Queensland is the second-largest state in Australia, and we were eager to see its most famous gems: the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsundays. Little did we know that we would explore so much more!
In fact, we liked Queensland so much that we went there twice! Well… maybe our second time wasn’t intentional. But, due to COVID, we had to decide if we wanted to keep traveling through New South Wales, or to head back north again to Queensland. So, we decided on Queensland, and it was a perfect choice!
Our First time in Queensland
Our first time in Queensland was simply wonderful! We traveled over Burleigh Heads to Surfers Paradise and on to Brisbane.
While in Queensland, we met one of our great mates at Gympie Golf Course before continuing on to many more incredible places like Maryborough, Cape Hillsborough, and Lady Elliot Island.
We made it as far north as Airlie Beach where we visited the incredible Whitsundays.
After a fun few weeks, it was already time for us to head back south. As we crossed into New South Wales, we didn’t know at the time that the entire world would soon come to a stop. And then bring us back to Queensland, where we would see the state with new eyes!
Our Second time in Queensland
Our original plan was to explore more of NSW’s coast on our way back to Victoria. But COVID had other plans!
We were in Lockdown in Jervis Bay, where we were forced to stay for almost four months! After the lockdowns ended, our first trip was to the Hinterland of New South Wales. Unsure of what to do next, we decided to go back to the warmth and safety of Queensland!
We are lucky to have had the chance to see more in Queensland, play more golf, and experience towns we never heard of, like Maroochydore and Good Night.
But also, we now had time to go to places that we didn’t see on our first trip, like Agnes Waters and 1770.
One of our favorite towns on our first trip up to Queensland was Hervey Bay, so needless to say, we had to return. Especially since it was now Whale Season! Like on our first trip when we did a tour out to Fraser Island and Lady Elliot Island, Hervey Bay was also the starting point for our unforgettable Whale Watching Tour.
Tip: If you continue north, Rockhampton is the last town where you can find ALDI! Be sure to stock up on items for your travels if you want to save a little bit of money.
We found unique camping places like Brandybottle and the Oh Deere Farm, which we added to our favorite campgrounds.
Another was at Lake Proserpine, a simply beautiful inland lake and free campground, where we relaxed for a couple of days. It was too short, but we had our next house sit in Bowen and had to leave paradise too early.
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Our favorite Campgrounds in Queensland
From Townsville to Cairns
Townsville is one of many towns that we totally loved! Not only because it is the gateway to the beautiful Magnetic Island, but it is also a chilled town full of holiday vibes and all-year-round great weather.
Postponing our next adventures for a few days, we enjoyed being tourists while discovering the best places to see in totally underrated Townsville.
But Our Route from Townsville to Cairns had so much more to offer!
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Two glorious days on Magnetic Island
Is Townsville totally underrated
Highlights from Townsville to Cairns
Far North Queensland
“Did you know that there are no kangaroos in the Top because it is too hot even for kangaroos!?” And, “the longer the mango, the wetter the wet.” These were just a couple of the many sayings that we heard from locals while traveling through Far North Queensland or FNQ for short.
We mention this as it can be extremely uncomfortable in FNQ when the heat and the rain come. However, we were extremely lucky and were able to explore this amazing area with not too bad of weather. Our adventures took us from Cairns to Kuranda to Port Douglas, and on to Mossman Gorge. Our personal highlights were the Daintree, where we had an unforgettable experience watching snakes fight in the water and coming face-to-face with a mate called “Scarface”. And, last but not least, THE one epic adventure that you can’t miss out on when you travel through the FNQ, the Great Barrier Reef!
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Our Journey through Far North Queensland
From Cairns to The Atherton Tableland
“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu
Driving back down from our trip up to Cape Tribulation, we thought that we should see the Atherton Tablelands. Because, well, why not! With no plans, we found an amazing picnic place up in the mountains. The fresh air was so good, the food was amazing, and this was just the start of our little Atherton Tablelands holiday!
From Townsville to Mt. Isa
Coming back to Townsville, our next big adventure was about to start! We wanted to travel from Townsville to Mt Isa through the Outback of Queensland! But before we hit the Overlander’s Way, we wanted to soak in a few more days at the ocean for a while.
Afterward, our Outback adventure started right away and brought us to the Porcupine Gorge National Park. There we witnessed a mind-blowing thunderstorm in the bush camp. And we did an amazing hike down to the bottom of the gorge.
If you know us, you know we don’t let an opportunity go by if it’s about dinosaurs. Yes, you heard right, dinosaurs in the Outback! The towns of Hughenden, Richmond, and Winton are in the so-called Dinosaur-Bermuda Triangle. And we stepped back in time following the path of the dinosaurs!
Longreach isn’t part of the Dinosaur Trail, but we stopped anyway and loved the cute little town. While there, we ran into friends that we had met at Lake Proserpine. What a small world! It was so great to see their friendly faces again and to cuddle with their sweet dog Raffles.
Continuing further, another big surprise was awaiting us. The Clem Walton Park. It is nothing new for us to say that we will just stay one night but end up staying longer. Clem Walton Park is probably THE free campground that we liked the most!
After a few days at Clem Walton Park, where we saw lots of wildlife, we arrived at Mt. Isa. From there, our next adventure took us to the Northern Territory.
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