After fully recharging our batteries in Byron Bay, it was time to cross the border into Queensland. This second leg of our East Coast road trip took us from laid-back beach towns into Australia’s third-largest city, through one of the most beautiful national parks on the coast, and finally onto the world’s largest sand island.
If you missed Part 1 (Sydney to Byron Bay), you can find it here.
Byron Bay → Brisbane → Noosa → Rainbow Beach → K’gari (Fraser Island)
Stop 6: Brisbane
Byron Bay → Brisbane: ~2 hours
The drive from Byron Bay to Brisbane is one of the shortest of the entire trip, which meant we arrived with plenty of time to start exploring right away.
Brisbane surprised us. We hadn’t expected too much from the city, but what we appreciated most was how walkable everything is. The city centre, the river promenades, and the parks all connect seamlessly, and we spent a good part of our time simply walking along the Brisbane River and squeezing in a Zone 2 morning run.
Our visit happened to fall on HYROX race weekend, so we definitely weren’t the only ones running. At 6am on Saturday morning it genuinely felt like rush hour on the riverside path — and every café was already open. As early risers ourselves, we felt right at home.
Some of our Brisbane highlights:
- Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary — the world’s oldest and largest koala sanctuary, where you can also hand-feed kangaroos
- South Bank Parklands — riverside gardens, a man-made lagoon, and skyline views
- Drinks at the Sky Deck, with a great view over the city — tip: entry is free, you only pay for your drinks
- Malatang in the city — Brisbane’s Asian food scene is excellent
Lone Pine deserves a special mention. Getting there is easy from the city, and seeing koalas up close — along with kangaroos, wombats, and platypuses — was a great way to tick off some Australian wildlife before heading further north.
Stop 7: Noosa
Brisbane → Noosa: ~2 hours
Noosa quickly became one of our favourite stops of the entire trip.
The absolute must-do here is the coastal walk through Noosa National Park. There are several trails to choose from, all following the coastline past bays, cliffs, and perfect surf breaks. Keep your eyes open — you might spot koalas sleeping in the trees or dolphins playing in the waves below. We weren’t quite so lucky, but the walk was stunning regardless.
The beaches around Noosa are just as impressive. We rented bodyboards at our hostels and gave it a go — the waves are beginner-friendly, and it was super fun.
The third highlight was a boat trip into the Noosa Everglades, one of only two everglades systems in the world. The route also took us past the main part of Noosa, where all the expensive waterfront villas are — seriously impressive to cruise past.
Stop 8: Rainbow Beach
Noosa → Rainbow Beach: ~2 hours
Rainbow Beach is a small, laid-back town that mainly serves as the gateway to K’gari — and that’s exactly what it was for us. We drove up early in the morning to transfer straight onto our three-day K’gari tour with Drop Bears, kicking things off on day one with a visit to the Maheno Shipwreck.
Stop 9: K’gari (Fraser Island)
K’gari, formerly known as Fraser Island, is the largest sand island in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Since driving on the island requires a 4WD and some serious sand-driving experience, we decided to join a guided tour — and it turned out to be one of the best decisions of the trip.
Our group was fantastic: out of 28 people, 24 were English, which made for a very entertaining couple of days — we picked up a proper crash course in English culture, especially their drinking culture. And then there was our guide Brent — a true hippie soul who knew the island inside out and made every stop feel special with his stories and laid-back attitude.
The tour followed the classic route across the island, including:
- Lake McKenzie — a crystal-clear freshwater lake with sand so white it squeaks under your feet
- 75 Mile Beach — the island’s famous sand highway, where planes land right next to the 4WDs
- The Maheno Shipwreck — a rusting ocean liner stranded on the beach since 1935
- Eli Creek — a freshwater creek where you can float down towards the ocean
- Champagne Pools — natural rock pools filled by crashing waves
Driving along the beach in a 4WD convoy, with the ocean on one side and endless dunes on the other, is an experience that’s hard to put into words. Just keep in mind that swimming in the ocean around K’gari is a no-go — between the sharks and the currents, the freshwater lakes are definitely the safer (and honestly more beautiful) option.
At one point all four cars in our convoy got properly stuck in the sand, and it took us close to an hour to dig everyone out — pure team spirit, and one of the memorable bonding moments of the trip. The undisputed highlight, though, was the impossibly clear water of Lake McKenzie, known as “the eye of K’gari.” We also spotted several dingoes along the way, including one stealing food off another group’s truck.
After three unforgettable days on the island, we returned to the mainland — ready for the next leg of the journey, which would turn out to be the most special one of the entire trip.
But that’s for Part 3.
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