Driving from Cairns to Melbourne May-2023
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itinerary
highlights
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Overview
Cairns Townsville Airlie Beach Mackay Rockhampton Brisbane Byron Newcastle Sydney Mel
Day 1 Itinerary
Places visited: Cairns North
Cairns North
4-5hr drive to Townsville from Cairns
Last run in Cairns with Todd and Curtis (3kx15m)
Day 2 Itinerary
Places visited: Townsville - Airlie Beach
Townsville
3km run x 15 min @ the strand
Breaky at the beet bar
Airlie Beach
Stayed at backpackers by the bay hostel $50
It was awesome, lots of long-termers
Day 3 Itinerary
Places visited: Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach
Acai at Breaky 1
Run 3k x 16min
Camped at nomads $20
Dinner at Viet’
Day 4 Itinerary
Places visited: Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach
My Rooper 7km x 1.5hr hike
Clubs:
Magnums
Paddies
Africa
Accom: $20 camp at Nomads
Dinner: RamenDay 5 Itinerary
Places visited: Mackay - Rockhampton
Mackay
Drive 2hrs to Mackay via Proserpine.
Mackay: Big 6 lane roads, massive convienant stores, the harbour and lighthouse
Rockhampton
YHA Hostel $26
The Bush Inn Bar and Grill (amazing)
Day 6 Itinerary
Places visited: Bundaberg
Bundaberg
Bagara Beach Hotel
The point Bagara
The first beach you can swim in the ocean from Cairns is here.
Bundaberg ginger beer factory
Islands of interest: Lady Musgrave and Elliot
Day 7 Itinerary
Places visited: Hervey Bay - Noosa Shire
Hervey Bay
Definitely not in far north Queensland any more.
Noosa Shire
Nomads Noosa $50
The two hour drive from Harvey Bay to Noosa has the most incredible thick forest and has a lot of short corners.. Highly recommend not driving at night time. The last half hour of my drive was in the dark and regrettably did not see Tweed heads or the top half of Noosa, so I would recommend driving this in the daytime.
On a lighter note, very glad I brought a surfboard because I fit in now. Staying at nomads Noosa tonight
Day 8 Itinerary
Places visited: Noosa Shire - Maroochydore
Noosa Shire
Apparently the coast around surfers Paradise in Noosa is the 10th best surf beaches in the world?
I had a great surf waves were perfect, but then I started seeing jumping fish, so I thought to get out.
Im at the most beautiful beach in Noosa and these really cool people there just chillin. Noosa Council comes up to them and tells them to move their hammocks from the trees!
The drive from Noosa to the sunny coast:
Peregian incredible coastal views.
Coolum could easily stay here. Lots to do lots to see incredible surf, incredible boardwalk underrated.
Maroochydore
Maroochydore Big4 $40
Day 9 Itinerary
Places visited: Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast
Woke up in Maroochydore, went for an afternoon run from Maroochydore to Alex headlands Beach and back 3 km 17 minutes
Decided to surf and Alex Headland, as there were surfers there. Maroochydore looked a bit too rough.
Mooloolaba is definitely the best holiday destination for sure
Driving to Brisbane now. Could’ve driven along the freeway and it would’ve taken 1.5 hours but decided to go the tourist Drive via glasshouse Mountains 2.5 hour drive. Definitely the better option. Highly recommend if you have the time instead of being stuck on a boring freeway
Day 11 Itinerary
Places visited: Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane, West End markets, Saturday mornings until 2 pm. Best market, 1980s prices, everything you want in a market.
In the afternoon I hiked/did a Trail run around Mount Cootha from Simpson Falls which was 8 km in total and a really beautiful view of the city
Then I went to the north side street eats which is definitely the number one place to visit when you’re in Brisbane.
Tonight, I’m going to visit the clubs in the valley: I’ve been told Kenjin is is a vibe.
Along the valley are: Kickons, prohibition and retros. Techno is the Met. Birdies is for 18-year-olds.
To note: Kickons is no longer June 2023, The met is five dollars on Fridays and $20 on Saturdays except 15 before 11 pm.
Thursday Friday night apparently are for Howard Smith wharves which of Mr Perceval’s and felons.
My Saturday night out in Brisbane summary:
The cheapest night out you could have in an Australian city. Most clubs don’t have entry fee, prohibition, free pizza. Five dollar parking all weekend Mead Street.
The clubs don’t fill up until late. you probably want to go out from at least 11-12
Birdies and Kickons for 18-year-olds
Prohibition the best
The $20 entry probably like Gilligans
Kenjin could’ve been cool
Heaps of other clubs and bars
Day 12 Itinerary
Places visited: Gold Coast
Gold Coast
$35 backpackers in Paradise
This morning went to the Broadbeach markets which is on every first and third Sunday of the month was really awesome. They had a blues festival there
Went surfing in surfers Paradise. The waves are hectic.
Hostel is really really nice
Now having dinner at house of brews taphouse, which has $12 pizzas on Sundays
Day 15 Itinerary
Places visited: Byron Bay - Coffs Harbour - Port Macquarie
Byron Bay
Coffs Harbour
Port Macquarie
Surfed with Dolphins
Backpackers by the beach $30 10/10
