Destinations / Australia East Coast

Australia East Coast

2 itineraries · 0 open departures · 0 missions

Australia's East Coast, stretching from Sydney to Cairns, is one of the world's most iconic road trip and backpacker routes, covering roughly 2,800 kilometres of diverse landscapes. The journey takes in Sydney's legendary harbour and beaches, the surf culture of Byron Bay, the party hub of Airlie Beach, and the gateway to the Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef. Travellers come for world-class snorkelling and diving, whale watching, national park hikes, and a buzzing hostel social scene. Cairns marks the northern end of the trail, serving as a base for the Daintree Rainforest, reef liveaboards, and adrenaline activities like skydiving and bungee jumping.

What travellers are doing

Itineraries

-49%

Save £1,449 (49% off)

£2,979 retail with Gap 360 → £1,530 self-launched

Australia East Coast · 35 days

Copycat

Australia East Coast Adventure — Self-Launched

This self-launched itinerary follows the classic Australia East Coast route from Sydney (or Melbourne) to Cairns — taking in Byron Bay, the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Noosa, Rainbow Beach, K'gari (Fraser Island), the Whitsundays, Magnetic Island, Mission Beach and Cairns. By booking transport on Greyhound or the Oz Experience hop-on hop-off pass independently, staying in budget hostel dorms (many of the same hostel chains used by Gap 360), and booking activities directly or via GetYourGuide/Klook, you can replicate virtually every experience on this itinerary for roughly half the price. All cost estimates are approximate and based on 2024 backpacker rates in GBP.

adventurebeachesbackpacker

Travel Crew

~£1,530

-52%

Save £1,465 (52% off)

£2,800 retail with Intrepid Travel → £1,335 self-launched

Australia East Coast (Sydney to Cairns) · 18 days

Copycat

Real Australia Self-Launched: Sydney to Cairns

An epic 18-day self-launched adventure along Australia's east coast from Sydney to Cairns. This itinerary mirrors Intrepid Travel's 'Real Australia' tour — hitting all the same highlights including Crowdy Bay, Port Macquarie, Byron Bay, Lamington National Park, Brisbane, Noosa, the Whitsundays, Magnetic Island and Cairns — but using public transport, self-booked activities and hostel accommodation to save you a substantial sum. All cost estimates are approximate and per person.

adventureculturebeaches

Travel Crew

~£1,335

Missions

Nobody's posted a Mission for Australia East Coast yet — which, frankly, is an opportunity.

Wait, what's a Mission?It's not a scheduled trip with dates and a minimum group size like a Departure — it's a goal. Learn to dive, do a Muay Thai camp, live somewhere for a month and work on something, chase one very specific experience. Post it, and other people chasing the same thing find you.

Be the first to post one: "Learn the first 20 seconds of a local dance, then perform it, uninvited, at every bar you visit."

Post the first Australia East Coast Mission →

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