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The East Coast of Australia is by far the most populated with majority of the population and major cities in this area. Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane are the 3 major cities on the East Coast with Cairns being a popular destination in the north for entry to the Great Barrier Reef.

Luckily for Josh and I we were funemployed and took a 3 week road trip to explore the beautiful East Coast, from Melbourne to Brisbane and everything in between for some much needed pit stops. Of course not everyone can have that amount of time to spend traveling but if you do more power to you! Regardless we touched the surface on most of the cities along the East Coast and hopefully this will give you some good recommendations on places to visit for your holiday.

Instead of renting a car to get from A-Z, we hired a Wicked Camper which had the option to turn the inside of the car into a lay flat bed. You will see these around a lot in Australia as they are a popular way to get around on a budget, especially for those long road trips. Over the 3 weeks we did a mix of camping in Susie (that’s the name we gave our camper car), lodging, and couchsurfing at friends’, hitting up stops all along the coast and then some. Here is a list of the top 10 stops of our East Coast road trip from Melbourne to Brisbane:

Stop #1: Melbourne

Melbourne is a buzzing city full of amazing food, shopping, and culture. There are tons of things to do and places to explore, this was definitely a top favorite city for me. We stayed in Melbourne the longest out of our month road trip, about 5 days, and spent our time shopping, eating, beaching, and getting lost in the cool alleyways of the city. We stayed in the town of St. Kilda just outside of Melbourne CBD but it was an easy trolley ride into the hub of the city.

THINGS TO DO

Walk Along the Yarra River

Along the Yarra you will find many landmarks such as Crown Casino, Federation Square, and the Aquarium, all offering gorgeous views of the city. You can easily spend an afternoon here exploring and seeing what the city has to offer.

Hit Up the Queen Victoria Market

In the center of the city are the Queen Victoria Markets which has hundreds of clothing and food vendors. If you are into shopping this will be the spot for you.

Relax in the Royal Botanic Gardens

These gardens are quite large so it can be easy to get lost and spend your day here. It is certainly refreshing to see all the green among the big city.

Go for Dinner & Drinks

Melbourne is the best spot for cuisine so I highly recommend doing some research on places to check out before coming here. Make a reservation or get lost in the very cool alleyways of the city for some off the beaten path spots. Our recommendation is Rice, Paper, Scissors for a 5 course Asian fusion meal. Still a memorable meal for us to this day…

Stop #2: The Great Ocean Road

The Great Ocean Road is well known for the 12 Apostles but the scenic drive along the coast on the B100 highway is something not to be missed as well. This wasn’t so much a stop for us but was a full day journey from Melbourne to the 12 Apostles and back. The round trip can easily be done in a day however if you have more time then I recommend staying overnight somewhere to avoid the rush.

The coastline is quite stunning so we found ourselves stopping around almost every new corner to take in the views, which can slow you down pretty easily. Luckily we made it to the 12 Apostles just in time for enough daylight to enjoy the beautiful coastline. Certainly an icon of Australia not to be missed!

Stop #3: Canberra

About 6 hours north of Melbourne is the capital of Australia, Canberra. The capital is probably not the most visited city but it’s certainly a big landmark for the country. The city was built specifically for the capital and majority of its buildings are for government purposes. It’s an insanely clean and pristine city surrounded by lush greenery and offers lots of history with its memorials and museums, but it also has a modern touch with food trucks and swanky bars and restaurants.

Things to Do

Explore the Monuments and Museums

There are plenty of beautiful monuments and museums to visit that offer some history of the country. You can even go inside some of the meeting rooms that are still used today for government purposes. I’d definitely recommend going to the War Memorial to see the procession of guards and moment of silence for those who have fallen in war. It’s a beautiful procession and takes place in the late afternoon.

Check out the View from the Mount Ainslie Lookout

Just a few minutes up the hill from the center of the city is a beautiful lookout point that has views of the entire city. From here you can see just about every monument and the greenery of the city makes for quite the view.

Visit Canberra Glassworks

Here you can get up close and see how they make handblown glass art. It’s located in what looks like an old brick factory from the 1900s. Nearby there is the Old Bus Depot Markets which has vendors for the weekend or hit up Brodburger for lunch which has awesome, unique burgers.

Stop #4: Hyams Beach

About 3 hours from Canberra is Hyams Beach, which is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the “whitest sand”. I honestly can’t remember how we even stumbled upon this place but it was a must stop for us, and you can see why…

Stop #5: Sydney

Another 3 hours and we were in the hustle bustle city of Sydney. This was our second time visiting so this stop was more about spending time with friends which was actually nice since we got to do what the locals do. The first time we had visited Sydney was over the NYE holiday which, as you can imagine, was very busy as the firework show along the harbour is not one to be missed. There is a lot to see and do here but I think at least 3-4 days is enough to get in all the good stuff.

Things to Do

Explore the Sydney Harbour

The Sydney Harbour is probably the most iconic place in all of Australia. The Harbour Bridge and Opera House is pictured everywhere and is definitely a must see on your list. I recommend sitting down for a nice lunch or drinks at sunset at the Opera Bar, the views will not disappoint!

Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge

For the more daring, you can climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge but it’s a bit steep in price. It’s definitely a once in a life time experience to be able to actually climb a bridge and I don’t think there are many bridges in the world where you can do that. You are always locked in by cables from the bottom all the way to the top so it’s extremely safe. The harbour views are also pretty outstanding.

If climbing the bridge isn’t your thing then viewing the bridge from the base is not a bad alternative. There is also The Rocks Market near the start of the climb that offers food and clothing vendors and live music, a great way to end the climb or even spend the afternoon.

Explore Darling Harbour

Sydney is just full of harbours! Darling Harbour is less popular than the Sydney Harbour but still buzzing and lots to do and see.

Visit the Local Beaches 

If you must do Bondi Beach then feel free to check it out, but I recommend going during a weekday when there is less people. We went on a weekend in the summer and it was so packed the only place room for our towels was basically on top of other people, completely ruined the ambiance for sure. A less touristy, more local beach is Manly pictured below which offers a longer stretch of beach and still has the same beautiful soft sand and turquoise waters.

Stop #6: Port Macquarie

In between Sydney and Byron Bay there is a long stretch of Australian coastline with some smaller nice beach towns along the way. One of them being Port Macquarie. Here you can go for a nice hike along the coastline for some beautiful beach views and even ride some camels on the beach! Did you know that Australia is home to over 1 million camels?

Stop #7: Coffs Harbour

As you work your way up the coast, you notice the weather starts to get a bit warmer and the scenery a little greener. Not too far from Port Macquarie and a few hours from Byron Bay is the small beach city of Coffs Harbour. There isn’t much to do here but the beaches here are pretty pretty…there’s also a really big banana there.

Stop #8: Byron Bay

Byron Bay might be the best beach city on the East Coast…it’s the one place we actually decided to extend our stay and we didn’t regret it. It’s a small beach town but its relaxed vibe is what made this one of our favorite places. The beaches are quite nice and perfect for surfers of all kinds as the waves roll in for ages…there is also a great hike along the coast to the Cape Byron Lighthouse that isn’t very difficult and offers beautiful ocean views the entire hike. Plus I am pretty sure Chris Hemsworth lives there part time so it wouldn’t be the worse thing in the world to run into him…

If you have some time in the area feel free to also check out the hippie town of Nimbin. It’s about an hour east of Byron Bay up in the hills. It’s a pretty windy road up there but once you arrive you will know you’ve reached Nimbin. It’s like you walked straight into the 70s. It’s full of cute little shops, cafes, and 420 vibes…the town is only about 5 blocks long so you won’t need a ton of time here, but it’s definitely a treat to experience.

Stop #9: Gold Coast

Just an hour and a half from Byron Bay is the Gold Coast or as some call it Surfer’s Paradise…this city reminds me a lot of Miami. Its skyline hugs the beach and its nightlife is pretty wild. You will find club promoters walking the street for discounts on entry or pub crawls. Since we spent more time in Byron Bay we cut short our time here, but had a blast spending our days at the beach (shocking) and did a pub crawl to check out the nightlife. This was another top favorite place of mine…

Stop #10: Brisbane

The last stop of our 3 week journey was Brisbane, about an hour from the Gold Coast. Some Aussies talk a lot of crap on Brisbane but I found the city to be quite nice, but it does miss the mark on a nice beach nearby which is why it might lose some points for people…I typically don’t recommend to stay here for very long as it’s really just another city and there are so many other amazing places to visit in Australia. But if you do end up here there is certainly lots to do and explore…

Things to Do

Spend the Day in South Bank

Right along the Brisbane River is the South Bank Parklands which is a massive grounds area that is filled with parks, shopping, restaurant, bars, and even a massive swimming area to cool off from the heat. You can easily spend a full day here. It seems that there are always some activities or events going on here so definitely check it out beforehand to see what’s happening.

Take a Ferry Ride Along the Brisbane River

Everything seems to be going on along the river banks of the Brisbane River and you can get up close on the action via ferry. There are several different docks and routes you can take with stops along the way where you can get off to explore the area or just sit and relax to take in the beautiful city views.

See the City Skyline

Go for a stroll in Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park for a pretty awesome view of the Brisbane city skyline and the Botanic Gardens…it is quite a beautiful city.