Self Drive

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  2. Travel Information
  3. Getting Here
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If you're not keen on flying, Queensland’s wide open spaces make it ideal for exploration by car. The roads are high quality and well-signed so getting here is easy.

Driving is a great way to experience the changing landscape and rich variety of the Australian landscape on your way to Queensland. Remember that Queensland is a huge state, so you won’t run out of destinations, diversions and things to see and do.

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Self Drive Driving Times

Sydney to Brisbane: 9 hours 
Melbourne to Brisbane: 21 hours 
Adelaide to Brisbane: 25 hours 
Darwin to Brisbane: 35-40 hours

The drive from Melbourne is ideally covered over two days (minimum), and Sydney to Brisbane can be driven in about nine hours.

View our Queensland Road Distances Table below which shows the distances between popular destinations throughout Queensland.

Queensland Driving Distances Chart


Download Road Distances Table

Self Drive Suggested Routes

  • From Melbourne or Sydney, take the coastal Pacific Highway (1); the more inland New England Highway (15) through NSW; or the inland A32 from Adelaide which also goes through NSW. 
  • If you have time up your sleeve, you can continue taking the coastal route (the Bruce Highway, A1) all the way north to Cairns. The highway is scenic, comfortable to drive and offers plenty of attractions along the way; but you’ll need to allow two to three days for the journey from Brisbane.
  • For an alternative entry into Queensland, drive up from New South Wales via the New England Highway (15) through the Southern Downs. This will take you through Warwick and Toowoomba, towns rich in pioneer history. From here you can continue north to the vineyards of the Granite Belt and South Burnett regions. 
  • South East Queensland is well-connected with freeways and distributor roads, from the Gold Coast all the way up to the Sunshine Coast.
  • Serious outback travellers heading east from the Northern Territory can enter Queensland via Mount Isa on the Barkly Highway (A2); or drive up from South Australia via the Birdsville Track (an old stock route and now a dirt track) and on to Longreach. You might want to consider taking a four-wheel drive vehicle though!

Like anywhere in the world, make sure you plan your journey and make time for stops both during the day and overnight. Please consult the safety driving information to find out more.

The RACQ also has a helpful trip planner.

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Fraser Dingo Four Wheel Drive Hire

Hervey Bay, Fraser Coast Area
From AU$500.00 - 1010.00
Fraser Dingo Four Wheel Drive Adventures cater for groups and families of up to five people with their Group Getaway for one, two, three or more days four wheel drive hire to Fraser Island (K'gari) with the option to hire camp equipment or book accommodated packages.

Black Bow Chauffeur

Bracken Ridge, Brisbane Area
From AU$69 - 399
Black Bow Chauffeur is one of Australia’s leading Online private exclusive airport transfers, limousine and chauffeur Booking service company. Black Bow Chauffeur seeks to offer reasonably priced yet luxury airport transfer solutions for Australian residents plagued by transportation woes.

Alpha Car Hire Moorooka

Moorooka, Brisbane Area
Alpha Car Hire is the fastest growing car rental company on the east coast of Australia. In 10 years they have gone from one location to ten nationwide! Their secret? Great customer service and fantastic car rental deals!

Aussie Trax Fraser Island 4x4 Self Drive Tours Fraser Island

Fraser Island, Fraser Coast Area
From AU$500 - 1800
Aussie Trax 4X4 Rentals is Hervey Bay's leading and longest established Four Wheel Drive operator for Fraser Island self drive tours. With a wide range of vehicles from two seaters right up to eight seaters, Aussie Trax is the obvious choice when selecting an award winning hire company.

Keppel Konnections

Rosslyn, Livingstone Area
From AU$25.00 - 45.00
Keppel Konnections ferry service operates between Keppel Bay Marina (located within Rosslyn Bay Harbour, accessible via Yeppoon) and Great Keppel Island multiple times daily. Located at the Red Jetty, just in front of the Waterline Restaurant, with both Konnections ferries, Callipo and Spirit of Keppel, complete with Hula Girl tropical logos - you can't miss them.

Whitsundays 2 Everywhere

Cannonvale, Whitsunday Area
From AU$15 - 36
Whitsundays 2 Everywhere is a family operated dedicated airport transfer company offering affordable, friendly and personalised airport transfer services to/ from the Whitsunday Coast Airport (PPP Airport) and the resort/hotels/ Air BNBS or private addresses in the Whitsundays Region.

Limoso Luxury Transport

Eagle Farm, Brisbane Area
From AU$45 - 1000
Providing an award winning luxurious transportation with service with a proven track record and reliable service, Limoso Luxury Transport provide the epitome of elegance in Chauffeur-driven transport. Limoso own the largest elite diverse fleet in south-east Queensland, with their 24/7 operations department who monitor each vehicle as they are GPS tracked to ensure every job is executed perfectly.

Cruisin Motorhomes

Eagle Farm, Brisbane Area
From AU$45 - 500
At Cruisin' Motorhomes they are proud to keep well presented vehicles for travellers to enjoy road trips and self drive holidays all around Australia. Choose the perfect motorhome to suit all of your travel needs from the expanding fleet of self-contained two, three, four or six berth vehicles.

Noosa Ferry and Cruise Company

Tewantin, Noosa Area
From AU$25.00 - 49.00
They offer a scheduled ferry service from Hastings Street to Tewantin in addition to Sunset and Eco Cruises. The Noosa Ferry Classic Cruise, operates every day of the week with seven stops along the Noosa River - no need to book.

Con-X-ion Airport Transfers Gold Coast

Molendinar, Gold Coast Area
From AU$15 - 68
Con-X-ion are leaders in the field of transportation, specialising in door to door airport and cruise transfer services, theme park and attraction transfers and group charter services. With over 30 years of experience they are a trusted and reliable source for all of your transportation needs.
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