Destinations / East Coast Australia (Sydney to Cairns)

East Coast Australia (Sydney to Cairns)

1 itinerary · 0 open departures · 0 missions

The East Coast of Australia, stretching roughly 2,800 kilometres from Sydney to Cairns, is one of the world's most iconic road trip and backpacker routes. It spans New South Wales, Queensland, and the tropical Far North, taking in world-class cities, ancient rainforests, and the Great Barrier Reef — the largest coral reef system on Earth. Highlights along the route include Sydney's harbour and beaches, the surf breaks of Byron Bay, the party hub of Airlie Beach and the Whitsunday Islands, and the diving and snorkelling mecca of Cairns. Travellers move through by bus, campervan, or flight, stopping as long as they like at each destination.

What travellers are doing

Itineraries

-59%

BUSTED

We estimate you can save 59% over Via Travel Australia's tour.

Save £2,340 (59% off)

£3,990 retail with Via Travel Australia → £1,650 self-launched

East Coast Australia (Sydney to Cairns) · 14 days

Copycat

Sydney to Cairns Self-Launched East Coast Adventure: Byron, K'gari, Whitsundays & the Reef

A self-launched 14-day version of Via Travel Australia's boutique Sydney-to-Cairns tour, covering the same headline experiences — Hunter Valley wine tasting, Port Macquarie's koala hospital, a Gumbaynggirr cultural experience near Coffs Harbour, Cape Byron, Noosa's koalas, a 4WD day on K'gari (Fraser Island), the Whitsundays and Whitehaven Beach, the Atherton Tablelands and a Great Barrier Reef cruise — using hostels, motels and budget apartments, public Greyhound/Premier coaches, one cheap domestic flight, and self-bookable day tours. Costs are rough backpacker/budget estimates in GBP and exclude international flights. Distances on this coast are long: expect early starts and several 4–6 hour coach legs, but you gain full flexibility and a much lower bill.

adventurebeachesbackpacker

Travel Crew

~£1,650

Missions

Nobody's posted a Mission for East Coast Australia (Sydney to Cairns) 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: "Find the most locally-hated tourist trap and go anyway, unironically, in a costume."

Post the first East Coast Australia (Sydney to Cairns) Mission →

Planning a trip to East Coast Australia (Sydney to Cairns)?

Paste any operator's itinerary into Tour Buster and build your own departure in minutes.

Try Tour Buster →