BUDGET ESCAPES NEAR BRISBANE

With adventure-ready national parks, islands primed for sand driving, swimming and surfing and a coast peppered with budget-friendly campsites, some could say Queensland’s sunshine capital couldn’t be in a better location for outdoor escapes. 

GO ON A MATES WEEKEND ON NORTH STRADBROKE ISLAND 

North Stradbroke Island /Minjerribah has everything you need for an awesome weekend away with your mates: vast beaches framed by surfable waves, beach fishing, scenic camping, 4WD tracks galore and even a brewery!

Pack up your gear (and mates) and drive your 4WD over on the one-hour ferry from Cleveland. On the island, take a beach drive along the remote Main Beach, set up camp by the ocean and spend the weekend letting your hair down, North Straddie-style. Try sand driving along Flinders Beach, spot marine life from the Gorge Walk Point Lookout, surf waves at Cylinder Beach and have a laugh over locally crafted beers at Straddie Brewing Company. 

GO 4WDING IN D’ANGUILAR NATIONAL PARK

Drive one hour through Brisbane’s leafy hinterland and you’ll arrive at the 36,000-hectare D’Aguilar National Park (formerly known as Brisbane Forest Park). Coated in woodlands, sub-tropical rainforest and eucalypt forest, the landscape boasts 4WDing, hiking and cycling tracks, shady campsites, bush rock pools and incredible mountain views.

4WDers, don’t miss Mount Mee, a 60-kilometre off-road track that’ll offer a whole day’s worth of driving excitement. If you’re into hiking, the three to four-hour Somerset Trail is a long-standing favourite known for incredible views.

ENJOY K’GARI’S NATURAL WONDERS

When it comes to weekends away, you can’t go wrong with the World Heritage-listed UNESCO K’gari (Fraser Island). Apart from being the world’s largest sand island, K’gari is famed for its breathtaking natural wonders and endless opportunities for adventure. It’s also a great place to take your family. Kids will love whizzing down the beach in your 4WD, exploring sand dunes, shipwrecks and lakes, spotting wildlife, and floating down K’gari’s very own waterslide, Eli Creek. If you’ve got little ones, throw a towel down next to the island’s peaceful lakes and let your little ones splash the day away.

TAKE A ROAD TRIP ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST

If you’re looking for an adventure with variety, pack up your camping gear and get ready for a week-long escapade along the coast. The Pacific Coast is no doubt one of Australia’s most scenic road trips, spanning from New South Wales’ Newcastle all the way to Queensland’s Cairns. Brisbane locals are in the prime location to jump in and choose a tropical road trip laden with culture-rich national parks or a coastal track dotted with laid-back surfing towns. Either way, you’re in for a good time.