Australia Road Trip in 14 Days
My cousin May and I basically left home without a plan and that was the best thing we could do. No accomodation appointments, no plans, just exploring whatever we find and encounter.
Being based in Sydney, Fingal Beach was our first camp. Here we parked at the side of the road, went to the beach and made our first dinner in the camper. We were still trying to figure out all the features of the van and were so excited to find small hidden treasures. The van was incredibly functional and thought through.
The next day we hiked to the Barry Park Lookout then to Fingal Head and then down to Boulder Bay Road where we headed back to the town.
We discovered a Safari at Port Stephens Sand Dunes and I was super stoked as it was my first time sand boarding.
In the evening we went to Crescent Head, but the camping site was full and the reception closed. So we slept at a camping site (Racecourse Campground) down the Point Plomer road. It was very rugged and right at the beach. It was also raining hard.
Next stop was Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise where we took some time off from the rain and treated ourselves with some indoor activities.
We then headed to Noosa National Park where we went surfing at Noosa Main Beach. We also went hiking in the rain to Tea Tree Bay, Granite Bay, Hell’s Gates and Alexandria Bay.
At the car park, we found a small hiking loop called Palm Grove Circuit. It looked incredible especially with the rain.
Next stop was Point Cartwright at Sunshine Coast where we got to finally taste a little bit of sun.
Back on the road, we discovered the Glass House Mountains in Beerwah, Beerburrum when we just followed signs towards a “scenic road”. So we just followed it and found these incredible Glass House Mountains.
After that we went to Brisbane and found the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary where we got to hangout with some local animals.
From Brisbane we drove to Byron Bay where I rented a surfboard and tried surfing for the second time. After this we got a tip from a local that we should visit some waterfalls in land. That wasn’t our plan because we wanted to stay along the coast, but hey, it’s a road trip and why not?
We went waterfalls hopping: Killen, Minyon, and Protesters Falls were incredible scenic views and we even had time to visit the Macadamia Farm – Pacific Farms along the way.
We went back to Byron to sleep and then off to Kingscliff where we stayed overnight at a fancy Camping Ground. We made use of the public exercise equipment and went for a run.
Next stop was Cabarita Beach where we had the most awesome view from the camper. May went surfing again before we headed towards Coffs Harbour. I flew the drone at Digger’s Beach, Park Beach and then we went for a walk to the rocks ito the left of Digger’s Beach.
In the morning we went for a run up to Muttonbird Island and stayed the whole day at Park Beach.
Our next stop was Port McQuary where we had another awesome view from the camper. There was a skater park, we went for another run & workout and I pitched the hammock and we chilled the entire day.
Our last stop was New Castle. The One Mile Beach was impressive but the weather was kinda grey again and it was quite windy. So we decided to go to the Mall (Westfield) because of rain and watched a movie at the cinema.
We slept at the parking of the Dixon Park beach and I filmed a surfing competition.
This being our last day, we headed back to Sydney very content and tired from the whole trip.
General Tips
Transportation
We got our camper van from Britz. I was super happy with the van as it was the perfect size and not too big. The van had incredibly thought through features. The only downside was that most electric appliances only worked if you plug the van to a camping ground electric plug source. Yes, it had a separate battery, but it was only for the fridge and the water pump. We calculated a maximum of 5 hours drive per day. After day 7 we would head back to Sydney.
Accomodation
If you travel with a camper van you still need to sleep in designated camping grounds. Staying overnight at public parking lots is most of the time not allowed and you can get fined for a lot of money. To prevent this, download the app WikiCamps to find free spots to overnight with your camper.
Food
Along this route you can find a lot of grocery stores like Woolworths and Coles. We filled up our fridge and made sure we had food and drinks for the next 3-4 days. Try to consume fresh food as soon as possible and keep your kitchen clean. refill the water regularly and make sure everything is stowed away before you drive.
Costs
The camper was around 1300 AUD for 14 days and another 600 AUD for insurance.
Food was around 50 AUD per shopping.
Camping grounds can cost between 15 and 30 AUD per night.
Gas was around 30 – 40 AUD every 2-3 days
Toll (Linkt) was around 50 AUD for 14 days.
Parking
Most of the parking is for free but is limited to some hours. It is usually not allowed to stay overnight at most public parking lots so you’ll have to drive to a quiet side street. For commercial areas, parking fees may apply. If you decided to go to famous areas, make sure to get there early or else you’ll never find parking. If you end up having difficulty with parking, just explore some untreaded area along the kilometer wide stretches of beaches.
