Mike Yardley: Cairns and the Pacific Coast Way

For a Queensland holiday with a difference, why not savour a slice of the Pacific Coast Way? Spanning 1800km, from Cairns to Coolangatta, this is like the Sunshine State’s answer to Route 66. Rather than crossing a country, this iconic coastal roadie straddles the full length of one of the world’s seven natural wonders: the Great Barrier Reef. The Pacific Coast Way mostly traces the Bruce Highway, with reef-fringed beaches and islands on one side, and lush rainforest, country towns, bountiful farmland and national park on the other. Over the course of a week, I drove two-thirds of the route, starting in the tropical swagger of Cairns and finishing in Rockhampton.
2026-09-19 00:07:13