SUGGESTED ITINERARY
Your East Coast Experience – Day by Day
Airport Transfer & Settle Into Sydney
Clients arrive at Sydney Airport and are met by a private transfer to Vibe Hotel Sydney (or similar) in the heart of the CBD for four nights. The hotel sits right near Hyde Park, Chinatown, and Sydney Tower, with the lively suburbs of Surry Hills and Darlinghurst just minutes away on foot. There’s a rooftop pool, sauna, and gym for unwinding after the flight.
The rest of the day is at leisure. Depending on arrival time, clients can explore the harbour foreshore, walk through the Royal Botanic Gardens, or simply settle in and find their feet in one of the nearby restaurant precincts. For those wanting a structured start, we can arrange afternoon experiences including Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb or a city sights tour.
Trade tip: Sydney is the arrival point for the majority of international visitors to Australia, so most clients will be navigating jet lag on this first day. The private airport transfer to the CBD takes around 30 minutes depending on traffic. We’d suggest keeping this day relaxed and saving the bigger experiences for Day 2 onwards.
Full-Day Blue Mountains & Sydney Zoo Tour
A guided day tour west from Sydney into the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains – over one million acres of rainforest, pristine bushland, and dramatic cliff formations. The day covers a lot of ground and the scenery is genuinely impressive throughout.
Clients view the Three Sisters from multiple vantage points including Echo Point, with sweeping views across the Jamison Valley. At Scenic World, they experience the Scenic Railway, Cableway, Skyway, and a 2.4 km walkway through Jurassic-era rainforest – three spectacular rides offering different perspectives across steep valleys, cliff tops, and canyons. The route continues through Katoomba and along the Cliff Drive for views across Megalong Valley.
There’s free time in the village of Leura to browse antique shops, galleries, and grab lunch independently. The day finishes at Sydney Zoo, where clients see native Australian animals – kangaroos, wallabies, emus, dingoes, koalas, wombats – in an open-range, cage-free environment. Aboriginal guides lead the Bungarribee Dreaming Experience, covering traditional tools, artefacts, and bush tucker.
Trade tip: The Blue Mountains tour is a strong sell for first-time visitors to Australia. It ticks several boxes in a single day – World Heritage wilderness, wildlife encounters, Aboriginal cultural experiences – and gets clients out of the city without them needing to drive. The Scenic Railway at Scenic World is the steepest in the southern hemisphere, which tends to stick in people’s memories.
Two Free Days to Explore Sydney
Two full days in Sydney with no fixed schedule. This is where the itinerary breathes, and there’s no shortage of ways to fill the time. The harbour alone could occupy both days – ferry to Manly Beach, walk from Bondi to Coogee along the coastal trail, or take a harbour cruise past the Opera House and under the Harbour Bridge.
For culture, there’s the Art Gallery of NSW, the Museum of Contemporary Art, or a backstage tour of the Sydney Opera House. Foodies will find plenty in Surry Hills, Newtown, or the Barangaroo waterfront precinct. And for those who like their shopping, the QVB and Strand Arcade are within walking distance of the hotel.
Trade tip: We can pre-book additional experiences for these days – whale watching (seasonal), harbour sailing, Hunter Valley wine tours, or an evening dinner cruise. Worth checking with clients what appeals before departure. Two leisure days might sound like a lot, but Sydney absorbs time easily. Most clients wish they had more.
Private Transfer, Flight & Car Hire Pick-Up
A private transfer takes clients from their Sydney hotel to the airport for a direct flight to the Gold Coast – roughly 90 minutes in the air. On arrival, clients collect their hire car and drive to Vibe Hotel Gold Coast (or similar) in the heart of Surfers Paradise for three nights.
The hotel sits right on the Nerang River with the beach just moments away. There’s a riverside sundeck and pool, plus Driftwood Social for a relaxed meal or drink after the journey. The shift from Sydney’s urban energy to the Gold Coast’s beach culture is immediate and clients tend to settle in quickly.
Trade tip: The car hire runs from Gold Coast pick-up through to Hervey Bay drop-off, covering the self-drive portion of the itinerary. Hotel parking at Vibe Gold Coast is available but not included in the package. Make sure clients are aware of this ahead of time. The drive from Gold Coast Airport to Surfers Paradise is short – roughly 30 minutes.
Two Days on the Gold Coast
Two free days to explore the Gold Coast. The range here is broader than people expect. Yes, there are pristine surf beaches stretching for kilometres. But the hinterland is genuinely beautiful too – Tamborine Mountain, Springbrook National Park, Lamington National Park with its ancient Antarctic beech forests and canopy walks.
Theme park enthusiasts have plenty to choose from: Sea World, Movie World, Wet’n’Wild, Dreamworld. For a change of pace, Byron Bay is about an hour and a half south over the NSW border – a very different vibe but worth the drive.
Trade tip: The Gold Coast works for a wide range of client types, which makes it easy to sell. Families gravitate toward the theme parks, couples often prefer the hinterland or Byron Bay, and anyone who just wants sun and sand can walk out the hotel door. We can pre-arrange theme park tickets and hinterland tours if agents want to build these into the package.
Scenic Drive North to Twin Waters
Today clients drive approximately two and a half hours north along the Pacific Motorway to the Sunshine Coast and the Novotel Twin Waters Resort (or similar) for two nights. The resort is a 4-star beachfront property set between ocean and river, recently refurbished with a new lobby complex and restaurant. It works well for families, couples, and small groups alike.
The drive itself is straightforward and pleasant. Clients pass through Brisbane’s outskirts and up through the Glass House Mountains region before reaching the coast.
Trade tip: Some agents overlook the Sunshine Coast in favour of the Gold Coast, but the two have quite different characters. The Sunshine Coast is quieter, more relaxed – Noosa in particular has a sophisticated, almost European village feel. Twin Waters is well positioned as a base for exploring both the coast and the hinterland behind it.
Explore at Leisure
A free day on the Sunshine Coast with the hire car giving clients real flexibility. Noosa is the obvious draw – Hastings Street for shopping and dining, Noosa National Park for coastal walks with the chance of spotting koalas in the wild. It’s about 30 minutes north from the resort.
For something different, the hinterland town of Maleny sits 436 metres above sea level on the Blackall Range with dramatic views across to the coast and Glass House Mountains. The town has a strong creative community – sculptors, painters, potters – with galleries, cafes, and restaurants to match. Australia Zoo is also in the local area for clients wanting another wildlife encounter.
Trade tip: Maleny and the Blackall Range are a hidden gem for international visitors. The views alone are worth the drive, and the village atmosphere is a real contrast to the beach. For food-focused travellers, the Sunshine Coast hinterland has a growing reputation for farm-to-table dining and local produce. This free day is a good one to tailor based on client interests.
Drive to Hervey Bay & Ferry to Fraser Island
Clients drive approximately two and a half hours north to Hervey Bay. On arrival they drop off their rental car and make their way to the ferry pick-up point for the crossing to Kingfisher Bay Resort on Fraser Island for three nights.
Kingfisher Bay is an eco-resort set within the Great Sandy National Park on the western side of Fraser Island. It’s surrounded by native bushland and offers direct access to the island’s beaches and walking trails. The resort has several dining options, pools, and a relaxed feel that suits the island setting.
Trade tip: Fraser Island (K’gari) is the world’s largest sand island and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s a destination that genuinely surprises clients who might not have heard of it before booking. The ferry crossing is fairly quick and the logistics are straightforward once the car is dropped off. Room upgrades to Spa, King, or King Bay rooms are available and worth flagging to clients looking for something a bit more special.
Full-Day Fraser Island Beauty Spots Tour
The big day on Fraser Island. A full-day guided tour in custom-designed, air-conditioned four-wheel-drive coaches covering all of the island’s iconic natural attractions. Clients travel with like-minded travellers, visit the top sights, and cool off in freshwater swimming spots along the way.
The route takes in Lake McKenzie – crystal-clear water over pure white silica sand that needs to be seen to be believed. Then Central Station and Wanggoolba Creek, the towering Satinay and Brush Box forests of Pile Valley, a drive along 75 Mile Beach (the island’s famous sand highway), the Maheno shipwreck, the coloured sands of The Pinnacles, and a stop at the fresh flowing waters of Eli Creek for a swim. Lunch and refreshments are included.
Trade tip: This tour is booked for Day 2 of the Fraser Island stay by default, though we can adjust timing if needed. Lake McKenzie is the standout moment for most clients – the water is unlike anything they’ll have seen before. Remind clients to pack sunscreen, swimwear, and a sense of adventure. The 4WD coach experience along 75 Mile Beach is memorable in itself.
Free Day on Fraser Island
A day to explore Fraser Island at a slower pace. Kingfisher Bay Resort offers guided ranger walks, kayaking, fishing, and various eco-experiences. Or clients can simply relax by the pool and take in the bushland surrounds.
For the more adventurous, there are additional 4WD tours available, or walking trails through the island’s diverse ecosystems – from rainforests growing on sand to freshwater lakes and mangrove-lined creeks.
Trade tip: After the full-day Beauty Spots Tour, most clients appreciate having an unstructured day. Some will want to get back out on the island, while others are happy to unwind at the resort. The ranger-guided walks are excellent and free for resort guests – worth mentioning to clients who enjoy learning about natural environments.
Ferry to Hervey Bay & Onward Travel
Clients take the ferry back to Hervey Bay and make their way to Hervey Bay Airport for their departure flight. The airport is small and manageable, so the logistics on departure day are simple.
Trade tip: Hervey Bay Airport has connections to Sydney, Brisbane, and other domestic destinations. For agents building broader itineraries, this package connects naturally to further Queensland travel – the Whitsundays, Cairns, and the Great Barrier Reef are all accessible from here. Alternatively, clients can fly back to Sydney or Melbourne for an onward international departure. This 12-night itinerary works as a complete east coast programme or as the beach-focused component of a longer Australian journey that might include the Red Centre, Tasmania, or the Great Ocean Road.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
