Australia Campervan Itinerary

This is another popular campervan itinerary along a popular route. You'll stay at comfortable hotels while you're in Sydney, Cairns and Darwin, but otherwise you'll have the freedom to choose where you would like to sleep in your campervan. The price quote is a starting price; the actual fare is calculated based on the type of campervan you choose, your travel date and the number of people travelling with you. Your journey begins in captivating Sydney, where you'll have two to explore Sydney neighbourhoods. Afterwards you'll fly to Brisbane where you'll pick up your campervan and drive to the tropical city of Cairns in about 9 hours. White beaches, Fraser Island or a snorkelling trip on the Great Barrier Reef are available to you during this trip. After a flight to Alice Springs you'll travel by campervan once again to Ayers Rock and Kings Canyon and then straight across the Outback and national parks to Kakadu and Darwin, where your journey will end.

Duration	25 days Departs daily	Accommodation	Hotels and campervan Comfort Level 3 hotels
Price	£892 per person - based on 2 people sharing, 19 days type Hitop, low season July through March £1012 per person - based on 2 people sharing, 19 days type Hitop, high season December through January	Includes	Hotel accommodation and campervan hire for 19 days
Transport	Campervan	Excludes	Flights, transfers to and from airport/city, drop-off fee Darwin, campervan insurance

Day 1 - 3: Sydney arrival

Sydney is a charming, carefree, trendy metropolis that has something for everyone. Sydney is a dash of London, a smidgeon of New York, a sprinkling of the Mediterranean and quite a bit of Asian spice mixed with that Australian 'no worries' feeling and year-round delightful temperatures. So what to do while in Sydney? Well, go on a harbour cruise in one of the most beautiful harbours of the world, admire the remarkable architecture of the Sydney Opera House, stroll through the various city neighbourhoods, go for a picnic at Bondi Beach, visit the famous surf beach Manly, go shopping at the Rocks..... there's so much to do, we're sure you won't have time to do it all.

Australia campervan itinerary - Home on wheels

Day 4: Sydney - Brisbane - Noosa (by campervan)

This morning you'll catch an early flight to Brisbane, the capital of the Sunshine State. After your arrival in Brisbane, you can pick up your campervan as early as 8:00. Once you have your campervan you're ready for the first part of your journey; a scenic journey along the tropical east coast of Queensland. There are no definite plans for today; however we recommend keeping your driving time to a minimum today. We suggest visiting the charming town of Noosa Heads, the most beautiful spot on the Sunshine Coast and a mecca for surfers (driving distance 160km). Have a look below for some suggestions on what to do and see the next few days. Aside from several long days travel, you'll have plenty of time to enjoy a relaxing, laidback holiday with sun, sea and day trips to islands off the coast. There are plenty of spots along the way where you can park your campervan: in the bush or at beautifully situated campsites with all the necessary facilities and swimming pools.

Day 5 - 6: Hervey Bay

You might want to consider driving further north today along Bruce Highway or perhaps you may want to go on a side trip to the Glasshouse Mountains. The total driving distance to Hervey Bay is about 200km. Hervey Bay is a gateway to Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world with a total length of 120km and a width of 15km. Aside from a few rock patches, the island is nestled completely on a bed of sand and it has over 200 lakes. The walking tracks, such as Wungul Sand Blow Track at Dunbubara and the tracks at Lake Wabby and Lake McKenzie are ideal for long hikes. Another option would be to brave nature by mountain bike or to sit back and relax on the 75-Miles Beach.

Australia campervan itinerary - Fraser Island

Australia campervan itinerary - Tropical paradise beaches

Day 7 - 9: Hervey Bay - Yeppoon - Mackay - Airlie Beach

You have a long drive ahead of you today, so you'll probably want to head out early. Today's drive will take you through agricultural area to Yepoon (driving distance 430km, including several short stops this should take approximately 7 - 8 hours). As you leave Hervey Bay you'll drive along the highway from Bundaberg and Gladstone to Rockhampton. Enjoy the scenic route along the Capricorn Coast (past EMU Point and Keppel Island). Go for a swim in sea or in a swimming pool in Yeppoon or take the Rosslyn Bay ferry to Great Keppel or North West Island the morning of day 8 (costs approximately AU$ 18). Later in the day you'll drive along Bruce Highway to the picturesque town of Mackay (approximately 340km).

Mackay is a tropical city with an abundance of palm tree fringed lanes, especially near the city centre at Queen's Park. This is the best possible place to surrender to the favourite Aussie past-time: outdoor activities on the beach and in the sea. We also recommend visiting the botanical gardens, the orchid house at Queen's Park or the small maritime museum in the harbour. Once you get back on Bruce Highway, you'll pass Proserpine on your way to Airlie Beach. Your total driving distance for today is approximately 160km, which should take about 2 hours.

Day 10: Airlie Beach

Airlie is a popular aquatic sports town with a large, busy marina. It's also the starting point for excursions to the Whitsunday Islands. It has a cosy main street with stores, surf shops, bars and restaurants. Life revolves around aquatic sports here and there are plenty of boating trips, cruises and Barrier Reef fishing trips to choose from.

Australia campervan itinerary - Airlie Beach

Australia campervan itinerary - Sea turtles

Day 11: Airlie Beach - Mission Beach

Today you'll drive across Bruce Highway towards Mission Beach, a distance of approximately 500km. As you drive along you'll pass Townsville. Townsville is the centre of sugar cane cultivation and is located at the foot of the 3000m high Castle Hill. The pedestrian area, Flinders Street Mall, is the heart of the city. At the end of Flinders Street you'll find the Great Barrier Reef Wonderland, where you can walk through underwater tunnels surrounded by live coral.

Day 12: Mission Beach - Cairns

The following day you'll drive approximately 260km along Bruce Highway via Ingham and Tully to Cairns. A part of the route will take you straight through the rainforest. Drive carefully and keep an eye open for cassowaries. These are colourful large birds that resemble emus. Once you reach Cairns you'll have to drop off your campervan at the hire office before it closes at 17:00. The distance from the hire office to your hotel is approximately 5km; you will have to arrange your own transfer back to your hotel.

Australia campervan itinerary - Whitsundays

Australia campervan itinerary - Palm Cove

Day 13 - 14: Cairns - Alice Springs

On day 13 you'll have plenty of time to look around town or to go on an excursions. There are hundreds of excursions that start out in Cairns. Choose from a laid-back Great Barrier Reef boat trip, a river rafting trip on the Tully River, water sports and more. Or, maybe you just want to stroll through the city, browse through stores, visit surf shops, have a bite to eat at an exotic restaurant or sit back and relax with an cocktail on the Esplanade. It's up to you! Click here to find out more about the tropical city of Cairns.

On day 14 you'll fly out to the red heart of Australia, Alice Springs. After you arrive you'll have plenty of time to explore the city. The top attractions in the area are the sheer gorges of Standly Chasm, the Simpsons Gorge and Anzac Hill, which gives you an excellent view of the city. Visit the Flying Doctors Service, the historic telegraph office and the ANZAC war monument. You can also go on a short hot air balloon ride above Alice for an incredible panoramic view of the desert.

Day 15: Alice Springs - Ayers Rock

Another early start today; you can pick up your campervan as early as 8:00. Once you're all set to go, you'll drive along the James and Waterhouse Ranges, Mount Connor and the salt flats until you eventually reach ‘Uluru’, which is the Aboriginal name for Ayers Rock. If you decide to sleep in for a bit, be sure to bring along a lunch to eat as you drive. Sometime in the afternoon you'll start to see the comfortable tent camp at the Ayers Rock hotel resort appear. If you have enough time, visit Kata Tjuta (Aboriginal for ‘many heads’), 28 rock domes. The largest, Mount Olga, is 200m taller than Ayers Rock. Be sure to head back to Ayers Rock on time to see the spectacular sunset. Park your campervan at one of the campsites at the Yulara Resort, the only remnants of civilisation in the area.

Australia campervan itinerary - Ayers Rock

Day 16: Ayers Rock - Kings Creek Station

After last evening's beautiful sunset, you won't want to miss this morning's equally spectacular sunset at the 348m high Rock. Waking up early will also help you to beat the tour groups to the Rock. You could choose to climb to the top of the Rock along a 1.6km steep path. However if you decide not to climb the top, you'll still have a stunning view of the area. What's more, by not climbing the Rock you're respecting Aboriginal culture. The Aboriginals consider this mountain to be holy and they do not approve of people climbing it. In any case you'll have enough time to go for a long walk around the base of the Rock. Visit the Aboriginal caves, have a look at the rock drawings and marvel at fascinating rock formations. The Aboriginal museum in the visitor's centre is a real eye-opener and well worth visiting. Tonight you'll spend the night at a campsite at Kings Creek Station.

Day 17: Kings Creek Station - Alice Springs

Another early start this morning for you and your home on wheels. This will help you to beat the 'crowds' at the colourful, 2km long Kings Canyon. The pastel coloured, sandstone walls of the canyon are approximately 200m tall and a wide variety of plants, such as rare ferns, grow here. You'll go on a 4 hour hike past beautiful rock walls and formations with names like ‘the Amphitheatre’ and ‘The Lost City’. The rocks here look like ruins of some lost city. In one particularly green gorge you'll find the Garden of Eden. You'll be able to go for a swim in this small, warm pool surrounded by rock walls in the middle of the desert (during the summer). Try to be back in Yulara before lunch. Afterwards you'll travel through the sand dunes and through the rugged desert back to Alice Springs.

Day 18: Alice Springs - Tennant Creek

After leaving Alice Springs you'll travel north. Today you'll stop off at the Tropic of Cancer and a local Aboriginal community. Afterwards you'll travel further north towards the unusual rock formation 'Devils Marbles'; an interesting red granite rock formation, which according to Aboriginal myth was thrown out over a large area by the ‘Rainbow Serpent’. From here it isn't too far to the Mary Ann Dam (you can swim here in the summer). It's also close to Tennant Creek, the heart of the Australian gold rush in 1930. You'll spend the night a campsite here.

Day 19: Tennant Creek - Mataranka

This morning you'll drive out to the Daly Waters Outback station. Daly Waters was built about 100 years ago by cowboys who once ran their herds here. A bank/ post office and a police bureau are still here. After lunch you'll drive on to Mataranka, which has been a reserve since 1967. Have a swim in one of the crystal-clear thermal baths and feel the water take away all your cares. The spring is a delightful 34º C and up to 22.5 million litres of water runs through it. This is an excellent place to set up camp for the night.

Australia campervan itinerary - Cool off with a swim

Day 20 - 21: Mataranka - Katherine

Today you'll drive to Katherine Gorge National Park, where you'll find an impressive gorge or actually, there are 13 gorges spread out over 12km. While you're here you could go on a relaxing cruise (approximately AU$ 25) or choose a more active outdoor activity by going on a canoeing trip (approximately AU$ 25 for a canoe for 2 to 3 people). Spend another night here or make an early start for Kakadu National Park.

Day 22 - 23: Kakadu

You'll have plenty of time to visit Kakadu on your own today. Here are a few places you may want to visit while you're here:

- Ubirr Rock: a rock formation with historic Aboriginal rock drawings, dating back to various time periods. The oldest drawings are about 20,000 years old.
- Nourlangie Rock: a long, red sandstone rock with black, orange and white stripes; a mystical place of great importance to Aboriginals.
- Barramundi Gorge: a spectacular gorge with a cool spring, great for a swim.
- Mamukala Wetlands: a swamp area with many crocodiles, walking track and bird observatories.
- Nawurlandja Lookout: a beautifully situated lookout point.
- Fogg Dam: this is the ideal place to spot birds.
- Mary River Wetlands: a swamp area with lagoons and very many water birds.

Australia Campervan Itinerary - Kakadu rock art

Australia campervan itinerary - Ubirr Rock

- Jabiru: a town built to house mine workers. There are several places in town where you can look for gold.
- Warradjan Cultural Centre: an information centre that provides in-depth information on Aboriginal culture.
- Jim Jim and Twin Falls: the most impressive waterfalls in Kakadu. The Twin Falls can only be reached by water, approximately 1km .
- Gunlom Falls: beautiful waterfalls in southern Kakadu, where you can swim through rock holes created by erosion.
- Marrakai Floodplains: vast wet plains with incredible panoramic views.

Keep in mind that some parts of Kakadu, such as Jim Jim, can only be reached by 4x4 camper.

Day 24 - 25: Kakadu - Darwin

Sometime in the morning you'll head towards Darwin. Once you arrive you'll drop off your campervan and you'll spend the night in a fine hotel. Darwin is the capital of the Northern Territory; the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities. Visiting Darwin is like having a ticket to the tropics; palm trees, stifling heat, rotating fans above verandas and locals who live life at a slow pace. After a cyclone destroyed the city in 1974, Darwin was rebuilt. This is why the city exudes a very modern and open atmosphere. As you walk along the streets you'll mostly see travellers, Aboriginals and Asians. If you'd like to get a tan, visit one of the popular beaches such as Mindil, Vestey's Mandorah and Nightcliff. Visit the botanical garden at the Chinese temple to get in a sightseeing mood or go on a romantic sunset harbour cruise. We really enjoyed seeing the night market at Mindle Beach while we were here. This multi-cultural market is held every weekend and features many food stalls with goodies from all over the world. It's also an excellent place to buy a few souvenirs. On day 25 this Australia campervan itinerary ends and you'll fly back home.

Campervan Tour: Coast Cruise & Desert Drive