East Coast Australia: 14-Day Semi-Guided Adventure

Start where the Queensland run begins. A night in Brisbane to shake off the flight: swim and graze your way round South Bank, ride the CityCat down the river, chase a rooftop sunset. Collect your bus pass and itinerary pack, say g'day to the dorm, and the coast north is already booked and sequenced ahead of you, nothing to plan, nothing to clash. On day 2 the coach takes you to Noosa.

A short ride north on day 2 and you're in Noosa, all boutique beach town and national-park headlands. Day 3 is surf day: stand up on your first wave with a local school on Main Beach's forgiving point break, one of the friendliest learner set-ups on the coast, then walk the Noosa National Park coastal track past dozing koalas to the point breaks at Tea Tree Bay and swim off the calm main beach. On the afternoon of day 4 the coach carries you on to Rainbow Beach for the night, a short walk from the briefing that starts K'gari the next morning.

First showstopper, and you wake in Rainbow Beach a short walk from the 7am briefing. K'gari is the world's largest sand island and you'll drive it yourself, tag-along style, sharing the wheel of a 4WD in convoy while a lead guide calls the lines over the radio. Swim Lake McKenzie's silica-white shallows, float down Eli Creek's glass-clear current, scramble over the rusted SS Maheno wreck, fizz about in the Champagne Pools and hike the sandblow to Lake Wabby. Nights are beach camping: campfire, a proper feed, and 75-Mile Beach as tomorrow's highway. Meals and camping gear sorted, bring or hire a sleeping bag, then just drive and swim. Back on the mainland mid-afternoon on day 7, you board the overnight bus to Airlie Beach.

The overnight bus rolls into Airlie Beach on the morning of day 8: a full day for the lagoon and the marina at sunset. On day 9 you step aboard an ex-racing maxi yacht for two nights threading the 74 Whitsunday Islands. Snorkel the fringing reef, hike to the Hill Inlet lookout where the tide swirls turquoise sand into shapes that look edited, and go barefoot on Whitehaven Beach, 98% pure silica sand that genuinely squeaks. Back in Airlie on day 11 for a proper send-off with your boat crew. Salt in your hair for days. Worth it.

Ride north to Cairns on day 12, then end on the biggest name in the water. A full day on the outer Great Barrier Reef on day 13 puts you over turtles, rays, giant clams and coral in colours you'll struggle to describe afterwards, one of the seven natural wonders, ticked, snorkel in hand. Evenings are the Cairns Esplanade lagoon and night markets, and day 14 is yours until you fly. Toast a fortnight with no dead days, or start here and run the whole thing in reverse.

Land in Cairns and open on the biggest name in the water. A full day on the outer Great Barrier Reef on day 2 puts you over turtles, rays, giant clams and coral in colours you'll struggle to describe afterwards, one of the seven natural wonders, ticked, snorkel in hand. Evenings are the Cairns Esplanade lagoon and night markets. Collect your bus pass and itinerary pack, say g'day to the dorm, and on day 3 ride south to Airlie Beach, with the whole coast booked and sequenced ahead of you.

A night in Airlie Beach at the lagoon and the marina at sunset, then on day 4 you step aboard an ex-racing maxi yacht for two nights threading the 74 Whitsunday Islands. Snorkel the fringing reef, hike to the Hill Inlet lookout where the tide swirls turquoise sand into shapes that look edited, and go barefoot on Whitehaven Beach, 98% pure silica sand that genuinely squeaks. Back on the dock late morning on day 6 with salt in your hair, and that evening the overnight bus carries you south to Rainbow Beach. Worth it.

Off the overnight bus into Rainbow Beach on the morning of day 7, with the day free to wander the town and a bed here tonight. At the 7am briefing on day 8 you're onto the world's largest sand island, driving it yourself, tag-along style, sharing the wheel of a 4WD in convoy while a lead guide calls the lines over the radio. Swim Lake McKenzie's silica-white shallows, float down Eli Creek's glass-clear current, scramble over the rusted SS Maheno wreck, fizz about in the Champagne Pools and hike the sandblow to Lake Wabby. Nights are beach camping: campfire, a proper feed, and 75-Mile Beach as tomorrow's highway. Meals and camping gear sorted, bring or hire a sleeping bag, then just drive and swim. Back at Rainbow Beach mid-afternoon on day 10, you've a bed here again that night, then on day 11 it's a short hop south to Noosa.

Two easy nights in Noosa, all boutique beach town and national-park headlands, to rinse the sand island out of everything you own. Stand up on your first wave with a local school on Main Beach's forgiving point break, one of the friendliest learner set-ups on the coast, then walk the Noosa National Park coastal track past dozing koalas to the point breaks at Tea Tree Bay and swim off the calm main beach. Then a short ride south to Brisbane for the finish.

End in the city where the Queensland run begins. A night in Brisbane to wind down: swim and graze your way round South Bank, ride the CityCat down the river, chase a rooftop sunset, and if the legs are still willing, day-trip to Australia Zoo or snorkel Moreton Island. Day 14 is yours until you fly. Toast a fortnight with no dead days.