Time for the classic East Coast of Australia backpacking trip. You can rent a camper van or you can get a Greyhound pass, which is what I did. I bought a Whimmit pass, which allowed me unlimited travel for 30 days for $399 AUD. I spent 6 weeks heading up the coast, starting in Melbourne and finishing in Cairns.

CITY: Melbourne

HOW LONG: 5 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

United Backpackers– I preferred this hostel but it was the more expensive. It had free pancakes for breakfast with maple syrup. The bathrooms were really nice and updated. The rooms were a bit dark and smelly but that’s common for 10 bed dorms in the middle of a heat wave. The WiFi was excellent and there was a nice, small, comfy bar downstairs. Kitchen was large and easy to cook in. Location was great as there are lots of great bars and restaurants nearby. Also, it’s very close to some parks and I enjoyed going for a run right from the hostel. If you have the money, this is a great spot. 

Nomads All Nations – I switched hostels my last night so that I was closer to the greyhound station. This hostel was much cheaper but it showed. The kitchen wasn’t as nice and the bedroom, while bigger, was fairly run down. Also the location (other than being close to the bus station) wasn’t nearly as convenient. 

Where to Eat:

Famish’d– This is a great build your own salad place for a healthy meal.

Captain Melville– We went here after the walking tour and tried Chicken Parma for the first time. It was delicious! It also had a nice open air seating area in the back.

Section 8 – This is a fun outdoor bar in Melbourne, down a graffiti filled alley.

Weirdoughs – Ready to try some plant-based cookie dough? Here’s your chance! This was a delicious, fun treat.

Metro burgers– This is on the cutest little walking street, full of restaurants! Got a delicious burger here.

Doughnut Time– Never can go wrong with cute doughnuts.

What to do:

I arrived in Melbourne fairly exhausted from Queenstown and was little burnt out from all the activities, so I spent my time in Melbourne quite leisurely. I would sleep in, go for a run, then take a book to one of the many parks and read. This is my kinda day. Because I was burnt out from busses and day trips, I didn’t go the Great Ocean Road, but this is one of the top things to do in Melbourne!

I did do a free walking tour which I would definitely recommend doing. Just ask your hostel for details.

My favorite thing I did was head to St. Kilda and see all the penguins at dusk. The sunset was beautiful and then we headed to the end of the pier to see the penguins start to come out. Don’t skip this while in Melbourne.

Overall Thoughts:

Melbourne was definitely a cool city with a European vibe to it. There was a great food and bar scene. If I were to pick a city in Australia to live this would definitely be it!

CITY: Sydney

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Mad Monkey on Broadway in Sydney. It’s a smaller hostel but it meant you got to know people fairly easily. WiFi worked great. The kitchen was painfully small which made it difficult to want to cook (I didn’t cook at all here) but there was a GREAT free breakfast! Know having stayed at wake up in Byron Bay, I would stay at Wake Up in Sydney if I ever went again. 

Where to Eat:

Basket brothers– a light airy cafe for a yummy breakfast.

The Rocks Cafe– This was a yummy restaurant with a pub vibe near the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House.

Harry’s– This restaurant is a must while Bondi! Delicious brunch food.

What to do:

Unfortunately while I was in Sydney the smoke was pretty bad from the many fires in the region. This limited what I could do as often the smoke was too bad to be outside. I wasn’t able to go to the Blue Mountains, which is supposed to be incredible. However, the two days that I was able to get outside I managed to see the Harbor Bridge, Opera House, Royal Botanical Gardens, and I walked the Coogee to Bondi trail, which was the highlight of my time in Sydney! Highly recommend doing this in the morning and getting brunch/lunch in Bondi after you finish (maybe at Harry’s)!

Overall Thoughts:

I don’t feel like I got the best impression of Sydney given the smoke, but it was a nice, big city (similar to a major city in the US). Definitely no culture shock here 🙂 That being said if you are visiting Australia, Sydney is a must.

CITY: Yamba

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at the YHA in Yamba and it was pretty great. There aren’t too many options here so for sure stay here. Location is in the middle of town and about a 1 min walk from the greyhound bus stop which is very convenient. Kitchen is slightly small, but does the job. WiFi was only available at the bottom floor where the reception and restaurant are located so no WiFi in the common areas or the dorm rooms. There was a great rooftop areas to eat and hangout as well as a great tv/Netflix area. Would definitely stay here again. 

Where to Eat:

Drift is the only restaurant I ate as in Yamba and they were great! They were friendly and kindly teased me about my build my own pizza (my pizza’s involve no tomato sauce and pear when I can). Worth a stop if you are ever here.

What to do:

Yamba is not your most popular stop along the East Coast backpacker route, but it should be. It’s a small, more local town with three beautiful beaches with great surfing! It’s a place to stop and chill for a couple of days in between Sydney and Byron, more high energy stops.

Overall Thoughts:

I really enjoyed Yamba! I wish I could have stayed one more night here. It was very relaxing and low-key, which is needed periodically.

CITY: Byron Bay

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Wake Up in Byron Bay and it was fabulous. The rooms had air conditioning which is key during the summer months. The kitchen is spacious with plenty of burners. They have free towels, bikes and surf boards you can use. My favorite part was the free yoga and boot camps at 9am. Such a treat after being on the road with minimal exercise for a few months. It’s right next to the beach, but it’s about a 20 min walk along the beach to town. They also have a shuttle that runs about every 30 min into town and vice versa. They also have a great courtyard to hang out in the shade. Sometimes they have activities in the evenings here (such as free wine and cheese night). Overall cannot recommend this place enough! 

Where to Eat:

The Corner Store– The açai bowl here was not great, but it’s a great spot in the middle of town for a cup of coffee or a pastry.

The General Store– This is my favorite spot in Australia! I love, love, love their smoothie bowls. Also, the cafe just has such a cool vibe. You know when I take a photo of the water station, they are doing something right.

Betty’s– This is a cute, small burger chain in Australia that is decorated in a way that Instagram influencers can only dream up. The burgers are delicious and cheap. The fries do their thing and the desserts are such a treat! I actually went to Betty’s in Melbourne, Byron Bay, and Noosa (basically whenever I came across it).

In the Pink– Yummy gelato on a hot day. Get a cup instead of a cone as otherwise it will dripping down your arm immediately.

What to do:

Byron Bay is known for it’s surfing so take a lesson while here.

Sunrise at the lighthouse is another popular thing to do! It’s the most eastern part of Australia so you see the first sunrise of the continent 🙂

My favorite thing to do was lie on the grass in front of the main beach and enjoy the often live music being played all around. The people watching and tanning is prime (just be careful of the crazy, Australian sun so put on plenty of sunscreen.

Overall Thoughts:

This was my favorite stop along the East Coast. I know people think it’s touristy, but hello, we are tourists and there is a reason so many people come here. The sun shined every day I was here and I loved the restaurant scene. The hostel also made this stop so great for me as I made some really good friends here (who I would end up traveling much of the east coast with ) and I LOVED the free yoga and bootcamp every morning.

CITY: Brisbane

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at the YHA in Brisbane. Kitchen was fabulous. Rooms were small and dark. Lockers were available to store belongings in the room. I wouldn’t stay here again as I found it difficult to meet people as a solo traveler. There was a rooftop bar and a tv room, but both were hard to meet people at. 

Where to Eat:

Corbett and Claude is an upscale pizzeria with a few locations in Brisbane. It was a classy spot with great pizza and selection of alcoholic drinks. This was a fun stop!

What to do:

I spent my time wandering around the city, doing some shopping and eating ice cream 🙂 I highly recommend walking through the South Bank where the lagoon is.

While I didn’t get to the Australia Zoo, this is a great day trip from Brisbane if you have time!

Overall Thoughts:

I liked Brisbane way more than I thought I would. Many people had told me that Brisbane wasn’t worth a stop, but I actually wish I’d had one more day so I could have gone to the zoo!

CITY: Noosa

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at the Flashbackers hostel and it was great! My ten person room had plenty of room and had two en-suite bathrooms and showers. Also, AC worked great.  It’s a smaller hostel so it’s fairly easy to meet people. The staff at the front desk were very helpful in planning my time in Noosa. The kitchen was well stocked and easy to cook in. WiFi was good, but not great. It’s a bit of a walk into town but there is a shuttle run by the hostel and a public bus that’s easy to use to get around. Would definitely stay here again. 

Where to Eat:

10 Hastings was a great spot for breakfast. Yummy drinks and brunchy food!

There’s a Betty’s Burger here so you know I stopped there for dinner 🙂

What to do:

I spent my time in Noosa hiking all over to different beaches. The other highlight is the Fairy Pools. Enjoy the ocean, sand, and sun of Noosa.

Overall Thoughts:

Noosa is pretty laid back and an enjoyable stop along the East Coast. Spend at least 2 days here and you can easily spend longer.

CITY: Rainbow Beach

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Pippies was a cute little hostel that was perfect for before and after your Fraser Island trip. They also store your bags while you are away. No lockers in the room, but no one is going to steal your stuff. Kitchen was pretty tough to use so don’t plan to really cook here. Free, small breakfast available in the morning. WiFi was not bad but only really available in the main area. Small pool, but I never saw anyone in it. Cute hammocks and location can’t be beat in this small town. I would stay here again. 

Where to Eat:

Arcobaleno on the Beach– This is a nicer Italian restaurant (not a typical backpacker spot). Delicious food and the service was great!

Rainbow Beach Hotel has a great bar/restaurant that seems to be hopping most nights. We had our “afterparty” from Fraser here and it was a great spot for it.

Creme de la Creme– Can’t go wrong with some ice cream.

Café Jilarty at Rainbow– This place had a backpacker menu with some great deals so we obviously ate here about 3 times. Delicious chicken parma. It’s a laid-back spot with some reasonably priced meals so no complaints here.

Somewhere over Coffee– This is a good breakfast spot while you’re in town.

What to do:

There is not much to do in Rainbow Beach other than it’s a launching spot for a Fraser Island trip. The only place people tend to check out is the Rainbow Steps.

Overall Thoughts:

Rainbow Beach is a sweet, sleepy town that is cute for a night or two before and after your Fraser Island trip, but not much else.

Fraser Island Trip with Pippies

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

Fraser Island is one of the best adventures to have along the classic Australia East Coast trip. It combines new friends, the largest sand island in the world, crystal clear lakes, champagne pools, driving 4×4’s, camping, and drinking. It is a BLAST. I ended up doing it over Christmas because if you can’t be home for it, might as well be on a island with no service and bunch of new friends. Fortunately for me, one of my best friends from home met me for this part of the trip so I had one familiar face. Also, I had met some people at other parts of the trip who luckily were also doing the same Fraser trip so I had some other friends going into the 3day/2night adventure. From start to finish, this was one of my favorite parts of my time in Australia.

CITY: Airlie Beach

HOW LONG: 6 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Base/Nomads. It’s a huge property with room to house over 600 people!! There’s a bar located within the property, 2 pools and 2 receptions. The rooms had a bathroom and shower, which was a treat. The AC worked great. The WiFi was horrendous. The kitchen had the necessities. There weren’t any lockers in the rooms to store valuables so make sure you can lock your bag itself. It was hard to sleep some nights due to the bar playing music so loud. I might look at staying elsewhere if I can back to Airlie Beach. 

Where to Eat:

Village Cafe Restaurant and Bar– Went to breakfast here and it was a nice airy spot. Breakfast was pretty tasty and wifi worked well (sometimes hard to find).

Little Vegas– Delicious burgers and starters. If you are craving a large, tasty burger, look no further.

The Pub– I spent New Years Eve here getting some drinks with a friend. It had a great atmosphere and is a beautiful spot to hang.

The Deck– This is my favorite restaurant in Airlie Beach. I came for breakfast twice and it was great! Also, came for dinner on NYE and had the best sweet potato fries! Don’t miss this restaurant while in Airlie Beach.

What to do:

Airlie Beach, like Rainbow Beach, is a launching off spot for a Whitsunday trip. However, Airlie Beach is much bigger so there are far more restaurants and bars to check out. Also, there is a big lagoon that’s free to use (there isn’t actually a nice beach in town). There are a few hikes nearby, but I didn’t have a car so I couldn’t get to them.

Overall Thoughts:

I liked Airlie Beach, but the Whitsundays is the real star of this area of the East Coast.

Whitsunday Trip on Apollo

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

Overall Thoughts:

I really enjoyed the sailing trip on the Apollo boat. The food was delicious and while sleeping on a sail boat with 20 other strangers is never going to be the best night sleep you have, it was a good as it could’ve been. The highlights for me were scuba diving for the first time, seeing the sunset from the middle of ocean, and seeing the sandy beaches with the clear water. It was also a blast to meet so many new, fun people and hang for 3 days. Highly recommend taking a sailing trip around the Whitsundays while traveling along the East Coast.

CITY: Magnetic Island

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

There are two main options for hostels on Magnetic Island: Base and YHA. I stayed at Base because they had a package deal that included the ferry ticket, one breakfast and one dinner. It’s definitely more of a party hostel but if you want to sneak away to bed early, the noise is far enough away to be able to sleep soundly. The pool has chaise lounges, there’s a kitchen and the huts are pretty cute. However, the WiFi was not great and the hostel is a bus ride away from everything. Luckily the bus gets you where you need to go and it’s common to rent a 4×4 at least one day while you’re here. I would probably stay at YHA next time I was here as it houses the koala sanctuary and it’s closer to a town with cute restaurants and beaches. 

Where to Eat:

Early Bird– Breakfast is so good here I came twice in two days! Located in Horseshoe Bay, this is a can’t miss on Magnetic.

Mamma Roma– This is a cute Italian restaurant on the other side of the island in Picnic Bay. The pasta was deliocoso!

Scallywags– Great spot for a great breakfast with a great atmosphere.

What to do:

Renting a Barbie Car- Don’t miss out on renting the cute 4 seater pink Barbie cars. This is a great way to independently get around the island. Otherwise you can use the bus, but it doesn’t come as often as you would like.

Forts Walk- This is best place to see Koalas in the wild. We expected to see one or two, but we say about 8 koalas while walking through the 90 min long loop. SO fun!

Wallabies- You can see wallabies in the wild at the rocks at Geoffrey Bay. We saw a few while stopped here at dusk.

Bungalow Bay Koala Village- Located at the YHA, there is a sanctuary where you can see some animals ranging from crocodiles, koalas, and lizards, to snakes and echidnas. Also, as 4:15pm they do a feeding for wild rainbow lorikeets.

Overall Thoughts:

Magnetic Island ended up being a highlight for me. It was so fun driving for the first time in months and having some independence over my schedule for the day. My favorite part was seeing the cute koalas in the wild. I loved my 3 days on this small island.

CITY: Cairns

HOW LONG: 5 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Global Backpackers is a great place to base yourself while in Cairns. The location is right on the esplanade where the lagoon and water front is. The wifi the best I’ve had anywhere in New Zealand and Australia!!! The hostel is on the newer side and is kept very clean. The air-conditioning works like a charm and the 4th floor has a great kitchen, walk-in freezer with plenty of space for your groceries, and a large tv (set up with Netflix!) with comfy couches. I would highly recommend staying here.

Where to Eat:

Jimmy’s– Delicious burgers and milkshakes! Need I say more….

The Cotton Club– This was a good cheap meal and I had a delicious salad! Always fun finding a good salad while traveling.

Frydays– Acai bowls were the move here.

What to do:

The two main activities to do here are exploring the Daintree Rainforest and exploring the Great Barrier Reef.

I chose to do a Cape Tribulation day trip with Uncle Brian’s and it was great! We swam in a local watering hole, walked through the Daintree Rainforest (oldest rainforest in the world), saw spiders, crocodiles, and snakes, and walked around Port Douglas. It was a blast and the tour guides were great!

To explore the Great Barrier Reef, obviously I had to go underwater. I chose to do an introductory scuba dive because I didn’t want to miss out on seeing the Great Barrier Reef before it dies and because I wanted to see if I liked scuba diving enough to get my open water certification. Turns out I’m hooked. Can’t wait to get my license while in Bali 🙂

My other favorite thing to do was go for morning runs along the beach front path. Such a beautiful view while jogging along.

Overall Thoughts:

Cairns is a nice spot to chill as it’s fairly cheap compared to other parts of the East Coast. I loved all the different animals I saw both on land and sea. I also happened to stay in one of my favorite hostels of the trip so far so Cairns definitely has a place in my heart.