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beachcoastsolo

Driving from Cairns to Melbourne May-2023

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hanlonmelissa

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1st visit
Driving home

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Overview

Cairns Townsville Airlie Beach Mackay Rockhampton Brisbane Byron Newcastle Sydney Mel

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Cairns North

Day 1 Itinerary

Places visited: Cairns North

Cairns North

Cairns North

4-5hr drive to Townsville from Cairns

Last run in Cairns with Todd and Curtis (3kx15m)

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Airlie Beach, Townsville

Day 2 Itinerary

Places visited: Townsville - Airlie Beach

Townsville
Townsville
Townsville
Townsville
Townsville

Townsville

3km run x 15 min @ the strand

Breaky at the beet bar

Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach

Airlie Beach

Stayed at backpackers by the bay hostel $50

It was awesome, lots of long-termers

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Airlie Beach

Day 3 Itinerary

Places visited: Airlie Beach

Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach

Airlie Beach

Acai at Breaky 1

Run 3k x 16min

Camped at nomads $20

Dinner at Viet’

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Airlie Beach

Day 4 Itinerary

Places visited: Airlie Beach

Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach

Airlie Beach

My Rooper 7km x 1.5hr hike

Clubs:

Magnums

Paddies

Africa

Accom: $20 camp at Nomads

Dinner: Ramen
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Mackay, Rockhampton

Day 5 Itinerary

Places visited: Mackay - Rockhampton

Mackay

Mackay

Drive 2hrs to Mackay via Proserpine.

Mackay: Big 6 lane roads, massive convienant stores, the harbour and lighthouse

Rockhampton

Rockhampton

YHA Hostel $26

The Bush Inn Bar and Grill (amazing)

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Bundaberg

Day 6 Itinerary

Places visited: Bundaberg

Bundaberg
Bundaberg
Bundaberg
Bundaberg
Bundaberg
Bundaberg
Bundaberg
Bundaberg
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

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Hervey Bay, Noosa Shire

Day 7 Itinerary

Places visited: Hervey Bay - Noosa Shire

Hervey Bay
Hervey Bay
Hervey Bay
Hervey Bay
Hervey Bay
Hervey Bay
Hervey Bay

Hervey Bay

Definitely not in far north Queensland any more.

Noosa Shire
Noosa Shire
Noosa Shire
Noosa Shire
Noosa Shire
Noosa Shire
Noosa Shire

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

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Maroochydore, Noosa Shire

Day 8 Itinerary

Places visited: Noosa Shire - Maroochydore

Noosa Shire
Noosa Shire
Noosa Shire
Noosa Shire
Noosa Shire
Noosa Shire
Noosa Shire
Noosa Shire
Noosa Shire
Noosa Shire
Noosa Shire

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
Maroochydore
Maroochydore
Maroochydore

Maroochydore

Maroochydore Big4 $40

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Sunshine Coast

Day 9 Itinerary

Places visited: Sunshine Coast

Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast
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

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Brisbane

Day 10 Itinerary

Places visited: Brisbane

Brisbane

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Brisbane

Day 11 Itinerary

Places visited: Brisbane

Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane
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

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Gold Coast

Day 12 Itinerary

Places visited: Gold Coast

Gold Coast
Gold Coast
Gold Coast
Gold Coast
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

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Byron Bay, Gold Coast

Day 13 Itinerary

Places visited: Gold Coast - Byron Bay

Gold Coast

Byron Bay

Arts factory $35

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Byron Bay

Day 14 Itinerary

Places visited: Byron Bay

Byron Bay
Byron Bay
Byron Bay
Byron Bay
Byron Bay
Byron Bay
Byron Bay
Byron Bay
Byron Bay
Byron Bay
Byron Bay
Byron Bay
Byron Bay

Byron Bay

Backpackers inn on the beach $35

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Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie

Day 15 Itinerary

Places visited: Byron Bay - Coffs Harbour - Port Macquarie

Byron Bay
Byron Bay
Byron Bay
Byron Bay
Byron Bay
Byron Bay
Byron Bay

Byron Bay

Coffs Harbour
Coffs Harbour
Coffs Harbour
Coffs Harbour
Coffs Harbour

Coffs Harbour

Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie

Port Macquarie

Surfed with Dolphins

Backpackers by the beach $30 10/10

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Newcastle

Day 16 Itinerary

Places visited: Newcastle

Newcastle
Newcastle
Newcastle
Newcastle
Newcastle
Newcastle
Newcastle

Newcastle

YHA $25

Surf is v good

City is amazing

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Sydney

Day 17 Itinerary

Places visited: Sydney

Sydney
Sydney
Sydney
Sydney
Sydney
Sydney
Sydney
Sydney
Sydney
Sydney
Sydney
Sydney
Sydney

Sydney

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Sydney

Day 18 Itinerary

Places visited: Sydney

Sydney
Sydney
Sydney
Sydney
Sydney

Sydney

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Sydney

Day 19 Itinerary

Places visited: Sydney

Sydney

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Sydney

Day 20 Itinerary

Places visited: Sydney

Sydney

Sydney

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Canberra

Day 21 Itinerary

Places visited: Canberra

Canberra

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Melbourne

Day 22 Itinerary

Places visited: Melbourne

Melbourne

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