Gold Coast Campervan & Motorhome Hire

Day 1: Collect your van in Brisbane, allowing about an hour for paperwork and a walkthrough, and stock up before you leave. Head north on the Bruce Highway outside the weekday peaks; if you use the tolled Gateway Motorway, ask how your hire company bills tolls. Allow about an hour and a half to the Glass House Mountains and stay at a holiday park near Beerwah.

Day 2: Spend the morning at Australia Zoo in Beerwah, then take the steep, winding range road up to Maleny and Montville for hinterland views back over the volcanic Glass House peaks and a rainforest walk to Kondalilla Falls. Drive down to the coast, a little over an hour, and book two nights at a holiday park in Noosa or nearby Tewantin.

Day 3: Leave the van at camp and take a local bus to Noosa Heads, as parking around Hastings Street is tight for a big vehicle. Follow the coastal track through Noosa National Park towards Hell's Gates, looking for koalas in the trees and dolphins offshore, then swim at Noosa Main Beach. The Eumundi Markets, about 20 minutes inland, run on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Day 4: Take the sealed inland route via Gympie to Rainbow Beach, about two hours, as the beach drive from Noosa North Shore is for 4WD vehicles only. Walk out to the Carlo Sandblow late in the day for views over Tin Can Bay and the coloured sand cliffs, swim at the patrolled main beach and stay at a holiday park in town.

Day 5: Drive about two hours via Maryborough to Hervey Bay and book two nights near the Esplanade. Walk or cycle the foreshore path to Urangan Pier for sunset over the calm waters of the bay. From about mid-July to October, humpback whales rest in the bay on their way south, so book a whale watching cruise if you are here in season.

Day 6: Join a guided 4WD day tour of K'gari, as its sand tracks need a high-clearance 4WD and hire campervans are not allowed on the island. Most tours take in Lake McKenzie, the rainforest boardwalk at Central Station and the Maheno shipwreck on the eastern beach. Back in town, restock and refill water before tomorrow's drive north.

Day 7: Allow about two hours through sugar cane country to Bundaberg for a distillery tour at Bundaberg Rum or a tasting at the Bundaberg Barrel. Carry on about 15 minutes to the seaside town of Bargara and book two nights. Late in the afternoon, snorkel or paddle in the Basin, a sheltered rock pool on the foreshore, then walk the coastal path.

Day 8: Between November and late March, book a ranger-guided Mon Repos Turtle Encounter, a few minutes from Bargara, to watch loggerhead turtles nest or hatchlings scramble to the sea. Tickets go on sale in September and sell out, so book well ahead. Outside turtle season, take a scenic flight to Lady Elliot Island for a day on the southern Great Barrier Reef.

Day 9: Fill the tank in Bundaberg or Bargara before the two-hour drive to Agnes Water, as fuel stops are few on the way. Swim between the flags at the main beach and walk the Paperbark Forest boardwalk, then drive on to the Town of 1770 to watch the sun set over the water from the headland. Book two nights at a holiday park in either town.

Day 10: Take a day cruise from the 1770 marina to Lady Musgrave Island to snorkel over coral in its lagoon, or ride the amphibious LARC to the Bustard Head Lighthouse. From about here north, box jellyfish and other stingers are a risk, highest from November to May, so swim at patrolled beaches and wear a full-body stinger suit.

Day 11: Allow about three hours to Rockhampton, stopping at the Tropic of Capricorn marker on the way into town, then continue about 45 minutes to Yeppoon and book two nights near the foreshore. Crocodile habitat begins at the Boyne River south of Gladstone, so read the warning signs and keep well back from the water's edge in creeks and rivers.

Day 12: Leave the van at camp and catch a ferry from Rosslyn Bay Harbour to Great Keppel Island for white-sand beaches, snorkelling and short bushwalks. Back on the mainland, follow the coast road to the lookouts at Emu Park. Fill the tank and do a big grocery shop tonight, as tomorrow is the longest drive of the trip.

Day 13: Set off early for the longest leg, about 400 km and 5.5 hours on the Bruce Highway, with rest breaks at roadside stops such as Marlborough, Clairview or Sarina. Turn off north of Mackay to Cape Hillsborough National Park, where rainforest-covered headlands meet the beach, and stay at the small beachfront holiday park, booked well ahead.

Day 14: Be on the beach at sunrise, when wallabies and kangaroos often feed along the sand, and give them plenty of room. Walk the mangrove boardwalk, then drive about two hours north to Airlie Beach and book two nights. Confirm tomorrow's Whitsundays cruise, as popular trips fill up in winter and the school holidays.

Day 15: Cruise to Whitehaven Beach and the Hill Inlet lookout, where the tide swirls white silica sand through turquoise shallows. Many cruises include snorkelling and supply stinger suits in season. Back in Airlie Beach, cool off in the free swimming lagoon on the foreshore, a man-made pool, and eat out along the main street.

Day 16: Drive about an hour to Bowen for a swim and snorkel at Horseshoe Bay and a photo at the Big Mango, then continue about 2.75 hours to Townsville and book two nights near The Strand. If you would rather finish in Airlie Beach, few campervan brands have a depot there, so check one-way availability before you book.

Day 17: Spend a slow morning on The Strand, Townsville's palm-lined foreshore with a rock pool and water park, then walk or drive up Castle Hill for views over the city to Magnetic Island. From November to May, swim only in the rock pool or a stinger enclosure, and never in rivers or creeks, which are crocodile habitat. Restock and do the laundry in the afternoon.

Day 18: Leave the van at camp and take the passenger ferry from the Breakwater terminal to Magnetic Island, about 20 minutes across. Walk the Forts Walk to look for koalas in the gum trees and Second World War gun emplacements, then swim or snorkel at Alma Bay or Horseshoe Bay before catching an afternoon ferry back.

Day 19: Allow about 3.25 hours north via Ingham and Cardwell to Mission Beach, stopping at the lookout above the Hinchinbrook Channel on the way. Slow down where signs warn of southern cassowaries crossing the road. Walk a stretch of the long beach facing Dunk Island and stay at a holiday park close to the sand.

Day 20: Drive about 45 minutes to Paronella Park at Mena Creek, a 1930s Spanish-style castle among waterfalls and rainforest. Continue to Josephine Falls at the foot of Bartle Frere, Queensland's highest mountain, for a short rainforest walk, then drive about an hour to Cairns and stroll the Esplanade and its swimming lagoon.

Day 21: Refuel, empty the waste tanks and return the van to your brand's Cairns depot, leaving time for the inspection before it closes. With a later flight, add a night and book a Great Barrier Reef day trip. One-way hires from the Gold Coast often carry a one-way fee, so check one-way availability and the total in your quote.

Day 1: Collect your van in Brisbane, stock up on groceries and drive about an hour south on the M1 to a holiday park at Burleigh Heads. Walk the rainforest track around the headland in Burleigh Head National Park, watching the surfers below, and use local buses rather than the van to reach Surfers Paradise for dinner.

Day 2: Cross into New South Wales, where clocks run an hour ahead from early October to early April, as Queensland has no daylight saving. Swim at Kingscliff or Cabarita Beach and walk up Norries Headland, then continue to Byron Bay, about 1.5 hours of driving in all. Book two nights at a holiday park, as camping on Byron Shire streets is banned.

Day 3: Walk the Cape Byron Walking Track to the lighthouse at mainland Australia's most easterly point, watching for dolphins and, from about June to November, migrating whales. Walk from town rather than driving up, as the lighthouse car park is small. Spend the afternoon at Main Beach or Wategos Beach and the cafes in town.

Day 4: Drive about 1.75 hours south on the Pacific Motorway to Yamba at the mouth of the Clarence River, with a stop at Ballina for a photo at the Big Prawn. Swim in the ocean pool at Main Beach, buy fresh prawns near the harbour and walk up to the lighthouse for views along the coast. Stay at a holiday park in town.

Day 5: Allow about 1.75 hours to Coffs Harbour, stopping at the Big Banana on the way into town. Walk the breakwall to Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve for views over the harbour and, in season, passing whales. Book two nights at a holiday park and buy food and fuel for tomorrow's day trip into the mountains.

Day 6: Drive about an hour via Bellingen and the steep Waterfall Way to Dorrigo National Park. Walk the Skywalk out over the rainforest canopy, then follow the Wonga Walk to Crystal Shower Falls, where the track passes behind the waterfall. Stop for coffee in Bellingen on the way back down to Coffs Harbour.

Day 7: Drive about two hours south to Port Macquarie, with a lunch stop at Nambucca Heads if time allows. Visit the Koala Hospital, where staff and volunteers care for sick and injured koalas, then walk the coastal path past the painted rocks of the breakwall. Stay at a holiday park near Town Beach or Flynns Beach.

Day 8: Continue about 1.5 hours to Forster on Wallis Lake, known for its oysters and calm water for kayaking and paddleboarding. Walk up to the Cape Hawke lookout for views over the lakes and coastline, then swim at Forster Main Beach. Stay at a holiday park in Forster or Tuncurry.

Day 9: Follow The Lakes Way south past Booti Booti National Park to Seal Rocks, about 45 minutes, and walk up to the Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse. Continue on sealed roads through Myall Lakes National Park to Tea Gardens or Hawks Nest, about another hour, and stay at a holiday park near the Myall River.

Day 10: Drive about 1.25 hours around the bay to Nelson Bay in Port Stephens. Join a dolphin watching cruise or a guided 4WD tour of the Stockton Bight sand dunes, as hire vans are not allowed on the sand. Stay at a holiday park in Nelson Bay or Shoal Bay and walk up Tomaree Head for sunset views over the bay.

Day 11: Drive about an hour to Newcastle and walk part of the Bathers Way coastal path between Nobbys Beach and Merewether, stopping for a swim at the Bogey Hole or Merewether Ocean Baths. Use open-air parking near the beaches rather than city car parks, and stay at a holiday park on the city's edge.

Day 12: Drive about an hour inland to Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley and spend the day at the cellar doors, with a designated driver or on a local wine tour. Book two nights at a holiday park among the vineyards or in nearby Cessnock, and pick up local cheese and produce for the van.

Day 13: Take a slow drive about 40 minutes to Wollombi, a village of old sandstone buildings near the convict-built Great North Road, and stop at the historic tavern for lunch. Head back to the vineyards for an afternoon tasting, then check your Sydney depot's address and closing time for tomorrow.

Day 14: Allow about 2.5 hours to Sydney, then refuel, empty the tanks and return the van, leaving time for the inspection. Sydney's motorways, including NorthConnex, are tolled, so check how your hire company bills them. One-way hires from the Gold Coast often carry a one-way fee, so check one-way availability and the total in your quote.

Day 1: Collect your van in Brisbane and drive about an hour south to Tamborine Mountain, taking the steep climb onto the plateau in a low gear. Walk the rainforest circuit to Curtis Falls, then browse the galleries, cafes and cellar doors along Gallery Walk, using the larger roadside car parks. Book a powered site on the mountain or down the hill at Canungra.

Day 2: Drive via Canungra and Beechmont to Binna Burra in Lamington National Park, about 45 minutes on a steep, narrow road. Its campground's drive-on sites suit small vehicles only, so this works best in a compact campervan, while bigger motorhomes should stay at Canungra and join a tour. Walk the rainforest tracks to lookouts over the valleys, and skip the O'Reilly's road, which is not suitable for RVs over 4 m.

Day 3: Drive about an hour to the Natural Bridge section of Springbrook National Park on the Nerang-Murwillumbah Road. Walk the 1 km rainforest circuit to the cave where a waterfall plunges through a rock arch. Continue over the range into New South Wales, about 30 minutes, to Murwillumbah, and remember NSW clocks run an hour ahead during daylight saving.

Day 4: Hire a bike in Murwillumbah and ride part of the 24 km Tweed section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail, past farmland, over old rail bridges and through a railway tunnel. In the afternoon, visit the Tweed Regional Gallery for its art and views of Wollumbin, whose summit track is closed to walkers. Stay at a holiday park in the valley.

Day 5: Spend the morning on the Tweed Coast at Kingscliff or Cabarita Beach, then drive south to Byron Bay, about an hour. Book two nights at a holiday park, as camping on streets and in reserves across Byron Shire is banned and parking in town is tight. Watch the sunset from Main Beach or The Pass and walk into town for dinner.

Day 6: Walk the Cape Byron Walking Track to the lighthouse at mainland Australia's most easterly point, looking for dolphins and, from about June to November, passing whales. Leave the van at camp, as the lighthouse car park is small. In the afternoon, drive about 20 minutes inland to Bangalow for its heritage main street, cafes and shops.

Day 7: Head north on the M1, about two and a half hours back to Brisbane, stopping for a swim at Brunswick Heads or Burleigh on the way. Remember Queensland clocks are an hour behind NSW in daylight saving, so check your return time against local time. Refuel, empty the tanks and return the van, leaving time for the inspection before the depot closes.