#3 - Highway 1 Australia: Brisbane to Cairns
Cairns, Queensland, AustraliaLength: 1,072.0 mi • Est. Multi-day
This is one section of Australia's Highway 1, also referred to as the 'Big Lap', that circumnavigates coastal mainland Australia for roughly 14,500km (9,000mi) through each state capital, making this iconic national highway the longest in the world. Driving this entire lap of Australia is suggested to take roughly 6-12 months, but it is possible to complete in around 3 months, or it could take as long as a lifetime to complete in full.
This is a beautiful drive of the Highway 1 showcasing the east coast of Australia from Brisbane up to tropical North Queensland in Cairns. Some great stops to make along the way might include a visit on Fraser Island (the world's largest sand island for a 4WD camping adventure), the Great Barrier Reef accessible from several towns along the coast, the Glass House Mountains, Noosa, the Whitsunday Islands from Airlie Beach, Mission Beach, and the Daintree Rainforest just north of Cairns.
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