

• Airlie Beach (2 days)

• Whitsunday Islands (2 days): Sailing trip to Whitehaven Beach

• Rainbow Beach (2 days)

• K’gari (Fraser Island) (3 days): Guided island camping 4WD safari

• Noosa (2 days)

• Byron Bay (2 days)

• Sydney (1 day)

Brisbane to Cairns: Ultimate Aussie Roadtrip Guide

Brisbane to Cairns

Distance: approx. 1770 km (along the coast)

Timeframe: two-week road trip recommended

From Brisbane to Cairns, or Cairns to Brisbane, it takes about 21 hours of driving. While you can do this theoretically in 3 days (without stopping for any sightseeing), we recommend at least two weeks. Give yourself time to explore Brisbane, Noosa, K’gari (Fraser Island), Airlie Beach, the Whitsunday Islands and Cairns to make the most of your time in Queensland.

Here are our favourite Brisbane to Cairns itineraries (all reversible):

• Express - 2 weeks

• Explorer - 3 weeks

• Ultimate - 4 weeks

Must-see Australian Destinations & iconic Landmarks

If you’re going your own way and just hiring a campervan and leaving your plans to the wind, let us guide your free spirit just a teeny bit. Make sure you stop off at our favourite must-see East Coast destinations Down Under for an unforgettable journey! 

• Sydney, NSW

Icons: Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Luna Park, Circular Quay and Bondi Beach

Hidden Gems: Chinatown, Blue Mountains National Park and Cronulla Beaches

Check out our backpacker guide to the many wonders of Sydney!

• Byron Bay, NSW

Icons: Byron Bay Lighthouse, Byron Bay Township, Main Beach and Wategos Beach

Hidden Gems: Suffolk Park, Railway Park Farmers Market, Lennox Head and Brunswick River

• Gold Coast, QLD

Icons: Surfers Paradise, Main Beach, Wet ‘N’ Wild Theme Park and Broadbeach

Hidden Gems: Palm Beach, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Tugun Beach and Miami Marketta

• Brisbane, QLD

Icons: Southbank, Street’s Beach Lagoon, Brisbane Eye, Fortitude Valeey, QUT Botanical Gardens and Queen Street

Hidden Gems: Kangaroo Point Cliffs, West End cafes, Davies Park Farmers Markets, Newstead Breweries and Paddington vintage stores

Check out our budget Brisbane things-to-do guide to get the most bang for your buck!

• Noosa, QLD

Icons: Main Beach, Hastings Street, Noosa National Park and Australia Zoo

Hidden Gems: Peregian Beach cafes, Coolum Beach bays, Noosa Everglades, Little Cove, Tea Tree Bay, Maleny hinterlands and waterfalls

There's so much to do in Noosa, find out more in our Sunshine Coast guide for backpackers.

• Airlie Beach & The Whitsunday Islands, QLD

Icons: Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet Lookout, the Great Barrier Reef, Hamilton Island, Mantaray Bay, Daydream Island and Airlie Beach Esplanade 

Hidden Gems: Hook Island, Whitsunday Cairn Lookout, South Molle Island, Airlie Beach Honeyeater Lookout, Cannonvale, Boathaven Beach

• Cairns, QLD

Icons: The Daintree Rainforest, the Great Barrier Reef, Cape Tribulation and Cairns City

Hidden Gems: Green Island, Fitzroy Island, Atherton Tablelands, Kuranda, Yunguburra and Palm Cove

Add more Cairns activities to your bucket list with our FNQ things to do for backpackers guide!

Hidden Gems & Local Favourite Aussie Destinations

If you have a bit of extra time on your Australian trip, make sure you add these incredible places to your itinerary:

• Atherton Tablelands, QLD

• Cape Tribulation, QLD

• Mission Beach, QLD

• Magnetic Island, QLD

• Yamba, NSW

• Mullumbimby, NSW

• Jervis Bay, NSW

• Kiama, NSW

• Crescent Head, NSW

• Blue Mountains, NSW

• Great Ocean Road, VIC

Ready to start planning your very own East Coast Itinerary? The sky is your limit and the road is awaiting, so get inspired with our DIY itinerary planner!

Don't hesitate to get in touch with our local travel experts to help you find the perfect itinerary for you, no matter how much or little time you have in Australia!