If you are searching for Brisbane campervan hire with Cairns at the other end, you are planning one of the great Australian road trips: roughly 1,700 km of Queensland coast, from the Sunshine Coast beaches to the rainforest that meets the Great Barrier Reef. A campervan suits this route because the distances are big, the best stops are spread out and you can change your plans without rebooking a hotel.

It is November, and for Australians the school holidays and the Christmas–New Year rush are already close. For everyone else it is a good moment to look at the dry season of 2027. We went through the live Brisbane campervan hire page on CampervanPlanet for prices and seasons and added well-known geography. This is a researched planning guide rather than a claim of a recent personal drive, so check road conditions, campground rules and wildlife warnings on official Queensland sites before you go. If you want the bigger picture first, here is our campervan rental guide.

Why Brisbane is a good place to start

Brisbane is an easy place to collect a van. You can pick up in the city centre or at Brisbane Airport (BNE), about 20 km from the CBD, and within an hour you are on the M1 heading north or south. The airport is the simplest option if you land tired, and the city depots suit anyone who spends a couple of nights in town first.

The page lists pick-up in Brisbane CBD and at the airport, and it describes the area as the sunshine capital with the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and hinterland on the doorstep. That is exactly why a short loop is a good warm-up if you are new to driving on the left. Australians drive on the left, the speed limit is typically 110 km/h on highways and 50 km/h in built-up areas, and random breath testing is common, so allow yourself a quiet first day.

If you are still choosing between cities, our Sydney campervan hire page and the Cairns page are the natural neighbours on a one-way trip along the east coast.

The Brisbane to Cairns route, step by step

The classic line is the Bruce Highway north from Brisbane to Cairns, about 1,700 km. Driven non-stop it is two long days, but nobody should drive it like that. We would plan 10–14 days with a van, which gives you about 150–250 km on a normal driving day and still leaves room for a beach.

A sensible outline looks like this. Day one and two on the Sunshine Coast and Noosa, with the Glass House Mountains on the way. Then Hervey Bay, the departure point for the ferries to K’gari (Fraser Island), where the page notes that a 4WD with a fitted tent is the better tool for the sand. After that Rockhampton and the Capricorn Coast, then Airlie Beach for the Whitsundays, Townsville and Magnetic Island, Mission Beach and finally Cairns, the gateway to the Daintree Rainforest and the reef.

Whale watching is a good reason to travel in winter: the page says humpback migration runs from June to October, and Hervey Bay is one of the best known places to see it. Book boat tours separately, and leave your van at a holiday park the night before so you are not hunting for parking.

Which season to choose

Queensland has a clear shape to its year. The CampervanPlanet page calls winter, June to August, the best time for Brisbane and the state: dry, sunny days of roughly 12–22°C, with no need for heating. It is also peak rental season, and the July school holidays are the busiest weeks, so book early.

Spring, September to November, is described as another excellent time: warming days, wildflowers and fewer crowds than winter. Autumn is the transition into the best season, with rain fading and campgrounds quieter than in summer. Summer is hot and humid, 26–32°C in Brisbane, with afternoon thunderstorms, and the tropical north is hotter and wetter still. Christmas and New Year are crowded, and mid-January is quieter.

For a one-way trip to Cairns our pick would be late April to early June, or September to October. You avoid the wet season in the far north and the school-holiday price spikes. Stinger season in tropical waters is generally from about October to May, so check local beach signs before swimming.

What it costs

These are the prices shown on the landing page, from the CampervanPlanet booking engine in October 2026 for the cheapest vehicle and seven nights from Brisbane: from A$78 a day for 10 November 2026, from A$73 a day for 9 March 2027 and from A$65 a day for 8 June 2027. The wider Australia price study on the site says a typical campervan costs about A$195 a day in autumn and A$220 in spring, with prices from about A$67, across 59 vehicles and 12 companies.

The gap between “from” and “typical” is the thing to understand. “From” is the smallest van in the cheapest week, and “typical” is the middle of the range for the same week. A family needing a bigger van and a December start should budget nearer the typical number or above it.

On top of the daily rate, plan for fuel on 1,700 km, powered sites in holiday parks, and the one-way fee. The page says a one-way fee usually applies and depends on the route and season, and that each offer shows what is included and what you pay locally. Compare the total, not just the daily figure. Our guide to what a campervan costs per day and per week in Australia goes deeper on this.

Camping rules and practical tips

The wide-open spaces tempt people to sleep anywhere, but Queensland is stricter than many expect. The Brisbane page notes that freedom camping in non-designated areas has restrictions in Queensland and tells you to check local regulations before parking overnight. We would rely on holiday parks and council-approved rest areas, which also give you power and showers.

Many holiday parks near Brisbane and along the coast offer powered sites with water and sewage points. In school holidays book ahead, because the best coastal parks fill early. Wildlife is part of the deal too: kangaroos and wallabies are active at dawn and dusk, so avoid driving long stretches in the dark.

If you want to go off the sealed road, for example on K’gari or Moreton Island, the page suggests a 4×4 with a fitted tent, and CampervanPlanet has a separate 4×4 rooftop tent hire page for Brisbane. A normal campervan is built for sealed roads and managed gravel, not soft sand.

Booking tips and our discount

Before booking, read the offer rather than the headline price. Each offer names the rental company, shows what is included, such as insurance, mileage and equipment, and lists what you pay locally. At pick-up the company holds a refundable security deposit on the main driver’s card, with the amount shown in the offer. Many bookings take a deposit online, often 10–20%, and the rest at pick-up.

Ask about the excess, because higher protection plans lower it. If you are flying in, tell the booking team your landing time so the depot can confirm a pick-up slot. A valid overseas licence in English is generally enough, and an International Driving Permit is needed if it is not in English.

Compare the options on CampervanPlanet’s Brisbane page, and if you enter code HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY20 at checkout, €20 comes off your booking at no extra cost to you. If your route is not offered, you can send a quote request and the team asks the rental companies for you. For the one-way leg north, our Cairns campervan hire page is where to check drop-off options.

Mistakes to avoid on this route

The most common mistake on this route is trying to see all of it in a week. Queensland rewards slowness: two nights in each place feels very different from one. We would also avoid the Christmas to mid-January window unless you booked months ago.

A second mistake is ignoring the weather in the far north. The tropics have a wet season, and flooding can close roads, so check the state road conditions site every morning in the warmer months. Finally, remember that your first van is also your kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. Spend the first afternoon learning where the water, gas and power are before you leave the depot, and photograph any scratches at pick-up.

If this is your first campervan holiday anywhere, read our first campervan road trip tips before you choose dates. And if you are comparing continents, we have written about the Pacific side too, in our Christchurch campervan guide.

Frequently asked questions