East Coast

[PatnKate]

Hi,
My wife, I and 3 boys (9,7,4) will be doing a 10 week trip from Cairns to back home (Melbourne) in late August -November this year with our 16ft Expanda and Pajero. We have most of our timelines figured out but have a vacant 8 days between Agnes waters and the Sunshine Coast to fill in as well as south of Sydney that we haven't explored yet. We would be mostly using caravan parks, easier with the boys.
Is there anyone with some suggestions for locations or things to see/do? For mid QLD or the whole east coast?? Any advice or places to go/avoid would be awesome!
Thanks.
Pat

 

[jeff]

We would be staying at Bega, Merimbula, Eden, Mallacoota. No particular reason, just haven't been there for a long time

 

[Drover]

Tannum Sands near Gladstone is a really nice place, better than Agnes Waters I reckon................................Rainbow Beach is a great area but the Park is a bit squeezy but right in town and just above the beach, can easily spend a week there beaches, swimming, fishing, coloured sands it has it all, you can drive down the beach to Noosa or Fraser Island.............and outside holiday periods is delightful...............Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast are overpriced.

 

[twscoot]

Hi @PatnKate

Agnes waters was a favourite of ours. We stayed here a few years ago.
Emerald beach near Coffs was the very first place we ever camped and have been back several times.
Love Mallacoota foreshore. Used to live near there many years ago and well worth the trip off the highway.
Stop by here and check out the Buchan Caves on the final leg to Melbourne.

Have a look at this trip report too:
Brisbane to Melbourne for some other ideas.

All done with two young kids.
Half the fun is in the planning!
Cheers

 

[XpandaOwner]

We did a 10 week trip a couple of years back from Canberra to Port Douglas and back.. (Quick trip up/nice and slow coming back). Agnes Water/1770 is a lovely spot to stay a few days (also one of the first spots heading south that you won't have to worry about crocs/stingers and get some surf beach back)

We were not going to visit the reef on our trip as we thought our kids were too little (3 & 4) however we made a last minute decision on the way home and headed back up to Gladstone from Agnes. We left the van for 3 nights and headed to Heron Island (wonderful place smack bang on the reef, nesting turtles, snorkelling etc..) Kids loved it and it turned out to be our highlight.

You should defenantily visit a place called Paranella Park in Mena Creek about an hour south of Cairns on your way through, you can stay overnight in your van for free with ticket purchase if you want and do a night walk through as well.

The Big 4 at Cairns is great, and also the one at Airlie Beach (two of the best we have been).

Crescent Head
1770/Agnes Water (do the Larc tour)
Arakoon National Park (trial bay jail campsite)
Byron Bay
Coffs Harbour (big banana, water park and dolphin magic)
Eumundi Markets/Ginger Factory (near Noosa)
Townsville (defenantily do a day trip across to Magnetic Island, hire a joke and explore)
Cairns (Tjapakui/Kuranda train& skyrail)
Port Douglas (Mosman gorge)
Palm Cove (good fishing off the Jetty)
Blacks Beach Mackay
Yeppoon
Caloundra (nearby is big pineapple / Australia zoo)
Too many nice places to list...

Enjoy your trip.

 

[Grizzly_Oz]

Kangaroo Valley south of Kiama has a free camp next to the Shoalhaven river. It has toilets and water, no showers. The wombats come out to eat the grass at night and are not phased by shining torches. The place is called Bendeela and covers around 20 acres. We have been going there for 10 years and love it. It would be worth at least one night.

 

[Drover]

Oh yeah @Grizzly_Oz , truly one of the best places around (outside of holidays) spent a lot of time in the valley way back when I was a local down those parts...................................

 

[PatnKate]

Hi All,
Thanks so much for all the advice and locations.
It always help having others to point out things I never thought of.
Reading these, I'm getting excited!!
Pat