Welcome to the ultimate 2-week East Coast adventure, an essential read for any traveller exploring Australia! This Australia itinerary blog is your go-to guide for maximising your 14-day journey, ensuring you experience the best of what the East Coast has to offer. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, we’ve crafted a detailed route filled with must-visit destinations and insider tips.
East Coast Australia is the TOP destination for travellers. It pretty much has something for everyone. A 2 week backpacking trip may not seem like a long time, but let us tell you, you can fit in A LOT of experiences and activities in this time frame. It’s gonna be jam-packed and it’s gonna be epic.
We are gonna show you exactly how and share our tips on:
- How to fit in those epic bucketlist destinations
- Where to go to visit Fraser Island and the Whitsundays
- How long to spend in each spot between Sydney and Cairns
- And most importantly… how we can save you money $$$
From sky diving, to snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef to spending the night on a remote island, the East Coast has it allllll – it is winning with it’s list of insane trips and tours.
A little spontaneity and going with the flow is sweet, but when it comes to ticking off those bucket list experiences in just a 2 week holiday to Australia, life is made so much easier if you jump on a tour and book some activities – which we can help you with!
The route we’re about to chat about starts in Sydney with your campervan and takes you all the way up to Cairns.
Let’s goooooooo….
Click images to see more.
Getting around
The big ol’ question – to travel by Greyhound coach or camper van?
Now this TOTALLY depends on your style of travel, vibe, budget and if you are travel solo or with a crew…
Greyhound 15 Day Whimit pass
The Whimit pass is ideal if you’re travelling for a shorter period of time as you can cover more ground. You can pop all over the place without being tied down to a certain route. So more time adventuring and less time planning.
Camper van
The benefits of travelling by camper are endless – complete and utter freedom to zoom around the insane ocean roads of Aussie, no late night awakenings from noisy hostel goers, and the ability to do what you want, when you want.
But, if you’re on a two week trip, grabbing a bus pass or a Sydney camper would BOTH be epic options depending on your vibe and travel style… Choose the bus pass if you are a solo traveller on a backpacking trip, as you can just hop on and off as you please and go directly from place to place without having to factor in time for finding lifts or getting to and from the airport. Or choose to travel via camper if you are travelling with a crew or the other half and fancy a bit of time to yourself and hitting the open road (just make sure you take into consideration how long the journeys are!)
Where to stay
The best bet, if you’re travelling by Greyhound, is to stay in hostels.
As you know how long you’ll be travelling, we’d recommend pre-booking the whole 2 weeks of travel so that you don’t have to worry about finding a bed on the night.
Plus, mapping out your 14 day Australia itinerary means you’re making the most of every single day you have down under!
Check out our fave East Coast hostels here.
If you travel via campervan then you will be spoilt for choice with the amount of paid and free camping spots on the East Coast! If you are travelling over a busy period such as Easter or Christmas then we recommend to prebook. The app Wikicamps is super handy for finding campsites and seeing where they are on the map..
The route
As Australia itineraries go for your trip, this is a pretty good one…
Stop 1: Sydney
2 days in Sydney
What to do here: You’ve got to see those iconic sites. Head to Circular Quay to see the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Stroll around the Rocks and the Botanic Gardens and get a great view of the harbour from Mrs Maquarie’s Chair. Jump on the ferries or buses and check out Bondi Beach, Manly Beach, Watsons Bay and Coogee Beach.
What to eat: Head to Surrey Hills to find hipster cafes and lush brunches.
Where to stay: Sydney Harbour YHA Hostel
Then, hop on an overnight bus to Byron Bay or hit the road. It’s a long ride via bus (about 13 hours), so be sure to get a night journey. You don’t want to waste a day with travel.
If you have time for a little detour on your trip to Canberra (Australia’s capital city) it’s about a 3 hour drive from Sydney!
Stop 2: Byron Bay
2 days in Byron Bay
The HOME of RatPack Travel, when you are in the Bay shoot us a WhatsApp and come and have some bants with the crew!
What to do here: Head to the beach, these beaches are like NO other.. Our faves are Main beach, Belongil, The Pass and Wategos. Enjoy the music scene, there are buskers everywhere on everyday, the legend that is Tones and I (Dance Monkey) used to busk regulary in the bay and the cre would watch her! Now is your chance to tick the big sky dive off your bucket list. And what better place to do it then the home of RatPack yewwwwww. You can also give surfing a go, head to the hippie town of Nimbin, Kayak with Dolphins and do the epic hike up to the Lighthouse. For those seeking unforgettable backpacking trips, Byron Bay offers a diverse range of experiences, from beach adventures to vibrant cultural explorations.
What to eat: The town is full of cute little eateries and healthy cafes but some of our favourites are, Byron Burgers, Byron Fresh, Combi, Dip Cafe, The Treehouse and the unreal sushi!
Where to stay: Backpackers Inn on the Beach, Cape Byron YHA or Nomads
Stop 3: Gold Coast
1 day in Gold Coast
What to do here: Head to the sky scraper lined beach at Surfers Paradise for a bit of chill out time or head over to Burleigh Heads for some epic city views and a dip in the lagoon. Fan of theme parks? Head to Movie World or Dream World to get your rollercoaster fix.
What to eat: Gold coast is known for its nightlife, so grab some goon and head out on the town for some food and drinks. You’ll find lots of good foodie deals here as there are alot chains and join a pub crawl for a true Surfers Paradise night out.
Where to stay: Bunk Hostel
Stop 4: Brisbane
1 day in Brisbane
What to do here: Stroll around the city, do a spot of shopping (or window shopping) and head over to South Bank to take a dip at the man-made beach. Jump on the FREE ferry and cruise up and down the river. Go to Australia Zoo. Check out the sunset from Mount Cootha
What to eat: There are loads of backpacker and happy hour foodie deals in Brisbane, or Brisvegas as it’s known. Pop over to the Eagle Street for some dinner under the city lights at the harbour, Southbank for pubs or head to Eat Street for Food truck central! If you are keen for a night out, head to Fortitude Valley where you will find plenty of clubs and bars…
Where to stay: Summerhouse Backpackers
Stop 5: Noosa
1 day in Noosa
What to do here: Take the National Park walk and if you’re lucky you might spot a wild koala. Get a sick shot at the Fairy Pools or try your hand at surfing. If you’ve got time, head to Noosa Spit which is essentially a natural lazy river.
Where to eat: You’ve gotta try Betty’s Burgers – they’re to die for! There are some awesome restaurants on Hastings Street, a little on the expensive side but worth it..
Where to stay: Flashpackers Noosa (Say hello to the crew for us they are legends!)
Stop 6: Fraser Island
Head to Rainbow Beach before setting off for 3 days on Fraser Island on a tour
What to do here: The question is, what isn’t there to do here!? Fraser is awesome! Lake Mckenzie is beaut, Lake Wabby is super cool. There’s an old ship wreck aka the Maheno, a natural lazy river, dingos and wildlife roaming around, driving on the beach and through the jungle, camp under the stars- the list is endless.
What to eat: You don’t need to worry about that (mainly because there are no restaurants on the island) You’ll get meals included in the tour, expect to pitch in and help with the cooking as part of the experience.
Where to stay: Again, camping accommodation is included on the tour. There is even the option to upgrade to a glamping experience on the epic Drop Bear tour!
Hop on the overnight bus to Airlie Beach. Again, it is a long one.
Stop 7: The Whitsundays
Head to Airlie Beach before setting off for 3 days on the Whitsundays.
What to do here: Feast your eyes (and your feet) on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world AKA Whitehaven Beach. Sail around the Southern Great Barrier Reef (a UNESCO World Heritage Site!) and catch an epic view at Hill Inlet look out. Snorkel on the reef during the tour and check out the unreal wildlife!
What to eat: Food will be included in the tour and even better, the crew cook it for you.
Where to stay: Get this… You’ll be staying on the ocean, on the boat, an experience like NO other…
Stop 8: Magnetic Island
Head to Townsville before setting off on the ferry to spend 3 days on Magnetic Island.
What to do here: Spot wild koalas along Forts Walk, get a 360 view of the island from the view points, hire a topless 4wd and cruise around the island, feed wild wallabies at sunset and visit all of the beaut beaches.
What to eat: Head to the hostel bar for happy hour and some epic food, the breakfast here is the ultimate hangover cure!
Where to stay: Base Hostel, we have an epic deal that includes your accomodation, ferry transfer, and some epic extras… read more about this deal here
The Final Stop: Cairns
3 days in Cairns
What to do here: The moment you’ve been waiting for – it’s Great Barrier Reef time, learn how to scuba dive or head on a snorkel tour of the reef. You can also visit the Atherton Tablelands which is full of waterfalls or head up to Cape Tribulation and check out the Daintree rainforest and spot the crocs on the Daintree River. if you’ve always fancied skydiving and landing on the beach then this is the spot, Mission Beach is just a short drive from Cairns. Fancy a bungy jump overlooking the rainforest? You can do that here too!
What to eat: Cairns is TOTAL backpacker central, so if you’re running low on cash at this point there’s a load of backpacker friendly bars and restaurants to pick from, make the most of the food deals in your hostel too!
Where to stay: Mad Monkey
About the Author: Sammy
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From our RatPackers
Ben was amazing and went above and beyond to find us amazing deals and exactly what we were looking for. He did it all in record time too! We were very close to our travel date and Ben was doing so much for us so quickly! Definitely recommend
Mikey was fantastic from start to finish. He was so efficient and easy to talk to. 10/10 for him, would highly recommend the service. So happy I chose to go with RatPack Travel.
Friendly helpful and accommodating. Thanks Ryan. You made it all very easy.
Great service from Ben, came back with answers within minutes and walked us through the process, great experience, thanks Ben
George was fantastic, I came in very vague and he gave me the time and examples to lock in what we were looking for. He found great deals and was easy to talk to - he was able to give tips about the process without putting any pressure. Would recommend using Ratpack.
Ben made it so fast and easy for us to reserve our camper van for our trip in the fall! Excellent service!’n
I had a call with Ryan who was super nice, knowledgable and made me feel really at ease with making my decision. He asked me all about what I want to do and achieve on my trip, although I didn’t really want to pack too much in… nor gave much detail on what I want to do, he gave options and ideas for me to look into. He used his own experience as an example which was really helpful to hear and made me feel like I’m right at home with RatPack, I knew then I was making the right choice by talking to him. He answered any questions I had, even if they seemed like silly questions to ask. The booking process is really easy and straight forward, they do all the hard parts for you. Once Ryan talked me through my options, I made my selection and all I had to do was enter my card details for the deposit and I was done! Thanks to Ryan’s detailed and calm approach I knew I was booking with the right company/team. I can’t wait for the next step!!
George has been amazing. He put together the costings for our trip, and then I changed the dates completely and he redid everything and said it wasn’t a problem. I felt that he worked hard to get me the best deal, advised me which pickup town was the best deal, when was the best time to travel, and how I could save money by adding a day to our trip (yes, it was cheaper to go for 21 days than go for 20!). George sent through mountains of advice on travel destinations, camping sites etc. I would definitely recommend RatPack Travel and George.
The Ratpack team and specifically Ryan f were great for booking our dream New Zealand campervan trip. Ryan worked hard over several days trying to find the best possible deals for us and the communication was great with updates regularly. He was able to get us 2 vans that out did any other quotes that we received and we are really looking forward to our trip with Ratpack being by our side. Thanks a lot Ryan F!
Lovely people, more than helpful.
I am so stoked with the service I received from Ryan at RatPack Travel. He was so proactive and on the ball to help me with all my questions and variations. He gave me several options and gave me other things to look at to make sure I had all that I needed. Ryan did all the legwork in following up the availability of the type of van I wanted. If you are wanting to go on a Campervan holiday no matter how long or short, I would recommend RatPack Travel! They will be you support in every step of the process, in the lead up and while on the road. Thanks Ryan! You're a legend! They are a one stop shop when it comes to sourcing campervans and motorhomes from different providers! I nearly forgot to say - he got me a great deal on a newer model. ;)
Thijs and Gemma were just so lovely to communicate with and explained everything so well. Booked us our campervan seamlessly, and with a great deal too 😊 10/10 service from them both!! Couldn’t recommend more! 😊
Ben was super helpful, easy to deal with and always got back to all my questions nice and quickly, with all the campervan options out there we really didn’t know what one to go with but Ben did all the searching for us and made the whole process really simple.
Amazing and outstanding customer service, Ryan exceeded all expectations, he and his team found the perfect deal for us, if you are looking for renting a campervan in NZ or Oz, don’t look for more! Go straight to them and you’ll see you are in the best hands! 🙌
Greg was superb! We told him what we wanted in a camper van. Even with less than two weeks notice, he didn’t disappoint. We loved our camper van and it was perfect for the two of us!
