Australia’s a huge playground where anyone could easily get happily lost from a few days to several months or more. When you hire van on the Gold Coast it’s hard to decide in which direction to go as there are so many wonderful things to see and do.
Going North
The trip from the Gold Coast to Cook Town is a wonderful experience.
Starting with Brisbane then moving on to the Sunshine Coast, exploring the Great Sandy National Park and Fraser Island the largest sand island in the world.
Overnight in Hervey Bay and enjoy the laid-back nightlife, before exploring Bundaberg the home of the great Aussie Rum and Mackay the centre of sugar cane in Queensland.
Finch Hatton is just a few kilometres from Mackay and at the base of the Eungella Range and National Park, where you can see Platypus swimming in their natural surroundings in the rain forest. Airlie Beach is next, the party capital of Australia and the entrance to the Whitsundays and fantastic sailing adventures.
Then on to Townsville and on to Cardwell and maybe a trip tramping on Hinchinbrook Island National Park and viewing all the great beaches and spots of interest on the way to Cairns, the closest place to reach the Great Barrier Reef for diving, snorkelling or viewing from a glass-bottomed boat.
The trip from Cairns to Normanton where you can overnight in the Purple Pub, a historic hotel built many years ago, that serves great Aussie meals and sits at the base of the Gulf of Carpentaria or travel on to Burketown another quaint outback town of interest.
Traveling to Daly Water takes you to the main highway to Darwin and the towns of Katherine and Pine Creek that give access to the Kakadu National Park.
This World Heritage site and Australia’s largest National Park of 20,000 square kilometres is where you can drive around, go tramping or enjoy boat trips down crocodile infested gorges.
Darwin is Australia’s most Northern city and the closest to Asia. This modern city has been rebuilt several times because of being bombed during WW2 and flattened by cyclones.
South from Darwin
Leaving Darwin you retrace your steps to Katherine and either head west to the coast and Broome then down to Port Headland, and the many attractions to be found all the way to Perth.
After leaving Perth there are a few days drive to get to the Nullarbo so you can view the Goldfields around Kalgoorlie and then get to Adelaide.
Or you may wish to head south through Alice Springs, where you can side-tip to visit Uluru, one of Australia’s most famous and spectacular attractions. While you’re in the area take a tour of Kind Canyon an oasis in the middle of the Great Red Outback.
Then make your way down to Coober Pedy, to find some opals before pushing one to Adelaide and then Melbourne, up to Sydney and back to the Gold Coast taking in all the truly wonderful sights and things to do along the way.
Or you could turn east at Tennant Creek and back to the Gold Coast.
Whichever way you decide to go, it’s a very long way, but a truly wonderful road trip just roaming around would be helpful by hiring van on the Gold Coast which wuld give a wonderful experience.