The East Coast is a RatPack fave for many reasons, and how better to see it than hitting the road in a camper with ya pals??
Airlie Beach to Brisbane is an epic roadie route and you can hit up some unreal spots including:
- The incredible Whitsundays
- Secret natural pools
- Sandblows with the BEST views
- Spots only accessible if you have your own wheels
Lydia headed on the roadie with her gals, here’s how they got on…
Travelling around Australia is pretty great but when youʼre able to do it with friends, oh my is it good! This is my second time here and I swear it gets better and better! I was so lucky that three of my friends were able to join me on a little Roadtrip down the East Coast from Airlie Beach to Brisbane.
Having all met in Byron, we caught a flight to Proserpine where we stayed in an airbnb before jetting off on the Ocean Rafting adventure to the Whitsundays.
Click images to see more.
The roadie
Day 1
If youʼre in travelling the East Coast, you have to make a trip to the Whitsundays. If the high speed Ocean Rafting boat isnʼt enough, the crystal turquoise seas should do it. The day trip out is perfect if youʼre on the road, you get to visit all the beautiful locations and have time to relax along the way.
TIP: January is the wet month for the Whitsundays. However, we went in January and LOOK at the colour of the water. The weather was perfect.
Day 2
CAMPER DAY! We picked up our Camper from Airlie Beach (link to all trip and camper bookings at the bottom!). From here we drove straight to Cedar Creek Falls, roughly 25 min drive!
TIP: If youʼre in a Campervan and you are picking it up from Airlie Beach a head to BCF (about 10 min drive North from Airlie Beach) to refuel gas canisters. Cafe to visit: Cafe one a Great for vegetarians & INSANE coffee Coffee spot when visiting Cedar Creek Falls: visit Becky at The Hive at Busy Bee 9am- 4pm
After a dip in the fresh water we drove straight to Cape Hillsborough (1.5 hours). We camped the night at the Cape Hillsborough Nature Tourist Park a a campsite situated 2 meters from the beach.
TIP: 60 Dollars for 4 people and a camper a bargain and well worth the stay!
Day 3
This morning was pretty special. We woke up around 4am to head to the beach for Sunrise. If you donʼt know already, Cape Hillsborough is popular for the Kangaroos and Wallabyʼs that visit the beach to fed every morning for sunrise.
TIP: you want to check the sunrise time and be on the beach 20minutes beforehand
We then hopped in the camper and made our way to Agnes Waters (7 hours). We camped at The Workmanʼs camp (€9 per person per night). If you arrive later in the evening, you can find a plot to park up and stay and the Ranger comes round in the morning and collects card or cash. A perfect stopover place!
Day 4
Two minute drive from the campsite is a short walk called Paperbark Forest walk a itʼs roughly 20 minutes and absolutely BEAUTIFUL.
After a little walk we drove 3.5 hours to Rainbow Beach down Bruce Highway. Bruce Highway is the road you are pretty much on the whole roadie on this part of the East Coast and it really makes you see how vast and baron Aus can be!
TIP: stop at Driver Revivers for free coffee or head to Bunderberg for great coffee and a lunch spot! We camped at Rainbow Beach holiday park ready for a day of exploring the next day.
Day 5
We headed to Rainbow beach in the morning to relax on the beach and soak in some sun. A great place to visit whilst you are here is Carlo blow Sand dunes a you can enter from Rainbow Beach town, follow the hill up and around and then take the steps up. When you get to the top of the steps, you turn left and follow to the woodland path round!
Day 6
We chose to get up fairly early today so we had enough time to explore Noosa. Itʼs about 1.45 hours from Rainbow Beach. Walk the Tanglewood Track in Noosa National Park (roughly 1 hour). The track takes you around the coastal path and you can head back to Noosa town from there. Make sure you stop off at the Fairy Pools!
TIP: Check tide times to make sure you can swim in the Fairy Pools.
Stayed in Noosa Caravan Park a a super peaceful campsite surrounded by Palm Trees. About 15 minutes out of town!
Day 7
Early rise for kayak on the everglades this morning! We hired from Boardwalk Boat Hire a €20 per person per hour a you can also get also get a double kayak or SUP.
We then headed to Laguna Cove a itʼs a beach just down from Noosa town a quieter and super peaceful! The main beach at Noosa can get pretty busy especially peak seasons so Laguna Cove is the perfect alternative.
Day 8
This morning we headed back to Laguna Cove for a chill and to grab some breakfast in the town! The Laguna Lookout is definitely worth a visit for sunset a you can drive up there or if you fancied a 30 min walk, its a lovely walk through part of the National Park. Donʼt forget to look out for Koalas!
TIP: Foodie places – a great Poke bowl at Raw n Rice Acai Bowl at Coconut Heads Cocktail at Miss Moneypennys
Day 9
Woke up early this morning to drive to the Glass House Mountains. A great hike to do is the Mount Ngungun Trail a itʼs about a 2 hour return trip to the top and is SO worth it. The views from the top are beautiful.
After a nice morning wake up hike, we drove to Melany to have coffee and lunch at Sherpa Kitchen a a beautiful garden cafe with delicious food and insane coffee!
A great waterfalls to visit nearby is Gardner Falls a itʼs about 20 minutes from Mount Ngungun! We headed to Golden Beach Holiday Park which is a great place to stay if you want to see Bribie Island and the town of Caloundra. We arrived late afternoon/early evening and decided to have a little picnic on the beach!
Day 10
Thereʼs several really beautiful beaches nearby to this campsite, one is Bulcock (around 35minute walk) and the other is Shelly Beach. Both are beautiful and have lots of cafes and markets to enjoy nearby.
Late morning we decided to go kayaking over to Bribie Island a HIGHLY RECOMMEND. We rented our kayaks from Billʼs rental along the coastline just before Caloundra a they were super reasonably priced and you can hire single, double or even paddle boards.
About the Author: Sammy
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From our RatPackers
Absolutely recommended to anyone wanting to take the stress out of booking a camper van! Ben made the process for me so smooth and he genuinely cared for what my trip entailed and catered right to it! Blown away with his kindness and couldn’t be more happy with the price and deal we go for our van!
10/10 service! So helpful and friendly! Looking forward to heading on the trip already 😊
Jenna & Ryan are very professionals and helpful. Wish them the best
This shout out is for James! He took all of our worries,stress and anxiety about our up coming snow road trip and chucked them out the window. In under 30 minutes he had us booked with a better deal,upgraded vehicle and many laughs. Just for his service alone we will be back for every holiday! Thanks heaps James we look forward to our holiday because of you, now I can drive to Sydney today with a clear mind and no worries of having to sleep on my bike in the middle of the snow ⛄️ I have to mention his concern for safety was top notch with not wanting myself or my partner to have a bed fall on our heads again 😂
Jenna and Ryan were very helpful from the beginning to the end of the booking process. They shared all the details needed for our trip and in good time. Once our trip had been confirmed Ryan supported us through the phone call explaining next steps, payment and the process. We are very happy with the service we received! Thank you again and we look forward to our trip!
Ben made our camper van booking experience a breeze, very professional and easy process, would be happy to recommend to anyone!
Mikey was very efficient and easy to deal with, we booked a camper and the whole process took around 1 hour from him getting us prices, speaking to different dealerships and us paying our deposit. He was happy to answer any questions we had and shared lots of information regarding routes, campsites and the day to day travel in a camper. We would definitely recommend!
They were super helpful in finding me a motor home at the last minute—-received great assistance from James
Ben from Ratpack Travel was absolutely amazing in helping find the perfect van & best deal for our dream WA holiday. Best customer service ever! They know their products inside out & I would use them again & again!
George was awesome to deal with! Really knowledgeable and very helpful. Highly recommend!
The service at RatPack-Travel is absolutely great! Ryan took a lot of time to answer all my questions and always clarified everything very quickly. The telephone consultations were easy to understand and everything was clearly explained. Even when my plans changed and I had to adjust my booking, he clarified everything directly with the car rental company and I was able to adjust my booking very quickly and without any problems. I always received an answer within minutes. I am extremely satisfied, thank you Ryan from RatPack-Travel!
James Help us in all the proces and was an absolute Legend! He found the best deal posible for what we wanted to do and withing the buddget. Also provided us with some helpfull information for sugesting itinerarys on things to do and see, as well of apps for finding campsites and campervan sites. 1000% recomended! what a grat custumer service And if this wasnt enought all the service was free!
Thank you Lucas for making it easy to book mum and my camping holiday. You were patient and a joy to deal with. You were able to get a great rate of payment and your help was much appreciated.
Anna was so helpful and kind, she helped me book a van for my friend and I. She was on top of all my questions and was so lovely to work with 😁
Just booked a van for NZ for 2 weeks. Ben made the booking so easy and hassle free, will definitely be recommending RatPack in the future
