Where to next? Queensland’s best family road trip spots

As a kid I imagined that travel in 2020 would be all flying spaceships and jet packs, and here we are now and the reality is so different. We’re simply not traveling {or most of us anyway}, and life is completely grounded. When I dream of what travel looks like for us in the future, I see lots more local travel and road trips.

But where to? Today I’m sharing my favourite spots to road trip to in Queensland, and these are just a few among many. Most are just a short drive from Brisbane, but with so many beautiful spots {especially along the coast} you can plan a whole trip, with pit stops at beautiful locations.

Here are my must-see spots for road tripping in Queensland…

NOOSA

I know that Noosa is one of Australia’s most popular holiday destinations and no secret to anyone, but it deserves to be on this list. It’s only three hours from the NSW/QLD border, and a perfect spot for families to play. I love that it’s got delicious restaurant, beautiful beaches, and main strip filled with shops and ice cream spots. Always ice cream, guys. From Noosa you can drive to Mooloolaba for fish and chips on the beach, to Australia Zoo, and even into the Hinterland to explore.

During our last trip we stayed at the Mantra French Quarter in a little apartment and it was the perfect spot, and enough space that we weren’t on top of each other all trip.

CANUNGRA

Nestled at the top of Lamington National Park is the beautiful O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, and it is truly paradise. Think animals, rainforests and views for day. The drive up to O’Reilly’s is one of the most beautiful, you can feel the air change as you get higher up {it becomes crisp and fresh}, and the views get better and better. While visiting O’Reilly’s you can relax and take in the view, or hike to discover beautiful waterfalls, meet with the local wildlife, and eat some yummy food while taking in the view.

SHANDONVALE ESTATE

Have you ever explored Outback Australia? Driving around Outback Australia is completely different, and eye openings. It’s not rare {it’s actually really, really common} to spot a kangaroo, or emu on the red earth as you drive along. Just out of Longreach in Outback Queensland is a working farm called Shandonvale Estate, which is one of the best stays we’ve had as a family. We stayed in a beautifully restored workers cabin, and spent our days feeding animals, playing with cute baby lambs, fishing, and eating the most delicious home cooked meals with our hosts. This one is definitely worth the road trip, and should be on everyone’s bucket list.

HERVEY BAY

Want to have a whale of a time? You can do that in Hervey Bay. We had the most magical time when staying at Hervey Bay, and the highlight was simply whale season. We took a fast boat out in the early morning and whales danced around us in the ocean, and it’s one of our favourite memories as a family. Hervey Bay is a 3 1/2 hours from Brisbane, and a beautiful drive. Do it for the whales!

BUNDABERG

From whales to turtles, Bundaberg is the perfect spot to have a turtle experience. During our stay in Bundaberg we saw turtles hatch and make their way to the ocean for the first time, and we also got to swim with turtles too. Bundaberg is around 4 hours from Brisbane, which you could easily break up by stopping at Noosa for the night {why not?, I say!}. From Bundaberg you can take a day trip to Lady Musgrave for some snorkeling or even fly to Lady Elliot Island for a getaway.

I’d love to know your favourite places to road trip to. Where should we put on our list?