Best of Queensland 

From the Great Barrier Reef to the glorious Sunshine Coast, spend 13 days exploring the best of Australia’s Queensland coast.

The sun-splashed coastline and islands of Queensland

Queensland has a bounty of Australia’s best bits. On this 13-day itinerary, you’ll experience magical moments from the underwater wonderland of the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsunday Islands to the tropical island of Fraser Island.

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Self-drive
12 nights
Port Douglas, Brisbane, Fraser Island/K'gari, Sunshine Coast, Hamilton Island
Multi Centre, Self-Drive

Diving into the highlights of Queensland and getting to know a glorious Australian coastline and its islands.

Recommended itinerary

Days 1-4

Port Douglas

You’ll fly to Cairns today and pick up a hire car or transfer to Port Douglas, around an hour’s drive north. This upmarket coastal village is your springboard to both the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest. You’ve got three full days to let loose in the tropics.

Day 5

Brisbane

Take a two-hour flight south to Queensland’s capital, Brisbane. Before hopping over to Fraser Island, you’ve got a day here, so make the most of the city’s cultural precinct and riverside dining at Howard Smith Wharves.

Days 6-7

Fraser Island/K'gari

Collect a hire car from Brisbane and head north to River Heads, taking your time the four-hour drive. You’ll board a 50-minute ferry to Fraser Island/K'gari, where the largest sand island on earth (and the only place where rainforest grows on sand) awaits. Fraser Island is a paradise island of dreams, with sandy shores and colourful birdlife and dingos around the wetlands and mineral streams. Off the coast, there are dugongs and whales to spot.

Days 8-9

Sunshine Coast

After returning to the mainland by ferry, you’ll collect your car and drive south to Noosa Heads. Walk the coastal boardwalk and dine out on Hastings Street during your time on the Sunshine Coast before driving to Brisbane to return your hire car and flying two hours north to Hamilton Island in the Whitsunday Islands.

Days 10-12

Hamilton Island

Hamilton Island is a spectacular destination in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. You have three days to visit the reef, cruise around the islands, and see the beautiful Whitehaven Beach — a fitting end to an incredible exploration of Queensland.