South Australia & the East Coast: Self-Launched Version

Land in Adelaide and settle into a hostel in the CBD or along North Terrace — everything central is walkable. Pick up a metroCARD (reloadable, ~£2 card) for buses and the Glenelg tram. Spend the afternoon in the Adelaide Central Market and Rundle Mall, and use the evening to plan your Great Ocean Road hire car and confirm your Grampians transfers.

🚌Airport bus or taxi from Adelaide Airport, ~£3.50 (bus J1/J2) to £20 (taxi)

🛏Hostel dorm or private room, central Adelaide (e.g. Adelaide Central YHA or similar) ~£22-35

• →Adelaide Central Market wander
• →Rundle Mall and North Terrace orientation walk
• →Buy metroCARD and sort SIM/data plan

Take an early coach or the V/Line train-plus-coach connection from Adelaide to Ararat/Stawell, then a local bus or taxi into Halls Gap — realistically ~5-6 hours door to door. Alternative (and what most independent travellers do): pick up a one-way hire car in Adelaide and drive the 5 hours yourself, which gives you far more freedom over the next three days. Evening in Halls Gap village with kangaroos often grazing the oval at dusk.

🚌V/Line coach/train Adelaide–Stawell plus local transfer, ~£25-35; or one-way car hire ~£40-55/day split between travellers

🛏Guesthouse or hostel cabin in Halls Gap ~£25-40

• →Scenic drive or coach through South Australian and Victorian farmland
• →Evening kangaroo spotting in Halls Gap township

Full day on foot in the Grampians. Do the MacKenzie Falls walk (steep but short, best in the morning) and the easy Boroka Lookout, then the Pinnacle or the Balconies (Jaws of Death) lookout for sunset over the Victoria Valley. Halls Gap has a free-ish shuttle/trail network, but the falls trailhead needs a car or a booked local transfer. Carry water — the park is dry and hot from November to March.

🚌Local car or booked shuttle to trailheads, ~£10-15

🛏Guesthouse or hostel cabin in Halls Gap ~£25-40

• →MacKenzie Falls walk
• →The Balconies (Jaws of Death) lookout
• →Boroka Lookout
• →Pinnacle hike (optional, ~3 hrs)

Drive south to the coast, breaking the trip at Tower Hill State Wildlife Reserve near Warrnambool — a volcanic crater full of emus, koalas and kangaroos with boardwalks and no entry fee. Continue to Port Campbell and check in. Pick up groceries here; coastal food options are limited and pricey.

🚌Self-drive ~2.5 hrs, fuel ~£12-18 per car

🛏Motel or holiday-park cabin in Port Campbell ~£30-45 (shared twin keeps this down)

• →Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve boardwalk loop
• →Warrnambool foreshore stop
• →Port Campbell village evening

The headline day. Get to the Twelve Apostles before 9am to beat the coach crowds, then walk the clifftop trail to Loch Ard Gorge and the Razorback. In the afternoon drive east along the Great Ocean Road proper through Apollo Bay — stops at Gibsons Steps, London Bridge and the Otway rainforest. If you're without a car, book a Great Ocean Road day tour from Port Campbell or Apollo Bay via GetYourGuide (~£60-80).

🚌Self-drive, fuel ~£10-15; or GetYourGuide day tour ~£60-80

🛏Motel or holiday-park cabin in Port Campbell ~£30-45

• →Twelve Apostles at sunrise
• →Loch Ard Gorge and Razorback walk
• →Gibsons Steps
• →London Bridge
• →Great Ocean Road coastal drive

Drive the Otway rainforest section of the Great Ocean Road — the Mait's Rest boardwalk loop is a free 30-minute walk through mossy temperate rainforest, and Cape Otway has koalas in the manna gums along the access road. Then inland to the Mornington Peninsula, roughly 4 hours total driving. Drop the hire car at the end of this leg if you're continuing by public transport (Mornington has a train/bus link to Melbourne).

🚌Self-drive ~4 hrs, fuel ~£15-20

🛏Budget motel or holiday park, Mornington Peninsula ~£35-50

• →Mait's Rest rainforest boardwalk
• →Cape Otway koala spotting
• →Mornington Peninsula beach evening

A slower day. Walk the clifftop boardwalk at Cape Schanck down to the rock pools and Pulpit Rock, then hit a cellar door or two in the Red Hill wine region (tastings typically £8-15 each, often waived with purchase). In the afternoon either swim at Sorrento or book the Peninsula Hot Springs — the pricier option at ~£40-60, but a genuine highlight. Local buses run along the peninsula but a car is far easier.

🚌Local driving or peninsula bus, ~£10-15

🛏Budget motel or holiday park, Mornington Peninsula ~£35-50

• →Cape Schanck clifftop walk
• →Red Hill winery tastings (optional)
• →Peninsula Hot Springs (optional, ~£40-60)
• →Sorrento back beach

Drive or bus up to Melbourne, drop the car and check into a city hostel. If you have your own wheels, stop at the Brighton Beach bathing boxes on the way in (free, best light late afternoon). Otherwise take the train from Frankston to the CBD and visit Brighton Beach by train the next day. Evening in Fitzroy or the CBD for affordable eats.

🚌Self-drive or Frankston line train to CBD, ~£5-15

🛏Hostel dorm or private room, Melbourne CBD/Fitzroy ~£25-40

• →Brighton Beach bathing boxes
• →Fitzroy evening wander

Self-directed walking day. Melbourne's laneways — Hosier, Degraves, Centre Place — are free and best navigated on foot with a coffee in hand. Do the Queen Victoria Market, the Royal Botanic Gardens and a walk along the Yarra to Southbank. Free walking tours run twice daily from the Town Hall if you want context (tip-based, ~£5-10). Tram travel in the CBD is free within the Free Tram Zone.

🚌Free Tram Zone; occasional myki top-up ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm or private room, Melbourne CBD/Fitzroy ~£25-40

• →Hosier and Degraves laneway walk
• →Queen Victoria Market
• →Royal Botanic Gardens
• →Free Tram Zone circuit
• →Tip-based free walking tour (optional)

Domestic flight Melbourne–Cairns (~3.5 hrs), roughly £90-160 if booked a few weeks out on Jetstar or Virgin. Cairns is a small, walkable city — the Esplanade lagoon is free and the best swimming option in town (the sea has crocs and stingers in season). Sort your Daintree and reef bookings today: both are cheaper direct than through agencies.

🚌Flight ~£90-160; airport shuttle to CBD ~£8

🛏Hostel dorm or budget motel, Cairns ~£22-38

• →Cairns Esplanade lagoon swim
• →Book Daintree tour and reef trip direct
• →Night Markets wander

The Daintree has no public bus worth relying on, so book a small-group Cape Tribulation day-transfer tour that drops you at your accommodation (GetYourGuide/Klook, ~£65-90 one way including Mossman Gorge and the Daintree River ferry). Stop at Mossman Gorge for a swim-and-walk, cross the crocodile river on the cable ferry, and take a guided Kuku Yalanji Dreamtime walk through the rainforest (~£20-30 direct).

🚌Small-group transfer tour Cairns–Cape Trib ~£65-90

🛏Hostel or eco-lodge, Cape Tribulation ~£25-40

• →Mossman Gorge walk and swim
• →Daintree River ferry crossing
• →Kuku Yalanji Dreamtime walk
• →Cape Tribulation beach at sunset

Free day with big choices. The outer reef is a long boat ride from here — most travellers do the reef from Cairns or Port Douglas instead, but Cape Trib Connections and Ocean Safari run reef trips from Cape Trib (~£130-160). Cheaper alternative: the free Myall Beach and Cape Tribulation boardwalk, a night walk with a local guide to spot Boyd's forest dragons and glow-in-the-dark fungi (~£28-35), or a kayak on the estuary.

🚌On foot; local shuttle to trailheads ~£5

🛏Hostel or eco-lodge, Cape Tribulation ~£25-40

• →Ocean Safari reef trip (optional, ~£130-160)
• →Cape Tribulation and Myall Beach walk (free)
• →Guided night walk (~£28-35)
• →Estuary kayaking (optional)

Return south on a small-group transfer (~£55-75), stopping at Rex Lookout and in Port Douglas — the Sunday market is worth timing if you can, and Four Mile Beach is a good swim outside stinger season. Back in Cairns, book tomorrow's Whitsundays trip and confirm your coach south.

🚌Small-group transfer Cape Trib–Cairns ~£55-75

🛏Hostel dorm or budget motel, Cairns ~£22-38

• →Port Douglas Four Mile Beach
• →Port Douglas markets (if Sunday)
• →Rex Lookout photo stop
• →Cairns night markets

Long travel day: the bus from Cairns to Airlie Beach is about 9 hours on Greyhound/Premier (~£40-55 booked in advance). There is also a train (Queensland Rail Spirit of Queensland, ~£45-70) which is more comfortable but slower. Fly if you're short on time (~£80-120). Airlie Beach is a small, backpacker-heavy town — everything is within a 15-minute walk of the lagoon.

🚌Greyhound/Premier coach ~£40-55 (9 hrs); or flight ~£80-120

🛏Hostel dorm or budget apartment, Airlie Beach ~£22-35

• →Travel day
• →Airlie Beach lagoon and foreshore at sunset

The day the original tour does as a group boat trip. Book direct with a Whitsundays operator — day sails to Whitehaven Beach with snorkel stops start around £110-140 pp (Klook/GetYourGuide or direct with companies like Cruise Whitsundays, Ocean Rafting, or a maxi-yacht day sail). Includes lunch usually. The Hill Inlet lookout over Whitehaven's swirling sand is the photo everyone comes for. Book 2-3 days ahead in peak season.

🚌Walk to Port of Airlie or Abel Point Marina

🛏Hostel dorm or budget apartment, Airlie Beach ~£22-35

• →Whitehaven Beach day sail (~£110-140)
• →Hill Inlet lookout walk
• →Snorkelling the fringing reef
• →Border Island or Hook Island stop

Big transit day. The cheapest realistic route is a coach to Proserpine or Mackay plus a budget flight to Ballina/Byron or Gold Coast, then a bus; or fly direct Proserpine–Ballina with a connection (~£110-160). Allow most of the day. Byron is expensive for Australia — book hostel beds well ahead, especially in summer.

🚌Coach + flight ~£110-160 including transfers

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Byron Bay ~£28-45

• →Travel day
• →Byron Bay main beach sunset

Book a beginner surf lesson at Clarkes or Main Beach (~£40-55 for 2 hrs, board and wetsuit included — book direct with the surf schools or via GetYourGuide). Afternoon: walk the Cape Byron track to the lighthouse, Australia's easternmost point, and look for dolphins and, in winter, whales. Free, ~2 hrs return. The Arts & Industry Park has cheap eats and live music.

🚌On foot or bike hire ~£10

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Byron Bay ~£28-45

• →Beginner surf lesson (~£40-55)
• →Cape Byron lighthouse walk (free)
• →Wategos Beach
• →Byron Arts & Industry Park

Coach south with Greyhound/Premier, ~6.5 hrs (~£35-50). Port Macquarie is a low-key coastal town — the breakwall painted rocks, Town Beach and the Koala Hospital are all in walking distance of the centre. Quiet evening by the water.

🚌Greyhound/Premier coach ~£35-50

🛏Budget motel or hostel, Port Macquarie ~£28-40

• →Travel day
• →Port Macquarie breakwall walk
• →Town Beach

Start with the Koala Hospital's free-to-enter visitor centre and the 3pm feeding talk (donation appreciated, ~£5) — the same visit the group tour includes, just self-timed. Then coach or train to Sydney and change to the Blue Mountains Line for Katoomba (~7 hrs total). Alternatively fly Port Macquarie–Sydney (~£70-100) and train out to Katoomba the same day.

🚌Coach/train to Sydney + Blue Mountains Line ~£35-55

🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Katoomba ~£25-40

• →Koala Hospital feeding talk
• →Katoomba street art and Echo Point at dusk

Hike down the Giant Stairway from Echo Point past the Three Sisters into the Jamison Valley, loop along the valley floor, and ride the Scenic Railway (the world's steepest passenger railway, ~£22 one way / ~£28 unlimited) back up. The Blue Mountains Explorer Bus hop-on-hop-off (~£12-18) covers Echo Point, Katoomba Falls and Leura. Do the walk early — afternoon cloud often swallows the valley.

🚌Blue Mountains Explorer Bus ~£12-18

🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Katoomba ~£25-40

• →Three Sisters and Giant Stairway walk
• →Jamison Valley loop
• →Scenic Railway (~£22-28)
• →Leura village
• →Katoomba Falls lookout

Train into Sydney Central (~2 hrs, ~£3.50 with an Opal card) and check in. Afternoon orientation on foot: Circular Quay, the Opera House forecourt, the Rocks and a walk through the Royal Botanic Garden to Mrs Macquarie's Chair for the classic Opera House-and-bridge shot. If you want inside the Opera House, the 1-hour guided tour is ~£25-30 direct.

🚌Blue Mountains Line train ~£3.50

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Sydney CBD/Surry Hills ~£30-50

• →Opal card and train to Central
• →Circular Quay and Opera House forecourt
• →Royal Botanic Garden walk to Mrs Macquarie's Chair
• →The Rocks
• →Opera House guided tour (optional)

Free day. Do the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk — 6 km, ~2 hrs, past Tamarama, Bronte and Clovelly with ocean pools at the end. Catch the train to Bondi Junction plus the 333 bus, or the ferry to Watsons Bay and walk in from the other end. Afternoon option: ferry to Manly (~£4) for the harbour crossing, or a bike hire around the harbour (~£20-30). Final night out in Newtown or Surry Hills.

🚌Opal card day of trains, buses, ferries ~£8-12

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Sydney CBD/Surry Hills ~£30-50

• →Bondi to Coogee coastal walk (free)
• →Bronte and Clovelly ocean pools
• →Manly ferry (optional, ~£4)
• →Newtown evening

Airport train from Central to Sydney Airport takes 15 minutes (~£4). If your flight is later, leave bags at the hostel and hit the Museum of Contemporary Art (free) or the Chinese Garden of Friendship (~£6) before heading out.

🚌Airport Link train ~£4

🛏None (departure day)

• →Optional last-minute city walk
• →Departure