Gayndah to Brisbane drive: Distance, time & best road trip stops

By car via the Burnett and Bruce Highways, the distance from Gayndah to Brisbane is 326km, with a driving time of around 3h44m. The best stops to add to a Gayndah to Brisbane road trip itinerary are Gympie and the Sunshine Coast.

Planning a Gayndah to Brisbane road trip itinerary

A Gayndah to Brisbane road trip takes you from South Burnett region in Queensland to the state capital.

For Gayndah accommodation, hunt here.

Top options in Brisbane, meanwhile, include a Moreton Island day trip, climbing the Story Bridge and visiting native wildlife at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. To browse the collection of Brisbane tours and experiences, step this way. For the best value Brisbane hotels, pick here.

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.

This guide is aimed at helping travellers plan their perfect Gayndah to Brisbane 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.

Gayndah to Brisbane distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Gayndah to Brisbane is 326km. That makes for a driving time of around three hours and 44 minutes.

Gayndah is home to the Big Orange, and is surrounded by citrus farms. The orchards are best viewed from the McConnell Lookout to the west of the town.

There are also several heritage buildings, including Brick Cottage, which is home to the Gayndah Museum. This is pleasant enough if you’re into learning about historic rural life.

Where to stay in Gayndah

The best Gayndah accommodation options are:

For a good quality motel at cheap rates: Gayndah A Motel.
For a more centrally located alternative: Country Roads Motel.

Attractions between Gayndah and Brisbane: Ban Ban Springs to Gympie

The next realistic stop is Ban Ban Springs, where the springs are a hugely important Aboriginal cultural site. There’s a petrol station here, too.

You break free from the Burnett Highway at Tansey, branching down the Kilkivan-Tansey Road.

Then head east along the Wide Bay Highway from Kilkivan, where you can walk or cycle part of the Kilkivan to Kingaroy Rail Trail, refuel, and get some snacks at the Kilkivan General Store.

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.

In Bells Bridge, just before you reach the Bruce Highway, there’s Jurassic Ark, an extremely dubious Creationist museum spouting all manner of tosh about fossils.

Once on the Bruce Highway, there’s the Woodworks Museum just outside Gympie.

Gympie also 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.

Gayndah to Brisbane road trip: Gympie to the Glasshouse Mountains

The Gympie to Brisbane leg of the drive runs parallel to the Sunshine Coast. But assuming you’re planning on sticking close to the highway rather than exploring Marcoola, Mudjimba Beach and Mooloolaba, there’s still plenty to see.

Only very minimal detours off the Bruce Highway are required to enjoy the Noosa Botanic Gardens in Cooroy, the Eumundi Markets and the Yandina Markets. Also in Yandina, you can go walking on Mount Ninderry, take a cooking class at Spirit House, visit the Ginger Factory and go swimming at Wappa Falls.

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.

The same short detour principle applies to Thrill Hill Waterslide in Woombye, Buderim Falls in Buderim and the Aussie World theme park near Caloundra.

A little further south, the Bruce Highway is close enough to Australia Zoo, the Glasshouse Mountains, Mount Ngungun and Mount Tibrogargan. The Wild Horse Mountain scenic lookout is worth pulling over for, too.

Gayndah to Brisbane drive: Into Brisbane

The Gayndah to Brisbane drive then passes through the underwhelming towns of Caboolture and Burpengary before entering the northern suburbs of Brisbane.

Top things to do in Caboolture include visiting the Caboolture Historical Village and the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology.

For things to do in Brisbane itself, try the Streets Beach, the Museum of Brisbane, the public art trails and City Botanic Gardens.

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.