Well guys, we’ve just returned from our Summer holiday, and boy did we have some fun! A 13 hour road trip from Sydney to Queensland did make us a little nervous. We were travelling with our 3 year old after all. This is not something we’ve really done in the past. We’ve taken loads of flights with Ethan, even some long-haul, but such a long driving holiday just hasn’t made the cut to date. So a last minute change of plans meant we were able to secure some cheap flights from Sydney to Brisbane. We then picked up a hire car from there to begin our 12 day Queensland road trip. I have to say though…”Daddy, are we there yet?” featured quite a bit over the course of the trip!
It was quite a different holiday to what we’re used to. It was refreshing! Having a car to stop whenever we saw something interesting took us to some incredible places.
This is what our itinerary looked like:
Day 1 – Flew from Sydney to Brisbane and then picked up our hire car and drove to the Gold Coast
Flights were more affordable to fly into Brisbane, so this is why we did it this way. We arrived late afternoon, so by the time we checked into our hotel, it was time to head out to get some dinner. We decided on a Sushi train across the road from our hotel, which was easy after we’d been travelling all day. It’s just what we felt like too and was delicious.
We stayed at the Outrigger Resort, Burleigh. Such a great location – 2 minutes walk to the beach and very comfortable accommodation!
Day 2 – Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast
Being in Burleigh really made me want to put on my running shoes, which is exactly what I did….went for a run by the beach! The Burleigh boardwalk is filled with fitness junkies walking, running, riding bikes, skateboarding and even roller skating! Such a lovely atmosphere down there. You’ll see people having their morning coffee while they go for a family walk or just sitting watching the waves roll in. There was also bbqs along the way and plenty of playgrounds to keep the kids entertained.
Then, we just spent the day at beautiful Burleigh Beach swimming and catching some waves. I tell you though, I found the sun to be very different to the Sydney sun. I was already burnt on day 2 (Mum, if you’re reading this, I did put loads of sunscreen on….and reapplied!)
Day 3 – Broadwater Parklands, Southport, Gold Coast by day. Surfers Paradise by night!
What an awesome day this was! We met up with some of our family who live on the Gold Coast. They showed us a great time at the Broadwater Parklands, Southport. Admission was free and we even managed to find a nice shady spot where we chilled out on our picnic blankets while Ethan had a ball in the kids water park. I’m not saying we didn’t have to tell him 100 times or more to stay where we could see him…the water park is huge! We packed a picnic lunch. However, there are a couple of cafes that you can grab a bite to eat if you’d rather do that.
We also wandered down to a nice sheltered beach closeby. It was only a 5 min walk, where we could have a dip in the water too and cool off.
We headed back to our hotel to freshen up, before driving to Surfers Paradise for dinner. We had an amazing all-you-can-eat seafood buffet dinner at Fables Restaurant before wandering around the city to explore what Surfers has to offer. The famous beach is well worth a stop (and a photo!)
Day 4 – A hike to Tallebudgera Creek for a swim before driving from Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast to Samford Valley
This was one of the highlights of our trip I’d have to say. What a stunning walk. It was only really a 20 minute walk from Justin’s Park through the Burleigh Head National Park before arriving at Tallebudgera Creek. We had a bit of a swim to cool off and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings before heading back to collect the car and drive to Samford.
That night, we caught up with friends, Megan and Derek for a drink by their dam and enjoyed a lovely home cooked dinner. Thanks guys!
We’ve had the pleasure of staying at their beautiful self-contained private guesthouse on Airbnb each time we make the trip to Samford Valley, and this time was no exception. Highly recommended if you’re looking for an immaculate space for a quiet, relaxing getaway in gorgeous Samford Valley.
Day 5 – Spent the day in Samford Village
Such a beautiful little town, we really love Samford Valley, and it never ceases to amaze us the views at every turn. It always feels like home to us. A place where you can get away for some fresh mountain air and stunning views only 30 minutes from Brisbane city.
Ethan loved some time playing at the local playground and even made a few little friends while we were there. For us, it was just taking in the peaceful surroundings and being in the moment. We walked around Samford Village and given it was raining again, we drove around the area taking in the spectacular views. Pizza from the local pizza shop for dinner back at our comfy digs!
Day 6 – Drove from Samford Valley to Sunshine Coast
Goodbye Samford, but we’ll be back!
Day 7 – Kawana Waters, Sunshine Coast
Today it was raining….yayyyy for some rain which Australia definately needs! We spent the day shopping (and eating) at Kawana Shopping World. We discovered Grill’d healthy burgers….and we were hooked! How did we not know about them until now?! Note to self: Google “Grill’d locations”! The Superpower Salad is DELICIOUS! Yum!
It stopped raining for a bit so we did the nature walk up to where the lighthouse sits. It was totally worth the walk for such spectacular views at the top of the hill.
Day 8 – Spent the day at Noosa, Sunshine Coast, with a stop-off at Mooloolaba
Noosa is definately beautiful….but busy! Be prepared to park your car and walk quite a distance to the esplanade. But once you get there it’s buzzing. We spent the morning at the beach and then grabbed a poke bowl for lunch, before driving back to Kawana Waters.
On the way back, we drove via Mooloolaba (I hope I got that spelling right!) Ethan was exhausted from a big day, so we carried him around (he’s generally been pretty good at walking himself on this trip) so we didn’t mind. We walked along the Esplanade, stopped to play the public piano and took in the beautiful beach before heading back to our hotel at Kawana Waters.
Dinner and a drink that night at the local pub, with some live music, was a nice way to end the day.
Day 9 – A morning swim at Coolum and Moffat beaches, Sunshine Coast before making our way to Clear Mountain, Samford Valley
So this was definately one of those times where it was nice to have a car. After checking out of our hotel, we spotted a couple of nice looking beaches along the way. We stopped at Coolum beach for a walk around the shops. Ethan had a run around at the playground there (funnily called “Tickle Park”. It got us thinking about how we are such a tiny dot in this universe! It was also a reminder just how many amazing places there are out there that you just stumble across! A nice surprise.
Next stop was Moffat beach which was so lovely! Ethan was able to ride some waves on his boogie board which took him into an inlet which was cool. He didn’t want to leave!
Then, leaving Sunshine Coast with a sandy car and a few sushi rolls later, we arrived at Mercure Clear Mountain Lodge. What a place! The views over Samford Valley are spectacular and it has such a relaxing vibe. Samford got some much needed rain while we were there, so we didn’t get a chance to make use of the tennis courts or have a dip in the pool – but happy they got a nice downpour! We were really hoping Sydney got some of the rain too (which they did)! Below is the view from our room.
That night we headed for dinner at Kamikaze Teppanyaki at the dining precinct of Westfield Chermside which was about a 25 minute drive away. We picked up a Groupon voucher for this experience (David’s Christmas present actually). The food was delicious and Ethan loved his first experience of Teppanyaki!
Day 10 – Relaxing at Mercure Clear Mountain Lodge and a trip into Samford Village
We had a quiet day today, it had been a pretty full on (and exciting) driving trip. We had a beautiful dinner with friends at Clear Mountain Lodge that night – a bit of a treat! Such delicious food and amazing company!
Day 11 – Drove from Clear Mountain to Brisbane City
We farewelled one of our favourite places, knowing that our trip was slowly coming to an end! Why does a holiday always seem to speed up once you hit that half way point?!
We spent the day exploring Brisbane city….gosh have we done some walking on this trip! Even Ethan managed to keep up. It was tempting though to hire one of the many motorized scooters around the city that you can pick up at every street corner! Headed down to Queen Street Mall for a bit of shopping and enjoyed some free entertainment in the mall from some up and coming Australian bands.
Day 12 (our last day) – A day in Brisbane before flying back to Sydney on a night flight
If you’ve ever thought about going to the Brisbane Museum, but haven’t had the opportunity, do yourself a favour and check it out! Admission is free and you only pay if you want to see the special exhibit (which while we were there was Spiders). Only cost about $30 for the three of us.
Ethan’s favourite part of the museum was definately the dinosaurs, especially the incredibly large one as can be seen in the picture below!
We then headed to the Brisbane City Botanical Gardens and had a picnic lunch in the gardens. What a beautiful place. We’ve definately popped this on our list for our next visit, as we didn’t have time to see it all (catching our flight got in the way!)
So that’s a wrap! What a trip we had! 1530km by car in 12 days. I love making memories with my little family. Ethan seems to have really grown up this trip. We are now looking forward to our Royal Carribean cruise in March which will be to celebrate Ethan’s fourth birthday. He’s super excited to be able to go to the Kids Club on his own for the first time. Where has my baby gone?! Stay tuned for these and other adventures!
I’d love to hear about what you got up to on your Summer holidays by commenting below. Here’s to a fab 2020 with much more travel! x