Planning a trip to Australia? This guide will give you a detailed overview of all the best places to see along the East Coast. I would give yourself at least four - six weeks to experience everything the East Coast has to offer, though the itinerary can easily be adapted to fit a longer or shorter timeline.
This guide includes 11 destinations along the coast, including a breakdown of all the differences between different Fraser Island and Whitsundays trips. It also includes a detailed list of how to get around, where to stay, and what to do in each destination.
I've been to all of these places myself, and also work as a travel agent planning and booking East Coast trips. Send me an email for a free custom made itinerary!
Melbourne is a very laid back city, filled with great food and coffee, live music, and street art. It's often referred to as the cultural capital of Australia, and is well known for its artsy laneways and historic architecture. I recommend spending at least 3-5 days here.
Days One and Two: City Days
- Do a street art walking tour
- Visit local museums (Melbourne Museum, National Gallery of Victoria, and the Immigration Museum are all great options!)
- Check out Queen Victoria Market
- Eat, drink, and shop your way through Fitzroy
- Go to St. Kilda for an afternoon by the beach or a night out
Known for its lively atmosphere, St. Kilda is Melbourne's primary beach area. The suburb is conveniently filled with bars, cafes, and shops, and is a perfect spot for backpackers to stay during their trip to Melbourne.
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Days Three and Four: Great Ocean Road
- Rent a car or book an organised trip down the Great Ocean Road! Some of the highlights, such as the 12 Apostles, can be seen in a one day trip, but a two day trip allows for a more relaxed pace, and more to see.
The Great Ocean Road is a beautiful scenic drive on Victoria's Southwest coast, with plenty of opportunities for stunning beaches and native wild life encounters.
For backpackers who want a social hostel by the beach. With nightly activities, such as boozy bingo and trivia nights, there's never a dull moment here!
For backpackers who love having a bit of everything - Space offers amenities such as a spacious rooftop, hot tub, gym, and cinema room.
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Sydney
Sydney is arguably Australia's most iconic city. With world class beaches and a vibrant city life, it's easy to spend 3-5 days here. While the city is most well known for the iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge, there is much more to explore beyond these destinations, including approximately 100 beaches, and a lively nightlife and entertainment scene.
Take the ferry across from Circular Quay for great views of the Sydney Harbour. You can relax, shop, or enjoy a meal at Manly.
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Day Three: Blue Mountains
The Blue Mountains are a UNESCO heritage site located about an hour outside of Sydney. It can be seen in a day trip, or for those who prefer a bit more time for hiking and outdoors activities, as a multi-day trip, with an overnight stay in Katoomba.
Centrally located hostel in the CBD with daily events, including free pizza nights and pub crawls. The hostel is close to Chinatown, several museums, Hyde Park, and Darling Harbour.
Located right by Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach, this hostel is perfect for backpackers who want to experience the city's classic beach culture. There is also a good nightlife scene in the Bondi area.
Want to wake up to views of Sydney's iconic opera house? Look no further.
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Week Two: Surf Camp
Arrawarra
Spend anywhere from 3 - 7 days here learning how to surf in this small coastal town, also commonly known as Spot X. A typical day at this surf camp starts with a healthy breakfast served until 9am, followed by the daily surf lesson. After lunch, guests can participate in 'expression sessions' where they practice what they learned in the morning. Guests who prefer something more relaxed can participate in one of the other activities on offer, such as yoga, kayaking, or a kangaroo trek. Think of it like an adult summer camp!
Spend anywhere from 3-7 days here learning how to surf in a small coastal town.
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Week Three: Byron Bay and Gold Coast
Byron Bay
This spot is a must for backpackers. Filled with stunning beaches, snorkelling, and surfing spots, it's got everything you'd want from an Australia trip. It's known for being a very laid-back destination overall, but it's easy to find something to do here for everyone. The town is also known for its vibrant live music venues, and overall lively nightlife.
A great snorkelling/diving spot for spotting a wide variety of marine life, including leopard sharks, turtles, and eagle rays. Between December and April you can take a ~2 hour boat trip that takes you out to this nature reserve.
From May to November, you can see Humpback Whales along Byron Bay's coast line as they migrate north from Antartica. Doing a boat trip if you're here at this time of year is a must!
The self-proclaimed cannabis capital of Australia, this day trip is a great way to get outside of Byron for a day and get a feel for this unique bohemian town.
Resort style accomodation on the beach. This hostel is a 20 min walk from town, but runs free hourly shuttles. They also offer free yoga classes and surfboard hire. Overall, a very social hostel.
A basic, budget friendly hostel close to the centre of town.
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Gold Coast
Known for its beachside skyline, amusement parks, and amazing beaches, Gold Coast is classic spot along the East Coast. Stay in Surfers Paradise to be in the centre of the action - close to nightlife, beaches, and shopping!
A very social hostel located right by the beach that offers nightly activities, including free stand up paddle boarding, and games nights.
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Week Four: Brisbane, Noosa and Fraser Island
Brisbane
Brisbane is an urban city known for its relaxed atmosphere, and location along the Brisbane River. proximity to several outdoor activities, including several mountain ranges, beaches, and river activities.
The 2nd largest sand island in the world, North Stradbroke Island is a great place to go on bush walks and see typical Australian wildlife, or to relax on a beach.
Located in Brisbane's West End, this budget friendly hostel offers great views of the city, and is close in proximity to several low cost restaurants and bars.
This hostel is very centrally located and features modern amenities, including ensuite rooms, an outdoor cinema room, and an on-site restaurant and bar, though it is not the most social.
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Noosa
Noosa is a small beachside town popular amongst both locals and backpackers. If doing Fraser Island from Noosa, you will need to split your time in Noosa to be before and after the trip.
Close to the town centre, the coastal walk in this national park is a great way to see several of Noosa's best beaches. Be sure to stop off at the Fairy Pools, Little Cove, and Tea Tree for some instagram-worthy photos
One of only two Everglade systems in the world, the Noosa Everglades are known for their natural beauty. They are best explored by boat, kayak, or canoe.
Very centrally located, this large social hostel is a great base for your time in Noosa. Nomads regularly hosts evening events, such as their popular bingo night, making it easy to meet other backpackers.
Very modern and clean resort style hostel featuring a glass pool, bar, and fully equipped kitchen. A short shuttle ride away from the beach and town centre.
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K'gari/Fraser Island
K'gari, commonly known as Fraser Island, is the largest sand island in the world, and a must visit UNESCO World Heritage site. The island is well-known for it's stunning natural beauty, including dozens of freshwater lakes, most notably the iconic Lake McKenzie. Other notable sites worth visiting on the island include the Maheno shipwreck, Lake Wabby, Eli Creek, the Champagne Pools, and Indian Head. The best way for backpackers to explore Fraser Island is by doing a multi-day 4WD tag-a-long tour. The famous 75 Mile Beach on K'gari is a designated highway, and on tag-a-long tours, you get to do the driving.
There are three main departure points for Fraser Island trips: Noosa, Rainbow Beach, and Hervey Bay. All of the multi-day/overnight trips depart from either Noosa or Rainbow Beach. Day trips depart from Hervey Bay.
While Rainbow Beach and Hervey Bay are about an hour closer to Fraser Island, there is not nearly as much to do compared to Noosa. Regardless of where you are departing from, you will need to stay overnight the night before your Fraser trip departs, and in most cases you will need to stay overnight the night the trip returns as well. It's worth considering what destinations you want to see, especially if you are tight on time!
1) NOOSA - Island Expeditions, K'gari Swag, and K'gari Safari
These three trips are all 3D/2N. They include all transportation, accomodation, and meals, and also all offer one night of pre and post accomodation in Noosa at an extremely discounted rate (typically 80% off what a standard night of accomodation in Noosa would cost). The main differences between these tours is that K'gari Safari boasts more luxurious accomodation options - 4 bed safari tents with mattresses, fresh linens, hot showers, and flushing toilets available. There is also a general store nearby. Island Expeditions offers two person tents with foam mattresses, and K'gari Swag offers one person swag tents with foam mattresses.
2) RAINBOW BEACH - Dingo's K'gari Adventures and Pippies
These are two excellent options for Fraser if you'd prefer to depart from Rainbow Beach. Dingo's offers both 3D/2N and 2D/1N trips, depending on how much time you have. Dingo's has an enclosed campsite that has power so you can keep your phone charged for photos. Pippie's offers a private campsite that boasts hot showers and flushing toilets. They also offer accomodation options for Rainbow Beach as a package deal.
3) HERVEY BAY - Fraser Dingo and K'gari Explorer Tours
Fraser Dingo offers both 3D/2N and 2D/1N trips in beach house quad share accomodation, with hot showers and toilets.
K'gari Explorer Tours offer day trips, for those who are tight on time or budget.
Week Five: Agnes Water, Airlie Beach, and the Whitsundays
Agnes Water
Also known as 1770, this stop helps break up the long bus ride between Noosa and Airlie Beach. This stop is much more remote than most other stops along the East Coast, and is one of the last stops to surf before getting to North Queensland. It's recommended to stay 2-3 days here.
The main hostel in Agnes Water, featuring clean and spacious rooms, and a social environment.
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Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach is a coastal town known for being the gateway to the Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef. It has a heavy presence of backpackers and a good nightlife scene. I recommend spending 2 - 4 days here.
This hostel-like accomodation does not have any dorm rooms, so is best for groups. There is also a very popular bar on-site.
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Whitsundays
Well known for the stunning Whitehaven Beach, this collection of islands are an absolute must-see while in Airlie Beach. Trips here vary from single day to multi-day sailing trips.
Backpackers will commonly go for a 2 or 3 Day/2 Night sailing trip around the islands. There are dozens of boats in the Whitsundays that all cater to different interests. A breakdown of some of the most popular operators is below:
Running exclusively 3D/2N trips on old maxi sailing yachts, these trips are great for the backpacker between 18-35 looking for the overall best value for money. They are small tours, with a maximum of 30 people on board, leaving plenty of room on the deck for relaxing or socialising. On these trips, travellers will check out some of the most pristine spots around the Whitsundays, eat delicious fresh food, and spend plenty of time in the water.
This company runs 2D/2N and 2D/1N sailing trips catered towards 18-35's. Think a social adventure boats that sleeps around 25 people. Travellers can typically expect to have active exploration days (think snorkelling and hiking), and social drinks in the evenings with the rest of the group. These boats are on the cheaper side for overnight trips, and overall a fantastic option for those who want a little bit of everything.
This is one of the largest operators in the Whitsundays. While they operate both day and overnight trips, they are most known for their 2D/2N trip on the Atlantic Clipper. This boat is a notorious party boat, and generally best suited for young backpackers looking to have a very social couple days. The boat sleeps 53 passengers, and has tons of fun perks - a hot tub and water slide on board, as well as themed party nights.
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Magnetic Island
Often referred to as Maggie, Magnetic Island is a small island just off the coast of Townsville that is known for its large population of wild koalas and wallabies. It takes a 25 minute ferry ride to get across, and some hostels include the ferry transfer in the cost of your accomodation if booked in advance. It's a perfect place to relax as you near the end of your East Coast trip. While it is easy to get around Magnetic Island by bus, many people like to hire topless 'Barbie Cars' as a way to explore the island.
The perfect spot to unwind while on your travels. Very relaxed environment in the rainforest, and features organised activities such as yoga and pizza nights.
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Cairns
Located in North Queensland, this city is known for its tropical climate and easy access to several natural attractions, including the Great Barrier Reef, rainforests, waterfalls, and mountains. While there isn't much to do in the city itself, there are plenty of day trips well worth doing from Cairns. It's easy to stay a week exploring Cairns and the surrounding areas.
One of the natural wonders of the world, the Great Barrier reef is the largest coral reef system on Earth. This marine ecosystem is home to hundreds of types of coral, thousands of fish and dozens of whale species.
Trips range from half-day to multi-day liveaboards. Visitors can go snorkelling, do an introductory dive, certified dive, or get PADI certified.
The oldest rainforest in the world, the Daintree has a wide array of flora and fauna unique to North Queensland. It is also well known for being home to the largest crocodile species in the world as well as Cape Tribulation. These are two must-see's on any day or overnight trip to the Daintree Rainforest.
Resort style hostel featuring free bike hire, free yoga, table tennis, and free breakfast. This hostel is a 25 min walk from Cairns Central, with shuttles running every 30 mins.
Hi! I'm Nicole, a travel agent based in Queenstown, New Zealand.
I'm originally from Rhode Island, and I lived in Washington, DC for seven years before moving to Queenstown two years ago.
I love helping backpackers and solo travelers plan their trips. If you're interested in planning travel to Australia, New Zealand, or Fiji, send an email to nicole@happytravels.co.nz and I'd be happy to make you a free custom itinerary.
