Ashleigh & Luke

Route guide · New South Wales and Queensland

East Coast Australia in a 2WD campervan: Sydney to Cairns

The east coast is where our story really starts. We met just before I (Luke) flew out to Australia to join some of my best friends on their travels, while Ashleigh was getting ready for a summer working at an American camp through Camp America. We've always loved travel, so we squeezed a lot into our first six months together, visiting Venice, Fuerteventura and Barcelona, where we did our first ever tandem skydive. Then came two months apart, while I drove the east coast from Cairns to Melbourne. I couldn't wait to show Ashleigh everything I'd been doing, so when she joined me we quickly hired a campervan and did the east coast all over again, this time driving up to Cairns. Between those trips I explored K'gari, and we sailed the Whitsundays and fell in love with the coast. More than 10 years and a lot of travels later, we're married, and it's fair to say our love for Australia hasn't changed. Most recently, we took Ron, our 2WD Renault Master, up the east coast, then Paul, Ashleigh's dad, joined us for one epic road trip back down to Sydney, where our official Great Lap series starts.

2WD verdict

Yes, this is one of the easiest big drives in Australia for a 2WD. The main route, the Pacific Motorway and the Bruce Highway, is sealed all the way. The places you can't take a 2WD van are K'gari (Fraser Island), the beach drives and the Bloomfield Track north of Cape Tribulation. For K'gari and the Whitsunday islands, leave the van and go on a tour or a boat.

Key points

  • Allow time. It's roughly 2,600 km on the main road, but most people take three to six weeks, and we'd recommend not rushing it.
  • Best time: the cooler, drier months, roughly May to October, are popular. Stinger season in the tropical north runs roughly November to May.
  • K'gari is 4WD only. Go on a tour, like Luke did, or hire a proper 4WD with a permit.
  • Use WikiCamps to find cheaper camps. WikiCamps is a great tool on the east coast. There are so many paid campsites that it's hard to find a cheaper option, but sometimes you'll find a hidden gem on the coast or by heading slightly inland. See WikiCamps Australia.
  • National park camps are great for nature. We love national park camps. It's how Paul (Ashleigh's dad) saw his first kangaroos, and they were massive! One of our favourites is Mungo Brush in Myall Lakes National Park.
  • Sail the Whitsundays. An overnight sailing trip from Airlie Beach is a must on the east coast. We did it twice.
  • Daintree: 2WD is fine from the ferry to Cape Tribulation, but not beyond it.

Planning: time, seasons and roads

Most people drive it north from Sydney, but it works just as well the other way. On our most recent trip we started in Brisbane and spent about three weeks driving down to Sydney with Ashleigh's dad, Paul (see it in our video).

Official advice (checked 4 November 2026). Queensland's stinger risk is higher from November to May. Swim at patrolled beaches, inside stinger nets where they're provided, and wear a full-body lycra suit. For a sting, pour on vinegar and call 000 (Queensland Government: dangerous marine life; Surf Life Saving Queensland: marine stingers).

Sydney

We'd recommend parking the van outside the centre and taking public transport in. With Paul, we took the Metro, which was new, clean and really easy, then walked about seven minutes from Martin Place to the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge (see it in our video). We walked round through the Botanic Gardens for the classic photo of both, then had oysters and a pie at the Fortune of War, which calls itself Sydney's oldest pub (see it in our video).

Before Sydney we took Paul to the Blue Mountains, which looked like a green version of the Grand Canyon. Heading south from Sydney? Coledale Camping Reserve, about an hour south, is a must if you're on that coast. It's right on the beach (more in our Sydney to Melbourne guide). Our Sydney to Melbourne coastal drive picks up from here.

Official advice (checked 4 November 2026). You can pay for Sydney's Metro, trains and ferries by tapping on and off with a contactless card or phone, and you get Opal fares, including daily and weekly caps (Transport for NSW: contactless payments).
Our last day in Sydney with Dad. The Metro, the Opera House, the Botanic Gardens, the Fortune of War and saying goodbye. Watch on YouTube
The Blue Mountains with Dad. The Blue Mountains on the way to Sydney. Watch on YouTube

Port Stephens, Forster and the mid north coast

Forster has a special place in our hearts, because it's where Ron joined us: we bought him privately there. Our guide to buying a van on a working holiday visa covers how that works. The mid north coast is all lakes, beaches and small towns, and it's worth the stop rather than racing up the highway.

We love national park camps, and one of our favourites on the whole east coast is Mungo Brush in Myall Lakes National Park.

Our favourite: Mungo Brush campground. One of our favourite national park camps on the east coast.
Official advice (checked 4 November 2026). NSW National Parks says Mungo Brush campground sits between the river and the beach near Hawks Nest. It has 77 marked, unpowered sites for tents, camper trailers, caravans and campervans, with toilets, picnic tables, a boat ramp and bins. There's no water, so bring drinking and cooking water. Book through NSW National Parks; check-in is 2pm and check-out is 10am. Park entry is $8 per vehicle per day, on top of your camping fees, and a card machine at the campground sells day passes (NSW National Parks: Mungo Brush campground). To get there, follow Mungo Brush Road for about 20 km from Hawks Nest. From the Pacific Highway near Bulahdelah, take the unsealed Bombah Point Road to the Bombah Point ferry, which runs 8am to 6pm every half hour and takes cash only ($6.50 per car or caravan); it may close in strong winds. In a 2WD: NSW National Parks lists the campground as 2WD accessible in all weather, with both sealed and unsealed roads, so the Hawks Nest side avoids the unsealed Bombah Point Road (NSW National Parks: Mungo Brush campground visitor info). The wider park is popular for walking, kayaking and fishing (NSW National Parks: Myall Lakes National Park).

Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay

This stretch is beaches, headland walks and surf towns, and we'd recommend slowing right down for it.

We did a lot of national park camps down this coast, and Diamond Head campground in Crowdy Bay National Park, where we camped with Paul, was one of our favourites.

Our favourite: Diamond Head campground. Camping here with Paul was one of our favourite stops on the coast.
Official advice (checked 4 November 2026). NSW National Parks (checked 4 November 2026) calls Diamond Head one of the most popular places to stay in Crowdy Bay National Park. It's a beachside campground at 763 Diamond Head Road, about 10 km from Laurieton for supplies. It has 75 marked, unpowered sites for motorhomes, caravans, campervans, camper trailers and tents, plus walk-in tent sites. Facilities include flush toilets, cold showers, beach showers, free gas or electric barbecues, picnic tables and a dump point. There's no water, so bring your own. Book online and check in at the onsite office on arrival; check-in is 2pm and check-out 10am. Park entry is $8 per vehicle per day and can be paid when you book. Fires are allowed in off-the-ground braziers only. The 4.8 km Diamond Head loop walk via Indian Head has panoramic coast views, and there's the shorter Mermaid Lookout track; from the beach you can see the dark pillars of Split Rock (NSW National Parks: Diamond Head campground). In a 2WD: the official page lists Diamond Head Road as unsealed but 2WD accessible in all weather. It warns the road can deteriorate quickly in rain and busy periods. Beach driving needs a 4WD and a council permit (NSW National Parks: Diamond Head campground visitor info).

Gold Coast, Brisbane and CMC Rocks

Brisbane is one of our favourite cities. We stayed at a gated van stop near the centre, rode the 50 cent CityCat ferries, had the best pizza of our trip and got up Mt Coot-tha in the morning. Our Brisbane in a campervan guide has the full 24 hours.

We also camped in Ron at CMC Rocks QLD, near Ipswich, with Paul. It was his first taste of Australia: he landed and got an Uber straight there to meet us. It was incredible, and it reminded us of our favourite festival at home, The Long Road (see it in our video).

More on the Gold Coast and its hinterland coming soon.

The best 24 hours in Brisbane. Our van stop, South Bank, the CityCat, Felons Brewery, The Star and Mt Coot-tha. Watch on YouTube

Noosa and the Sunshine Coast

The Sunshine Coast is a lovely change of pace after Brisbane, and Noosa is a must on the east coast.

More on the Sunshine Coast coming soon.

Rainbow Beach and K'gari

K'gari is where you'll be glad you didn't try to take your own van. Luke went before Ashleigh arrived, on a 4WD group tour with two friends. He still remembers the beach driving, the 4WD tracks in convoy, the snakes and monitor lizards, and camping with the group. A small plane landed right on the beach and took them up for a price he couldn't believe at the time. It was epic.

Our advice: do K'gari on a tour or in a proper 4WD, not in a 2WD van. Leave the van at Rainbow Beach or Hervey Bay, where the tours leave from.

Official advice (checked 4 November 2026). Queensland Parks says you need a vehicle access permit before you drive on K'gari, in your own name, including in a hire vehicle. Vehicles must be high-clearance 4WDs with low range; AWDs aren't recommended. Barges run from Inskip Point near Rainbow Beach and from River Heads near Hervey Bay (Queensland Parks: vehicle access permits; Queensland Parks: K'gari getting there and getting around; Queensland Government: driving on K'gari). K'gari is home to wongari (dingoes): never feed them, stay in groups and keep food locked away (Queensland Parks: K'gari dingo interactions).

Agnes Water and 1770

Agnes Water and the Town of 1770 are worth the detour off the Bruce Highway. We booked two nights and extended, because it was the first place in ages that felt like a holiday again. These notes are from our daily vlogs.

Our first day started with a coffee from 1770 Coffee (we liked it so much we bought the t-shirt), and then we spent hours on Agnes Water's main beach watching the surfers. On a Saturday it was busy and shade was hard to find, so take your own and plenty of factor 50. We also went up to the 1770 lookout for the views; it's a short walk. Afterwards we had ice cream from 1770 Gelato Co, then took the paddle board out on the calm, enclosed water by the estuary and paddled over to a sandbank. Mid-morning on a Saturday we couldn't park there, so go early or come back later in the day. Watch out for stonefish: a sign there warns about them.

We stayed at The Summit 1770, on a hill above town. We paid $35 for two nights unpowered. There were kangaroos (one with a joey) in the long grass right behind our van, a sunset spot further up the hill, decent showers, and a coffee truck on site in the mornings. The mosquitoes were bad at dusk. In town we found long, unrestricted parking with no height barrier, which is great in a van.

Our favourite: The kangaroos at camp. We ate takeaway pizza at our van with kangaroos grazing a few metres away. Such a cool experience.
Official advice (checked 4 November 2026). Visit Gladstone covers Agnes Water and the Town of 1770 (Visit Gladstone (Agnes Water and 1770 region)). In a 2WD: yes, we drove in and out in Ron; check conditions after heavy rain.

Clairview, Mackay and Cape Hillsborough

From 1770 we drove north with no plan. It was Easter weekend and powered sites were almost impossible to find on WikiCamps, so book ahead over the holidays. We passed through Rockhampton and kept going. These notes are from our daily vlogs.

Our favourite: Our WikiCamps tip. WikiCamps is a great tool on the east coast. There are so many paid campsites that it's hard to find a cheaper option, but sometimes you'll find a hidden gem on the coast or by heading slightly inland. On this trip it found us a $17 campsite with toilets right by the beach near Mackay, and on the drive south a well-rated donation campground with showers and toilets. Filtering by cost and reading recent reviews helps.

BrandyBottle, Clairview. We stopped at BrandyBottle Caravan Park & Golf Course, just off the Bruce Highway. A powered site cost us $35 a night, with showers, toilets, a bar and evening meals (a meat lovers pizza and a chicken parmi, both really good). You also get a free game of golf. We'd never played: two holes took about an hour in the heat and we lost balls in the trees and the pond, but the owner was lovely and nobody minded that we were hopeless.

Mackay. It's about an hour and a half on to Mackay. We parked at the shopping centre next to the Bluewater Lagoon (it had two hours' free parking), cooled off in the shops, then changed in the van and went for a swim in the lagoon. It's free and has lifeguards, and was a great way to cool down. That night we camped at a cheap $17 beachside campsite with toilets. A sign warned about box jellyfish from October to April.

Cape Hillsborough at sunrise. This is the famous one: "kangaroos" on the beach at dawn (officially they're agile wallabies). We were up at 5:45am and the car park was already busy, with more people arriving. Our honest verdict: the beach and the sunrise are stunning (it reminded us of Thailand), and we saw a dolphin, but the wildlife bit felt a bit like a zoo. People crowded around the markers, there were only two animals, and food had been put out. If you've never seen one in the wild, it's worth it. If you have, seeing them by chance is more exciting. Stay close by, because you need to be there before sunrise.

Official advice (checked 4 November 2026). Cape Hillsborough National Park is about 50 km north-west of Mackay, with camping at Smalleys Beach. The wallabies on the beach are agile wallabies. The park warns about crocodiles and marine stingers (Queensland Parks: Cape Hillsborough National Park). Mackay's Bluewater Lagoon is free to enter, stinger-free and supervised by lifeguards. It's open 9am to 6pm from September to March and 9am to 5pm from April to June, and it closes in July and August for maintenance (Mackay Regional Council: Bluewater Lagoon). BrandyBottle is at 82943 Bruce Highway, Clairview (BrandyBottle Caravan Park & Golf Course). In a 2WD: yes, we drove Ron to all three.

Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays

Sailing the Whitsundays is the thing we'd tell anyone not to miss. We did it twice from Airlie Beach, with different operators: once with Luke's friends and once together. Both were overnight on the boat, with snorkelling, turtles, fish and amazing coral, insane beaches, and stars like we've never seen since.

Our favourite: Sailing overnight from Airlie Beach. Leave the van in Airlie Beach and spend at least one night at sea. It was the highlight of the coast for us, both times.

More recently, from our daily vlogs: we spent three nights at the campground at Nomads hostel, right on the main street, with a pool. It's a hostel, so don't expect quiet, but we didn't mind. We went to Taco Tuesday and trivia at the bar (we didn't win), swam in the free lagoon on the foreshore, and had açaí bowls (about $22 each, with a 15-minute wait, but huge). Airlie is also where we found work, through a Facebook post, before heading south.

Official advice (checked 4 November 2026). Tourism Whitsundays covers the town, the foreshore lagoon, and reef and island trips (Tourism Whitsundays). In a 2WD: yes; look for long-vehicle parking away from the main street.

More on the Whitsundays coming soon.

Official advice (checked 4 November 2026). The Whitsunday Islands are 25 km east of Airlie Beach and reached by tour, charter boat or private vessel from Airlie Beach and Shute Harbour. All roads to the boat launch sites suit a 2WD (Queensland Parks: Whitsunday Islands National Park). The Hill Inlet lookout over Whitehaven Beach is a 1.3 km return walk (Queensland Parks: Hill Inlet lookout track). Island camping needs a permit booked in advance, and sharks are present: don't swim in Cid Harbour (Queensland Parks: camping in the Whitsunday Islands).

Townsville, Magnetic Island and Mission Beach

North of the Whitsundays the coast gets more tropical, and Magnetic Island is worth the stop.

Cairns

Cairns was actually the first place Luke explored in Australia, after a connection from Sydney. He remembers the parties, the relaxed atmosphere and getting over jet lag. We haven't been back together since, but we'd love to.

More on Cairns, the Tablelands and the Daintree coming soon.

Official advice (checked 4 November 2026). Cairns is in stinger country: swim at patrolled beaches and inside nets, especially from November to May (Queensland Government: dangerous marine life).

The Daintree and Cape Tribulation

We haven't been to the Daintree yet, and it's top of our list for when we go back. From our research, it's very doable in a 2WD as far as Cape Tribulation.

Official advice (checked 4 November 2026). Queensland Parks says the Daintree River ferry runs 5am to midnight daily, and conventional 2WD vehicles can get from the ferry to Cape Tribulation, though caravans aren't recommended (Queensland Parks: Daintree visiting safely). The Bloomfield Track north of Cape Tribulation is 4WD only and not suitable for campervans (Douglas Shire Council: Bloomfield Track).

FAQs

Is the Cape Hillsborough kangaroo sunrise worth it?

For us, it was mixed. The beach and the sunrise are stunning, but it was crowded and felt a bit like a zoo, with only two animals. It's worth it if you've never seen one in the wild. Be there before sunrise and stay nearby.

Can you do the east coast of Australia in a 2WD campervan?

Yes. The main route from Sydney to Cairns is sealed all the way. The exceptions are K'gari, beach drives and the Bloomfield Track north of Cape Tribulation, which are 4WD only. Do K'gari on a tour.

How long do you need for Sydney to Cairns?

The main route is around 2,600 km. Most people take three to six weeks, and we'd recommend allowing as long as you can.

Can you take a campervan to K'gari (Fraser Island)?

Not a 2WD one. Queensland Parks says vehicles must be high-clearance 4WDs with low range, and you need a vehicle access permit. We'd recommend a 4WD tour, which is what Luke did.

What is the best time to drive the east coast?

The cooler, drier months, roughly May to October, are the most popular. Stinger season in Queensland runs roughly November to May, so swim at patrolled beaches inside the nets.

Is sailing the Whitsundays worth it?

For us, yes. We did overnight sailing trips from Airlie Beach twice, and the snorkelling, beaches and stars were the highlight of the coast.

Can you drive to Cape Tribulation in a 2WD?

Yes. Queensland Parks says 2WD vehicles can drive from the Daintree River ferry to Cape Tribulation. The Bloomfield Track beyond it is 4WD only and not suitable for campervans.

Should you drive Sydney to Cairns or Cairns to Sydney?

Either works. We've most recently driven Brisbane to Sydney southbound with Paul. Plan around the seasons in the tropical north.

Sources

Our own experience comes from our earlier trips along the coast, our more recent trip with Paul, and the videos linked above. Where we haven't done something ourselves, it's in a "popular with other travellers" box. Official and other travellers' information was checked on 4 November 2026. Rules, roads and opening hours change, so check before you go.

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