prn1226

Any recommendations? We will be driving up from Brisbane to Port Douglas in Septemeber. Would like to visit the Whitsunday islands but also thinking of an inland National Park along the way.Looking for stop off points.Appreciate any feedback from those who have traveled before us.

johhj_au

Its a long way!
presumably you have assessed the distances and road quality involved.

Canaarvon Gorge is my pick of the inland national parks...but accessibity is not great.

KayF

It is indeed a long way, if you haven't already, you can check distances etc on the Map Maker section of www.travelmate.com.au They also have an Australian travel forum.
The Whitsundays are well worth the stop, beautiful scenery and lots to do. There is a security carpark just near Shute Harbour (where the ferries to the island go from) where you can leave your car. We walked along the main street in Airlie Beach, checking out the cheap last minute rates then stayed on an island for a few nights which was great, but you can do day trips to the various islands as well.
Mission Beach is a good spot for a few days. You can visit Dunk Island, whitewater rafting at nearby Tully, and the beach is gorgeous.
Paronella Park is a bit different, it's about 1-2 hours south of Cairns and good for a day trip (check their website for a feel for the place).
Cairns is worth staying in as well, we had 4 nights each in Cairns and Port Douglas which worked well. You can do different things from each place. Most of the reef trips leave from PD and Kuranda is easier from Cairns.
Hope this helps a bit.
Kay

Janewtravel

Hi John
Stick to the coastah highway, Lots of great stop points.Strabrobe island is great. Whitsunday should definitely be in your itenerary.Townsville is Ok and if you have the time for Magnetic island its a bonus .Mission Beach and Palm Cove just north of Cairns are very pretty. Port Douglas is a must.
Go to the Reef from Port Douglas, its the closest point to the outer Reef, so youre travelling less and snorkelling/diving more.Go to Daintree,Cape Tribulations or Bloomfield Falls also from Port Douglas a must to see. We went to the outer reef with Quicksilver, just great and Bloomfield Falls and Cape Tribulations with Tony's Tropical Tours, recommend the two.

prn1226

Thanks so much for the tips. We are taking 5 days for the drive.

pat_woolford

Was going to suggest Fraser Island (off Maryborough), Hinchinbrook Island (off Cardwell) and Frankland Islands (just south of Cairns) but with only 5 days there's no hope if you're including Whitsundays. Please, I keep reading on these postings that Port Douglas has more dive/snorkelling opportunites than Cairns - a quick check of the local phone book reveals that there at least 30 snorkel/dive operators out of Cairns (some are incredibly cheap for what they offer), 9 from PD (some operators from both towns do have more than one vessel). Reef distance from Cairns or PD is much the same - of course this depends on what part of reef you're going to - the closest land point to the reef in the area is not PD - it's Cape Tribulation -only 45 minutes to reef. This would only be of use if you're staying near Cape Trib. which would be lovely in September. If you're night driving watch out for kangaroos - they just leap in front of traffic.

marg

I'd suggest a visit to Eungella national park and Finch Hatton Gorge. This area is about an hour's drive west of Mackay. The scenery is spectacular and one of the best places in Australia to see platypuses in the wild.
Also closer to Brisbane, the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast has some beautiful scenery and interesting towns. You can drive from near Landsborough through Montville and Mapleton and back onto the highway near Nambour.