Brisbane to Townsville road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
The Brisbane to Townsville drive is 1,332km in distance. That’s a driving time of 15 hours and 17 minutes. Get off the Bruce Highway, and turn it into a Brisbane to Townsville road trip with stops at the Sunshine Coast, Fraser Island, Capricorn Caves and Whitsundays.
This independent, Australia travel expert-researched guide is aimed at travellers planning a road trip itinerary from Brisbane to Townsville in Queensland.
Townsville is where you can take the ferry to gorgeous Magnetic Island, enjoy sunset cruises and visit the Museum of Underwater Art. For more Townsville experiences, explore here. To ferret out the best Townsville accommodation deals, look here.
To learn more about the Brisbane to Townsville drive, including the distance, driving time and the best stops along the route, read on…
Planning a Brisbane to Townsville road trip itinerary
The drive from Brisbane to Townsville in Queensland is long. Very few people are going to attempt it in one stint at the wheel.
Brisbane to Townsville distance and driving time
However, if you are intent on driving directly from Brisbane to Townsville, make sure you’ve got plenty of coffee.
The Brisbane to Townsville drive up the Bruce Highway is 1,332km in distance, making for a Brisbane to Townsville driving time of 15 hours and 17 minutes.
6 Townsville experiences to book in advance
- Magnetic Island ferry tickets – head over to one of the most beautiful islands in Australia.
- SS Yongala wreck dive – sea how coral and marine life have made the shipwreck home.
- Great Barrier Reef and Museum of Underwater Art cruise – witness the extraordinary underwater art project up close.
- Helicopter ride along the coast – get amazing views from above.
- Sunset sailing cruise – watch the colours over the water, with alcoholic drinks included.
- Jetski tour to Cape Pallarenda – whizz past beaches and giant boulders.
Brisbane to Townsville drive: Sunshine Coast and Fraser Coast
The direct route passes through Burpengary and Caboolture, before passing the likes of Woombye, Nambour and Yandina on the Sunshine Coast. The Bruce Highway then passes through Eumundi and Cooroy before reaching Gympie, Tiaro and the Fraser Coast town of Maryborough. That’s the last decent-sized town for a long while, as the Brisbane to Townsville drive passes through Childers, Gin Gin and Calliope on the way up to Rockhampton.
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.
Brisbane to Townsville road trip: Capricorn and Whitsundays
Rockhampton on the Tropic of Capricorn is a rough halfway point on this Brisbane to Townsville drive. The Bruce Highway sticks closer to the coast after this, taking in Whitsundays towns Mackay, Proserpine and Bowen.
9 memory-making Airlie Beach experiences to add to your visit
- Whitehaven Beach day cruise – with plenty of snorkelling thrown in.
- Glass bottom boat tour – see coral and marine life without getting wet.
- Heart Reef flight – see the islands and Great Barrier Reef from above before flying over Australia’s famous heart-shaped island.
- Proserpine River crocodile safari – see the big crocs from a boat.
- Whitsundays sunset cruise – with free snacks and sparkling wine.
- Sailing on the Camira – glide around the Whitsunday Islands under sail.
- Whizz around the islands on a guided jetski tour.
- Waterfall explorer day tour – with swimming in Hinterland rock pools.
- Enjoy high speed thrills on a jet boat ride.
Airlie Beach accommodation picks
Specialist Australian booking site Wotif offers Airlie Beach accommodation for from $114 a night. You can look through the best deals here.
However, some Airlie Beach accommodation options are worth highlighting:
- On a budget: Tasman Holiday Parks Airlie Beach.
- For families: Big4 Adventure Whitsundays Resort.
- For waterfront apartments: At Marina Shores.
- For pampering: Coral Sea Marina Resort.
- For great value: Colonial Palms Motor Inn.
The route continues north to Ayr, then ducks inland to Townsville.
Coastal towns near Brisbane to Townsville driving route
What you might have noticed about this route is that it includes very few of Queensland’s highlights. So if you want to turn the Brisbane to Townsville journey into a road trip over a week or so, you’re going to have to veer off the Bruce Highway. There are several attractive seaside towns you can stop at on the way. These include Mudjimba Beach, Burrum Heads, Tannum Sands, Bargara, Agnes Water, Yeppoon and Cannonvale.
There’s also a wealth of experiences you can cover on a Brisbane to Townsville road trip. Australia Travel Questions has picked out just ten, spaced out along the route.
10 things to do on a Brisbane to Townsville road trip
- Get a thorough education on Aussie wildlife at Australia Zoo in Beerwah.
- Go kayaking among the sand bars on Pumicestone Passage in Caloundra.
- Take a Great Beach Drive 4WD tour up Teewah Beach from Noosa to Double Island Point and Rainbow Beach.
- Float along Eli Creek in an inner tube on K’gari/ Fraser Island.
- Taste Queensland’s favourite rum on the Bundaberg Rum distillery tour in Bundaberg. (BOOK ONLINE)
- Admire the cavern decorations at the Capricorn Caves near Rockhampton. (BOOK ONLINE)
- Take the Great Keppel Island ferry and explore Great Keppel Island from Yeppoon.
- See kangaroos on the beach at sunset at Cape Hillsborough.
- Spot a platypus at Broken River in the Eungella National Park.
- Take a Whitsundays kayaking tour from Airlie Beach.
Townsville accommodation recommendations
The best bets for Townsville accommodation are…
- For beachside location: Water’s Edge The Strand.
- For a good value, well located motel: Yongala Lodge By The Strand.
- For a sassy, chic resort: Rambutan Resort.
- For families: Discovery Parks Townsville.
- For business-friendly apartments: Quest Townsville on Eyre.
6 supreme Brisbane day trips that will improve your holiday
- Moreton Island day trip – with kayaking, sandboarding and snorkelling or with dolphin-feeding and desert dunes adventure.
- Springbrook National Park glowworms and rainforest tour – including Tamborine Skywalk.
- Eumundi Markets day trip – Australia’s best markets, plus the Sunshine Coast Hinterland and Noosa.
- North Stradbroke Island day tour – with cruise, wildlife spotting and guided walk.
- Tamborine Mountain winery tour – with gourmet lunch.
- Maialia rainforest walking and wildlife tour – visit lesser-known D’Aguilar National Park.
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.