Originally Posted by youngy73

depends on how long your trip is but for me its fraser, 1770 and airlie beach. you can pretty much drive past everything else.

Originally Posted by AndyR1976

Brisbane to Cairns is 3000 kms

Originally Posted by wanderingwombat

I know Brisbane is expanding fast but I hadnt realised it has pushed Cairns a further 1300km north.

At this rate it wont be a flight to Japan, but a drive down the road....

WW

Originally Posted by snappy

How long are you planning on taking? You drive there in 2 days if you spend a long time driving each day.

For me the places to stop or detour, go the Australian Zoo if you haven't done so already going past the glass house mountains. Head off to Noosa (only do this in a 4x4) go over on the ferry and drive up the beach to Rainbow Beach driving through Freshwater track NOT over the rocks at Rainbow Beach. Then head into the town and get a ferry onto Fraser Island.

Back on the mainland either drive around the Tin Can Bay and pet the friendly dolphin that comes in for a feed there (dolphin is the only attraction) or go from Fraser to Hervey Bay and cut out a bit of the highway.

Go to Bundy and visit the rum factory (don't bother buying the rum as you get it cheaper elsewhere for some weird reason), go to the botanical park in Bundy and admire the Ibis birds nesting also that wee house imported from the UK (can't remember the story but quite surreal all the same)

Camp over night at the free stop at Calliope before Gladstone, great free camping spot.

Drive round Rocky and spot all the bulls, also go and see the line of Capricorn at the tourist info centre. Pop into Yepoon for a cuppa with Biggy

Either fall asleep from Rocky to Mackay or go the country route and head inland to Emerald and Saphire to do a bit of gem fossicking. Head up to Clermont and camp at the very cheap ($5 per night for everyone in your car) at the Theresa Creek dam, have a campfire and admire the milky way by moonlight.

Head into Mackay past all the massive coal sites - they go on for miles and this road also makes you feel very small with it's never ending horizon in places.

Have a quick nose in Mackay but for me personally I wouldn't bother staying too long (sorry Mackay people) although Dolphin Heads was quite a nice spot. Then onwards to the Whitsundays now this is a must do not go past here without going on a tour of the islands preferably by air - the MOST amazing once in a lifetime experience that I will always cherish was flying over and landing on the Whitehaven beach in a helicopter sipping champagne, worth every dollar we paid

Go and see Bowen the place that is now a popular Hollywood film set and with the likes of Hugh Jackman wanting to make it home. Buy a fresh Bowen Mango from a local farmer is a must at this point.

Onto Townsville, go to the water park with the massive bucket of water that drops every now and then on all the screaming kids below. Also a great place to visit the Reef HQ

Through Ingham, Cardwell, Tully - now you can either go off on a detour in Tully for a bit of the best white water rafting in Australia or head to Mission Beach and have a cuppa with me

Then onto Silkwood making a detour to South Johnstone heading towards Paronella Park another MUST. You can also camp here the night which is worth it as you can come and go into the park and the night tour is just another experience that must be lived.

Onto Innisfail buy some fresh bananas from the farmers and enjoy Either head straight up to Cairns via Babinda and the boulders or head off towards the Tablelands past the tea plantations of Nucifora, for a few days of being wowed by breath taking scenery, stunning waterfalls (Milaa Milaa is my favourite and also close to the yummy dairy farm where you can buy fab grub). Head up to Kuranda through Atherton, Mareeba down to Kuranda and finally into Cairns.

So jealous as I loved every second of our road trip up to here

Originally Posted by kelli28

That sounds great not too bothered about hervey bay or frazer island as iv just been over to straddie to see the whales and not long ago we did tangalooma wild dolphin resort wich was great think a stop at the bundy factory we may have to do not for rum but for the ginger beer

But i love the sound of a flight over the whitsundays with champagne now thats travelling in style not sure if our budget would stretch to that though and emerald and sapphire sounds really nice too maybe if we found enough gems we could sell them and do the flight at the whitsundays!!

I was'nt really looking forward to the drive but im starting to get used to the idea now you have also mentioned a few places iv never even heard of thanks

Originally Posted by kelli28

anyone made the trip by road from brisbane to cairns were travelling up in september and need advice on where to stop what its like ect ect ...

Originally Posted by kelli28

That sounds great not too bothered about hervey bay or frazer island as iv just been over to straddie to see the whales and not long ago we did tangalooma wild dolphin resort wich was great think a stop at the bundy factory we may have to do not for rum but for the ginger beer

But i love the sound of a flight over the whitsundays with champagne now thats travelling in style not sure if our budget would stretch to that though and emerald and sapphire sounds really nice too maybe if we found enough gems we could sell them and do the flight at the whitsundays!!

I was'nt really looking forward to the drive but im starting to get used to the idea now you have also mentioned a few places iv never even heard of thanks

Originally Posted by annqldau

watch the other cars that went to close to the water try to dig them selves out before the tide gets them.

Originally Posted by snappy

We were one of those cars, it turned out there was a problem with our 4x4 and we were driving around Fraser in normal 2 wheel drive. Only got stuck down by the ferry crossing to go back and after dragging a couple of cars into the sand trying to pull us out the badge itself pulled us out.....very funny but at the time very embarrassing

Originally Posted by annqldau

You must have been wishing for all those winches and snap straps etc. the big boys have. Problem is you can end up weighing a ton with all those just in case things.

Nice of the ferry to pull you out though....phew.

Originally Posted by cresta's conscience

We're 2 hours or so North of Brissie, if your feeling like a cuppa, might even be able to run to a slice of cake.

Deb

Originally Posted by cresta's conscience

We're 2 hours or so North of Brissie, if your feeling like a cuppa, might even be able to run to a slice of cake.

Deb

Originally Posted by cresta's conscience

We're 2 hours or so North of Brissie, if your feeling like a cuppa, might even be able to run to a slice of cake.

Deb

Originally Posted by cresta's conscience

and for that I thank you my Northern friend