Sponsored by Sunshine Coast Tourism and Tourism Queensland
Of the 55,000 kilometres we drove around Australia on our 18-month road trip, only once did we venture onto the beach in our vehicle.
We didn’t have a four-wheel drive, therefore beach driving wasn’t an option and we had to stick to bitumen or solid dirt roads.
So, jumping in a four-wheel drive hire car and taking on Australia’s Sunshine Coast Great Beach Drive from Noosa’s North Shore to Rainbow Beach confirmed there’s only one way to do a lap of Australia next time – with a 4×4!
But what is the Great Beach Drive and how can you do it yourself? In this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know!
Is the Great Beach Drive Worth It?
The Great Beach Drive is not just a way to get off the conventional way of travel and experience the thrill of adventure, but it also puts you closer to nature, having been surrounded by an abundance of wildlife that is native to Australia, such as Kangaroos, turtles, whales, dolphins and thousands of bird species.
As well as this, you get to stop at white sandy beaches and camp next to the ocean, sipping beer while stargazing in a space that is unpolluted with street lights.
Wake up at sunrise and see migrating whales swimming off the shore (if you travel between July and November).
For many, it’s a once in a lifetime experience. So for these reasons, it’s absolutely worth it to do the Great Beach Drive.
Where is the Great Beach Drive?
The Great Beach Drive is known as one of Australia’s best shortcuts because instead of taking the M1 (Bruce Highway) from the Sunshine Coast to Rainbow Beach via Gympie, you take the prettier and quicker Beach Highway.
On one side you have miles of sparkling Pacific Ocean and on the other the Great Sandy National Park.
Why take the busy and boring M1 when you can take Australia’s nature coast expressway?! This is my kind of commute.
We picked up our 4×4 at Fleet Crew in Brisbane and drove from there. If you are leaving from Brisbane or The Gold Coast, it’s a 3.5-hour drive to the gateway to the Great Beach Drive at Teewah.
Teewah Beach is the entry point to the UNESCO Great Sandy biosphere, which takes in rainforest, marine parks and ancient sand dunes, and is home to countless rare and endangered animals, as well as over half of Australia’s bird species.
Before commencing your beach drive be sure to purchase a daily vehicle access permit for Cooloola Recreation Area. It’s a small fee…
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