Tracing the Queensland coastline and taking in rich hinterland, idyllic islands and pretty farmscapes, the Pacific Coast Way’s kaleidoscopic charms have the power to transform.

White-knuckled, I grip the steering wheel, relinquishing control of the profanities that escape my mouth. The M1 motorway into Queensland’s Gold Coast from NSW is smacked with brawny gusts and I shriek as my rented motorhome sways. Then, a hint of salty air drifts in on the breeze.

My pulse steadies and my 40 kilometre-per-hour hurtle morphs into a valiant 45 kilometre-per-hour cruise. I’ve reached the Pacific Coast Way, of which I’ll navigate about a quarter of the full 1800-kilometre stretch that links the Gold Coast and Cairns, to boldly discover the undiscovered. Clearly, I’m made for the job.

Stop one: The Gold Coast

Accustomed to the city’s beachfront bars and eateries, I’m on a mission to dig beneath the Gold Coast’s glitter: a magnetism that lured 13 million tourists in 2024. My first stop is Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre at the base of Burleigh Head National Park, where I embark on a two-hour Walkabout Tour.

I’m instructed to take some ochre, a natural clay traditionally used to paint rocks and bodies, off a nearby rock wall. I dunk my fingers into Tallebudgera Creek to wet the ochre and then apply it to my arm. I draw contrasts between this ancient ceremonial practice that still pulses in the present and the pack of sun-baking teenagers nearby. The tour snakes around Burleigh headland, gripping me again when bushland dotted with middens paints a vivid picture of the Kombumerri People feasting on shellfish here more than 20,000 years ago.

While I’ve ridden its steam train and cooed at its koalas before, this is the first time I have explored the heart of Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary: the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital. A refuge for sick, injured and orphaned creatures, it treated more than 16,000 patients in 2024, breaking all previous records. Today, I see wounded birds and an injured kangaroo, underscoring the crucial work this team performs daily.

My admiration for the compassionate staff at the hospital stays with me as I move beyond the gates of the sanctuary in search of a change of pace: woodfired pizza at Palm Beach’s Balboa Italian. I then collapse into my queen bed at The Cheshire Cat Motel, a reimagined 1960s motel just a few minutes down the road.

Stop two: North Stradbroke Island/Minjerribah

Leaping out of bed isn’t typically my style, but the thought of twice-baked almond croissants fresh out of Bam Bam Bakehouse’s oven in Mermaid Beach gets me moving. Flaky, oozy treat in tow, I drive one hour to Cleveland, the gateway to my next stop: North Stradbroke Island/Minjerribah. Four-wheel-drives are crammed on SeaLink’s North Stradbroke Island vehicle ferry and released 45 minutes later onto the world’s second-largest sand island.

I ditch sandboarding for Yura Tours’ Ultimate Minjerribah Cultural Experience, a three-hour tour focused on the Quandamooka People, the Traditional Custodians who have nourished their land for more than 21,000 years.

Quandamooka woman and owner of Yura Tours Elisha Kissick connects me to her home through a Welcome to Country at Brown Lake/Bummiera, which resembles a lightly steeped brew thanks to the tea trees and melaleuca bushland on its fringes. We also visit the Old Mission Site and Myora Springs, where Elisha shares emotionally charged Creation stories, leaving me thirsty for more.

Aesthetically, Minjerribah is equally captivating. Blue-on-blue horizons and dramatic headlands pop out at every corner. My home for the night is an air-conditioned glamping tent inside Minjerribah Camping at Bradbury’s Beach, overlooking the water and perfectly positioned to absorb raspberry-swirl sunsets.

Stop three: Pomona

Back on the mainland, the Pacific Coast Way sweeps me into a thoroughly under-explored hinterland township two-and-a-half hours north of Cleveland. Nestled on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Pomona instantly endears – and not just because there’s a caffeine fix within every few steps.

I grab a quality cuppa at SpillDEBeans, located in its central village, before aimlessly strolling boutiques filled with country-chic homewares, artisanal creations and books. My pace is uncharacteristically leisurely and I sip slowly, feeling like the star of a tourism campaign rather than a frazzled mother of two.

I (only just) resist pilfering ruby-red capsicums and colossal mint sprigs from the roadside herb and veggie plantings I discover up on Reserve Street, where hipster havens Pomona Distilling Co and Pomona Providores reside, to locate Pomona Railway Station Gallery – arguably the jewel in this town’s crown.

Run by the local community, the gallery stages art exhibitions across five historical buildings and, while the works themselves impress, it’s the buildings that dazzle. The Blacksmith’s Shop, a replica of a settler’s slab hut built by local volunteer Jan Hubner, is particularly memorable.

The gallery, unveiled in 2001, flexes Pomona’s creative spirit in style and serves as a powerful example of how tight-knit this community is. I wish it were Saturday, when the Pomona Country Markets’ stalls and live music are said to ignite quite a buzz, but my road trip has set a global phenomenon in its sights. The show must roll on.

Stop four: Noosa

I journey into a very unfamiliar Noosa after switching that notorious Hastings Street hum for the tranquillity of Great Sandy National Park. Located 30 minutes north of Noosa Heads, the park is a hidden mecca of spotless beaches, sand dunes, mangrove forests and my highly anticipated next destination, the Noosa Everglades.

I crawl along a 1.5-kilometre dirt track to uncover Habitat Noosa Everglades Eco Camp, which runs guided tours of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, one of only two everglades in the world (the other is found in Florida’s Everglades National Park).

I learn while settling aboard the 36-person eco vessel for an Everglades Serenity Cruise that the biosphere stretches for 60 kilometres, encompassing narrow waterways and a staggeringly diverse ecosystem boasting more than 40 per cent of Australia’s total bird species.

Aptly nicknamed the River of Mirrors, the Everglades reflect overhanging tea trees, shrubs, the blue sky and even a tiny kingfisher on its infinite mirrored surface. Our vessel glides like it’s skating on black ice and chatter dissolves into a surprisingly comfortable silence as dropped jaws and wide eyes unite in awe. The Everglades’ remarkable stillness only enhances its vastness, and I scan endlessly for the quails, ground parrots and eagles that thrive within its branches. What feels like just a few moments ends up totalling 2.5 hours. I float back into Habitat’s Paperbark Glamping Tents, surrounded by kangaroos and hypnotised by Noosa’s lesser-spoken beauty.

Stop five: Hervey Bay

High on an intensifying connection to the outdoors, I steer my motorhome to Hervey Bay, a two-hour drive north of the Everglades, and set up at Discovery Parks – Fraser Street, Hervey Bay. I’m focused on the endemic wildlife of this relaxed Fraser Coast beach town, desperate to notch up another close encounter.

I dial up my chances (and the luxe levels) onboard a Champagne Sunset Sail with Blue Dolphin Marine Tours, one of the most popular Hervey Bay cruise companies departing from Great Sandy Straits Marina. As another perfect Pacific Coast Way sunset blurs the sky above, two Australian humpback dolphins gently yo-yo the water.

Minutes later, a green sea turtle bobs about 10 metres away. I sit back, a glass of bubbles in hand and a 360-degree rainbow falling over K’gari, now in sight. Without even hitting the quarter-way mark, the Pacific Coast Way has shocked my system into calm. How much more could possibly be found further on?

A traveller’s checklist

Getting there

Fly direct to Gold Coast Airport from all major cities with Virgin, Jetstar, Qantas and Newcastle/Mulubinba’s FlyPelican.

Playing there

Wander around Astra Lumina, an immersive light experience at the Gold Coast’s Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. Soar and sip on craft beer onboard Straddie Brewing Co’s Brewairy Tour, which takes guests over some of Queensland’s islands in a private plane.

Catch a silent flick at Pomona’s Majestic Theatre. Soak up the sunset on K’gari Salty Safaris’ FUNset Cruise from Hervey Bay.

Getting around

Elevate your camping expedition with Apollo’s extensive range of campervans and motorhomes like the Euro Tourer, designed for couples and featuring a toilet, shower, microwave, fridge, gas stove, double bed, TV, Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control and a reversing camera. Prices vary depending on travel dates, but you can expect a starting price of $375 per night.