Places of interest between brisbane and cairns
The parking can be limited, but there is also a caravan park right beside the beach. Once again, an endless supply of beach time without the crowds and a choice of creek or beach swimming. Lady Elliott Island Boarding a flight is the only way to get to this isolated Island, but good news is you can board in either Brisbane, Hervey Bay or Bundaberg to get there.
The Lady Elliott Island Eco Resort set up here, is based around the water activities like snorkelling and diving. Although there are plenty of land activities to keep you entertained as well. If the Great Barrier reef is what your planning to see between Brisbane to Cairns, then this is an awesome place to do it!
Agnes Water or As you start heading into central Queensland you can visit yet another beach side town like Agnes Water , or 10 mins down the road at The ample amount of holiday homes happens to draw a younger crowd mainly for the surfing. For everyone there is the camping, fishing and lots of spots for swimming with the kids. Yeppoon Turning off the Brisbane to Cairns Road trip route from Rockhampton, on the central coast you come to Yeppoon.
Another beach side town but also the gateway to the Keppel Islands. Great Keppel Island is still on my list to visit one day but Yeppoon is also a great base for the Byfield National Park. This is where you will find an ample amount of 4 wheel drive spots, white sand beaches and some more swimming holes like Stoney Creek.
You could easily spend a few days here exploring some of the wonderful spots in and out of town. Utopia Rock Pools to Bundaberg — 95km With over 90, people living in this beachside city, you will be sure to find something to do for everyone. Not only that, but they are all conveniently supplied with camping spots, motels, and resort accommodation! A favourite with families and retirees, the beaches offer calm waters and nice walking. This is also a prime location for the seasonal Turtle nesting where you can check out the loggerhead turtles laying eggs, or watch the baby turtles make their way down the beach.
Woodgate Beach near Bundaberg. Bonus Trip — Lady Elliot Island Boarding a flight is the only way to get to this isolated island, but the good news is that flights leave from either Brisbane, Hervey Bay, or Bundaberg regularly. Leave the rental car behind to visit this absolute paradise.
The best things to do on the island are based around water activities like snorkelling and diving in the magnificent Southern Great Barrier Reef. If you prefer to stay on land then you can learn about the bird habitats and history of the island. If you want a longer stay, there are units, cabins, and glamping tent options at the Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort. Bundaberg is the most popular spot to visit Lady Elliot Island from, with minute flights and daily departures making it perfect for a day trip.
Lady Elliot Island is well worth the trip. They are both quiet little beachside villages known for their surfing lifestyle on Main Beach, boating, fishing, hiking and swimming. This is also a prime location to grab some fresh seafood, so pop into the local fish and chip shop to fill up on a delectable meal. Holidays homes and resort accommodation are on offer everywhere, along with plenty of camping and cabin options. This is also your second and closer gateway to swimming with the turtles at Lady Musgrave Island.
More gorgeous beaches to be found at Agnes Water and Both will have you snorkelling some amazing reef systems and finding lots of turtles. My recommendation is to weigh up options for either and choose to visit one that suits your budget or timeline. Swimming with a turtle at Lady Musgrave Island.
The underground rock formations at Capricorn Caves are absolutely mesmerising, as is the Mount Archer Skywalk overlooking the city, especially at sunset. If you drive another 30 minutes towards the Capricorn Coast you will come to the small town of Yeppoon, known as the gateway to the Great Keppel Islands. A trip out to these islands is fantastic, with lots of marine life, coral reefs and other natural wonders to enjoy.
Swimming holes at Byfield National Park. Finch Hatton Gorge has some wonderful hiking, waterfalls to explore and crisp swimming holes to enjoy. Completing the more popular Araluen Falls hike is a short, three kilometres return.
Additionally, you can choose to complete the rest of the trek to the Wheel of Fire Gorge, which is about five kilometres return. During high rainfall, access to the car park could be limited without a 4 wheel drive. Finch Hatton Gorge. This is a really nice area to explore for many reasons, but the most popular is seeing the morning feeding of the eastern grey kangaroos at sunrise.
Although these are wild animals, the rangers keep this activity under strict control due to how many visitors come. The town of Airlie Beach itself is small but has plenty to do to keep all travellers happy. Half or full-day tours leave from Shute Harbour and take you snorkelling or diving on the reef, out to Whitsunday Island and Whitehaven Beach, visiting Hamilton Island or casting your eyes over the ethereal Hill Inlet from the lookout.
Besides Hamilton Island, with its own airport, you can also do a trip to Daydream Island. In Airlie Beach itself you can swim in the man-made lagoon, walk along the beach or chase fresh water holes at cedar creek. Check out our guide to all the best things to do in Airlie Beach to see what else you can get up to here.
Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays near Airlie Beach. That makes it a perfect spot to break up the Australian road trips along the east coast and stock up on supplies if you need. But in my humble opinion, you need to jump on a ferry and go to Magnetic Island , which is easy to visit for a day trip or stay for a longer period.
Do the Forts Hike to see koalas in the wild, find the rock wallabies at Geoffrey Bay, go snorkelling in the stunning bays with sea turtles and just chill out at the beaches. Otherwise you can follow this one day Magnetic Island itinerary to make the most of your short visit. Hanging out at Arthur Bay on Magnetic Island. Make sure you set aside some days for this gorgeous island off of Townsville.
Townsville to Cardwell Spa Pools and Mission Beach — km The Cardwell Spa Pools are popular, local swimming spot where the flowing water runs over the rocks, creating a natural spa effect. What makes this place special is the gorgeous blue colour of the water. This blue colour is created by phytoplankton, bicarbonates binding to clay, and light refraction in the water. Cardwell Spa Pools.
This contains a number of very different waterfalls for exploring, hiking, and swimming. One of them, Millaa Millaa Falls, just happens to be the most photographed waterfall in Australia. Cairns itself has a population of , people, and is a tourism Mecca. In town the Esplanade is lined with bars, restaurants, tropical gardens and a lovely man-made swimming lagoon.
Get out of town though and check out the Kuranda Rail in the surrounding rainforest, or take a different view on the Skyrail Gondola. Most people will come to Cairns for the the water, and it is the best place in Queensland to go and scuba dive or snorkel the Great Barrier Reef. Millaa Millaa Falls, the most photographed waterfall in Australia, can be found just a short drive from Cairns. These commissions help us keep creating more free travel content to help people plan their holidays and adventures.
We only recommend the best accommodations, tours and products, and regularly review these. Thanks for your support, kind friend! About the Author - Chris Fry Chris Fry is the writer and photographer behind Aquarius Traveller, where she shares her journeys, provides valuable information and inspiration for your land and underwater travels.
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