Dave and I have talked about “trying van life” for years. Less of the quit-everything, go-off-grid way, and more of a “what if we just borrowed that freedom for a week” sense.
This winter, we finally did it. One week, one van, and a loose plan to head north from the Gold Coast and follow the SE Queensland coastline.
If you’ve ever been curious about van travel but not ready for the long-term commitment, a short hire is the perfect in-between.
The van: our tiny home on wheels
We hired our van through Camplify and went smaller this time around after previously hiring a motorhome. We wanted something easy to park, simple to live in, and self-sufficient enough that we weren’t constantly hunting for power or facilities.
Banjo came fitted with a small fridge, cooker, BBQ, sink with a 20-litre water tank, and a handheld shower on the back for rinsing off after swims. The bed was more comfortable than we expected. Dave had to sleep slightly on the angle given his height, but with our own doona and pillows, we both slept well.
Being in a smaller van made the whole trip easier. We could park in town centres without stress, and many of the waterfront campsites are reserved for vans under five metres. At $150 a day plus campsite fees, it worked out cheaper than hotels and gave us far more flexibility.
One thing that’s worth knowing up front: there’s very little free camping along the SE Queensland coast, and caravan parks book out quickly. We pre-booked everything and were glad we did.
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Welcome to Gubbi Gubbi Country
Our trip took us from home on the Gold Coast up to Rainbow Beach. We bypassed Brisbane and counted the trip as starting on the Sunshine Coast.
Gubbi Gubbi Country stretches from the southern end of the Sunshine Coast to Burrum River in the north, through Gympie and Maryborough regions, spreading out west to the Conondale Ranges and covering the coastal strip of Rainbow Beach.
Wunya Ngulum – welcome everybody
Road Trip Rules
Is it even a road trip if you don’t stop at a roadside servo for something questionable but irresistible? The tourism industry and small towns around Australia have been hit hard this year, so we left with an empty fridge, planning to shop and eat out along the way.
The Go With Empty Eskies campaign started due to the bushfires encouraging Aussies to take road trips to visit the small towns impacted by the fires, and shopping with local businesses.
With hospitality businesses being shut down for months and border closures across the country, this is still important and I encourage you this summer to visit and support your local small towns. Take a road trip! The Empty Eskies site has some great road trips and maps you can follow.
Habitat Noosa Eco Camp
Set on 65 hectares of bushland on the edge of Lake Cootharaba, Habitat Noosa Eco Camp was our first overnight stop. I’d imagined a quiet, tranquil bush camp, and while the setting is beautiful, the reality felt very different. The campground was busy, loud, and bustling with families and groups.
We stayed on a powered site for $55 a night. Facilities were clean and well-maintained, with camp kitchens, BBQs, showers, toilets, and a restaurant and brewery on site. The lake itself is gorgeous, and you can hire kayaks, canoes and even small boats.
Would I stay again? Probably not. At least not in peak season. If you’ve got kids, it’s perfect: loads of space to roam, swim and explore. If you’re chasing quiet bush mornings and early nights, this one’s not it.
Two days in Rainbow Beach
The drive from Noosa to Rainbow Beach is short but unexpectedly beautiful, winding through Toolara State Forest. Partway along, we stumbled on something neither of us will forget: a sprawling roadside field of bright yellow coreopsis flowers, buzzing with hundreds of tiny bees. The Cooloola region is known for its wildflowers.
We pulled over without planning to. Sat in the grass for nearly an hour. Watched the bees work. Took photos. Said very little. Felt the time slip away.
Rainbow Beach Holiday Park
We arrived at Rainbow Beach in the late afternoon and pulled into our site at the Rainbow Beach Holiday Park just as the afternoon light began to soften. The park sits right behind the beachfront dunes, about a five-minute walk to the water and the same easy distance into the centre of town. Once we parked the van, we didn’t need to drive again.
Our site was quiet and shaded, with the sound of the ocean carrying through camp on the evening breeze. At $50 a night, it worked out as one of the best-value stays of the trip. The amenities were clean and well looked after, the staff were genuinely welcoming, and the whole park had a relaxed, laid-back feel.
The park and Rainbow Beach in general are very dog-friendly. We were easily one of the youngest couples there by a couple of decades, but we fit in just fine. The grey nomad community were friendly, chatty, and always happy to swap tips or introduce us to their dogs. It was peaceful and exactly what we were craving.
We stayed two nights, and both agreed we could have stayed longer.
What we loved doing in Rainbow Beach
- Long, slow sunset beers right by the sea
- Gentle swims at the patrolled main beach
- Morning coffee at Little Parliament — good non-dairy options and a thoughtful plant-based menu
- Groceries from the local shop, meat from the butcher, and a gigantic jar of Pomona honey that came home with us
- Pizza from Arcobaleno on our second night and I’m still thinking about it
We’ve been over to K’gari (Fraser Island) on past trips, so we didn’t head across this time. If it’s on your list, Rainbow Beach is one of the easiest jumping-off points, with several local operators running 4WD tours directly to the island.
Carlo Sandblow
One morning, we walked up to Carlo Sandblow. A massive 15-hectare sand formation that overlooks Double Island Point, Inskip Peninsula and the southern tip of K’gari. The walk is only about 600 metres through bushland, but what waits at the end feels otherworldly.
Visit early. The sand heats up quickly, especially from spring through early autumn. Bring water, a hat and sun protection. We wandered the sandblow for nearly an hour, eventually reaching the edge where the whole of Rainbow Beach unspooled beneath us.
The track is also the entrance to the Great Cooloola Walk, a 5-day scenic walk along the coast if you’re game!
Inskip Point
On our last morning in Rainbow Beach, we checked out of the van park and drove down to Inskip Point to have a look around. There are several campgrounds stretched along the coast here. Some are only suitable for high-clearance vehicles or 4WD, but SS Dorigo and MV Sarawak sites both looked accessible for campers and motorhomes. We saw plenty of vans set up at both.
We drove right up to the point, then doubled back and found an empty car park right on the beach. It felt too good to rush past, so we pulled up, made breakfast, and went for a swim. The beach was completely empty. You can’t camp at this specific spot, but it’s a beautiful place to stop for a few hours if you’re passing through.
Gin Gin + Maryborough
We took a short overnight detour inland to Gin Gin to visit Dave’s parents. They live on a small acreage surrounded by bush, so there was plenty of room to park the van and settle in for a quiet night and family time.
On our way back toward the coast, we stopped for lunch in Maryborough. If you’ve got time to wander, the main street is lined with op-shops and antique stores, at least five within easy walking distance. It’s a good place to stretch your legs, have a browse, and pick up something unexpected. I ducked into town to visit A Crafty Male, a secondhand bookshop that’s well worth stopping for if you’re passing through.
After lunch, we decided to head back to Rainbow Beach for another night. We’d enjoyed the campsite so much that it felt like the right place to slow things down again. We spent the rest of the afternoon reading in the shade, walking along the beach, and enjoying the last nights of van life before the final stretch of the trip.
Noosa North Shore
To reach Noosa North Shore, you take the car ferry across the river. There’s no need to book in advance, with crossings running roughly every ten minutes. Campervans cost $16 each way, and you’ll need cash for the ticket.
After a short drive through bushland on the other side, we reached our campsite at the Noosa North Shore Campground. For $46 a night, we had an absolute beachfront site inside Cooloola National Park. You only need a permit if you plan to camp at Teewah Beach, which is 4WD access only.
This campground is very basic, and that’s all part of its charm. There are two toilets servicing the beachfront sites we stayed in, with a camp kitchen further back near the entrance. The showers are outdoor cold beach showers, which suited us just fine after a swim. There are no shops close by, so you need to arrive with everything you’ll need for the night.
The sites are generously spaced, with plenty of room between you and your neighbours. The beach is a minute’s walk from camp. It isn’t patrolled, and deep ocean swimming isn’t encouraged. The swell was gentle while we were there, and we’re both confident swimmers, but we still kept to wading rather than heading right out.
This ended up being one of our favourite stays of the entire trip. Being so close to home means we’ll definitely be back for weekend trips.
Last Stop Noosa River
After leaving Noosa North Shore, we took the ferry back across to the mainland and headed to our final overnight stop at the Noosa River Holiday Park. At $50 a night, it sits right on the river and made for an easy, relaxed last evening on the road.
You can swim in the river, but it’s best to stay close to the shore as there’s boat traffic moving through for most of the day. We had an afternoon dip with the pelicans drifting past, then dried off in the late sun back at camp.
It’s about a 15-minute drive from the park into Noosa Heads, where you’ll find the main shopping strip and Hastings Street dining precinct. There’s no shortage of places to eat if you want to head out, but we had an early start planned for the next morning, so we kept things simple and cooked our final dinner in the van.
Noosa Headland Walk + Fairy Pools
We were up at 4am the next morning to catch the sunrise and walk the Noosa Headland track. There’s beachfront parking at Little Cove and, at that hour, it was mostly empty apart from a few other vans with the same early-morning plan.
We watched the light break over the ocean, had breakfast on the beach, then started the walk as the sky fully cleared.
The full coastal walk is a 10-kilometre return trip. The first couple of kilometres are paved, before the track turns into dirt. It’s an easy walk overall, with regular lookouts, small beach inlets, and plenty of spots to pause along the way.
We walked as far as the Fairy Pools, about halfway along the track. The pools are tidal and best visited at low tide if you want to swim. We arrived around 5:30am and had them mostly to ourselves. By the time we left at around 6:30, a steady stream of people was starting to arrive.
On the walk back, we stopped at Tea Tree Bay. It’s a quieter beach, mostly shared with surfers, and a good place to sit for a while with a coffee or a book before heading back to the car.
And then, all too soon, it was over. Time to start the long drive home and return the van.
