The East Coast

I knew I wanted to do something for my birthday, and I knew I wanted to get out of Melbourne for a while. Don’t get me wrong, I love Melbourne, but I was starting to realise that I’m not quite a city girl after all. I’d also had enough of the cold weather and was ready for some sunshine, warmer temperatures and a change of scenery.

I’d actually been planning the trip in my head for months. I kept thinking about where I wanted to go, what I wanted to see and how I could make the most of my time on the East Coast. I’d also been talking about it with my friend Eilir, who was very keen to do the trip with me.

Eventually, Eilir and I sat down for half a day and just booked almost everything. Flights, accommodation, transport and all the little bits in between. What had been months of thinking, researching and talking about the trip suddenly became a proper plan.

We decided to fly into Cairns and start our East Coast adventure there, working our way south towards Brisbane. The plan was to follow the coastline as much as we could, stopping at places that caught our attention along the way rather than rushing from one destination to the next.

We decided to travel by Greyhound rather than hiring a car. It was the easier and cheaper option for us, especially when we had to factor in the cost of fuel and the fact that not all of the places we wanted to visit had airports nearby. We were also working with a limited budget each, which meant we had to carefully account for everything from food and accommodation to activities along the way.

We decided that we would only spend a few days in each place. This gave us enough time to explore without spending too long in one location, while still allowing us to see as much of the East Coast as possible.

One thing Eilir did throughout the planning process was a quick bit of research on each place before we booked our accommodation. We wanted to know what we were actually getting ourselves into — what there was to do, what the area was like and whether there was enough there to keep us busy for a few days. It was a good way of making sure we weren't booking somewhere just because it looked cheap or had a nice hostel, only to arrive and realise there was nothing we actually wanted to do there.

The funny thing was, we didn't actually know when our trip was going to end. We had a rough idea of where we wanted to go, but no definite end date.

I think that was one of the first times on this trip where I really embraced not having everything figured out. We had our starting point, a rough route and enough bookings to get us going — everything after that could be worked out along the way.

Cairns

Our first stop was Cairns.

We flew from Melbourne to Cairns, and for some reason, the flight was incredibly quiet. Eilir and I somehow ended up with a whole row to ourselves each, which felt like a bit of a luxury. It was a pretty easy and peaceful start to our East Coast adventure.

When we landed, we checked into our accommodation and went straight to sleep. We didn’t arrive until just after 11:30 pm, so there wasn’t much else we could do.

The next morning, we headed out to explore Cairns. We decided to use our first couple of days as a bit of a relaxed and calming start to the trip, which actually worked out quite well because we soon discovered that most of the trips and activities were already fully booked. There wasn’t a huge amount we could do at short notice other than heading out towards the rainforest, so rather than trying to force ourselves into a packed itinerary, we took the opportunity to slow down and enjoy Cairns at a more relaxed pace.

It was also around this point that my losing streak at cards began. Eilir and I started playing Rummy and Go Fish to fill some of our downtime, and somehow this became a recurring theme throughout the entire trip. I think I won a grand total of five games out of the 40-plus games we played. At that point, I had to accept that card games were simply not my strong point.

Townsville

From Cairns, our second stop was Townsville. We were only there for about a day and a half, with most of our time spent exploring Magnetic Island.

To be honest, I was quite glad we hadn't planned to stay longer. It wasn't really the season for Townsville when we visited, and the place felt almost like a ghost town. There wasn't much happening, which made our decision to keep it short feel like the right one.

This was where our activities really began. Eilir had discovered Magnetic Island, just off the coast of Townsville, where you can hire a 4WD or bikes and explore the island at your own pace.

The ferry over to the island was really cheap and easy to get, so it was a straightforward way for us to get across without having to worry about organising anything complicated.

We decided to hire bikes and cycle around the island. We liked the idea of being able to stop whenever we wanted, and the bikes also allowed us to get a little further than the cars could, reaching some of the smaller tracks and areas that weren’t accessible by vehicle. It seemed like the perfect way to explore the island and gave us the freedom to go at our own pace.

While exploring the island, we came across some wallabies. A local lady was nearby feeding them carrots and offered us some so we could feed them too. They were so cute and came incredibly close to us, some almost sitting on our legs as they waited for their carrots.

It was such a lovely unexpected encounter and definitely one of my favourite little moments from Magnetic Island.

We also completely lucked out with the weather. It was a beautiful day, and after cycling around the island, getting into the water was incredibly refreshing. The combination of the sunshine, the sea and being able to cool off after our bike ride made it feel like the tropical Australian experience I had been hoping for when I left Melbourne.

Airlie Beach

Our next destination was Airlie Beach, which was where we were going to spend my birthday. I had really wanted to experience my birthday somewhere completely different, and Airlie Beach felt like the perfect place to do it.

After months of planning the East Coast trip and talking about what we wanted to see, we were finally heading towards the part of the trip I had been looking forward to the most.

We spent around 72 hours in Airlie Beach, making it the longest stop we had planned so far. The main reason was my birthday, as I wanted to dedicate a full day to doing something really special rather than simply passing through another destination.

My birthday was spent on a boat trip out to the Whitsundays, which was exactly the kind of experience I had hoped for when I decided I wanted to do something memorable for my birthday.

The boat trip included afternoon tea, but unfortunately there wasn't a vegan option, so we decided not to pay for it. Instead, Eilir and I made our own afternoon tea the night before and packed it ready for the boat trip. It meant we still had something to enjoy while everyone else had theirs, and it became another little part of our preparation for the day.

The package we booked included pick-up and drop-off, as well as snorkelling among the fish and along the reef. Technically, that meant I was swimming on part of the Great Barrier Reef — something that had been on my bucket list for years.

I was a little nervous about the snorkelling. I hadn't really swum in deep water before, and because I needed to keep my ears covered, I didn't consider myself a particularly confident swimmer. Thankfully, I wasn't the only person on the boat who wasn't a confident swimmer. The crew provided everyone with stinger suits as it was still stinger season, as well as life jackets and pool noodles to help us float and feel more comfortable in the water.

Despite wearing the stinger suits, we didn't actually see any jellyfish, which was probably a good thing!

The only downside was that another boat company joined us at the same spot, which created a bit of traffic in the water. In total, we got around 30 minutes of actual swimming time. That might not sound like a huge amount, but honestly, it was probably perfect. Swimming and trying to keep up in the water was surprisingly tiring, and by the time we got back on the boat, I was more than ready for a rest.

From the snorkelling, we made our way towards the Whitsunday Islands. And honestly… WOW. They were stunning. The kind of beautiful that makes you stop and just stare because you can’t quite believe what you’re looking at.

The water was the clearest blue, the sand was almost impossibly white, and the whole place looked like something from a postcard. It was so beautiful that I could have cried — and, if I’m being honest, I nearly did. I just couldn’t believe that I was actually there, on my birthday, looking at something I had spent so long dreaming about.

The captain of the boat then let me drive — not once, but twice! He even told me I was a natural, which I was more than happy to accept as an official assessment of my boating skills.

It was incredibly windy out on the water, and the waves kept spraying us, so by then we were pretty much soaked. At one point, we hit a wave that sent us flying and we nearly went overboard. Looking back, it was hilarious, although I’m not sure we found it quite as funny in the moment!

I was very glad I had packed a spare change of clothes because my first outfit — a cute, whimsical skirt that I had chosen for my birthday — was absolutely drenched. The longer I wore it, the colder I felt, so having dry clothes to change into afterwards was a lifesaver.

It was the perfect combination of beautiful scenery and complete chaos — and honestly, I wouldn’t have wanted my birthday any other way.

That night, we headed into Airlie Beach town. It was very lively and had all the typical tourist-trap elements you would expect from a popular backpacker destination. What we mainly noticed, though, was just how many people were there working their 88 days for their visa.

We found a place playing live music and then headed to a pub that was really busy. It would have been easy to stay out much later, but after such a full day on the boat, we were exhausted. In the end, we called it an early night and headed back to bed.

Our next full day in Airlie Beach was mostly spent relaxing and catching up on sleep. After everything we had packed into the previous day, it was exactly what we needed. We didn't feel the need to fill every minute with activities, and it was nice to simply slow down before getting back on the road.

From Airlie Beach, we decided to take an overnight Greyhound to Hervey Bay. The journey was around 13 hours, so travelling overnight seemed like the best option — we could sleep for most of it and save ourselves a day of travelling.

We did try to sleep on the bus, but one thing we quickly discovered was that the overnight Greyhound services tend to be some of the busiest. So although we'd imagined we'd be able to settle down and sleep through the journey, the bus was actually pretty full, which didn't make getting comfortable particularly easy.

Looking back, though, I think if we were planning the trip again, we probably would have broken up the journey and stopped somewhere along the way. Thirteen hours on a bus is a long time, especially when you're trying to sleep! At the time, though, it made sense for us and meant we could wake up in Hervey Bay ready to start exploring.

Hervey Bay

Hervey Bay was a completely different pace again. This was one of the stops where we had plenty of activities planned. In fact, the day we arrived we already had a day trip booked — another boat trip, but this time for whale watching.

After such a long overnight journey, we were going straight from the bus into another adventure.

Again, we were picked up from our hostel and taken straight to the marina. The tour group was a little worried because it was nearly the end of whale season, so there was a chance we might not see much. Luckily, we did manage to see a few whales, as well as lots of dolphins, which was an amazing bonus.

The tour company clearly loved what they did. You could tell by the way they talked to us about the whales and dolphins. They weren't just reading facts off a sheet; they were genuinely engaging with us, telling us interesting things and getting us excited about what we were seeing. What I loved most was that they seemed just as excited as we were whenever we spotted something. It made the whole experience feel much more personal, rather than just being another tourist trip.

We saw a few whales resting on the surface too, and one of the facts we were told was that whales aren't ever completely asleep. They keep part of their brain alert, with one ear, so to speak, still listening for potential predators while they rest.

One of my favourite moments was seeing a mum resting while her baby played in the water around her. The little one was swimming and playing while Mum just floated there, completely unbothered. It was such a lovely thing to watch and made the experience feel even more special.

I started to wonder whether our tour guide was known by the whales, because one particularly curious calf seemed very interested in our boat. It became so fascinated that it actually swam away from its mum to investigate us. The crew stopped the boat and waited while the mother vocalised to her calf, calling it back towards her.

Watching the two of them swim around us was incredible. My heart was definitely racing as these enormous animals came directly underneath the boat. I couldn't help but think about how easily they could have turned the boat over if they wanted to, but they simply swam peacefully underneath us and carried on with their day.

There was something quite humbling about being so close to an animal that is so much bigger and more powerful than you, yet completely peaceful at the same time.

We also saw a few whales seemingly teaching their young how to jump and splash. The calves would copy the movements around them, practising their jumps and splashes while the adults stayed nearby. It was amazing to watch these huge animals interacting with their young and gave us a glimpse into how playful and curious they can be.

The next day in Hervey Bay was another big adventure — Fraser Island. Although it is officially known as K’gari, its traditional Butchulla name, it is still popularly known as Fraser Island. Our tour guide told us about the name change and the history behind it, which was really interesting to learn while actually visiting the island.

Once again, we had an early start, getting picked up by the tour company and making our way to another ferry to the island. When we arrived, we climbed into our tour vehicle, which was essentially a makeshift lorry that had been converted into a people carrier. It definitely wasn't the fanciest mode of transport, but it suited the adventure perfectly.

Our tour guide absolutely loved his job, and you could tell straight away. He talked our ears off about the history of the island and everything that made K’gari so unique. One of the things he explained was that the entire island is made from sand, which I found incredible. He also told us that the trees and plants have been able to grow there because birds flying over the island drop seeds, allowing vegetation to take root and slowly develop.

The island is also home to several packs of wild dingoes. Although they are completely wild, the rangers track and monitor them to keep an eye on the population and help protect both the dingoes and visitors.

We stopped at one of the island's resorts around lunchtime. I hadn't actually realised there were resorts on the island, so it was quite surprising to suddenly arrive somewhere with accommodation, facilities and somewhere to grab some food in the middle of the day. We stopped there for lunch and had a bit of a break before climbing back into our converted lorry and continuing the tour.

From there, we made our way onto 75 Mile Beach, which is actually used as a highway as well as a beach. This was where our day took a very spontaneous turn when two pilots stopped us and offered scenic flights over the island. Eilir and I didn't even hesitate — both of us immediately put our hands up and decided to pay for the flight.

I'm so glad we did.

Seeing K’gari from above was incredible. We could see the coastline stretching out beneath us, the different shades of blue in the water and even wildlife below. Eventually, we landed back on the beach near the famous Maheno Shipwreck, where Eilir and I had some time to explore the area before continuing the tour.

Next, we stopped at Eli Creek, which was definitely a tourist hotspot. It was really busy, with loads of families and kids floating down the creek. The water was only about knee-deep, so it was an easy and relaxing place to cool off, and thankfully there was also a toilet there, which was definitely needed after being out exploring all day.

The one thing I would recommend is wearing flip-flops or some kind of shoes to get there. The walkway was absolutely roasting in the sun, and unfortunately I found that out the hard way. The ground was so hot that it actually burnt the bottoms of my feet on the walk there!

On our way back towards the ferry, we made one final stop on the beach after spotting a dingo family with their pups. They were so cute to watch, especially the little pups following their mum around. After hearing earlier in the day about the wild dingo packs that live on K’gari, it was really special to actually see a family for ourselves.

We watched them from the safety of our lorry rather than getting out, as they are wild animals, and we had been repeatedly reminded not to approach them. There were also plenty of signs around the island with the same message: do not approach the dingoes. So we stayed put and watched them from a distance, which was probably the safest — and most sensible — way to enjoy seeing them.

From there, we made our way back to the mainland. Once we were back, Eilir and I went for a walk to find something to eat, only to discover that most of the places around Hervey Bay closed surprisingly early — around 6 pm. After such a full day, we were definitely ready for food, so it was a bit of a challenge trying to find somewhere still open!

Noosa

Our next stop was Noosa. This time, we decided to change things up a little with our accommodation and chose a hostel that was known as more of a party hostel.

After spending so much of the trip sightseeing and getting up early for tours and activities, we thought it might be fun to stay somewhere with a more social atmosphere and see what the nightlife was like.

Our hostel was only a short walk from the bus station, which made getting there with our bags nice and easy. Unlike our other stops, we hadn't planned anything for Noosa. This was intentional — we wanted somewhere we could slow down, relax and spend some time in the sun without having another activity or tour booked for every day.

The hostel was actually surprisingly nice for what was considered a “party hostel”. It had a small nightclub attached, which gave it a lively atmosphere in the evenings, and they also served food during opening hours. It was also close to loads of restaurants and places to eat, which was becoming increasingly important to us because, by this point in the trip, we were very much over cooking in hostel kitchens!

After constantly moving from one place to another and packing our days with activities, Noosa gave us a chance to just enjoy being somewhere without having to rush off and see the next thing.

Within an hour of arriving in Noosa, Eilir mentioned that it was somewhere they could see themselves living. I completely agreed. We'd both been talking about eventually finding somewhere outside of Melbourne to settle for a while, and there was something about Noosa that immediately felt different.

We hadn't come to Noosa looking for somewhere to live — we were simply there to relax for a few days — but somehow, within the first hour, the idea had already entered the conversation.

What really stood out to me was how social Noosa felt. It reminded me a little of being back home in the UK. You could walk down the street and almost everyone would say hello or ask how you were doing. It felt friendly and welcoming in a way that I hadn't quite experienced in some of the bigger places we'd visited.

I think that was a big part of why we both started to picture ourselves living there. It wasn't just somewhere beautiful to visit; it actually felt like somewhere we could see ourselves calling home.

Brisbane

After a couple of days in Noosa, we packed up and headed to our next — and final — stop of the trip: Brisbane.

We arrived in Brisbane around midday and checked into our hostel. It was actually a pretty nice hostel compared with some of the others we'd stayed in throughout the trip, so it was a good place to finish our journey.

That first night, we headed out to explore the city. We wandered around and eventually found a local strip that looked like it had a good atmosphere. We also got to see the Brisbane bridges light up at night, which was a really pretty sight and a lovely way to experience the city after dark. We decided that the strip we'd found was probably where we'd head the following night for our final night out.

The next morning, we decided to take another Greyhound, this time heading to the Gold Coast and Surfers Paradise. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite what we'd expected. We found it a little boring, so we walked along the boardwalk and had a look around, but we didn't end up going onto the beach because the weather really wasn't suitable for it.

Rather than spending the whole day there, we changed the time of our coach and headed back to Brisbane. Once we were back in the city, we grabbed some food and headed back to the hostel to get ready for our final night out.

That evening, we headed back to the strip we'd found the night before, and it turned into a really fun night. We mainly spent the evening at our new favourite bar, Chattahoochee Joe's, which quickly became our go-to spot.

It was just a really good laugh. After everything we'd packed into the trip, it was nice to finish it with a proper night out, having a few drinks, laughing and enjoying ourselves without worrying about having to get up early for another activity the next morning.

The next day, I met up with my friend Jordan, who took me on a little tour around Brisbane. Honestly, the city was more impressive than I had first thought. Seeing it through someone else's eyes made me appreciate it a lot more, and Jordan took me to places I probably wouldn't have thought to visit on my own.

She also took me on one of Brisbane's CityCats, the little catamaran-style ferries that travel along the Brisbane River. It was such a fun way to see the city from the water, and definitely more enjoyable than simply walking around the streets.

Jordan was also vegan like me, which was a very welcome coincidence! She knew some great places to eat, so naturally, a little food tour became part of our day too.

The next morning, Eilir and I parted ways. She headed back to Brisbane, while I started making my way south, back towards Melbourne.

This was the end of the trip we had planned together, and it felt a little strange going our separate ways after travelling together all the way from Cairns. We had packed a lot into those few weeks, from cycling around Magnetic Island and swimming on the Great Barrier Reef to whale watching, exploring K’gari and discovering Noosa.

From here, my journey continued on my own. Rather than going into as much detail about every stop, I’ll just highlight the places I visited and the moments that stood out along the way.

Byron Bay

My next stop was Byron Bay, and OMG, it was so pretty. Byron definitely lived up to the hippy reputation everyone talks about. It had such a relaxed, alternative and carefree atmosphere, and I could immediately see why so many people fall in love with it.

The hostel I stayed in was really nice too. The staff made a real effort to get everyone socialising and meeting each other, offering loads of different activities and opportunities to make friends. I ended up joining a paint and sip, which was a lot of fun and a great way to meet people.

I also liked that the activities they offered actually suited the area and the whole Byron Bay atmosphere. They weren't just random hostel activities — they fitted the relaxed, creative and social vibe of Byron really well.

I met so many people while I was there, and everyone was incredibly friendly. I even ended up going to my first piano bar, which was such a fun experience. I also did a really lovely walk out to the lighthouse, taking in the coastline along the way.

I also did a really lovely walk out to the lighthouse, taking in the coastline along the way. And, as an added bonus, I spotted my first wild koala! It was such a special moment to see one out in the wild rather than in a zoo or sanctuary.

Sydney

Next was Sydney, and once again, I loved it there. I'm still not sure I'm a big-city person, but I really enjoyed exploring Sydney and doing all the typical tourist things. I saw the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and visited Bondi Beach.

This time, I was lucky enough to have much better weather than when I first visited Sydney back in 2019. I even recreated some of the photos I had taken on my first trip, which was surprisingly fun. It was nice to stand in the same places years later and see how much had changed — including me!

And with that, my East Coast trip came to an end. I spent around 12 hours on a bus making my way back down to Melbourne, bringing me full circle back to where the trip had started.

Looking back, I probably could have added a few more stops along the way. There were definitely places I would have liked to explore for longer, or towns I could have added between some of the bigger destinations. But for what we had planned, the time and the budget we had, I think we managed to see a lot.

The East Coast trip gave me a bit of everything — tropical islands, beaches, wildlife, boat trips, new friends, late nights, long bus journeys and plenty of moments I never could have planned. And, of course, it gave me Noosa… which would end up becoming much more important to me than I realised at the time.

Looking back, it was a pretty brilliant way to celebrate my birthday. I got to see places I had never been before, tick a few things off my bucket list, make some amazing memories and experience the East Coast with one of my good friends. I couldn't have asked for a much better way to spend my birthday.