Don’t let the wet season rain on your Queensland summer holiday parade.
There’s good reason why road trippers head north to Queensland to escape southern winters … the promise of sunny days, balmy nights, warm waters, and spectacular coastal scenery.
But, there are even more reasons why Queensland is the perfect holiday destination in summer.
Yes, it’s hot and humid, but there is always somewhere to cool off and fewer people vying for a spot. Aside from school holidays, summer tends to be quieter in the Sunshine State, so avoiding the crowds is a bonus.
You can expect afternoon storms, but the tropical rains disappear as quickly as they hit, and the result is even more dramatic landscapes – especially the waterfalls when trickles turn to thunderous flows.
There is more than 2000km of coastline to explore between Cooktown and the NSW border.
Here is a guide to your ultimate road trip.
Cairns - Mission Beach. Image Credit: @exploreshaw
Tropical North Queensland (TNQ)
The heat is on in TNQ, but the crowds are elsewhere, so soak up some quiet time in a destination renowned for pristine wilderness and the wonders that lay off shore.
Named after the explorer, Captain James Cook who took refuge here, Cooktown is a great place to start. That history is on show at James Cook Museum, Reconciliation Rocks, and on Riverbend Tours.
Two World Heritage areas meet in Cape Tribulation – the 180-million-year-old Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef.
Port Douglas offers easy access to the rainforest at Mossman Gorge, where you can hike, swim, and join Dreamtime Walks.
In Cairns, catch the Kuranda Rail and Skyrail to Barron Falls and Kuranda Markets.
If you want to live like a local, Crystal Cascades, Babinda Boulders, and the Esplanade Lagoon is where they love to swim, and Fitzroy Island is where they go to snorkel.
Tip: It’s stinger season from November to March each year, so make sure to wear a stinger suit if you’re swimming in the ocean and always beware of crocodiles.
Gateway to:
- The Great Barrier Reef – day trips to the world’s largest coral reef system can be booked from Cairns and Port Douglas.
- Atherton Tablelands – it’s the TNQ food bowl and home to Lake Eacham, pretty towns like Yungaburra, the curtain and cathedral fig trees, and the Waterfall Circuit going to Millaa Millaa, Zillie and Ellinjaa
Stay:
Image Credit: Tourism & Events Queensland - Ading Attamimi
Townsville
What a gorgeous waterfront … beautiful parks with huge curtain fig trees, outdoor gyms, and paths give it the Gold Coast feel without the crowds and bling.
The open-air Watermark Hotel is great for a casual meal or takeaway pizza if you don’t feel like cooking.
Make sure to drive up to Castle Hill lookout (okay in a motorhome, but maybe leave the van behind).
Tip: If you need retail therapy, Silly Solly’s has all sorts of gadgets for RVs and Townsville has the biggest and fanciest Vinnies (op shop) I’ve ever seen.
Gateway to:
- Museum of Underwater Art –- dive or snorkel among the Ocean Sentinels.
- Wallaman Falls –- visit Australia’s tallest single-drop waterfall in Girringun National Park.
- Cassowary Coast – watch out for elusive (and endangered) cassowaries as you drive to Cardwell, Mission Beach, and Kurrimine Beach.
- Magnetic Island –- take the ferry to Magnetic Island, then walk or hire a Mini Moke to its 23 beaches.
- Great Barrier Reef –- sail, take a tour, or ride a helicopter ride.
Stay:
Image Credit: Airlie Beach - John Montessi
The Whitsundays
It’s no wonder cruise ships anchor at Airlie Beach. It has everything tourists want - a marina, golf course, oodles of shops, cafés, restaurants, and bars. The waterfront lagoon is perfect for families and visitors to swim - especially if it’s stinger season.
Tips:
- Finding a park can be hard – especially in an RV. Check in to your accommodation, then explore.
- Use tropical strength insect repellent just in case midges (sandflies) strike. You won’t know you’ve been bitten until the next day.
Gateway to:
- The 174 Whitsunday islands like Hamilton, famous beaches like Whitehaven, and coral treats like Heart Reef.
- Reefworld – snorkel, dive, and sleep on (or under) one of the natural wonders of the world. ().
- Bowen – as well as Thethe Big Mango, Bowen has the long and gloriously quiet Queens Beach (if you don’t like crowds).
Stay:
Mackay. Image Credit: Tourism QLD
Mackay
Take your time here to uncover some of its natural beauty. With a backdrop of mountains that fade off into distance, it’s surrounded by fields of sugar cane. In fact, Mackay produces one third of Australia’s sugar crop. Lambert’s Lookout and Slade Point are a must- visit with great views to islands and passing whales.
Gateway to:
- Finch Hatton Gorge in Eungella National Park – where locals swim in the rainforest.
- Casuarina Beach - where wallabies gather at sunrise for a mangrove seedpod feast.
- Sarina Beach – where turtles nest from October to March. Also, check out the Sugar Shed tours in Sarina township.
- Clairview Dugong Sanctuary – where dugongs are known to visit. Nicknamed “sea cows”, they eat seagrass and spend their whole life at sea, but can often be seen when they surface to breathe.
Stay:
Rockhampton
This is cattle country. In fact, “Rocky” is the stud capital of Australia. The landscape morphs from sugar cane and green fields dotted with dairy cows to gum-studded grazing pastures.
The city is full of surprises. You can be in the free zoo, (located in the Botanic Gardens), one day and fishing for barramundi in Fitzroy River the next.
Mt Archer Lookout offers the best views, especially from the Nurim Circuit boardwalk.
And, iIf you have children in tow, climbing through the nine-metre-tall Wyatt’s Wonder Web at Kershaw Gardens is a must.
Gateway to:
- Blackdown Tableland National Park, about two hours from town, has gorges, waterfalls, lookouts, indigenous rock art, and rock pools at the end of the 4km Gudda Gumoo track.
- Capricorn Coast Caves is Queensland’s oldest tourist attraction. It was discovered in 1882 by the Olsen Family, but kept secret until Mr Olsen could buy the land. The Cathedral Cave tour reveals all about the caves, including where a colony of bent-winged micro-bats live and where they swarm out each night to feed. It culminates in a cavernous room that looks just like a cathedral, complete with pews for weddings.
Stay:
Yeppoon
Yeppoon is one of those coastal spots you’ll want to come back to again and again.
The lagoon, playground, and picnic area is impressive – especially for kids (but not dogs).
It has shops and restaurants with views over the Coral Sea and if you love wildlife, turtles and whales are everywhere (from July to October) or you can venture to Cooberrie Park Wildlife Sanctuary or Koorana Crocodile Farm.
Follow the drive past Coolwaters to Emu Park to see (and hear) the Singing Ship and tributes to locals who served in defence forces.
Tip:
- The best way to get here is along the Capricorn Coast Tourist Drive – a 100km return loop from Rockhampton.
Gateway to:
- Byfield Rainforest –- to sswim or kayak in freshwater creeks or try some 4WD action at the far end.
- Great Keppel Island - Rosslyn Bay is where ferries leave for Great Keppel Island. Hike, swim, snorkel, take a shuttle bus to one of 17 beaches, or just soak in the island atmosphere … even with your dog.
Stay:
- Discovery Parks Coolwaters, Yeppoon
- Great Keppel Island Hideaway – leave the RV on shore and enjoy a beachfront cabin
Tannum Sands. Image Credit: John Montesi
Tannum Sands
Tannum Sands is a quiet pocket of coastal heaven. Think of beaches with paddleboarders, wind surfers, paragliders, kayaks, kids with blow-up floating toys, and all those “quiet” water sports.
You can walk for kilometres along the sand or the Wild Cattle Creek path and 20km Turtle Wway Bikeway, which winds through manicured parks and connects to Boyne Island.
Tip:
- Make the most of the caravan park’s location. Straight across the road is access to Wild Cattle Creek, where you can throw in a fishing line.
Gateway to:
- Gladstone - Eastern Shores Parklands has shaded playgrounds and walkways, a waterpark for toddlers, waterfall, café, and a ship!
- Lake Awoonga - a place stocked with big barramundi and mangrove jack for keen anglers.
- Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy – these are two incredibly popular tourist hotspots that merge into one. Famous for being the second place where Captain James Cook stepped on to Australian soil, it’s all about beach-side fun … but avoid school holidays unless you’ve booked ahead.
- Bundaberg – all that volcanic soil and sugar cane goes into making the famous Bundaberg Rum. Distillery tours show how it all comes together.
- Lady Elliot and Lady Musgrave islands - the southernmost Great Barrier Reef islands are off the coasts of Gladstone, Bundaberg, and Seventeen Seventy. They’re home to nesting turtles, manta rays, migrating whales, and birds.
- Mon Repos Turtle Centre in Bargara – see loggerhead turtles hatching on the beach from November to February on a ranger- guided tour.
Stay:
Hervey Bay - G'day Magazine
Hervey Bay, Fraser Coast
Brace yourself for days packed full of wildlife and outdoor fun on land and sea.
Hervey Bay is best known as the whale watching capital and for access to K’gari (Fraser Island) - the largest sand island in the world. Ferries to the 123km-long island leave from River Heads near Hervey Bay, or Inskip Point near Rainbow Beach.
Take your 4WD over or join a tour and let the guides do all the hard work. (https://www.visitfrasercoast.com).
From late July until the end of October, Hervey Bay is the place to be to see humpback whales. They are often visible from shore, but getting up close out on the water is spectacular.
Tasman Venture runs whale watching tours out of River Heads marina.
The day starts cruising alongside K’gari while the skipper watches for whales and ongoing commentary gives an insight into the lives of humpback whales.
September is all about mums and babies passing on their way to Antarctica. Seeing 30 pairs of whales breaching and tail slapping is not unusual. The behaviour is thought to be mums teaching their young how to socialise and protect themselve (https://tasmanventure.com.au).
Even on days when you’re not touring, there’s plenty to do. Take a walk on the beach (only a few allow dogs) or keep off the sand and stroll along the shaded Esplanade boardwalk from Scarness to Torquay for the Ferris wheel, shops, and Saturday markets.
Stay:
Noosa. Image Credit: Tourism Queensland
Sunshine Coast
From Rainbow Beach and Tin Can Bay to Caboolture, there’s 100km of coastline plus lush hinterland and the Everglades to explore.
It’s all popular … and populated. Busy Hastings Street in Noosa is probably the most famous, but don’t underestimate the pull of Coolum, Mooloolaba, and Cotton Tree for Esplanade shopping and “lunching”.
There are “quieter” spots like Peregian Beach and there’s definitely a favourite beach for everyone. The whole Sunshine Coast is a “gateway” to all sorts of experiences.
Gateway to:
- Noosa Everglades – there are only two in the world! Take a guided cruise with Everglades Eco Safaris.
- Rainbow Beach - go on a Great Beach Drive 4WD Tour. It’s a big day out with lessons on Noosa’s strong conservation principals while crossing 40-Mile Beach, watching dolphins, turtles, and whales swim past Double Island Point, swimming, and stopping for creation stories of the Kabi Kabi people.
- Kondalilla Falls - visit nature’s own infinity pool plus lush rainforest, rock pools, and a waterfall just outside of Montville.
- Enjoy an insight into the Dreamtime legends and ancient traditions of the Kabi Kabi people with Saltwater Eco Tours.
- Mary Valley Rattler train – shake, rattle, and roll your way back in time on this historic steam train running from Gympie to Amamoor in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. The 3.5 three-and-a-half-hour loop in open-air carriages takes you through green dairy country once famous for timber and gold. You can even take your dog.
- Eumundi - a town famous for its arts and crafts markets.
Stay (out of the crowds):
Gold Coast
As well as being theme park heaven, the Gold Coast is all about sun, sand, and surf. Take a drive along the coast and see how the suburbs change, from glitz and glamour to residential and family-friendly havens, hipster hideaways, hotspots for alfresco-loving tourists, and surfing meccas.
Here’s my take on how the beaches “feel”.
- Surfers Paradise: glitzy tourist mecca.
- Broadbeach: known for outdoor alfresco dining, shopping and Pacific Fair.
- Mermaid Beach: quiet residential area.
- Nobby’s: named after a cow who loved visiting the beach, it’s quiet and “‘communal”’.
- Miami: residential.
- Burleigh Heads: one of the most popular beaches, it’s a hipster hangout with buskers coming down from the hinterland for the monthly market. The Esplanade has trendy shops and cafes, parking for RVs and BBQs. Don’t miss the headland walk, but it’s a national park so dogs are not allowed.
- Tallebudggera Creek: protected swimming area, great for kids.
- Palm Beach: funky.
- Currumbin Creek: family favourite with a pirate ship playground and safe swimming. Visit Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.
- Tugun: ritzy residential.
- Kirra Beach: The Superbank for surf ends here, so flat water makes it popular for all ages. It Aalso has a reef about 100m offshore with turtles, fish, and octopuses.
- Coolangatta: It has all the beaches without all the bodies, surf, sand, and sun without the stoppages.
Gateway to:
- Aboriginal history –- go on a walkabout tour with Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre.
- Tamborine Mountain – with glow worm caves, the rainforest Skywalk, hot-air ballooning or hang-gliding, wineries, golf, cheese-making, …and more
Stay:
Cairns - Mission Beach. Image Credit: @exploreshaw
How app-ealing
… the G’Day Parks app makes finding a park and booking, it easy
Summer is not the time to “wing it” with caravan park bookings.
It’s best to book ahead in most Queensland holiday parks - especially in school holidays.
Download the G’Day Parks app and secure your spot. It’s easy to use.
The app prompts you to find a park by typing in your destination.
Once you enter the dates you need, it will list all available parks nearby.
You can filter for the type of accommodation you need, whether that’s cabins or caravan sites, and if you need them to be dog -friendly.
If a spot is not available at one park, the list will say if your dates are not suitable and suggest alternative parks nearby.
Once you find the perfect park, select your chosen accommodation, and proceed to the checkout to make your hassle-free booking. If you’re a G’day Rewards member, you’ll get a discount on your stay.
The app also offers easy access to G’Day Rewards with discounts on everything from fuel to The Good Guys appliances, and extra member points for Flybuys and Velocity Frequent Flyers.
Grab a copy of the G’Day Parks National Guide as well for all the parks, listed state-by-state.
