Bundaberg to Airlie Beach road trip: Distance, drive time & stops
The best stops to add to a Bundaberg to Airlie Beach road trip itinerary include 1770, Yeppoon and Cape Hillsborough. The Bundaberg to Airlie Beach distance is 769km, with a driving time of around 8h22ms.
A Bundaberg to Airlie Beach road trip takes you from Queensland’s most famous rum-making city to the activity hub of the Whitsundays region.
Bundaberg offers Great Barrier Reef cruises to Lady Musgrave Island and rum distillery tasting tours.
Airlie Beach brings Whitsunday Islands sailing and snorkelling cruises, coral and marine life viewing from a glass-bottom boat and day cruises to the staggering white sands of Whitehaven Beach. To explore the full range of Airlie Beach tours and experiences, investigate here. For Airlie Beach accommodation bargains, look here.
However, it’s not just about the start and end points. A Bundaberg to Airlie Beach road allows you to string together several more attractions along the Queensland coast. This guide should help you put together an itinerary.
Bundaberg to Airlie Beach distance and driving time
By car, the distance from the Bundaberg to Airlie Beach is 769km. This makes for an approximate Bundaberg to Airlie Beach driving time of eight hours and 22 minutes.
6 Bundaberg experiences to make the most of your free time
- (Highly recommended ✅) Tour – with tastings – at the Bundaberg rum distillery.
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Day trip to Lady Musgrave Island on the Great Barrier Reef.
- Fly out to Lady Elliot Island for a day on the reef.
- See migrating humpbacks – on a four hour whale watching cruise with lunch.
- Brewery tasting tour – including the famous Bundaberg ginger beer.
- Farm life experience at Splitters Farm.
After leaving Bundaberg, the quickest route north joins the Bruce Highway at Miriam Vale. However, you can be forgiven for wanting to detour towards the gorgeous twin towns of Agnes Water and 1770, which are flanked by wildlife-heavy Eurimbula National Park.
Activities in Agnes Water and 1770 include amphibious vehicle tours, scooter tours, sunset cruises and Great Barrier Reef day trips to Lady Musgrave Island.
For Agnes Water and 1770 accommodation, take a look at the pool-centric 1770 Lagoons Central Apartment Resort or the child-friendly NRMA Agnes Water Holiday Park.
What to book in 1770/ Agnes Water before you arrive
- See the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef – on a Lady Musgrave Island day tour.
- Hire a scooter – and pootle around the back lanes looking for kangaroos.
- Kick back with sparkling wine on a sunset cruise.
- (Highly recommended ✅) Travel on land and water, and try sandboarding – on a quirky full day amphibious vehicle tour.
- Or take a shorter wildlife-spotting coastline tour, with lunch.
- Get the best deals on your accommodation.
Bundaberg to Airlie Beach road trip: Gladstone and Heron Island
Further north, industrial Gladstone is not one of Queensland’s greatest hits, although beach suburb Tannum Sands is a decent spot for an overnight stay.
Things to do in Gladstone include learning about seafaring history at the Maritime Museum and catching the ferry to Curtis Island. But the main reason to drop by is taking the Heron Island ferry to Heron Island and Wilson Island on the Great Barrier Reef.
Gladstone accommodation choices include the budget-conscious Aaron Motel, the impressively-regarded Harbour Sails Motor Inn and the spacious Oaks Gladstone Grand Hotel.
Click through for the next section: Rockhampton and Yeppoon.