Queensland is the state where the season decides everything. The same 1,700 km run from Brisbane to Cairns that is straightforward in July becomes a humid, storm-interrupted slog in February, and the roads inland from the coast behave differently again.
Queensland is about 1.85 million square kilometres — roughly five times the size of Germany — and the overwhelming majority of long-distance travel happens on a single road. The Bruce Highway runs from Brisbane to Cairns, about 1,700 km, and for most of that distance it is a two-lane road with intermittent overtaking lanes. It is not a difficult drive, but it is a long and monotonous one, and the towns that break it up — Gympie, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville, Innisfail — are spaced at intervals that suit a truck driver rather than a family.
The practical way to plan it is as five driving days and three stationary ones. Brisbane to Hervey Bay is about 290 km. Hervey Bay to Rockhampton is 490 km. Rockhampton to Mackay is 340 km, Mackay to Townsville 390 km, and Townsville to Cairns 350 km. Any of those is comfortable in a day; two of them back to back is not, particularly in the wet season when afternoon storms cut visibility and the road surface holds water.
Inland, the Warrego and Landsborough highways run west from Brisbane and Rockhampton towards Longreach and Winton. These are sealed, straight and often single-lane bitumen with gravel shoulders, which means pulling half off the seal when a road train comes the other way. Fuel gaps of 150 to 200 km are normal and services close early. North of Cairns the sealed road continues to Cape Tribulation via the Daintree River ferry; beyond that, the road to Cooktown and Cape York is a different proposition entirely and is dry-season only.
The state's spine. Five driving days plus three stationary ones, with natural breaks at Hervey Bay, Airlie Beach and Townsville or Mission Beach. Fuel is easy; the fatigue is the risk. Roadworks are near-permanent somewhere on this road.
Noosa, the Glass House Mountains, Maleny and Montville. Short hops, but the Bruce Highway between Brisbane and Caboolture is heavily congested on Friday afternoons and Sunday evenings. The hinterland roads are narrow and steep in places.
Up the range to Kuranda or via the Gillies Range road, then Atherton, Yungaburra, the crater lakes and Millaa Millaa. Consistently five to eight degrees cooler than the coast. The range roads have tight hairpins and are slow with a caravan.
Port Douglas, Mossman Gorge and the Daintree. The cable ferry across the Daintree River is the pinch point and can queue for an hour in peak season. North of it the road is sealed but narrow, steep and unsuitable for large vans.
Sand driving only. High-clearance four-wheel drive, reduced tyre pressures, tide-dependent beach travel and a vehicle access permit arranged before you board the barge. Not a route to attempt as your first off-road experience.
Toowoomba, Roma, Charleville and the Central West. Sealed the whole way but with long fuel gaps, road trains and afternoon heat. Winter nights inland can drop close to freezing, which surprises people who packed for Queensland.
Lowland tropical rainforest running to the coast. Mossman Gorge is reached by a shuttle from the visitor centre rather than by private car. North of the Daintree River the road narrows considerably. Estuarine crocodiles are present throughout the region's waterways — treat every posted warning sign as accurate.
Subtropical rainforest on the New South Wales border, about two hours from Brisbane. Both access roads, to Binna Burra and O'Reilly's, are narrow, steep and winding, and neither suits a caravan. The plateau walking network is extensive and well signposted.
A sandstone gorge in the Central Highlands, roughly nine hours from Brisbane. The main gorge walk is about 20 km return with numerous creek crossings on stepping stones. The access road includes unsealed creek crossings that become impassable after rain and stay that way for days.
Inland from Ingham, with Australia's highest single-drop waterfall. The road up the range is sealed but very steep and towing is not advised. Best right at the start of the dry season, when the falls still carry volume from the wet.
| To | Distance | Driving time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noosa | 140 km | 2 h | Longer on holiday weekends |
| Hervey Bay | 290 km | 3 h 30 m | Departure point for K'gari |
| Rockhampton | 620 km | 7 h | Too far for a comfortable first day |
| Airlie Beach | 1,120 km | 12 h 30 m | Two days minimum |
| Townsville | 1,350 km | 15 h | Three days at a sane pace |
| Cairns | 1,700 km | 19 h | Five driving days recommended |
| Longreach | 1,180 km | 13 h | Inland, via Roma and Barcaldine |
| Carnarvon Gorge | 720 km | 9 h | Final section unsealed and creek-crossed |
North of roughly Rockhampton the year divides into a dry season from about May to September and a wet season from November to March. In the dry, days are warm and clear, humidity is low, unsealed roads are open and the inland tracks are drivable. In the wet, the coastal highway stays open but is subject to flooding, side roads and gorge access close, and the humidity makes walking unpleasant well before the rain arrives. Cyclone season overlaps the wet, roughly November to April.
South-east Queensland is milder and has no true off-season. April to June and August to October are the pleasant months; January and February are hot, humid and storm-prone but perfectly workable if you are staying near the coast. The inland west follows the same dry-season logic as the tropics — go between May and September, and be prepared for cold nights.
Marine stingers are present in tropical Queensland waters roughly from November to May, and beaches in that region are managed accordingly with netted swimming enclosures during the season. Where a beach carries a closure or warning sign, treat it as current.
Camping in Queensland national parks is booked through the state park service, and a camping permit is required in advance — including for many remote and walk-in sites. Vehicle access permits are separate and apply to sand-driving destinations such as K'gari and the Cooloola section of the Great Sandy National Park. Both are arranged online before you travel. Check current fees with the Queensland park service, as the permit categories are reviewed periodically.
The Bruce Highway corridor is well served by commercial caravan parks, and free or low-cost overnight rest areas exist along it, although the good ones fill by mid-afternoon during the winter travelling season. From May to August the northbound flow of long-term travellers is heavy enough that arriving after four in the afternoon regularly means no site.
With a caravan, the roads to avoid are the range climbs — the Gillies Range road out of Gordonvale, the Binna Burra and O'Reilly's access roads, and the Wallaman Falls road above Ingham. All are sealed and all are unsuitable for towing. Leave the van at a park on the flat and drive up without it.
Almost everyone doing Brisbane to Cairns for the first time books too many nights on the coast and none on the Tablelands. Two nights around Yungaburra changes the trip: it is cooler, quieter, the driving between points is fifteen minutes rather than four hours, and you get the rainforest without the Daintree ferry queue. Take a night off the Bruce for it.