Agnes Water

The great K'gari road trip: Sunshine, sand and a trusty RV

When warmer weather calls, take a road trip to the world's largest sand island where you'll find adventure, wildlife and endless white sandy beaches.

Nothing beats a road trip fuelled with wanderlust and your favourite travel buddies. Towing our Snowy River SRC20F caravan behind an old trusty Land Rover Defender, our family of four hit the road.

Escaping Victoria's dreary weather and heading north for warmth, sun and endless summer vibes is a ritual for our family. This time, we decided to head inland as far as Brisbane, before crossing over to the scenic coastal route up towards Townsville.

K'gari road trip itinerary: Rainforests, tides and 4WD fun

A short 2.5 hours from the Sunshine Coast, we were in Hervey Bay. We decided to stay here so we could do day trips over in our 4WD – because all-wheel drive vehicles, low-clearance trailers and caravans/motorhomes are not recommended.

As our 4WD drove off the ferry and rattled along the wooden jetty to Kingfisher Bay, we knew the Robinson Crusoe adventure had begun. The next few days were a mesmerising blur of white sand, untouched wilderness, blue sky and spectacular sunsets. 

With every bump, pothole, lost mudflap, and the challenging tidal conditions came a new sense of freedom. Each day was filled with adventure as we drove along the sandy tracks with kids squealing in the back. Once there, the Champagne Pools – where the water is like swimming in fresh, frothy bubbles – was a highlight for the kids, as was the famous SS Maheno shipwreck.

Here, we also went reef hopping and floating down Eli Creek in rubber tyres, swimming in aqua blue lakes like Lake Mackenzie where it feels like someone has put an Instagram filter over your eyes, hiking through ancient rainforests, spotting dingoes and whales … and for the adults, there's always a cheeky sunset sipper to close off the day.

Campsite at Bowen

 Queensland caravan holidays: Surf, tacos and beachside vibes

The next day, we headed just over two hours north to Agnes Water, a relaxed coastal town in Queensland's Gladstone region. Think palm trees swaying; tanned holidaymakers walking the streets barefoot in bikinis and boardies; young surfers riding their bikes with their boards strapped on, and noses covered in zinc. 

We drove into the town and camped our RV at the beachside NRMA Agnes Water Holiday Park. As soon as we drove in, we were greeted by happy campers and the smell of snags cooking on the barbecue. 

After a dip in the ocean, we visited the onsite café, which served up a refreshing mango smoothie and the obligatory post-surf feed – fish tacos.

"Heck, where else would you rather be?" a fisherman bellows across the sandbar in his rusty old tinny, waving to us on the shoreline. He wasn't wrong. 

We spent our days at Agnes Water/1770 fishing off the shore, beach hopping (with our family favourite being Chinamen's Beach), exploring rock pools, snorkelling the coral reefs, doing the Paperbark Forest Walk, surfing, fishing, kayaking, and eating our body weight in ice cream and poke bowls. 

East coast Australia RV trip: Sunrise with kangaroos

After a few days in Agnes Water, we rose early and did a six-hour drive north past Rockhampton and Mackay to check out the much-talked-about Cape Hillsborough. 

Surrounded by palm trees and right beside the ocean, it is a great place to base yourself for a few days and explore Casuarina Bay, between Cape Hillsborough and Andrews Point.

We did some fun family-friendly hiking trails, explored the caves and rock pools, and plonked ourselves on the white stretches of sand for the day to let the kids have a splash around. 

To top it off, at sunrise and sunset we walked down to the shore and shared the sand with the kangaroos and wallabies who congregate together each day to feed on mangrove pods. 

Chinaman's Beach, Agnes Water

RV travel Fraser Island and beyond: Coastal stops to Townsville

It was hard to leave, but we decided to head further up the coast, stopping along the way at Airlie Beach to explore the Whitsundays and Bowen for the hands-down best Spanish mackerel we have ever tasted before we reached Townsville.

Next time you want to ditch the chill and chase the sun, sand and sea, consider this route. This entire coastline is worth exploring, catering as brilliantly for RVs as it does for travellers of all ages.

Tips:

- The Kingfisher Bay Ferry has four return services which depart daily and land at Kingfisher Bay Resort on the western side of K'gari.

- Vehicle access permits must be purchased for every vehicle before entering K'gari.

- There are several options for camping at Hervey Bay, including Big 4 Hervey Bay Holiday Park Discovery Parks, Fraser Coast Holiday Park and Ingenia Holiday Park which can all be found on the CMCA Traveller App. 

- Agnes Water is a roughly 90-minute drive north of Bundaberg Airport and a 1.5-hour drive south of Gladstone Airport. 

Family kayak adventure 

Category: Destinations
Written: Sun 01 June 2025
Printed: June, 2025
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