East Coast Road Trip in 7 Days

After a short stay in Cairns, we looked again for a cheap way to get down the East Coast to Brisbane. From there, we will fly to Vanuatu on November 4th - the eighth country on our trip.

In the end, we found a relocation deal at the APEX car rental - this time for a small car and not a huge camper. For about 80 Aussie dollars, we have a car for about 8 days, unlimited kilometers, and can visit some places on the East Coast that Mathias has already been to.

Again, following the motto "first eat kilometers, then chill," we set off. We spent the first day basically just driving and made it to Airlie Beach. After a short overnight stay, a big breakfast by the promenade, and a short walk, we continued. The next stop was Agnes Water / Town of 1770, where we spent the night and explored the area the next morning before moving on.

We are now passionate wildlife observers, you could say. And so we were particularly excited when we came across the first "Koala Crossing" road signs. Seraina - being the co-driver at the time - stuck to the car window for a few meters and stared into the trees, and believe it or not, she saw a koala. We stopped, turned around, and took some great photos. Just like that - right on the highway somewhere in the middle of nowhere on the East Coast, we were lucky again.

On the same day, we drove to Noosa, where we read about koalas. Thanks to directions in a Facebook group and a tip from a passerby, we also discovered the koala mom and young high up in the tree there - despite the drizzling rain. The next morning in Noosa, we explored the area and completed a great walk in Noosa Heads National Park.

Only after noon did we drive on to Surfers Paradise. From Burleigh Heads, we looked back at the small Australian version of Miami, and later we stayed there with Michael, an acquaintance from Mathias's first Australia trip. Sleeping for free is good for the budget... And here you can see once again how diverse Australia is. A place like Surfers Paradise is beautiful and definitely cool for water sports or going out - but at the same time, it's so different from the Outback, where there was nothing and no one for hundreds of kilometers. Both have their advantages, and here we also enjoy pub food again or a (more or less) comfortable bed.

To really relax again, we made our way to Byron Bay after one night in Surfers. Via Nimbin - a place you simply have to see, and no, we didn't buy any smoking materials - we drove to Lismore, where we once again successfully searched for the cute koalas. From there, we finally went to Byron Bay, where we spent three nights. Once again, we spent a whole day doing nothing but eating and hanging out. That's good too! Of course, we visited the easternmost point of the Australian mainland and the lighthouse - quite a long walk from the hostel. We were somehow too lazy to go surfing...

On the last day with the car, we made our way back to Brisbane. Instead of driving along the coast, we made a little detour to Springbrook National Park and visited the Natural Bridge (waterfall) and the Best of All Lookouts. Just before the gates of Brisbane, we enjoyed the view from Mount Coot-Tha and then drove into the city. It is somehow a special feeling to be in such a big city again - but we managed well. Besides strolling along the beautiful Southbanks, we met Mathias's cousin Nicolas - currently attending a language school in Brisbane - for burgers & beer. We also accidentally read that there is a wildlife photography exhibition in the Powerhouse - a great old power station converted into a cultural center. We visited that on Sunday afternoon before heading to the airport and thus towards Vanuatu.