Brisbane to Rainbow Beach road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time
Brisbane to Rainbow Beach road trip: Gympie and Tin Can Bay
You’ll eventually reach Gympie, home to the Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum and the Mary Valley Rattler, steam train.
Most will choose to stay on the coast, but if you do prefer to stop here, there are a few Gympie accommodation options. Good value, largely well reviewed Gympie motels include the Gympie Muster Inn and the Shady Rest Motel.
It’s another 73km from Gympie to Rainbow Beach. Most will branch off the Bruce Highway just before Lake Alford rather than going into Gympie, then head for the coast along Tin Can Bay Road.
This passes through the Toolara State Forest and continues along to Tin Can Bay, where you can feed dolphins near Norman Point. Alternatively branch off down Rainbow Beach, head through Cooloola Cove and into Great Sandy National Park. The Carlo Sand Blow is to your right as you enter Rainbow Beach.
What to do in Rainbow Beach
Multiple Fraser Island tours leave from Rainbow Beach. Pick between a one day Fraser Island coach tour, a two day bus trip or a three day tagalong trip where you drive your own 4WD vehicle behind a guide car.
While in town, you can also try a two hour surfing lesson, kayaking with dolphins or stand-up paddleboarding.
Rainbow Beach accommodation options include backpacker perennial Pippies Beach House, the much more luxurious Plantation Resort and the balconies with spectacular views at the Ocean Palms Resort.
12 fantastic Sunshine Coast experiences to book now
- Taste coffee and ginger, do rainforest walks, and visit the best lookouts on a highlight-packed hinterland tour.
- Take a serene Noosa Everglades cruise along the mirror-like waterways – or canoe through the Everglades.
- Learn to surf at a Sunshine Coast surf school – or try paddleboarding instead.
- Combine sight-seeing and thrills on a fast boat tour.
- Go e-mountain biking on the downhill trails of Tewantin National Park.
- Kayak with dolphins as part of a beach 4WD tour.
- Explore the Sunshine Coast from above on a seaplane flight.
- Take an indigenous cultural tour – with bush tucker tasting.
- Visit the region’s best craft breweries and distilleries on a drinks tasting tour.
- Go jetskiing through the gorgeous Pumicestone Passage.
- Taste wines, cheeses and chocolates on a hinterland food tour.
- Watch migrating humpbacks on a whale-watching cruise.
9 brilliant Brisbane experiences to book in advance
- Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary tickets (or entry plus river cruise combo) – hold a koala and see lots of adorable native wildlife.
- Brisbane River cruise – see the key sights and learn about the city on the way.
- Story Bridge Adventure Climb – walk along the top of Brisbane’s famous bridge, with 360 degree views.
- Combine the Southbank Parklands, City Botanic Gardens and Kangaroo Point Cliffs on a fun Segway tour.
- Helicopter flight – see the city from a bird’s eye view.
- Kayaking tour – choose the night tour to see the city light up, the day tour to enjoy the sunshine.
- XXXX brewery tour – see how Australia’s most famous beer is made.
- Guided wine flight tasting – get an Aussie wine introductory course.
- See Brisbane’s spooky side on a city centre ghost tour.
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Feed calves on a Maleny dairy tour.
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