Australia East Coast – Sydney to Cairns Road Trip
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Australia East Coast - Sydney to Cairns Road Trip
While you sit at home, you may be dreaming like So many people of doing that East Coast Sydney to Cairns road trip. Or the ‘East Coast Trail’ as it is called. It refers to the long stretch of road that follows Australia’s east coastline between Sydney and Cairns.
From the pristine beaches, ancient rainforests, beautiful cities, rugged national parks, islands and wildlife – the Sydney to Cairns coastline does offer a bit of everything and has enough activities to satisfy everyone even you the biggest adrenaline junkie around.
In this blog, I want to show the six best places to go along the coast from driving a 4×4 along Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island, to sailing the Whitsundays Islands to scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef.
I spent four weeks touring the East Coast of Australia; so here’s my route up the coast from Sydney to Cairns. Enjoy!!!
When is the best time to tour the East Coast of Australia
In North Queensland, where the weather is tropical, the summers are hot and humid, and the winters are dry and mild. The summer months can convey robust monsoon rains, that you’ll probably want to avoid.
While the weather can be best within the north of Australia for the duration of the iciness months, it can be a piece cold in Australia’s south – temperatures can drop to 7 Celsius in Sydney throughout this time.
Which means that in case you need appropriate weather in the course of your journey, you’ll probably need to strike a stability. I travelled in November when the temperature is a little cooler, and the crowds are few and far between.
How long does it take to road experience the East Coast of Australia?
Many people don’t appear to realize how vast Australia is. The space between Sydney and Cairns is over 2,800km, which is about 36 hours of uninterrupted riding time.
Given how significant the distances are, you’ll need to offer yourself sufficient time to look and do things alongside the way – without feeling like you probably did nothing but tour! Travel between locations regularly takes longer than it can appear at the map, so be sure to permit yourself enough time.
I might propose an absolute minimum of 2 weeks in case you’re strapped for time, but four-six weeks is right. You may tick off the primary sights in 2 weeks, but travelling extra slowly and taking the time to discover places well will let you have a much higher experience.
Now enjoy your Sydney to Cairns road trip and explore the incredible East coast.
The route: Sydney to Cairns Road trip
Sydney
Begin your east coast journey in Sydney – Australia’s most iconic town. I propose spending at least five days here, however higher if you could! It’s a handy blend of each urban and seaside lifestyles, where global-renowned landmarks meet world-magnificence beaches.
Manifestly, you’ll want to check out the Sydney Opera Residence and Harbour Bridge. Head to Circular Quay, where you’ll be capable of spending some time photographing those iconic landmarks.
Just a few minutes stroll far from round Quay; you’ll locate the Royal Botanic lawn. A verdant oasis within the coronary heart of Sydney, spend some time exploring the garden and possibly convey a picnic to experience.
No visit to Sydney could be whole without trekking the enduring Bondi to Coogee Coastal stroll – a fantastically scenic 6km course so that you can take you to some of the best beaches along with the Japanese suburbs of Sydney.
I also advocate you’re taking the ferry throughout to Manly seashore for a day, a suburb regarded for its scenic coastal walks and fantastic snorkelling. The short ferry from Circular Quay to Manly beach only takes just under a half-hour, so it’s well worth the trip up there.
Stuff to do in Sydney
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Visit the Sydney Opera House
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Hike the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk
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Visit Manly Beach
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Surf in Bondi Beach
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Walk around the Royal Botanic Gardens
Fraser Island
Fraser Island was one of the highlights if not the best thing I did from my time in Australia, and if you may only have the funds for one big-price ticket attraction to your east coast of Australia road journey, make sure it’s this!
Stretching 122km, and ample in rainforests, dunes and freshwater lakes, Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the global.
Fraser Island can be accessed from Harvey Bay or Rainbow seaside, both of that have ferry crossings to the island.
You can rent a four×four and power your self across the island, or you could join a guided excursion. However, in my view, chose to enrol in a guided tour and signed up for a multi-day tenting and 4×4 journey bundle, which became one of the quality things we did in Australia. We drove a 4X4 along the seashore, swam in secluded lakes, discovered shipwrecks, and camped underneath the moon and stars chatting away.
I used Palace Adventures for our trip
On Fraser Island, you’ll discover The Maheno Shipwreck, left deserted on Fraser Island ever since.
Different highlights consist of Eli Creek, a meandering circulation in which you could sit down on an inflatable tube and go with the flow gently alongside its waters. Climb as much as Indian Head Lookout, where you’ll be graced with a sensational view of the island.
Or, take a dip inside the Champagne swimming pools, a beautiful swimming hollow regarded for its pools of fizzy water.
The closing highlight, although, is Lake McKenzie. Likely the maximum visited website on the island; its waters encompass pure rainwater and its shore of natural silica sand. Spend a few hours swimming in Lake McKenzie’s best pools, and enjoy the impossible herbal beauty of Fraser Island.
Things to do on Fraser Island
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Drive along Fraser’s “sandy highway” in a 4×4
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Swim in clear Lake Mackenzie
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Visit the magnificent Maheno shipwreck
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Go tubing in Eli Creek
