Day by day
Day 1 London to Brisbane
Fly overnight from London to Brisbane
Day 2 Brisbane
Arrive into Brisbane and make your own way to your hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day relaxing after your long flight.
Day 3 Brisbane
Make the most of your full day in Brisbane - a sunny, sophisticated capital on the winding Brisbane River. Along with lush parks and laid-back locals, this is a city with serious cultural credentials and first-class wining, dining and dancing. Shop up a sub-tropical storm on Queen Street, then check out the city’s historic buildings. Dine out along South Bank’s sandy lagoon and explore its storehouse of cultural attractions. Pick out Brisbane’s landmarks on a leisurely river cruise or from Mt Coot-tha Lookout. Listen to live music in Fortitude Valley or lose yourself to nature in the sandy adventure playground of Moreton Island.
Day 4 Brisbane to Noosa
(160 km / 100 miles / 2 hours driving time)
Your journey from southern Queensland all the way up to the Tropical North begins with a short drive to Noosa, where you'll check-in to your hotel for a two-night stay.
Standard: BreakFree French Quarter (1Bedroom R/O)
Day 5 Noosa
Tranquil Noosa has become known as the most glamorous, chic resort on the Sunshine Coast. The beachside glamour hasn't compromised community life, however, and you'll discover friendly pubs and open-air markets where you can meet the locals. Inland, you might wish to pay a visit to Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo, or drive to the Glass House Mountains, nine isolated pinnacles piercing the skyline from a flat surrounding plain.
Standard: BreakFree French Quarter (1Bedroom R/O)
Day 6 Noosa to Fraser Island
(180km / 112 miles / 2 hours 20 minutes driving time)
Make your way to Hervey Bay, where you'll leave your car to travel as foot passengers on the ferry across to Fraser Island, your base for the next two nights. Fraser is the largest sand island in the world, formed from sand carried northwards by wind and ocean currents from South East Australia. The rainforest-covered sand dunes reach a height of 200 metres.
Standard: Kingfisher Bay Resort 2N Adventure Package (Hotel Room).
Day 7 Fraser Island
Fraser Island is strictly 4WD territory, and we have included a full-day ranger-guided eco tour for you to experience this unique destination. Other activities available at Kingfisher Bay include fishing, sailing, swimming and canoeing.
Standard: Kingfisher Bay Resort 2N Adventure Package (Hotel Room).
Day 8 Fraser Island to Agnes Water
(260 km / 162 miles / 3 hours 20 minutes driving time)
Travel back to the mainland by boat and drive to the surfing community of Agnes Water, the last in a line of unspoilt beaches sweeping up the coast from Bundaberg. Agnes Water and its sister township, 1770 (named after the date Captain Cook first set foot in Queensland), are the closest points on the mainland to the southern edge of the Great Barrier Reef, and a variety of cruises are available locally.
Overnight: Sandcastles 1770 Motel & Resort (Deluxe Motel room)
Day 9 Agnes Water to Mackay
(561 km / 350 miles / 7 hours driving time)
Mackay is a less well-known town along the Queensland coast and hence offers an insight into local living and an escape from the tourist track. The town's wealth comes from neighbouring sugar cane plantations, and there are national parks nearby where you can spot platypus and stroll through the coastal mangroves.
Standard: Clarion Hotel Mackay Marina (Deluxe Studio R/O)
Day 10 & 11 Mackay to Airlie Beach
(150 km / 95 miles / 1 hour 50 minutes driving time0
The relaxed seaside town of Airlie Beach is the mainland gateway to the Whitsundays, and makes the ideal location to experience all that's on offer in this archipelago of 74 beautiful islands. Popular excursion options from Airlie Beach include sailing, snorkelling and diving trips out to the Great Barrier Reef scenic flights over Whitehaven Beach and crocodile safaris through the wetlands.
Standard: Coral Sea Resort (Garden View Room Incl Continental Bfast)
Day 12 Airlie Beach to Townsville
(275 km / 171 miles / 3 hours 30 minutes driving time)
Continuing along the coast to Townsville, why not pack a picnic lunch to enjoy at one of the secluded beaches, or stretch your legs at Lake Ross, a reservoir surrounded by unspoilt open savannah and teeming with wildlife. On nearing Townsville, drive to Alligator Creek in the Bowling Green Bay National Park to explore its coastal wetlands, saltpans and mangroves. Townsville itself boasts a lovely promenade and imposing buildings dating back to the gold mining days of the 1860s.
Standard: Seagulls Resort Townsville (Standard Resort Room R/O)
Day 13 Townsville to Mission Beach
(240 km / 149 miles / 3 hours driving time)
Heading towards Mission Beach you start to enter a glorious landscapes of tropical rainforests. The forested peaks crash down towards the Pacific Ocean and the verdant greens marry the turquoise blues of the Great Barrier Reef, your home for the next two nights.
Standard: Castaways Resort (Resort Room includes continental breakfast)
Day 14 Mission Beach
This paradise location is set on the Great Barrier Reef and you can enjoy all the activities you would expect such cruises and reef based diving and snorkelling trips, as well as private island excursions, horse-riding and white water rafting.
Standard: Castaways Resort (Resort Room includes continental breakfast)
Day 15 Mission Beach to Cairns
(140 km / 87 miles / 1 hour 50 minutes driving time)
The final leg of your great coastal drive takes you to Cairns, though we'd like to recommend a diversion inland to the Atherton Tablelands, a fertile farming region boasting waterfalls, wildlife lake cruises and charming small towns just waiting to be explored. Your tour concludes on arrival. Your car has been booked until tomorrow, but ensure it is returned by the same time you collected it on day one to avoid additional charges.
Day 16 Cairns
You have a full day here to enjoy Cairns and relax after your self-drive tour.
Day 17 Cairns to London
Make your own way to the airport ready for your flight home.
Day 18 London
Arrive back into the UK after a fantastic holiday.