Caboolture to Bundaberg road trip: Distance, time & best stops
The best stops on a Caboolture to Bundaberg road trip itinerary include Noosa, Gympie and Hervey Bay. By car, the Caboolture to Bundaberg distance is 318km and driving time around 3h31m.
A Caboolture to Bundaberg road trip connects the Moreton Bay region with the rum capital of Queensland.
To find good Caboolture accommodation deals, look this way.
Bundaberg, meanwhile, offers Bundaberg Rum distillery tours and Lady Musgrave Island day trips. You can also choose turtle-watching at Mon Repos, beach time at Bargara strawberry-picking at Tinaberries. For Bundaberg accommodation options, look over here.
However, there are several excellent attractions between Caboolture and Bundaberg. This guide is aimed at helping travellers plan their perfect Caboolture to Bundaberg road trip itinerary.
Click through on the links for more detailed links about individual towns and attractions – and remember to stock up on your road trip essentials before setting off.
Caboolture to Bundaberg distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Caboolture to Bundaberg is 318km. This makes for a driving time of around three hours and 31 minutes.
Excellent road trip stops between Caboolture and Bundaberg include Noosa, Gympie and Hervey Bay.
Caboolture inhabits something of a no man’s land between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane. The key attractions here are the Caboolture Historical Village and the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology. You can also have a go at clay target shooting.
You can take in some impressive from the Wild Horse Mountain scenic lookout next to the Bruce Highway. But if you have time, take a short diversion towards Mount Ngungun, Mount Tibrogargan and Australia Zoo in the Glass House Mountains.
Road trip essentials that many travellers forget
Search on the web, and you’ll find ludicrously long lists of equipment to take on a road trip. Australia Travel Questions isn’t going to do that to you. But it is worth buying the following road trip items before setting off. Click through for a good range of options.
- Charging cables – yes, you’ll probably need a spare at some point.
- Car charger adaptor – in case your rental car has the old-fashioned cigarette lighter rather than a USB.
- Multi USB charger – for those hotel rooms that don’t have enough power sockets.
- Fold-up chairs – to make anywhere a picnic spot.
- A really good water bottle – go for a bigger one than usual to last the longer drives.
- Packing cubes – save space but, more importantly, avoid unpacking everything every night.
Attractions between Caboolture and Bundaberg: The Sunshine Coast
Next up is the Sunshine Coast region, where most of the appeal lies in beach towns such as Caloundra, Mooloolaba and Noosa. Click on the links for separate guides, although if just picking one, go for Noosa.
Top things to do in Noosa include hitting the surf at Little Cove, browsing the boutiques on Hastings Street and finding koalas in Noosa National Park.
Get the best out of Noosa – 6 sensational experiences to look into
- Cruise the mirror-like waterways of the Noosa Everglades – a glorious glide through stunning natural landscapes.
- 4WD along the beaches – AND kayak with dolphins on a day tour full of easy adventure.
- Take a dolphin-watching safari down the Noosa River.
- Have a go at kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding or waterbiking.
- Take a tasting tour of the local craft breweries and distilleries – find out how the locals have devoted themselves to quality.
- Get standing on your board by the end of a beginners’ surfing lesson.
Alternatively, try marine life-viewing from a speedboat going on a cruise through the Noosa Everglades, a whale-watching tour, or a surfing lesson.
For good Noosa accommodation, take a look at Seahaven Noosa, Habitat Noosa and Sofitel Noosa.
There are still some attractions close to the highway, though. You might be interested in the Aussie World theme park near Caloundra or Buderim Falls in Buderim.
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.
Yandina brings up Asian cooking classes at Spirit House, walks on Mount Ninderry, all things ginger on tours of the Ginger Factory and picture-perfect swimming at Wappa Falls.
You can also shop at the Yandina Markets, but the Eumundi Markets are a better experience.
Caboolture to Bundaberg road trip: Eumundi to Rainbow Beach
Heading north, you might enjoy the beautifully-designed Noosa Botanic Gardens in Cooroy. Gympie, meanwhile, brings the Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum and Mary Valley Rattler steam train.
Well reviewed Gympie accommodation includes the Gympie Muster Inn and the Shady Rest Motel.
Gympie is also where you turn-off for Tin Can Bay and Rainbow Beach.
5 brilliant Rainbow Beach experiences you should book in advance
- Kayaking with dolphins – including a 4WD beach driving adventure.
- Beginner surfing lessons – you’ll be standing on the board by the end.
- Stand-up paddleboarding and 4WD tour combo – great value day out.
- Fraser Island day tour – visiting the island’s main highlights.
- Fraser Island three day tour – covering parts of the island most visitors miss.
Rainbow Beach has grown considerably, and now offers much more than the barge to Fraser Island. Activities on offer include a two hour surfing lesson, kayaking with dolphins or stand-up paddleboarding.
If going to Fraser Island, there are multiple tour options. Pick between a one day Fraser Island coach tour, a two day bus trip or a three day tagalong trip. The latter allows you to drive your own 4WD vehicle behind a guide vehicle.
Rainbow Beach accommodation favourites include backpacker joint Pippies Beach House, the swisher Plantation Resort and the Ocean Palms Resort, with its sea view balconies.
Click through for the next section: Maryborough and Hervey Bay.