G'Day Backpacker Jobs — Backpacker & Casual Work Australia

All road trips

QLD

Brisbane to Airlie Beach — Sunshine to Whitsundays

Subtropical surf coast, whale-watching areas, the southern reef and the Whitsundays gateway.

Build a day-by-day driving plan

Suggested days
14 suggested days · 9 as a shorter start
Vehicle
2WD on suitable sealed routes

Stops, in order

  1. 1Brisbane
  2. 2Sunshine Coast
  3. 3Noosa
  4. 4Rainbow Beach
  5. 5Hervey Bay
  6. 6Bundaberg
  7. 7Agnes Water
  8. 8Seventeen Seventy
  9. 9Rockhampton
  10. 10Yeppoon
  11. 11Mackay
  12. 12Airlie Beach

No driving time or distance is shown. A straight line on a map would be wrong for ferries, the Gulf, Cape York and the Kimberley.

Day by day

  1. Days 1–3

    Brisbane → Sunshine Coast

    Brisbane: South Bank, river life and city cultural stops; Sunshine Coast: surf beaches and laid-back coastal towns.

    Suggested overnight: Sunshine Coast

  2. Days 4–6

    Noosa → Rainbow Beach

    Noosa: national park coastal tracks and coves; Rainbow Beach: coloured sands and coastal viewpoints.

    Suggested overnight: Rainbow Beach

  3. Days 7–8

    Hervey Bay → Bundaberg

    Hervey Bay: calm-water waterfront and seasonal wildlife outings; Bundaberg: local produce and regional heritage.

    Suggested overnight: Bundaberg

  4. Days 9–10

    Agnes Water → Seventeen Seventy

    Agnes Water: beaches and the Agnes Water–1770 coastline; Seventeen Seventy: calm waterfront and sunset viewpoints.

    Suggested overnight: Seventeen Seventy

  5. Days 11–12

    Rockhampton → Yeppoon

    Rockhampton: regional heritage and the gateway to Capricorn Coast; Yeppoon: coastal beaches and Keppel Bay views.

    Suggested overnight: Yeppoon

  6. Days 13–14

    Mackay → Airlie Beach

    Mackay: tropical gateway and regional walks; Airlie Beach: sailing gateway to the Whitsundays.

    Suggested overnight: Airlie Beach

Things to do

K’gari guided 4WD tour; Hervey Bay wildlife cruise; Whitsundays sailing.

Ideas only. There is no booking button, price or tour link until a real product is approved.

Find work near this route

These towns are editorial hubs. A regional town is not automatically 88-day eligible. That depends on your visa, the work, the postcode and current Home Affairs rules.

Each link opens the live job board. If nothing is listed, that search is empty. It is not a hidden vacancy.

Producer names from the directory

Matched by town name in the source file. Not checked as nearby by road, and not known to be hiring.

  • Ironbark Beef (Bundaberg, QLD)
  • Macadamias Australia (Bundaberg, QLD)
  • G'Day Farm (Bundaberg, QLD)
  • Red Rock Macadamias (Bundaberg, QLD).

Open the farm directory — a list of places, not job ads. Sign in to view it.

Road, ferry and access

  • K’gari is a ferry-access island; only show it as an optional guided day trip, never a road stop.

Specified work rules: subclass 417 and subclass 462. This page is a travel guide, not migration advice.