Backpacking East Coast Australia

The East Coast is a fantastic place for backpackers to begin exploring Australia and get a taste of Aussie life. Visit beautiful beaches, see incredible landscapes and meet other travellers whilst having the time of your life on the road! The following information is based on personal experience and isn’t exhaustive.

Transport

  1. 1 Australia in a Campervan 75
  2. 2 Rideshare & Travel Partners 42
  3. 3 Greyhound Bus 51
  4. 4 Hitchwiki 42
  5. 5 Car Relocations 30
  6. 6 Premier Transport 20
  7. 7 Tigerair Cheap Flights 21
  8. 8 Jetstar Cheap Flights 12

Where to begin?

Traditionally backpackers will travel either from Cairns to Sydney or from Sydney to Cairns. Neither is right or wrong, just whatever is easiest for you. Some people choose to travel beyond Cairns up to Cape Tribulation to visit the Daintree Rainforest and others continue their East Coast trip after Sydney down to Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road.

Key Places to Visit

  1. 1 City of Sydney 24
  2. 2 Newcastle 39
  3. 3 Port Macquarie 19
  4. 4 Coffs Harbour 22
  5. 5 Byron Bay 28
  6. 6 Gold Coast 21
  7. 7 Brisbane 16
  8. 8 Noosa 20

Visa Assistance

  1. 1 Gena 28
  2. 2 Working in Australia 28
  3. 3 Working together to keep Australia safe. 15
  4. 4 Working together to keep Australia safe. 11
  5. 5 2nd Year Working Visa 24

How long will it take?

This all depends on how much time you have! I met people who did the whole east coast in two weeks and others who took four months! We spent 6 weeks down the east coast in a camper van and, although a little longer would have been nice, this was enough time to experience almost everywhere and have time to relax in places we loved.

Travel Agents

  1. 1 Peterpans Adventure Travel Australia 31
  2. 2 Adventure Travel Bugs 18
  3. 3 http://www.wickedtravel.com.au/ 21
  4. 4 Madtravelshop 16
  5. 5 Oz Experience 16

Helpful Tip: Places to Visit

Above is a list of just some of the top places to visit from Sydney to Cairns, in order. If you are on a tight schedule this list is for you to pick and choose the destinations you most want to see. If you have slightly longer there are many other incredible places to visit on your journey in addition to these.

Tours

  1. 1 Bitcoin Casino Australia Scooteroo 28
  2. 2 Frasers on Rainbow 21
  3. 3 Whitsunday Sailing - Spank Me! 25
  4. 4 Uncle Brian's Waterfall Tour 16
  5. 5 Grasshoppers Nimbin Tour 20
  6. 6 Noosa Everglades Kayak 18
  7. 7 Black Dog Surfing Byron Bay 18
  8. 8 Surf Camp Australia 6

Helpful Tip: Travel Agents

Take the stress out of booking and use an established travel agency to book tours and other big ticket items/trips. They often have links with the tour companies and are able to get you some great deals and discounts. The big travel agents have offices up and down the east coast which can act as a place to drop in, use the free wifi, log on to a computer and print things off.

Map of the East Coast

Campervan Hire

  1. 1 Travellers Autobarn 40
  2. 2 Jucy Campervans 17
  3. 3 Spaceships Rentals 19
  4. 4 Wicked Campers 22
  5. 5 Britz Motorhome & Car Rental 12
  6. 6 Apollocamper 12
  7. 7 Campervan Comparison Quotes 16

Job Search

  1. 1 Gumtree Free Local Classifieds 23
  2. 2 SEEK 13
  3. 3 How to Get a Job in Australia (with Pictures) 19
  4. 4 Backpacker Jobs Australia 30
  5. 5 Farm Work on Gumtree 11
  6. 6 Working Holiday Visa 6

Apps

  1. 1 WikiCamps Australia 29
  2. 2 Real-time transport apps NSW 13
  3. 3 Duolingo 14
  4. 4 Memrise 18
  5. 5 20 Travel Apps for Backpackers 23
  6. 6 GoPro App 13

Sydney

Fast Food and Drink

  1. 1 Subway 14
  2. 2 Salsas Fresh Mex Grill 11
  3. 3 Australian Sushi at it’s best 11
  4. 4 Boost Juice 9
  5. 5 Red Rooster 12
  6. 6 McDonald's Australia 11
  7. 7 Hungry Jack's 7
  8. 8 40 best Australian foods 20

Wildlife

  1. 1 Billabong Sanctuary Townsville 19
  2. 2 Australia Zoo 7
  3. 3 Koala Hospital Port Macquarie 14
  4. 4 List of Australian Zoos and Sanctuaries 12

Hostel and Hotel Chains

  1. 1 Nomads 13
  2. 2 Xbase 10
  3. 3 YHA 9
  4. 4 Best Rates & No Booking Fees 11
  5. 5 Metro Hotels 10
  6. 6 Select your location and language below 6
  7. 7 Best Western Hotels & Resorts in Oceania 8

Supermarkets

  1. 1 Woolworths 11
  2. 2 Coles 8
  3. 3 ALDI Australia 14
  4. 4 FoodWorks 6
  5. 5 List of supermarket chains 5

Languages

  1. 1 Australian slang dictionary 28
  2. 2 Aboriginal Languages 13
  3. 3 Learn German 6
  4. 4 Learn English 6
  5. 5 Languages of Australia 4

Radio and TV

  1. 1 Triple J 7
  2. 2 ABC 7
  3. 3 Freeview Australia 8
  4. 4 http://www.australianliveradio.com/ 9

Medical

  1. 1 Health care in Australia 8
  2. 2 Healthcare Advice 6
  3. 3 Services Australia 10
  4. 4 STA Travel Insurance 7
  5. 5 Government Insurance Information 6

Helpful Tip: Language

Conversational English will be a massive help on your east coast trip, particularly if you are lost and need assistance/directions. Aussies sometimes speak quickly and use slang terms so clue yourself in on the best of Australian slang before you leave! If your English isn’t great you will meet plenty of other people in the same position as you in hostels or on tours so don’t worry!

Helpful Tip: The Great Ocean Road

The Great Ocean Road is not typically done as part of the East Coast but as an extra trip before or after. There are tours available but the best way to travel this journey is by rented car or camper van to give you a little extra time to see the things you want to see. My top tip would be to stop at as many scenic lookout points as possible (they are well signposted and often visible from the road) to take in the amazing views and to snap awesome pictures.

The Great Ocean Road

  1. 1 Visit the Great Ocean Road 17
  2. 2 Touring Map 16
  3. 3 Telegraph Guide to Great Ocean Road 6
  4. 4 12 Apostles 6
  5. 5 Port Fairy Folk Festival 8
  6. 6 Grampians National Park 7
  7. 7 Scenic Lookouts 9
  8. 8 Great Ocean Road Tours from Melbourne 6

Bottle Shops

  1. 1 Bottlemart 9
  2. 2 Beer Wine Spirits 7
  3. 3 Bottle Shops in Queensland 4
  4. 4 Thirsty Camel 4
  5. 5 Goon! 5

Cinema Chains

  1. 1 Dendy Cinemas 9
  2. 2 Event Cinemas 6
  3. 3 HOYTS 7
  4. 4 Palace Cinemas 8

The Great Barrier Reef

Helpful Tip: Alcohol

The legal drinking age in Australia is 18 and when purchasing alcohol or entering a bar or club you will be asked for ID. Typically a driving license from your country will work but they may ask for your passport if they aren’t familiar with driving licenses from your country of origin.

Travel Guides

  1. 1 Lonely Planet East Coast Australia 17
  2. 2 The East Coast of Australia 16
  3. 3 The Aussie Nomad 3
  4. 4 Top 10 Things to Do on the East Coast 17
  5. 5 Best Beaches in Australia 8
  6. 6 The Best Towns on the East Coast 13
  7. 7 Nomadic Matt's Travel Site 13

Culture and History

  1. 1 Museum and Gallery List 11
  2. 2 Aboriginal history timeline 10
  3. 3 European Discovery and Colonisation 12
  4. 4 History of Australia 10
  5. 5 Museum of Tropical Qld 9
  6. 6 Best Art Galleries in Sydney 7
  7. 7 Art Gallery NSW 7

Beer

  1. 1 Matilda Bay 7
  2. 2 Coopers Brewery 6
  3. 3 Victoria Bitter 7
  4. 4 XXXX Beer 6
  5. 5 Hahn SuperDry 5

Essential Gear

  1. 1 Backpack 23
  2. 2 Packing List for Backpacking Australia 31
  3. 3 Sturdy Pair of Flip Flops 15
  4. 4 Shoe Advice 20
  5. 5 Reliable Water Bottle or Pack 11
  6. 6 Camping Gear 9
  7. 7 Torches 10
  8. 8 Head Torches 10

12 Apostles Sunrise

East Coast Islands

  1. 1 Australia's Best Island Escapes 15
  2. 2 Queensland Map showing Islands 9
  3. 3 Visit Fraser Island 8
  4. 4 Magnetic Island 8
  5. 5 The Whitsunday Islands 7
  6. 6 Kangaroo Island, South Australia 6
  7. 7 Heron Island 5

Cameras and Equipment

  1. 1 GoPro 16
  2. 2 Selfie Stick 10
  3. 3 iPad Camera Connection Kit 10
  4. 4 Great Cameras for Travellers 15
  5. 5 Top 10 Waterproof Cameras 16
  6. 6 Instant and Disposables Australia 8
  7. 7 Film and Photo Development 9

Mobile Networks

  1. 1 Telstra 10
  2. 2 Optus 6
  3. 3 Vodafone Australia 8
  4. 4 Virgin Mobile Australia 9
  5. 5 Mobile Network Guide 7

Great Day Trips

  1. 1 Eumundi Markets 15
  2. 2 Great Barrier Reef Day Trips Guide 10
  3. 3 Nimbin 13
  4. 4 Visit Blue Mountains 13
  5. 5 Sunshine Coast Walking Trails 11
  6. 6 Eungella National Park 9

Currency Conversion

  1. 1 Currency converter 18
  2. 2 Travelex 2
  3. 3 Currency Online 5
  4. 4 Foreignmoney 4

Video Guides

  1. 1 East Coast Road Trip ( 2013 ) GoPro 19
  2. 2 Travelling the East Coast of Australia 7
  3. 3 Backpacking East Coast (2014) GoPro 11
  4. 4 Cool Travel Hacks 7
  5. 5 ♡ Tips and Tricks for Backpacking Oz 9
  6. 6 East Coast Mash Up 5
  7. 7 East Coast (100% GoPro) 5
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