13-Nights Pacific Coast Explorer Self Drive: Sydney to Cairns from $1,899

Mission Beach is made up of four beach villages linked by a beautiful golden beach, the perfect area to relax and explore this unspoilt natural environment. Mission beach offers visitors a mix of sophisticated dining options, boutiques and art galleries nestled against a lush tropical rainforest. Mission Beach is the perfect example of how beautiful little beachside towns can offer vibrant art and culture with unique tourist attractions.

Rockhampton's history is seen through picturesque architecture, which you can see along the Heritage Route and by visiting the Historical Society in the Old Borough Chambers. The Fitzroy River is a favorite destination of water skiiers, fishing, and boating. Rockhampton also has a vibrant history and current art scene; visit the Rockhampton City Art Gallery or the Walter Reid Art Centre, both highlighting national and international artists, musicians, craftsmen and more. Galleries and theatres line the streets, indicating the importance the arts have in this town. Explore botanic gardens or the zoo, or trek up to Mount Archer Lookout, with trails ranging from easy to difficult, to view Rockhampton from above.

 

Located 125 mi/200 km north of Brisbane and named for shipwrecked Englishwoman Eliza Fraser, this island north of Noosa Heads is the largest coastal dune system in the world. A paradise of beaches, coves and wildlife (such as the Australian dingo), Fraser Island also has lush forests and clear lakes that contrast dramatically with its wind-sculpted sand. https://www.fraserisland.net.

Fraser Island is best negotiated by four-wheel-drive vehicles driven onto barges at Inskip Point. Tour operators will rent the vehicles as well as pick you up at Hervey Bay airport or from accommodations on the mainland and on the island. Joining a tour makes good sense for international tourists who do not have access to a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Tours take in the attractions including Lake McKenzie and Indian Head.

There are two main ferry crossings from the mainland with Hervey Bay the departure point in the north and Rainbow Beach in the south.

Accommodation options on the island include camping or a stay at the ecofriendly Kingfisher Bay Resort or budget Eurong Beach Resort.

One of the attractions is driving along 75-Mile Beach, which is an official highway where road rules apply. It is also a landing strip for small sightseeing planes. Beach fishing is popular and good as is whale-watching for humpback whales, especially August-October.

Brisbane

Laze in the lush riverside gardens of South Bank, then browse the markets and swim in its lagoon. Bike ride in the City Botanic Gardens and abseil the cliffs of Kangaroo Point. Glide down the river on a majestic paddle steamer or take a high-speed ferry to vibrant inner-city villages like Bulimba and New Farm. When culture cravings hit, wander the art galleries and museums, watch a performance by the Queensland Ballet, Opera or Orchestra perform or see cutting-edge theatre in the Powerhouse. In the boating hub of nearby Moreton Bay and Islands, you can swim, sea kayak, snorkel coral reefs, toboggan down the world's tallest sand dune, hire a sail boat or tussle with a marlin.

Five things you should do in Brisbane:

1. Glide down the river and relax in the gardens

Bike ride beneath macadamia trees and mangroves in the City Botanic Gardens or roller blade over a floating walkway. Then cruise down the river in a wooden paddle steamer, spotting pelicans and eastern water dragons. Laze or picnic under the palms on South Bank's 17 hectares of riverside gardens. Here you can swim from the lagoon and pools of Paul Breka Beach, browse the markets, visit a summer open-air cinema and dine alfresco in the sun. Follow an Aboriginal art trail through the bushland in Mount Coot-Tha Reserve, also the place to spot native wildlife and take in panoramic city views. At the foot of the mountain you can wander the tropical zone, rainforests and Japanese gardens of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens. Cuddle up to koalas and meet possums, kangaroos, wombats, emus and lyrebirds in the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, just a short bus drive from the city centre.

2. Soak up culture and architecture

See the skeleton of a Queensland dinosaur in the Queensland Museum and the work of famous Australian artists in the Queensland Art Gallery. Both sit in the sprawling Queensland Cultural Centre on South Bank. At night, visit the dress circle of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre or catch a show by the Queensland Ballet, Opera or Orchestra. Watch plays, browse art galleries and dine out in the transformed industrial space of the Powerhouse, which towers over the wide, brown river like a post-apocalyptic vision. Brisbane also houses many cultural institutions in fine old civic buildings, such as Customs House, the Treasury Building, Brisbane City Hall, the Commissariat Store and the Old Mill. In Brisbane, sandstone cathedrals and classic Queenslander houses on stilts blend seamlessly with steel and glass skyscrapers.

3. Hit the water and islands of Moreton Bay

Sea kayak from North Stradboke Island or Moreton Island or go deep-sea fishing from Scarborough, Bribie Island, Manly or Raby Bay. Jet ski and windsurf on the Redcliffe Peninsula or kite-surf on Wellington Point. Slide down the world's tallest sand dunes on a toboggan or sand buggy on Moreton Island. Scuba dive with colourful fish, crustaceans, corals and turtles at Cowan's Artificial Reef, Flinders Reef and in the Tangalooma shipwrecks. Watch out for humpback whales between July and October and dolphins and dugongs all year round. Meet colonies of koalas in Victoria Point and hundreds of wading birds in the Egret Colony and Boondall Wetlands. Aqua-bike from Coochiemudlo Island then mountain bike the BMX tracks at Cleveland and Deception Bay. Four wheel drive Moreton, North Stradbroke and Bribie Islands. See Queensland's oldest banyan tree in Cleveland Point, Aboriginal scar trees and middens in the Redlands and Myora Springs and a notorious old convict settlement on St Helena Island.

4. Eat, drink and enjoy in the urban villages

Listen to live music, shop along the lively outdoor mall and feast on Chinatown dumplings in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane's cultural core. Next door in New Farm, you can people watch from trendy cafes, buy gourmet delights from the famous deli and picnic in the riverside parklands. Dine in warehouse converted restaurants and explore the transformed industrial space of the Powerhouse, now a buzzing centre for the live arts. Take the citycat to Bulimba on the river. Then visit pretty Paddington and hop between the popular bars, cafes and restaurants of Latrobe and Given Terraces. Then take in the traditional Queenslander homes which dot the hills and wide-lined streets. Cross the river for the funky restaurants and art house theatres of the West End, the shops of Stones Corner and the brewery of Queensland's most famous beer.

5. Embrace adventure

Abseil or rock climb the Kangaroo Point Cliffs at sunrise or at night when the city is dancing with lights. Climb the Story Bridge for spectacular 360 degree views. Free fall on a tandem sky dive or float over the city in a hot air balloon. You can even glide like a bird over the Sunshine Coast on a motor glider. Travel down the Brisbane River on a golden gondola, historic paddle steamer or wildlife cruise. Or take a luxury whale watching cruise from the Redcliffe Peninsula, just 30 minutes north of Brisbane. Do an eco cruise past Bribie Island and the Glasshouse Mountains to Pumicestone Passage Marine Park. Bushwalk, swim, four wheel drive, spot wildlife and explore glow worm caves on an eco-tour to Springbrook and Lamington National Parks. See the city sights on the back of a Harley Davidson or go horseriding in the sprawling bush on the edge of the city.

Stretching from Scotts Head in the south to Red Rock in the north and inland
beyond the coastal slopes of the Great Dividing Range to the New England National
Park, Coffs Coast is a region of green, pristine rainforests; relaxed, friendly
towns; a rich history and heritage; a superb string of golden beaches washed
by surf; and a spectacular underwater landscape beneath blue Pacific Ocean waters.

This major coastal resort town is also famous for its bananas and fishing.
Its located on Australia's holiday coast, where the mountains meet the sea some
570kms north of Sydney and about 350kms south of Brisbane.

Located in New South Wales, Port Stephens is a place of beauty and is only
two hour and a half hours north of Sydney,

Port Stephens has an endless range of activities and attractions to suit all
ages. Whether you're after thrills and excitement, want to enjoy yourself at
your own pace, perhaps to do nothing more than sink a line and watch the sunset
while the family exhausts themselves. Activities range from fishing, swimming,
hiking, boat excursions, kayaking