The Best Weekend Trips From Brisbane and The Gold Coast

If you are a new resident to Brisbane or The Gold Coast, you are now living in prime-position to explore some of Australia’s greatest beach towns. Even better, you don’t have to wait for holidays or spend insane amounts of money on flights. The following locations are perfect destinations for the weekend or one day trips from Brisbane or “The GC”.

First and foremost, Byron Bay. With regular coach busses leaving from Roma St Station in Brisbane and Surfers Paradise, you can get to Byron in under 2 hours. Once you’re there you can enjoy many amazing beaches in one small town. There’s Main Beach if you don’t want to walk far from the action and The Pass is great for learning to surf with long, easy waves running almost parallel to the beach. If you want to make a weekend out of it, the Arts Factory Backpackers Lodge is affordable, unique and only a few minutes from the main part of town. Don’t forget to go to the Top Shop cafe – it has awesome coffee, juices, snacks and vibes!

Secondly, Stradbroke Island. If you want to get away from the often crowded mainland beaches, Straddie is for you. It’s easy enough to get public transport to Cleveland where the passenger ferry can take you to the island for $20 return. Once you’re on Straddie, a cheap bus can take you to the Point Lookout Area. Get off at Cylinder Beach for a swim (or camping if you’re staying overnight) and then head to the Point Lookout Conservation Area where you can do the Gorge Walk. On a clear day you’re almost guaranteed to see amazing wildlife such as whales, turtles and dolphins along this amazing snippet of coastline.

Finally, Noosa is about 2 hours North of Brisbane and is great for those who want to do a more “lux” beach getaway. Besides enjoying the postcard worthy beaches, there are a bunch of fancy restaurants and boutiques for shopping. The ideal day in Noosa would consist of hanging out at Main beach, tasting a famous Betty’s Burger followed by Massimo gelato.

These destinations are only just the beginning of amazing places to visit in the region, but they are definitely highlights… Happy adventuring!