Sale (Victoria) to Darwin via Gold Coast / Cairns then home through the Centre

[HEND05]

Hello Everyone, I've looked through the groups discussion boards and will keep looking because I learn o much every time!! But i thought I'd start a thread - a little selfishly really - but we are in the midst of planning a 12 week trip up the east coast, across to darwin, then back down the Centre to home.

We aren;t interested in NSW for this trip and will be looking at getting to the GC as quick as possible. WE figured we'd then take some time up the QLD coast as far as Cairns and then head across to Darwin and down from there.

A few things.... we have 3 kids on board they will be 12, 11 and 7 as well as my wife. Whilst we don't want to rush, we are on timeline and I'm keen to see everything possible with the kids down the Centre and around the north QLD area. The first part around the GC and up around Airlie Beach will be relaxing holiday and I'm hoping for action after that.

Wha should we definitely see? Howling should we allow for the Darwin to home stretch?? Any particularly good camp spots???

We are towing a 2008 16.49.1 OB behind a 2012 Triton Dual Cab.

All comments and ideas welcome and appreciated in advance

 

[davemc]

sounds like a good trip we are doing Alice and back in Sep with 4 kids.
Taking it slow so 5 weeks with almost a week at Flinders group meet although heading to Broken Hill etc on way back

We have done Gold Coast twice first time stopped 2 nights.. Second time headed to Gilgandra stopped over night headed early and made southport around 4pm.. This was daylight savings so you get a extra hour when you cross the border

Depends how your kid travel we have ipads and movies so they are in business class traveling

How far down Gippsland you are if you want to come back via Melb or just head up the coast. We did Hume on the way back once and Sydney is not fun to drive through with a van If you want to head through Sydney probably have to line up a good time so might want to stop beforehand?

Plenty of trip reports on here lots of people free camp here as well so be able to help.
It all depends on where and when you want to rush some big 10-12 hour days how far you get.
I know for the Alice trip I think biggest day is 6 hours what I worked out so far would love to get to Darwin and back in 5 weeks although be pushing it with 4 kids under 10.

 

[Bluey]

If your going near cairns you MUST take your family for a day trip to cape tribulation in the daintree where the rain forest meets the reef a big day but can do it easy if you leave early so not to rush
Mission beach nice van park on the beach if still there ...... clearview past Rockhampton in middle of nowhere could be a stopover not much there only good for over night but the biggest tides you will see along that coast
Forshore at townsville and cairns a must for the kids to swim and play in water parks airlie beach also has a great pool on forshore behind shops also a must if you go there ........ you must !!!!! Also eat spannish mackeral sold at most fish and chip shops if you like fish sold like flake is here i like it better than barra which mite or mite not be from oz check first if its freash but the mackeral is just loverly and local but the drive from cairns to cape trib is a great drive and will be the best day out

 

[bigcol]

I cannot help - as the last time I went from Melb to Cairns was 1970................ and I was NOT driving
we had an AM radio in the car with 4 kids & 2 adults............ if that helps
the actual trip was Liverpool to Melb to Cairns to Sydney - then off to New Guinea

I think the roads may have changed a bit by now



but I will be watching this for info for when I do head east............. one day