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Brisbane
8 Hours
Photo: Masamiokamoto · CC BY-SA 4.0
Campervan road trip · 12–21 days
Brisbane → MelbourneOne-way campervan hire
The whole south-east coast: Byron's surf, Sydney Harbour, Jervis Bay and the Prom.
SurfBeachesWildlifeNational parksCities
- Trip length
- 12–21 days
- Distance
- ≈ 2,300 km
- Pick up
- Brisbane
- Drop off
- Melbourne
- Best time
- October–April for warm beach days; June–November for whales along the NSW coast
Live prices from the big campervan companies · book online in minutes · one-way fee included in the price.
Prices by season and van type, with the reverse direction: Brisbane to Melbourne campervan hire prices. For every route side by side, see today's campervan hire prices.
The route
14 days, 11 stops
Brisbane to Melbourne one way is the East Coast run in reverse and then some. You go south through Byron Bay and the NSW surf towns, stop in Sydney, then keep following the Princes Highway down a quieter coast most travellers never see: the white sand of Jervis Bay, whale country at Eden, the Gippsland Lakes and the granite bays of Wilsons Promontory, before rolling into Melbourne. It suits anyone who landed in Queensland and flies home from Victoria.
Vans that suit this trip
Day by day
The plan, stop by stop
Paced for 14 days. Got less time? Merge two stops. Got more? Stay longer wherever you like it; it's your van. Drive times and distances are approximate, from road-routing data, without stops.
- 1
Day 1
Brisbane
Photo: David Edwards · CC BY 3.0 Collect the van and stock up. With a spare day before pickup, cross to Moreton Island for shipwreck snorkelling and sand tobogganing. Hire vans stay on the mainland, so go with a day tour.
- 2
Day 2–3
Byron Bay
2 hrs · 160 km
Photo: Masamiokamoto · CC BY-SA 4.0 Sunrise at the lighthouse, the most easterly point on the mainland, then a surf lesson at The Pass. Spend the second day inland at the Nimbin markets or swimming under Minyon Falls.
- 3
Day 4
Coffs Harbour
3 hrs · 230 km
Photo: Daniel Ainsworth · CC BY 3.0 Walk out to Muttonbird Island at sunset, take the obligatory Big Banana photo, and fill up on cheap tropical fruit at the roadside stalls.
- 4
Day 5
Port Macquarie
2 hrs · 150 km
Photo: Maksym Kozlenko · CC BY-SA 4.0 Coastal walk from Town Beach to Lighthouse Beach, then the koala hospital, where the patients are very real and very sleepy.
- 5
Day 6
Port Stephens
3 hrs · 250 km
Photo: Phil Whitehouse from London, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0 Dolphins in the bay and the Stockton sand dunes, the largest moving coastal sand mass in the southern hemisphere. Sandboard down them, then wash off at One Mile Beach.
- 6
Day 7–8
Sydney
3 hrs · 210 km
Photo: Danijel-James Wynyard · CC BY 2.0 Park the van on the city fringe and do Sydney on foot and ferry: the Bondi to Coogee walk, the Manly ferry past the Opera House, and a day in the Blue Mountains if you have one spare.
- 7
Day 9
Jervis Bay
3 hrs · 200 km
Photo: Dave Naithani · CC BY-SA 3.0 Some of the whitest sand in the country at Hyams Beach, dolphins in the bay, and the bush walks and quiet beaches of Booderee National Park on the southern headland.
- 8
Day 10
Eden & the Sapphire Coast
4.5 hrs · 310 km
Photo: Steve Bittinger from Canberra, Australia · CC BY 2.0 An old whaling town that now watches humpbacks instead, from September to November as they head south. Walk a stretch of the Light to Light track in Beowa National Park, past red rock and empty coves.
- 9
Day 11
Lakes Entrance
3 hrs · 240 km
Photo: Alex Proimos from Sydney, Australia · CC BY 2.0 Cross into Victoria through the forests of East Gippsland. Lakes Entrance sits where the Gippsland Lakes meet Ninety Mile Beach: sunset on the foreshore, then a walk over the footbridge to the surf side.
- 10
Day 12–13
Wilsons Promontory
4 hrs · 290 km
Photo: FemmeVulpes · CC BY-SA 4.0 The southernmost tip of the mainland. Walk to Squeaky Beach, climb Mount Oberon for the view over the islands, and watch for wombats around the Tidal River campground at dusk. Book Tidal River well ahead in summer.
- 11
Day 14
Melbourne
3 hrs · 220 km
Photo: Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand · CC0 Detour via Phillip Island for the Penguin Parade at dusk, or save it for a day tour from the city. Return the van in Melbourne.
Good to know
- Where to sleep
- Caravan and holiday parks with powered sites and showers, national park campgrounds, and low-cost sites listed in WikiCamps. Book ahead in school holidays.
- One-way fee
- Brisbane → Melbourne is one-way, so operators add a fee that varies by season. We build it into your quote upfront.
- Driver age
- Most operators need drivers aged 21+. A few take 18–20 year olds with a young-driver surcharge; tell us the youngest driver's age and we'll quote what fits.
- Recommended vans
- Best fits: the hi-top campervan; the 2-seater, 2-sleeper and the motorhome. Tell us how many of you are travelling and we'll match the size.
Free and low-cost places to park up on this route, with the local rules: free camping in Queensland, free camping in New South Wales and free camping in Victoria.
- Brisbane → Melbourne is one-way, so operators add a one-way fee. It varies by season and we include it in your quote upfront.
- Sydney parking is expensive and tight for a van. Book a caravan park on the city edge and use trains and ferries to get around.
- The inland Newell Highway is a day or two faster, but it skips the coast. This plan follows the Pacific and Princes Highways the whole way.
- Summer school holidays fill Jervis Bay and Wilsons Promontory early. Book campsites before you set off.
Tours worth adding
Boats, reefs, islands and 4WD tracks. Add them to your quote and we'll fit them around your drive.
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Brisbane
9 Hours
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Byron Bay
3 Hours
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Byron Bay
3 Hours
Byron Bay Tandem Skydive 15,000ft (With Byron Bay Transfer)
4.6 (535 · Google)
RRP $385 Save $6 From
$379 AUD
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Byron Bay
2 Hours, 30 Minutes
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Sydney
11 Hours
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Sydney
2 Hours
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Sydney
7 Hours
Brisbane to Melbourne campervan FAQs
How long does it take to drive Brisbane to Melbourne by campervan? +
The coastal route is about 2,300 km, around 30 hours of driving in total. Twelve days covers the highlights, 14 gives you two nights in Byron, Sydney and Wilsons Promontory, and 21 lets you slow down at every stop.
Is there a one-way fee for a Brisbane to Melbourne campervan hire? +
Usually, yes. Operators charge a one-way fee that changes with the season and the van. We include it in your quote upfront, and we can quote Melbourne to Brisbane too if that works out cheaper.
How many days do you need for Brisbane to Melbourne in a campervan? +
Allow 12–21 days. This plan is paced for 14 days with 11 overnight bases. Short on time? Merge two stops. Got longer? Stay on wherever you like it.
Is there a one-way fee for Brisbane to Melbourne? +
Yes. Brisbane to Melbourne is a one-way hire, and operators add a one-way fee that varies by season. We include it in your quote upfront.
How old do I need to be to hire a campervan? +
Most operators require drivers to be 21 or older. A few accept 18 to 20 year olds with a young-driver surcharge. Tell us the youngest driver's age in the quote form and we'll only quote vans you can drive.
Which campervan suits Brisbane to Melbourne? +
The best fits are the hi-top campervan; the 2-seater, 2-sleeper and the motorhome. Tell us how many of you are travelling and we'll quote the right size.
Ready to drive Brisbane to Melbourne?
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