If you’re looking for places to explore for a long weekend and want to drive and be on the move, you’re in the right place. You’ll find inspiration for your three-day road trip from Brisbane in this list. We really enjoyed visiting these regions.
I’ve eliminated the destinations that can be explored as a day trip from Brisbane and focused on those that are a little bit further and worth pushing to when we have extra time. There’s a lot to do in these destinations, so most of these suggestions actually make a fantastic four-day road trip if you have extra time!
K’gari (Fraser Island)
If you can leave early (even the night before) and come back late, a three-day road trip to the world’s largest island K’gari (Fraser Island) is feasible from Brisbane. You’ll just have time to see the most iconic places on the island (the east coast and Lake MacKenzie) and will want to come back for more.
North Burnett
This North Burnett three-day road trip will take you inland to three less-explored Queensland national parks: Canya Gorge, Auburn River and Mount Walsh. You’ll get to see great rock formations and swim in a river or rock pools away from the crowd that usually stays on the coast.
Waterfall Way & South West Rocks
This three-day road trip is a circuit that goes south along the coast and then back via the inland route. The Waterfall Way is a must-do and you’ll find so many stops along the coast or in hinterland national parks that you may want to do the road trip again!
It’s a lot of driving in three days but you’ll get to see a lot of different landscapes in a short time. It’s rare to see landscapes in Australia changing that quickly.
Countryside (Darling Downs)
This road trip took us to the countryside near Brisbane: Lockyer Valley, Darling Downs and Scenic Rim. It’s a different experience compared to the coast. You’ll want to plan it early in the year to see the sunflower fields. But it’s also a good road trip for wine tasting and hiking. We did this road trip in only two days but there is enough to see in these regions to transform it into a three-day road trip from Brisbane. The Scenic Rim can be explored with day trips from Brisbane, so you may want to go more south for your three-day road trip and add the Granite Belt instead.
Granite Belt
If you want to drive less and explore more, then a three-day road trip to the Granite Belt region could be a good choice. It’s a good destination to mix hiking and wineries. Visiting the Granite Belt for a road trip rather than just a normal weekend stay will allow you to easily explore the other side of the park (Bald Rock) and Booonoo Boonoo National Park (you may see a platypus there). Keep in mind it gets cold in this region of Queensland during winter.
What’s your favourite 3-day road trip from Brisbane? Share your experience in the comments below!
