Award-Winning Campervan Hire in Australia | Email, chat or call the Spaceships AU Crew
Hit enter to search or ESC to close
When it comes to discovering the very best of Australia on your road trip, your Spaceships Crew can literally point you in the right direction. We’ve been there, done that – and got the road trip T-shirt to prove it!
So wherever you’re heading Down Under, here’s our Crew’s guide to some of the places you might want to take in for the ultimate campervan adventure in Australia. So cue up your road trip playlist and let’s go from the top!
North Queensland: reefs and rainforests
Like everywhere in Australia, Queensland is big. It’s about 1700kms from Cairns in Far North Queensland down to Brisbane, the state capital in the south.
But chill, Spaceships has 3 depots in Queensland: Cairns, Airlie Bridge and Brisbane, and with unlimited kms and no extra fee for one way hires, your campervan hire in Queensland is the perfect way to explore the east coast of Australia.
Cairns is your gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. Longer than the Great Wall of China and visible from outer space, it’s a must-see in Queensland. Book sailing tours, cruises, scuba and snorkelling. And if you miss it in Cairns, you can still get to the Reef from our Airlie Beach depot. Just make sure you don’t miss one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
Great Barrier Reef is bigger than the Great Wall of China and it is the only living thing that can be seen from space
North Queensland has heaps more to offer. Head north from Cairns between the coast and through the Kurunda State Forest to Port Douglas and on to the Daintree Forest National Park. At a staggering 180 million years old, Daintree Forest is the oldest tropical rainforest on the planet – by 10 million years!
Take a dip at Mossman Gorge, and if you’re feeling brave, try a Crocodile Cruise and see if you can spot an ancient apex predator. A Saltwater Crocodile can grow to 5m/16 feet in length. Just remember to never smile…
You can float down a river on a raft, take a hike on a trail or a Dreamtime walk with a Kuki Yalanji guide to learn about the local indigenous traditions, culture and bush craft.
Head south and inland to Atherton Tablelands. Climb Hallorans Hill for a panoramic view of the tableland landscape, then detour down to Milla Milla Falls in the heart of a rain forest.
Heading 165kms south of Cairns, Mission Beach on the Cassowary Coast has 14km of golden beaches, with the chance to skydive over the coast and actually land on the beach. Call into the Mission Beach Tavern for a game of pool and a coldie, and don’t miss Charley’s Chocolate, award-winning chocolate made from Aussie cocoa. The nearby Tully River is one of Australia’s prime white water rafting locations and you can camp in the Tully Gorge National Park. Tully is officially Australia’s wettest place – look out for the Giant Gumboot in the town.
Airlie Beach: gateway to the island paradise of The Whitsundays
700kms south of Cairns is the Spaceships depot in the resort town of Airlie Beach in The Whitsunday Region of Queensland. Nestled right on the coast it’s your launch pad to the spectacular Whitsunday Islands, a collection of 74 beautiful islands on the southern Great Barrier Reef. We’ve curated a host of trips, excursions and activities so you can see the best of the Whitsunday Islands on your Queensland road trip.
You can also enjoy a beautiful drive along the coves on the Cape Gloucester drive, and may spot migrating humpback whales during the winter months. Travel into the hills and the Conway National Park and hike the Conway Circuit through the rainforest, or head to Cedar Creek Falls for a swim in the pool below the waterfall.
Airlie Beach itself is a fun night out, with markets at The Esplanade on Saturdays, a free lagoon for a cool off with a park and free barbecue area, as well as great fishing from Shute Harbour’s fishing pontoon.
Whitsunday Islands, a collection of 74 beautiful islands on the southern Great Barrier Reef
South East Queensland: Around Brisbane, Gold Coast and islands
If you are picking up or dropping off your Spaceships from our depot in Brisbane, you’ll want to spend some time in the vibrant state capital of Queensland. Take a boat trip on the Brisbane River and check out the Botanic Gardens, museums and art galleries. Indulge in some retail therapy at the southern end of Queen St Mall, the pedestrian only shopping area. Climb Story Bridge for 360° views of the city and river, then chill out in one of the riverside bars at Howard Smith Wharves. And don’t forget to get that iconic photo of you holding Australia’s cutest marsupial, a Koala, at Lone Pine Koala Lodge.
South of the city, head to the Gold Coast and Surfer’s Paradise for surfing or go north for fresh seafood, clear blue waters and 60kms of beaches along the sub tropical Sunshine Coast. Head on up the coast to Noosa and Noosa Heads, taking the coastal trail around Noosa National Park and kayak on one of the world’s two Everglades.
And don’t miss the spectacular islands around south east Queensland. The two closest islands to Brisbane are North Stradbrooke Island, the world’s second largest sand island and Moreton Island. Join the kangaroos on “Straddie” as you hike up to whale watching look-outs, or ride the dunes and see the wrecks on Moreton Island. Head further north via Rainbow Beach to the largest sand island on the planet, K’Gari, home to dingoes and oil infused blue crater lakes, “champagne pools” and see the Maheno, a ship wrecked in 1935 that is still on the beach.
New South Wales: Sydney & Blue Mountains
You may be flying into Sydney to pick up your campervan, so take some time to explore one of the world’s great cities. See Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, enjoy the city’s café and bar culture. Check out the rooftop bar at the Tilbury Hotel on Nicholson Street and the strange but brilliant Goros in Surry Hills, with pool, old skool arcade games and karaoke booths along with Japanese food. If you fancy a cocktail, try Earl’s Juke Joint in Newtown.
You should also definitely take the 1 hour/4km walk from Bondi beach down to Coogee, with more beaches, swimming and cafés along the way.
Out of the city, take-off in your campervan for the Blue Mountains. It’s a short 70km drive from Sydney west into the Blue Mountains National Park, with amazing hiking trails through eucalyptus forests with towering cliff paths and dramatic waterfalls. Katoomba in the heart of the Park makes a great base to explore.
Enjoy amazing hiking trails through forests with towering cliff paths in Blue Mountains Park
If you want to explore the coast, head south of Sydney down to Jervis Bay with its white sands and blue waters. You may even see some of the locals: including dolphins, seals, penguins and migrating whales! Head north from Sydney for an epic coastal road trip in New South Wales. Explore the coastal towns of Port Stephens and Coffs Harbour, and even travel the 766 kms to Cheer Up, Slow Down & Chill Out at Byron Bay. You could book a one way hire and drop off your Spaceship at our Brisbane depot.
Other fantastic one way hires from Sydney would be to Melbourne in Victoria or our Adelaide depot in South Australia.
Victoria: Melbourne & the ultimate Aussie road trip
If you’re flying into Melbourne to pick up your Spaceship, you’re spoilt for choice on your ultimate campervan trip. Stroll around Fed Square for shopping, bars and restaurants on the Yarra River, or visit the National Gallery in Southbank to see its collection of Australian and indigenous art.
Head to the beach: there’s a choice of St Kilda’s, Port Melbourne, Williamstown and Brighton Beach nearby.
Drive 140kms down the M1 south of the city to fantastic Phillip island. There are breathtaking beaches and walks, and don’t miss the Penguin Parade, when groups of Little Penguins come across the sand at sunset. 2 hours west of Melbourne are The Grampians, with more great hiking and panoramic look-puts like the spectacular Pinnacle. Discover murals and street art on the Silo Trail through 6 towns, go canoeing on the lakes or cycling on the Grampians Trail, then take a sip of the region’s signature peppery red Shiraz wine.
Great Ocean Road is a must-do route on your road trip in Victoria
Head 100kms west of Melbourne for one the ultimate Aussie road trip, the Great Ocean Road. Enjoy 243kms along the Victoria coast from Torquay to Allansford with dramatic views of the 12 Apostles along the way.
From Melbourne, take a one way hire to Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide or even Hobart in Tasmania, via the Spirit of Tasmania ferry that departs from Geelong just outside the city.
South Australia: mountains, lakes, islands and valleys
Now you can discover South Australia by picking up a campervan in Adelaide. Check out this National Park City surrounded by trees with its gardens and green spaces. It’s a 20 minute city: everything accessible in 20 minutes. Find the coast in the city at Glenelg, Semaphore and Grange Beaches and head another 20 minutes into the Adelaide Hills for world class wine tasting at vineyards like the internationally renowned Penfolds.
Discover Aussie’s longest river, the Mighty Murray river at Murray Bridge – check out our 3 longest rivers blog for more info.
Then head 100kms south of Adelaide to Cape Jervis to hop over to Kangaroo Island and the Flinders Chase National Park, for outstanding beaches, wildlife, hiking and local food and drink.
From Adelaide, you can also enjoy an unforgettable one way #SpaceshipsRoadTrip to either our Melbourne or Sydney branches.
Have a devil of a time in Tasmania
Tasmania is the largest island in Australia and a unique place to discover on your road trip. There is a Spaceships depot in the capital, Hobart, which sits on the River Derwent in the shadow of the 1270m Kunanyi/Mount Wellington .If you’re feeling energetic, follow the trails to look-out points or climb to the summit – it’s just about possible in a day.
Back in the city, if you want a more relaxing stroll, try the Royal Tasmania botanical gardens, then visit the bars and cafés at Salamanca Place, and don’t miss quirky MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art in its striking waterfront building.
Learn about Tasmania’s brutal colonial convict past at the Port Arthur Historic Site, 95 kms south east of Hobart. Flinders Island off Tassie’s north east tip is an island off an island. Enjoy hiking on its rugged northern coastline, and see Strzelecki’s Peak, the mountains rising out of the sea in the south. When you visit Launceston, explore Cataract Gorge, close to the city centre, with 5kms of a winding river through a steep gorge.
Take your time to enjoy Tasmania to the fullest
Tasmania may be small in relation to mainland Australia, but it boasts 2 of the country’s outstanding National Parks. Freycinct National Park is on the east coast of Tassie and the setting of the stunningly beautiful Wineglass Bay. In the north west, Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park has fantastic short and long walks with breathtaking scenery – as well as Australia’s deepest lake.
Tasmania, like lots of remote parts of Australia, has low levels of light pollution, with clear night skies for stargazing. Head further south on the island to see the Milky Way and Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights.
You can pick up your campervan at Hobart to explore Tasmania or start in Melbourne and take the ferry across the Bass Strait, for an epic one way road trip.
When you hire your Spaceships campervan in Australia, we want you to experience the best this amazing country has to offer. We hope that our ultimate campervan guide will help you to have an unforgettable road trip, wherever you decide to take-off and touch down in your Spaceship!