Melbourne to Cairns Drive

The Melbourne to Cairns Drive

4,800 km | 55 hr drive | 6 - 7 weeks

The Melbourne to Cairns Drive (or Cairns to Melbourne Drive) takes in the entire East Coast of Australia. With all the stops it adds up to 4,800 km. To put this in perspective, Edinburgh to Istanbul is 2,280 km and New York City to Los Angeles is 2,780 km. There is much to see, some of it so beautiful and unique that it's World Heritage Listed. 

Daily drive times average around 3 hours per day. We have suggested places where you might wish to spend more time. If you do all of these you'll add 10 or more days to your itinerary as well as memories that will last a lifetime

Keep scrolling for the Cairns to Melbourne itinerary.

Phillip Island

Itinerary Melbourne to Cairns Drive

PART ONE - Melbourne to Sydney Drive

• Day 1 & 2: Melbourne to Mornington Peninsula – 100  km | 1.5 hrs
• Day 3 & 4: Phillip Island –  145 km | 2 hr
  
• Day 5 & 6: Wilsons Prom – 140 km | 2 hrs
• Day 8: Gippsland Lakes  –  277 km | 3 hr 45 m
• Day 9 & 10: Croajingolong National Park, Mallacoota and Merimbula – 368 km | 5.5 hrs
• Day 11 & 12: Pigeon House Mountain climb and 4 National Parks – 313 km | 5 hrs
• Day 13: Booderee National Park – no driving
• Day 14: Sea Cliff Bridge and Nan Tien Temple  – 170 km | 3 hrs
• Day 15: Royal National Park – no driving
• Day 16 - 18: Sydney – 36 km | 45 m

PART TWO - Sydney to Brisbane Drive

• Day 19: Sydney to the Hunter Valley - 165 km or 388 km | 3 hr
  Optional 2 days: Blue Mountains and Wollemi National Parks - 388 km | 5 hr 45 m 
• Day 20 & 21: Hunter Valley to Myall Lakes - 242 km | 3.5 hrs 
• Day 22 & 23: Myall Lakes to Dorrigo National Park - 362 km | 4 hr 20 m
• Day 24 & 25: Dorrigo National Park to Byron Bay - 373 km | 4 hr 
• Day 26 & 27: Byron Bay to the Gold Coast - 200 km | 3 hr 15 m 

• Day 28 & 29: Gold Coast to Brisbane (via Springbrook and Lamington National Parks) - 215 km | 4 h
• Day 30: Brisbane – no driving
• Day 31: Brisbane, Glass House Mountains, Hinterland, Noosa: – 175 km | 3 h
  
• Day 32: Rainbow Beach & Great Sandy National Park: – 135 km | 1 hr 45 m
• Day 33: Fraser Island: no driving
  (Optional extra day on Fraser Island. Ferries leave from Rainbow Beach and Hervey Bay. Campervans are not allowed on the island so rent a 4WD or book a tour.)
• Day 34: Hervey Bay and Bundaberg: – 135 km | 1 h 35
  Whale watching July - November 
• Day 35: Agnes Water, 1770: – 230  km | 2 h 45 m
  (optional additional day at Lady Musgrave Island)
• Day 36: Capricorn Caves: – 253 km | 3 h
  (Tours leave 9.00 am, 10.00 am, 11.00 am and last an hour. AU$33 per adult.)
• Day 37: Cape Hillsborough National Park: – 363 km | 4 hr
  
• Day 38: Eungella National Park, Airlie Beach: – 277 km | 3 h 45 m
  (If time is tight, skip Eungella National Park) 

• Day 39: Spend a day exploring Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays
  (Optional extra day in Airlie Beach)
• Day 40: Airlie Beach to Townsville – 275 km | 3 h 15 m 
  
• Day 41: Magnetic Island No driving
  Ferries depart and return every hour
  (optional extra day exploring Charters Towers)
• Day 42: Paluma Range National Park and Cardwell Spa Pool – 225 km | 3.5 hr
  
• Day 43: Hinchinbrook Island (world heritage listed) – 70 km | 1 hr
  Book boat to island $150 round trip (departs 8.30 am)
  (Optional Thorsborne Trail - 4 days. Must pre-book.)
• Day 44: Mission Beach and Paronella Park – 45 km | 45 min
  (optional extra day in Mission Beach)
• Day 45: Wooroonooran NP, Babinda Boulders, Walshs Pyramid, Cairns – 175 km | 2.5 hr
  (optional extra day overnight at Babinda free camping)

When you arrive in Cairns give yourself at least a week to explore Cairns, Port Douglas, Cooktown, the Great Barrier Reef, Atherton Tablelands, Undara Lava Tubes and the Daintree Rainforest.

Ellis Beach, Cairns

Itinerary Cairns to Melbourne Drive

• Day 1: Walsh's Pyramid, rainforest swimming holes, Wooroonooran NP – 125 km | 1 h 50 m drive
  (optional extra day in Wooroonooran NP)
• Day 2: Paronella Park, Mission Beach – 88 km | 1 h 15 m drive
  (optional extra day in Mission Beach)
• Day 3: Hinchinbrook Island (World Heritage Listed) – 70 km | 1 hr drive
  Book Hinchinbrook Island Cruises to island $150 per person (departs 8.30 am)
  (Optional Thorsborne Trail - 4 days. Must pre-book.)
• Day 4: Cardwell Spa Pool and Paluma Range National Park – 140 km | 2 h
  
• Day 5:Townsville and Magnetic Island – 85 km | 1 h 20  m
  Ferries depart and return every hour (adult round trip $30 - $35)
  (optional extra day exploring Townsville or Charters Towers)
• Day 6: Bowen, Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays – 275 km | 3 h 15 m

• Day 7 & 8: Airlie Beach the Whitsundays and Whitehaven Beach.
• Day 9: Eungella & Cape Hillsborough National Parks: 276 km | 3 h 45 m
  (If time is tight, skip Eungella and head straight for Cape Hillsborough)
• Day 10: Capricorn Caves: 362 km | 4 h
  Tours leave 9.00 am, 10.00 am, 11.00 am and last an hour (AU$33 adults)
• Day 11: Agnes Water, 1770: 253 | 3 h
  (optional extra day at Lady Musgrave Island)
• Day 12: Bundaberg, Hervey Bay: 230 km | 2 h 45 m
  Whale watching July - November
• Day 13: Fraser Island: no driving
  (optional extra day at Fraser Island)
• Day 14: Rainbow Beach & Great Sandy National Park: 135 km |1 h 35 m
• Day 15: Noosa, Glass House Mountains, Hinterland, Brisbane: 296 km | 4 h

• Day 16: Brisbane
• Day 17 & 18: Brisbane - Gold Coast (via Springbrook and Lamington National Parks) - 215 km | 4 h
• Day 19 - 22: Gold Coast - Byron Bay - 200 km | 3 h 15 m
• Day 23 & 24: Byron Bay - Dorrigo National Park - 373 km | 4 h
• Day 25 & 26: Dorrigo National Park - Myall Lakes - 362 km | 4 h 20 m
• Day 27 & 28: Myall Lakes - Hunter Valley - 242 km | 3.5 hrs 
• Day 29 & 30: Hunter Valley - Sydney - 165 km or 388 km | 3 - 5 hrs
  Optional 2 days: Blue Mountains and Wollemi National Parks - 388 km | 5 h 45 m 

PART FOUR - Sydney to Melbourne Drive

This is the coastal itinerary. If you'd prefer to take in Canberra and its museums as well as the Snowy Mountains and Alpine National Parks, take the Mountain and Coastal Sydney to Melbourne Drive.

• Day 31: Sydney
• Day 32: Royal National Park – 
• Day 33: Sea Cliff Bridge and Nan Tien Temple – 93 km | 1 h 25 min
• Day 34 & 35: Booderee National Park – 88 km | 1 hr 25 min
• Day 36: Pigeon House Mountain climb and 4 National Parks – 210 km | 3.5 hrs
• Day 37 & 38: Merimbula to Mallacoota and Croajingolong National Park – 260 km | 3.5 hrs
• Day 39: Gippsland Lakes – 350 km | 4 hr 40 min
• Day 40 & 41: Wilsons Prom – 227 km | 3 hrs
• Day 42 & 43: Phillip Island – 135 km | 2 hrs
• Day 44 & 45: Mornington Peninsula – 144 km | 2 hr
  

Mornington Peninsula is just 76 km (1 hr) from Melbourne.

Melbourne to Cairns Map

There are more detailed maps for each stop on the itinerary.