When starting to plan our trip to Australia I knew we would have to focus on just a region of the country, so I chose the Eastern part covering three states: Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. Even with a three-week trip to enjoy, it wasn’t enough time to visit Uluru (Ayers Rock), the Great Barrier Reef, or the amazing wine region of Adelaide. Australia seems small on a map, but it’s just slightly under the size of the United States. As you read further into our itinerary you will see that we did have to fly at one point (Melbourne to Brisbane). Lastly, Australia is very rural so we had to break up our drives with one or two-night stays between the major cities. When planning your own itinerary you will need to take this into consideration.

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES (3-4 DAYS)

Sydney was the perfect start to our Australian adventures down under! Depending on where you are flying from, Sydney has more flight options and the largest airport in Australia. Being here in winter (we visited during June of 2025) did give us a different experience than the typical Aussie holiday, but we still really enjoyed this laid-back beachside city. Our highlight from our stay in Sydney was definitely the Taronga Zoo!

What we did:
• Circular Quay, The Rocks + Sydney Opera House
• Hyde Park Barracks
• Royal Botanical Gardens
• Australian Museum
• Australian National Maritime Museum
• Darling Harbour
• Queen Victoria Mall
• Taronga Zoo
• VIVID Festival

Day trips from Sydney:
• Bondi Beach + Coastal Walk

What we wished we had time to see/do:
• Blue Mountains National Park
• Hunter Valley Wine Tasting

PEBBLY BEACH, NEW SOUTH WALES (1-2 DAYS)

Public transportation is amazing in Sydney, so there is no need to have rental car until you plan on leaving—we picked ours up the morning we left to head south. I selected a town along the south coast of New South Wales in order to break up the long drive from Sydney to Melbourne for one night. I wanted a different experience from the cities we were visiting, so we could see the country’s native animals in their natural habitat. That is when I discovered the cabins at Pebbly Beach Escapes in the Murramarang National Park. We only stayed one night but the kids wished we had an additional since the experience was so unique. It was very rural and nothing much to do in the winter, but we truly enjoyed watching the eastern grey kangaroos forage along the beach. It was definitely a highlight of our trip, but if this doesn’t interest you there are other smaller towns along this coast worth a visit: Jervis Bay, Kangaroo Valley, or Ulladulla.

What we did: (See full post)
• Drove along the Grand Pacific Drive
• Enjoying the kangaroos on the beach
• Watched the adorable kookaburras that visited us at our cabin
• Stargazing in the Southern Hemisphere

What we wished we had time to see/do:
• Visit the National Museum of Australia in Canberra

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA (2-3 DAYS)

After a fantastic stay enjoying the wildlife in the Murramarang National Park, we headed further south to Australia’s coffee capital, Melbourne. I have to admit I was a bit disappointed by Melbourne. I thought it would be my favorite city from the trip, but turned out to be a rather boring—could’ve been due to our rainy/cold weather we experienced. However, our favorite activity during our stay was to experience a “Penguin Parade.” This is when the colony of Little Penguins that reside on Philips Island scamper up the beach at dusk to return to their homes for the night. It was an incredible to watch them waddle out of the water!

What we did:
• Sea Life Aquarium
• Melbourne River Cruise
• Hosier Land
• Carlton Gardens + Royal Exhibition Building
• Docklands
• Brighton Bathing Boxes

Day trips from Melbourne:
• Phillip Island
• Penguin Parade

What we wished we had time to see/do:
• Yarra Valley Wine Tasting
• Arthurs Seat Cable Car

GREAT OCEAN ROAD, VICTORIA (2 DAYS)

This is the part of your trip where you can decide to head to Tasmania or head south to enjoy the beauty of the Great Ocean Road. (If we were visiting during Australia’s summer months, then I definitely would include Tasmania in our itinerary.) The Great Ocean Road is located along the bottom of mainland Australia, and it was stunning! All the coastal towns in this region are fairly small, but Apollo Bay (near where we stayed) and Port Campbell are the largest. In addition to its rugged natural beauty, this road is actually a memorial, built by 1932, for the First World War. This spectacular coastline winds through quaint seaside towns, pockets of rainforests, koala-filled tree canopies, dinosaur tracks, and sheer limestone cliffs. Despite all this beautiful scenery, the kids claim their highlight of our stay was zip-lining through the rainforest!

What we did: (See full post)
• Twelve Apostles
• Wild Koalas (which we spotted in the tall eucalyptus trees)
• Zip lining through the Otway Rainforest
• Melba Gully Hike
• Kennett River Nature Walk
• Bird Watching & Stargazing on our Airbnb Balcony
• Ornithopod Trackway

What we wished we had time to see/do:
• Port Campbell National Park
• Grampians National Park

BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND (3-4 DAYS)

After a quick overnight stay near the Melbourne airport, we took a two-hour flight to Brisbane. After a busy two weeks it was nice to slow down a bit and take in Queensland’s laid-back lifestyle—and much warmer—with many lazy afternoons sipping local beer (or in my case an amazing New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc) along the riverwalk. The highlight of our stay was definitely seeing the koalas and feeding/petting the kangaroos at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.

What we did:
• Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
• Riverwalk
• Queensland Museum Kurilpa
• Kangaroo Point Cliffs Lookout
• Botanic Gardens 
• South Bank Parklands

What we wished we had time to see/do:
• Sunshine Coast
• Ferry to North Stradbroke
• Australia Zoo

BYRON BAY, NEW SOUTH WALES (1-2 DAYS)

The perfect end to our Eastern Australian road trip was a stay in beautiful Byron Bay! This bohemian costal town was so charing with its stunning beaches, vibrant surf culture, and unique hippie vibes. We did an amazing 5-mile coastal hike to Australia’s most easterly point, Cape Byron Lighthouse, and even spotted dolphins and whales. We heard this town gets SUPER busy in the summer months so it was nice experience it during off-season.

What we did:
• Sunset on Main Beach
• Hiking Cape Byron Walking Track & Lighthouse
• Strolling the charming town

Day trips from Byron Bay:
• Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk

What we wished we had time to see/do:
• Tamborine Mountain Glow Worm Caves
• Dorrigo National Park

While we got a glimpse into Australian culture by staying in the larger cities, the true experience was exploring beyond them into the diverse landscapes and more remote regions. Hope this itinerary helps you plan your own trip through the Eastern Australia and explore another corner of this great big beautiful world!