Pacific Coast Way

One of Brisbane’s hidden secrets

This drive takes you almost all the way up the coast of Queensland. It starts at the Gold Coast, takes you on through the state capital of Brisbane and on to the Sunshine Coast.

At historic Maryborough you might like to take a short detour to see the whales in Hervey Bay and visit Fraser Island. Further along the way is Childers, where you can take another short detour to Bundaberg, famous for its rum and the Mon Repos turtle rookery. It’s near here, just north of Fraser Island, that the Great Barrier Reef starts near Lady Elliot Island.

Continuing north past the industrial city of Gladstone you’ll come to the beef city of Rockhampton, from which a short detour will take you to Yeppoon and the Capricorn Coast. Continue northwards through the cane fields to the tropical city of Mackay. Along the way there you might like to visit the beautiful Capricorn Caves.

At Proserpine a short side trip will take you to Airlie Beach and the Whitsunday Islands. Next is Bowen, famous for its mangoes and the twin towns of Ayr and

Home Hill on the Burdekin River. From Townsville you can visit Magnetic Island. Continuing north you’ll soon reach Ingham passing the Wallaman Falls, the highest single drop waterfall in Australia. Continue on to Cardwell where there is a ferry to Hinchinbrook Island. Further north are Mission Beach and Tully, where you might meet a Cassowary while on its Spirit of the Rainforest Walk! Then, Innisfail which is famous for its sugar and finally on to Cairns.

Places of Interest

1. GOLD COAST - The largest non-capital city in Australia, the Gold Coast is a coastal city with surfing beaches, a high-rise dominated skyline and rainforest hinterland.

2. BRISBANE - Brisbane is Queensland’s riverside capital city with a population of 2.4 million, making it the third most populous city in Australia.

3. GYMPIE - Located in the Wide Bay-Burnett District north of Brisbane. Known for world class produce and festivals eg. Gympie Muster.

4. MARYBOROUGH - A town steeped in history, Maryborough is nestled upon the Mary River and is the birthplace of Pamela Lyndon Travers, the creator of Mary Poppins.

5. ROCKHAMPTON - Rockhampton, or ‘Rocky’, is the fourth largest city in Queensland known as the Beef Capital of Australia.

6. SARINA - Beautiful beaches, turtle nesting, prime fishing and scenic mountain ranges with country hospitality.

7. BOWEN - One of the many charming towns on the Whitsunday Coast, with award winning beaches and a warm tropical climate.

8. TOWNSVILLE - Coastal city in north east Queensland, offers diverse experiences from the Great Barrier Reef to the World Heritage Wet Tropics.

9. INGHAM - Discover the taste of Italian Life with more than half of Ingham’s population of Italian descent.

10. CAIRNS - The only place on the planet where two World Heritage Wonders sit side by side. Here, the world’s largest reef – The Great Barrier Reef meets the Daintree Rainforest.