The route follows the coast north from Sydney: dolphins and dunes in Port Stephens, the beaches around Byron Bay, Noosa, and finally the sand island K'gari. The longest leg from Port Stephens to Byron Bay you'd best split with a stopover if you're with children.
20 Days / 19 Nights
May–September
5 stops
Why This Route?
Perfect for families: short stages, quiet beaches, and abundant nature.
Hidden Gems
Sandboarding on the Stockton Dunes near Anna Bay in Port Stephens
Coastal walk in Noosa National Park to Tea Tree Bay
Lake Wabby on K'gari, a green lake at the edge of a shifting dune
Itinerary
Stop 1 • 3 Nights
Sydney
City
Route highlight
Sydney is Australia's largest city, set on one of the world's most beautiful natural harbours. The Opera House and Harbour Bridge, ferries across the water, beaches like Bondi and Manly, and national parks right on the city limits.
8 Sights
5 Restaurants
History and Culture
The Gadigal and other Eora groups have lived by the harbour for tens of thousands of years. In 1788, the First Fleet, led by Arthur Phillip, landed in Sydney Cove and founded a penal colony. Sandstone houses and pubs from this period still stand in The Rocks, while the Hyde Park Barracks, a former convict site, are a UNESCO World Heritage site.Jørn Utzon's Opera House opened in 1973 and has been a World Heritage site since 2007. The Art Gallery of New South Wales showcases a large collection of Indigenous art, and the Australian Museum tells stories of natural and cultural history. Today, Sydney is one of the most diverse cities in the world, with over a third of its residents born overseas.
Port Stephens, a good two hours north of Sydney, is a large, sheltered bay with dolphins, white beaches and the sand dunes of Stockton Bight. The towns around Nelson Bay are a popular holiday destination for Sydneysiders.
4 Sights
8 Restaurants
History
The bay is Worimi Country. Today, they manage the Stockton Bight dunes with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, home to many ancient shell middens and campsites.James Cook named the bay in 1770 after Philip Stephens, a Secretary to the Admiralty. During World War II, gun emplacements on Tomaree Head secured the entrance; you can see their remnants on the way to the summit. In Nelson Bay stands the old Inner Light, a small lighthouse from 1872 with a museum.
The Northern Rivers in northeastern New South Wales stretch from the coast around Byron Bay into the green hinterland with rainforests, waterfalls, and small towns like Mullumbimby and Nimbin. Cape Byron is the easternmost point of the Australian mainland.Surf culture, organic farms, markets, and a strong alternative scene characterize the region. Brisbane and the Gold Coast are about a two-hour drive north.
5 Sights
4 Restaurants
Culture & History
Land of the BundjalungThis region is Bundjalung Country. The area around Byron Bay is known in Arakwal as Cavanbah, “meeting place”. The Arakwal, in partnership with park authorities, manage the Arakwal National Park south of the town. For them, Wollumbin, the prominent volcanic mountain in the hinterland, is a sacred site.Whaling, Timber, and AquariusFor a long time, Byron Bay's economy relied on timber, dairy farming, and until 1962, a whaling station. In 1973, the Aquarius Festival in Nimbin drew thousands of young people to the region, many of whom stayed. This event sparked the counterculture still visible today, with its communes, organic farms, and markets.
Noosa, at the northern end of the Sunshine Coast, combines a sheltered town beach, a coastal national park with koalas, and the tranquil Noosa River. Just over two hours north of Brisbane.
4 Sights
3 Restaurants
The History
This land belongs to the Kabi Kabi. Noosa's name probably comes from a Kabi Kabi word for shade. European loggers came in the 19th century; from the 1960s, Noosa grew popular with surfers, later becoming a holiday resort. The community has focused on limited growth for decades; consequently, the coast here is less developed than further south.
The world's largest sand island, about 120 kilometers long, with rainforest on sand, over a hundred freshwater lakes, and a beach serving as a road. It is now officially called K'gari and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Explore it only by 4WD.
4 Sights
4 Restaurants
K'gari: Land of the Butchulla
The Butchulla ParadiseK'gari is the land of the Butchulla, who have lived on the island and the opposite coast for millennia. Its name is often translated as 'paradise'. In 2023, the island was officially renamed K'gari (formerly Fraser Island).Wood, Sand, and ProtectionFrom the 19th century, the island saw timber harvesting, then sand mining. Protests ended sand mining in the 1970s, and logging in 1991. K'gari became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992. The island's dingoes, 'wongari' in Butchulla, are considered purebred and are protected.
