Cairns to Sydney, any must-see cities in between??

hey guys!

so im doing a brisbane to sydney, cairns to brisbane trip. and i was just wondering what are the must-see hotspots between those cities. any suggestions????

Well, the traditional backpacker itinerary would take in at least Byron Bay, Hervey Bay/Fraser Island and Airlie Beach/Whitsundays.

I was personally fond of Rockhampton and thought it was worth a night's stopover. Also, make sure you extend your trip northwards from Cairns up to Cape Tribulation.

It depends what you're looking for on your trip. If you're looking for excitement Fraser Island is great fun, as are the Whitsundays boat trips. When I did a similar trip (Cairns - Melbourne) we had a pretty good time all down the coast. always a good idea to look at a Lonely Planet guide (or equivalent) and check off what they suggest with what you're after.

Aside from those mentioned, Coolangatta which is on the border of NSW & Queensland is well worth a visit, epic waves, really good vibe, and imo the best place to locate yourself when visiting Surfers Paradise ... buses are cheap, efficient etc

Eungella to see the wild platypus.

Rainbow Beach just over from Fraser (and a cheaper way to get over to the island!) - handfeed wild dolphins at Tin Can Bay.

1770 and St Agnes beach (last/most northern surf beach on the East Coast)

The place where Darwin was filmed for Australia as in the filmset...cant remember its name but its bloody lush! (Sunsets even though you are on the east of the country! - watch for the mossies tho...the blighters are everywhere!!!)

All these places you need your own vehicle and its well worth doing so you can get away from the backpackers and do you own thing and have a far more rewarding experience than sharing a bus and a hostel and being limited to seeing places.