Townsville Road Trips

10 Road Trips from Townsville

These road trips depart from Townsville and strike out on a one way journey, ending at a destination where you are able to drop off your rental campervan at one of Camperman's depots. Great places to stay in your campervan, as well as the rates and facilities, are listed for each stop, along with the local attractions with maps and photos.

1. Cairns to Townsville: Far North Queensland 
   350 km | 2 days
   This coastal drive includes Babinda Boulders, Josephine falls, the pyramid summit climb, Paronella Park, Mission Beach, Hinchinbrook Island, empty palm-fringed beaches and national parks. More.
   
   
2. Townsville to Airlie Beach: The Tropics and Whitsundays
   280 km | 1 day
   Leave Townsville and stop at Bowen's Horseshoe Bay for a swim and walk through massive granite boulders to a lookout, before arriving at Airlie Beach, the gateway to the Whitsundays. More
   
   
   Bowen between Townsville and Airlie Beach
   
   
3. Outback Queensland (Townsville to Brisbane)
   2,2900 | 7 days
   Brisbane to Cunnamulla | Cunnamulla to Townsville
   Detour west to travel through Queensland's outback before returning to the coast. This drive traverses a broad range of mostly uninhabited landscapes and you'll never see stars like it at night. Highlights include bilby encounters, star gazing, museums, outback art, sweeping views, red sand dunes, paddle steamer river cruises, dinosaur footprints, lots of wildlife, canyons and the historic town of Charters Towers. More
   
   
4. Townsville to Brisbane Drive
   1,390 km | 10 days
   Townsville to Airlie Beach | Airlie Beach to Brisbane
   Highlights include Bowen's Horseshoe Bay, a walk through massive granite boulders to a lookout, Airlie Beach the gateway to the Whitsundays, Cape Hillsborough National Park where kangaroos hang out on the beach, Capricorn Caves, Agnes Water, Lady Musgrave Island, whale watching in Hervey Bay, World Heritage listed Fraser Island, Rainbow Beach and the Great Sandy National Park, Noosa, the Hinterland and the Glasshouse Mountains. 
   
   
   Lady Musgrave Island. Photo:  brooooke_r via IG
   
   
5. Townsville to Sydney: East Coast Road Trip Itinerary 
   2,700 km | 18 - 23 days 
   Townsville to Airlie Beach | Airlie to Brisbane | Gold Coast to Sydney
   Highlights include Bowen's Horseshoe Bay, a walk through massive granite boulders to a lookout, Airlie Beach the gateway to the Whitsundays, Cape Hillsborough National Park where kangaroos hang out on the beach, Capricorn Caves, Agnes Water, Lady Musgrave Island, whale watching in Hervey Bay, World Heritage listed Fraser Island, Rainbow Beach and the Great Sandy National Park, Noosa, the Hinterland and the Glasshouse Mountains, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Springbrook National Park, Lamington National park, Byron Bay, Nimbin, Mt. Warning summit climb, the Sapphire Coast and its national parks, the ancient misty rainforest of Dorrigo National Park, Bellingen, Myall Lakes, the Hunter Valley wine region, and the Blue Mountains before arriving in Sydney.
   
   
   Hunter Valley
    
   
6. Townsville to Melbourne: East Coast Road Trip Itinerary  
   3,900 km | 33 days
   Townsville to Airlie Beach | Airlie to Brisbane | Brisbane to Sydney | Sydney to Melbourne
   This epic road trip carries on from Sydney (above). Highlights include Bowen's Horseshoe Bay, a walk through massive granite boulders to a lookout, Airlie Beach the gateway to the Whitsundays, Cape Hillsborough National Park where kangaroos hang out on the beach, Capricorn Caves, Agnes Water, Lady Musgrave Island, whale watching in Hervey Bay, World Heritage listed Fraser Island, Rainbow Beach and the Great Sandy National Park, Noosa, the Hinterland and the Glasshouse Mountains, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Springbrook National Park, Lamington National park, Byron Bay, Nimbin, Mt. Warning summit climb, the Sapphire Coast and its national parks, the ancient misty rainforest of Dorrigo National Park, Bellingen, Myall Lakes, the Hunter Valley wine region, and the Blue Mountains, a few days in Sydney, the rugged sandstone cliffs and bays of the Royal National Park, the Sea Cliff Bridge, Nan Tien Buddhist Temple, the Pigeon House Mountain summit climb, lots of beaches, fresh oysters, local cheese, beach camping, seals, the Gippsland Lakes, Wilsons Promontory, and the penguins of Phillip Island.
   
   
   Croajingolong seals. Photo: wildark_kirstinscholtz via IG
   
   
7. Townsville - Sydney - Melbourne - Adelaide: East Coast & the Great Ocean Road.
   5,400 km | 41 - 46 days
   Townsville to Airlie Beach | Airlie to Brisbane | Brisbane to Sydney | Sydney to Melbourne | Melbourne to Adelaide
   This road trip takes you half way around Australia down the east coast and along the southern coast. Highlights include Bowen's Horseshoe Bay, a walk through massive granite boulders to a lookout, Airlie Beach the gateway to the Whitsundays, Cape Hillsborough National Park where kangaroos hang out on the beach, Capricorn Caves, Agnes Water, Lady Musgrave Island, whale watching in Hervey Bay, World Heritage listed Fraser Island, Rainbow Beach and the Great Sandy National Park, Noosa, the Hinterland and the Glasshouse Mountains, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Springbrook National Park, Lamington National park, Byron Bay, Nimbin, Mt. Warning summit climb, the Sapphire Coast and its national parks, the ancient misty rainforest of Dorrigo National Park, Bellingen, Myall Lakes, the Hunter Valley wine region, and the Blue Mountains, a few days in Sydney, the rugged sandstone cliffs and bays of the Royal National Park, the Sea Cliff Bridge, Nan Tien Buddhist Temple, the Pigeon House Mountain summit climb, lots of beaches, fresh oysters, local cheese, beach camping, seals, the Gippsland Lakes, Wilsons Promontory, and the penguins of Phillip Island. The journey between Sydney and Melbourne can either follow the coast, or veer inland to Australia's capital city Canberra and through the Snowy Mountains before rejoining the coast. From Melbourne to Adelaide you'll skirt the turquoise sea along the Great Ocean Road, visit ancient rainforests, glow worms, mountain ranges, limestone caves, wine and cheese regions, steam trains and paddle steamers. You'll meet emus, kangaroos, cockatoos, koalas, wombats, echidna's, dolphins and seals along the way. 
   
   
   Mystery Bay. Photo: karstanandmaxine via IG
   
   
8. Townsville - Sydney - Adelaide: East Coast and the Outback
   4,500 km | 31 - 38 days
   Townsville to Airlie Beach | Airlie to Brisbane | Brisbane to Sydney | Sydney to Adelaide
   This road trip gives you a good dose of Australia's beautiful coast plus the unique sparsely populated landscapes of the outback. Highlights include Bowen's Horseshoe Bay, a walk through massive granite boulders to a lookout, Airlie Beach the gateway to the Whitsundays, Cape Hillsborough National Park where kangaroos hang out on the beach, Capricorn Caves, Agnes Water, Lady Musgrave Island, whale watching in Hervey Bay, World Heritage listed Fraser Island, Rainbow Beach and the Great Sandy National Park, Noosa, the Hinterland and the Glasshouse Mountains, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Springbrook National Park, Lamington National park, Byron Bay, Nimbin, Mt. Warning summit climb, the Sapphire Coast and its national parks, the ancient misty rainforest of Dorrigo National Park, Bellingen, Myall Lakes, the Hunter Valley wine region, and the Blue Mountains, a few days in Sydney, rural towns and outback landscapes, the desert sculpture park near Broken Hill, Menindee Lakes in Kinchega National Park, Mungo National Park, the historic Murray River and its paddle steamers, the Barossa Valley wine region, and Adelaide.
   
   
   Mungo National Park
   
   
9. Townsville - Darwin - Uluru - Adelaide: Australia's Red Centre 
   6,350 km | 26 days 
   Townsville to Cairns | Cairns to Darwin | Darwin to Adelaide 
   Highlights of this road trip include Cairns, Hinchinbrook Island, Mission Beach, Undara Lava Tubes, Mataranka Hot Springs, Katherine Gorge in Nitmiluk National Park, Litchfield National Park, Darwin, Devils Marbles, Uluru, the Olgas, the underground town of Coober Pedy and the city of Adelaide. 
   
   
   Uluru
   
   
10. Townsville - Darwin - Broome - Perth - Adelaide: Half Way Around Australia
    11,710 km | 52 - 62 days
    Townsville to Cairns | Cairns to Darwin | Darwin to Broome | Broome to Perth | Perth to Adelaide
    Highlights of this road trip include Cairns, Hinchinbrook Island, Mission Beach, Undara Lava Tubes, Mataranka Hot Springs, Darwin, Katherine Gorge in Nitmiluk National Park, Litchfield National Park, Broome, the whale sharks of Ningaloo Reef, the dolphins of Monkey Mia and the Shark Bay World Heritage Area, white shell beaches, The Pinnacles Desert, carpets of wildflowers, the Dampier Archipelago, the Lancelin Sand Dunes, three days in Perth, Margaret River wine region, tree climbs in the Pembroke forests, the Esperance, Lucky Bay, the Nullarbor Plain, the Great Australian Bight and the wild Southern Ocean, Coffin Bay National Park and Adelaide.  
    
    
    The Pinnacles

Map of Australian Road Trips

Use this map to customize your own road trip from Townsville.