Take off into a world of your own and discover the Gladstone Region on one of the many self drive tours that take you on a journey through the stunning Gorges Way, Country Way and Leichhardt Highway.
Gladstone offers five great self drive tour experiences that allow you to enjoy the beautiful surrounds at your own pace. Stop whenever you like, do whatever you want, it’s one of the best ways to enjoy the natural beauty and country hospitality of the region.
A self drive tour is sure to satisfy the inner adventurer in any traveller. The best part about these tours is that you can pick and choose anything from them. Skip anything that you’re not interested in and head straight to what you'll find exciting.
If you don’t feel like venturing far but still want to see all the sights of Gladstone itself, check out the City Circuit Drive which takes about half a day, including stopping and enjoying the sights. It takes you through the port of Gladstone and Gladstone Marina, up to Auckland Hill Lookout, through the City Centre, across to Barney Beach where Gladstone’s first settlers landed and is also a great place for swimming. Then head off for a panoramic view from Queensland Alumina and the possibility of an industry tour, through the stunning Tondoon Botanic Gardens, up to Round Hill Lookout and then finally on to Callemondah, the Auckland Creek environmental zone, rich in wildlife and a great place to spend an afternoon.
A Longer Journey
On a self drive tour from Gladstone to Biloela, allow a week to soak up the sights. Travel through the Calliope River Historical Village and Township, the beautiful Boyne Valley, the mountainous High Country, the Monto farmland and finally Biloela itself, a place full of experiences from homesteads to tucked away country valleys, ancient historical sites to Kroombit Tops National Park and a slice of outback life.
Day Trips and Beyond
Take a trip from Gladstone to the Discovery Coast, only a four hour drive but with so much to see you’ll probably want about two days worth of time to enjoy it all. There’s plenty to see and do along the way. Stop off first at Bororen, noted for its timber and cattle industries with a famous pub with unique design and huge steaks. After that just 13km down the road is Miriam Vale, a picturesque township and perfect spot for lunch.
49km beyond that is Eurimbula National Park, four wheel drive is recommended but there are some fantastic walking trails that end in simply stunning views and photo opportunities. Continue on to laid back seaside village, Agnes water, home of the northern-most surfing beach on Australia’s east coast and very popular. Seventeen Seventy is just 5km further on, Round Hill Creek where Lieutenant james Cook first landed in Queensland in May 1770. There’s lighthouses and plenty of opportunities to get out on the boat and launch adventures to Lady Musgrave Island and other colourful destinations on the Southern Great Barrier Reef. Take a LARC amphibious craft tour and explore the deserted beaches. The final destination on this self-drive tour is Deepwater National park, a 4WDers paradise and a remarkable stretch of coastline.
Image Credit:
By Bobak Ha'Eri - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7306795
By user Tatters ❀, On the road from Biloela to Monto. Queensland, Australia, uploaded to Flickr and licensed under <a=href"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">CC BY SA