Self-Launched: Best of the Red Centre & Eastern Australia (Melbourne to Sydney, 25 Days)

Land at Tullamarine and take the SkyBus to Southern Cross Station (~AUD 22, £11), then walk or catch a tram to your hostel in Fitzroy or the CBD. Day one is arrival only — sort a myki transport card, stock up on groceries, and take a free evening stroll through Hosier Lane and Federation Square. Join a free walking tour in the morning if you want instant orientation.

🚌SkyBus from Tullamarine to Southern Cross ~£11; trams free in the CBD free tram zone

🛏Hostel dorm in Fitzroy/CBD (e.g. Space Hotel, The Nunnery) — ~£22/night

• →Free self-guided laneway walk
• →Hosier Lane street art
• →Federation Square

Do a self-guided laneway circuit (Centre Place, Hardware Lane, Block Arcade) with a flat white from a local roaster, or join a small-group coffee/laneway walking tour (~£30). Catch the Sandringham train to Brighton Beach for the coloured bathing boxes (~£3, 25 mins). In the afternoon take the Frankston line train to Frankston then a local bus to Mornington or Dromana for two nights (~£6).

🚌Metro train Melbourne–Brighton/Frankston + local bus ~£9 total

🛏Hostel or caravan-park cabin on the Mornington Peninsula — ~£28/night

• →Self-guided laneway walk
• →Brighton bathing boxes
• →Optional coffee walking tour (~£30)

A free day: hike the Point Nepean / Fort Nepean trail, swim at Sorrento or Portsea back beach, or bus to a cellar door for a tasting (many charge ~£10–15, redeemable on purchase). The Peninsula Hot Springs are pricey (~£30–40) but worth it if you have the budget. Buses along the peninsula are infrequent — check PTV timetables the night before.

🚌Local PTV buses ~£5

🛏Mornington Peninsula hostel/cabin — ~£28/night

• →Point Nepean coastal walk (free)
• →Beach day
• →Optional winery tasting ~£12
• →Optional Peninsula Hot Springs ~£35

Take the bus to Sorrento and the Searoad Ferry across the bay to Queenscliff (~£8, 40 mins) — the classic locals' shortcut to the Great Ocean Road. Join a one-way Great Ocean Road day tour from Geelong/Queenscliff to Port Campbell or, more cheaply, take the V/Line train to Geelong then the Warrnambool V/Line coach, hopping off at Apollo Bay/Port Campbell. Stop at the Twelve Apostles boardwalk and Loch Ard Gorge, and walk part of the Otway rainforest track at Maits Rest.

🚌Searoad Ferry ~£8 + V/Line coach Geelong–Port Campbell ~£20

🛏Hostel or motel in Port Campbell — ~£30/night

• →Twelve Apostles & Loch Ard Gorge (free)
• →Maits Rest rainforest walk (free)

Take the V/Line coach back to Warrnambool and on to Ararat/Ballarat, then a connecting coach to Halls Gap (~£25, 5–6 hrs). Arrive and hike the short Pinnacle or the Balconies (Reed Lookout) in the late afternoon. MacKenzie Falls is a 30-minute walk from the Halls Gap trailheads. Kangaroos are all over the town oval at dusk.

🚌V/Line coach Warrnambool–Ararat–Halls Gap ~£25

🛏Halls Gap hostel or caravan-park cabin — ~£28/night

• →Balconies / Reed Lookout walk
• →MacKenzie Falls walk
• →Kangaroo spotting at dusk

Visit the Brambuk Aboriginal Cultural Centre (free entry) at the national park entrance for Gariwerd/Dreaming stories and rock art displays. Then take the V/Line coach/train via Ararat to Adelaide (~£30, 5–6 hrs). Arrive in Adelaide and walk the North Terrace/Rundle Mall stretch and the Central Market in the evening.

🚌V/Line coach + train via Ararat to Adelaide ~£30

🛏Adelaide hostel dorm in the CBD — ~£22/night

• →Brambuk Cultural Centre (free)
• →Adelaide Central Market
• →Rundle Mall / North Terrace stroll

Book a Clare Valley wine-tasting day tour from Adelaide (~£70–90 including tastings and lunch) or, if you'd rather self-drive, hire a car in Adelaide (~£30/day shared). In the late afternoon continue north on the public coach or with your transfer to the Flinders Ranges (Quorn or Rawnsley Park area, ~£35).

🚌Clare Valley day tour ~£80 + transfer north ~£35

🛏Rawnsley Park or Wilpena Pound campground cabin/glamping — ~£30/night

• →Clare Valley cellar-door tastings
• →Regional produce lunch
• →Scenic drive into the Flinders

Walk into Wilpena Pound on the 7 km Wangara Lookout track or the longer St Mary Peak route (serious, ~6 hrs). Alternatively book a Flinders Ranges 4WD half-day tour (~£70–130) or a scenic helicopter flight (~£60–150). Sunset from Stokes Hill or the Wilpena Pound lookout is the classic shot — take a torch and water.

🚌Park shuttles / walking; 4WD tour if booked

🛏Flinders Ranges cabin/campground — ~£30/night

• →Wangara Lookout / Wilpena Pound hike
• →Optional 4WD tour ~£90
• →Optional scenic flight ~£70-150
• →Stokes Hill sunset

This is the awkward leg on public transport. The Premier Stateliner/Greyhound coach from Port Augusta to Coober Pedy runs several times a week (~£55, 5–6 hrs) — get from the Flinders back to Port Augusta first (~£20). Once there, take an opal mine tour (~£20–25) and visit Faye's Underground Home or the Breakaways at sunset. Sleep underground in a budget dugout, which stays a cool 22°C.

🚌Coach Flinders–Port Augusta–Coober Pedy ~£75

🛏Underground dugout hostel/backpackers in Coober Pedy — ~£30/night

• →Guided opal mine tour ~£22
• →Faye's Underground Home
• →Breakaways sunset (shared tour or hire car)

The Coober Pedy–Yulara leg is the hardest without a car: your realistic options are the weekly Greyhound/coach connection or a cheap flight from Coober Pedy/Alice Springs, or joining a 2-day Outback one-way tour from Coober Pedy to Uluru (~£250–300 including meals and swag camping) which is often the best value. Arrive at Yulara and catch sunset at the Uluru viewing area with a bottle of something cold from the IGA.

🚌One-way Outback tour or coach ~£250 (or flight from Alice Springs ~£120)

🛏Ayers Rock Campground cabin or budget dorm in Yulara — ~£35/night

• →Uluru sunset viewing area
• →Outback dune stops en route

Take the Uluru shuttle or hire a bike (~£25) to the base. Do the ranger-guided Mala Walk (free, seasonal) and the Mutitjulu Waterhole walk, then visit the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre. Book an Indigenous-led cultural experience or the Field of Light at night (~£30–45). Sunset at Kata Tjuta's dune viewing area is worth the detour if you have a car or tour.

🚌Uluru shuttle or bike hire ~£25

🛏Yulara campground/budget dorm — ~£35/night

• →Mala Walk (free ranger-guided, seasonal)
• →Mutitjulu Waterhole & Cultural Centre (free, park pass ~£15)
• →Optional Field of Light ~£38

Fly Yulara (Connellan) or Alice Springs to Cairns — Jetstar/Qantas routes start around £100–150 one way if booked early. Cairns is the reef gateway and has the best hostel density in Queensland. Evening: esplanade lagoon swim (free) and a walk to the night markets for cheap eats.

🚌Domestic flight ~£130 + airport shuttle ~£8

🛏Cairns hostel dorm — ~£20/night

• →Cairns Esplanade lagoon (free)
• →Night Markets

Book a Daintree day tour from Cairns (~£90–110) or self-drive/bus to Mossman Gorge and take the Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk with a Kuku Yalanji guide (~£40, book direct with Mossman Gorge Centre or via GetYourGuide). Cross the Daintree River on the ferry, walk the Marrdja boardwalk, and overnight in a Cape Trib rainforest cabin or hostel.

🚌Tour transfer or bus to Mossman + Daintree ferry ~£15

🛏Cape Tribulation rainforest hostel/cabin — ~£28/night

• →Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk ~£40
• →Mossman Gorge swim
• →Marrdja boardwalk
• →Optional Daintree night walk ~£30

Snorkel the outer Great Barrier Reef on a day boat from Cape Trib or travel back to Cairns for a full-day reef trip (Quicksilver/Reef Magic style, ~£120–160 including lunch and gear; cheaper via Klook). Where the rainforest meets the reef, you can also do a half-day horseback ride (~£60) or a croc-spotting river cruise (~£25). Return to Cairns for the night.

🚌Reef boat transfer / bus Cape Trib–Cairns ~£15

🛏Cairns hostel dorm — ~£20/night

• →Great Barrier Reef snorkel day ~£130
• →Optional Daintree river cruise ~£25
• →Optional horseback ride ~£60

Free day: hike the Red Arrow/Blue Arrow circuit from the Esplanade, swim at the lagoon, or day-trip to the Atherton Tablelands waterfalls (shared tour ~£60). Then take the overnight Greyhound/Premier coach to Airlie Beach (~£55–70, 9–10 hrs) to save a night's accommodation.

🚌Overnight coach Cairns–Airlie Beach ~£60

🛏Overnight coach (no accommodation cost)

• →Red Arrow walking track
• →Esplanade lagoon
• →Optional Atherton Tablelands tour ~£60

Arrive early morning. Either take a day sailing/snorkel trip to Whitehaven Beach and the reef (~£120–150 via Klook or direct with Cruise Whitsundays) or, if you have more cash, a 2-day/2-night Whitsundays sailing trip (~£250–350 all-in with food). Sleep in Airlie Beach hostels, which are livelier and cheaper than the islands.

🚌Walking; marina transfers included in boat trips

🛏Airlie Beach hostel dorm — ~£24/night

• →Whitehaven Beach day sail ~£130
• →Snorkelling the fringing reef
• →Optional 2-night Whitsundays sailing ~£300

Second day on the water: book a different operator for a smaller-group snorkel and bushwalk trip (Hill Inlet lookout is the iconic photo), or take the ferry over to Hamilton Island for a day (~£45 return) and hike Passage Peak. Book directly with the operator's own site where possible — it's usually cheaper than marketplace listings.

🚌Ferry to Hamilton Island ~£45 return (optional)

🛏Airlie Beach hostel dorm — ~£24/night

• →Hill Inlet lookout & Whitehaven
• →Snorkelling
• →Optional Hamilton Island day trip ~£45

Long travel day: Greyhound/Premier coach Airlie Beach to Byron Bay (~£90–100, 16–18 hrs) — consider breaking it at Rockhampton or Brisbane for comfort. Overnight coaches save a hostel night. If you're doing the whole east coast, a Greyhound Whimit pass (~£250–300 for 30 days) can work out cheaper than individual tickets.

🚌Coach Airlie Beach–Byron Bay ~£95

🛏Overnight coach or Byron hostel dorm — ~£28/night

• →Travel day
• →Optional break at Brisbane

Early surf lesson at Main Beach or The Pass (~£40–50, book direct with a local surf school). Afternoon: walk the Cape Byron track to the lighthouse — Australia's most easterly point — and spot turtles and whales in season. Optional ocean kayak to Julian Rocks marine reserve (~£50). Byron's hostels are pricey in peak season; book ahead.

🚌Walking / local shuttle

🛏Byron Bay hostel dorm — ~£28/night

• →Surf lesson ~£45
• →Cape Byron lighthouse walk (free)
• →Optional Julian Rocks kayak ~£50

Morning in the Byron hinterland — Minyon Falls or a farm-gate breakfast — or a lazy beach morning. Then take the coach south to Port Macquarie (~£45, 5 hrs). Visit the Koala Hospital (gold-coin entry, ~£1) and walk the coastal boardwalk at sunset.

🚌Coach Byron Bay–Port Macquarie ~£45

🛏Port Macquarie hostel dorm — ~£22/night

• →Minyon Falls / hinterland (optional tour ~£70)
• →Koala Hospital ~£1
• →Coastal boardwalk

Coach/train south via Sydney to Katoomba (~£50, 7 hrs). Check into a Katoomba hostel, then catch sunset from Echo Point over the Three Sisters. Buy an Opal card or use contactless for all NSW trains and buses.

🚌Coach/train Port Macquarie–Katoomba ~£50

🛏Katoomba hostel dorm — ~£24/night

• →Echo Point / Three Sisters sunset (free)

Ride the Scenic Railway (world's steepest, ~£15) and walk the Jamison Valley track to the Three Sisters and the Giant Stairway. Jenolan Caves is best reached on a day tour (~£60–80) — public access is limited — or swap it for the Wentworth Falls and Grand Canyon tracks, which are free and stunning. Free evening in Katoomba's quirky town centre.

🚌Local buses/train ~£8

🛏Katoomba hostel dorm — ~£24/night

• →Scenic Railway ~£15
• →Jamison Valley / Giant Stairway hike (free)
• →Optional Jenolan Caves tour ~£70
• →Wentworth Falls walk (free)

Take the Blue Mountains Line train from Katoomba straight into Central Station (~£4, 2 hrs, contactless). Check into a hostel in the Rocks, Surry Hills or Kings Cross. Afternoon self-guided walk: Circular Quay, the Opera House forecourt, the Botanic Garden and Mrs Macquarie's Chair for the harbour-icon shot.

🚌Train Katoomba–Sydney Central ~£4

🛏Sydney hostel dorm — ~£30/night

• →Circular Quay & Opera House (free to view)
• →Royal Botanic Garden (free)
• →Mrs Macquarie's Chair

Walk the Bondi to Coogee coastal path (6 km, free) with swim stops at Tamarama, Bronte and Clovelly. In the afternoon take a ferry to Manly or Watsons Bay on an Opal/contactless fare (~£4) for the best-value harbour cruise in the city. Optional: Opera House tour (~£25) or BridgeClimb (~£180) if you're splashing out.

🚌Buses and ferries ~£8

🛏Sydney hostel dorm — ~£30/night

• →Bondi to Coogee coastal walk (free)
• →Ferry to Manly/Watsons Bay ~£4
• →Optional Opera House tour ~£25
• →Optional BridgeClimb ~£180

Final morning: coffee and brunch in Surry Hills or a last swim at Bondi or the Andrew (Boy) Charlton pool. Take the Airport Link train to Sydney Airport (~£10, 15 mins) for your onward flight. If you're staying on, hostels in Sydney book out over summer — lock in your next nights early.

🚌Airport Link train ~£10

🛏—

• →Surry Hills brunch
• →Last beach swim
• →Souvenir shopping