Hi all. I will be in the Townsville area with a group of undergraduate students for 4 weeks ( I'm a grad student). I am interested in staying another week or two and would like to travel to Sydney by car.

Is it safe for a female to travel that far solo? I'm independent and usually don't ask this question but I didn't want to assume.

Is this plan doable? I'm debating whether to cover a lot of land or spend a lot of time in one place... I could fly to Sydney instead but I kinda want to travel the coast. The only other issue I have is money. Any ideas on low cost places to stay?

This trip will be June 14-26ish.

Thanks!

It's a long long drive with lots of big trucks on the road, and only two lane (one lane each side of the road) most of the way. We've done it many times and I really don't think you would enjoy it as a sole driver. With a group, you could share the driving.
I'd suggest spending your extra week north of Townsville - Cairns, Palm Cove, Port Douglas, Cape Tribulation etc. and then fly to Sydney.

You could consider the train (north or south) although I haven't done that one. Research cost, schedules, possible stopovers, scenery, and so on.

By car has its problems, as marg said.

Train is as boring as batshit - and doesn't go along the coast anyway.If you want to get to Sydney - fly!

Another possible alternative - bus.

Apparently, there's a "hop on, hop off" option with one of the coach companies which might suit you. It would be give you the road trip without the drive - and allow you to stop over in various places.

It's probably Greyhound. Sorry to be so vague - I haven't done it myself, but met a young ex-marine last year who had booked a trip Sydney to Cairns & was going to take a month to do it.

You can always rent a car if you want to explore from a particular town.

Cheap accommodation - hostels (YHA has some excellent places), local pubs, on site cabins at caravan parks.

Having said all that .... There's nothing to stop you doing the drive, and you could make an interesting road trip out of it if you took a week or two.

As a "straight through " run, it's a long & at times tedious drive, but nothing unsafe about it per se. You do need to watch out for the trucks but if you're a competent driver, that shouldn't be an issue for you. And of course apply the same common sense that one would use anywhere else regarding personal safety.

A lot of it is highway, but you can take detours to towns along the way. I'm going out now, but I'll indulge myself & put up a rough itinerary that I would enjoy if I had a week or 2 & a car to play with, later on today.

Caveat: I'm Australian, used to driving long distances and like moseying around on my own exploring.

A relocation company like Imoova can be a good option for cheap car rental. Have a look at their website. You might like to do part if the trip by car if you find a time & place relocation that suits you.
A lot of their vehicles are campervans, but you can also find sedans. I took one from Adelaide to Melbourne last year over 4 days for $5/day. www.imoova.com.au

Sorry no "au"
www.imoova.com. Google " one way car rentals" & "car relocation rentals" if you're interested. There are a few.