Brisbane to Sydney via the Pacific Highway — 1,000 kilometres, 5 to 7 days, every major east-coast Big Thing in a single drive. The Big Pineapple on the Sunshine Coast, the Big Banana at Coffs Harbour, the Big Prawn at Ballina, the Big Mosquito at Hexham. Two states, four flagship icons, and most of Australia's best coastal towns in between. The classic Australian Big Things road trip, done your way.
Self-drive at your own pace, or book our flagship 8-day guided version. Either way: this is the most accessible and complete Big Things road trip in Australia, with sealed highway the entire route and accommodation easy to find at every stop.
The Big Pineapple, the Big Banana, the Big Prawn — three flagship Big Things across two states, all on the Pacific Highway. The route's hall of fame.
The genre's heritage-listed grand statement — 16 metres of fibreglass at the centre of a working theme park. Allow a full day with the theme park rides plus the climbable lookout.
Read moreThe first commercially successful Big Thing (1964) and now Australia's longest-running Big Things theme park — water slides, ice skating, mini-golf, plantation tour. Worth a full day.
Read more9 metres of NSW north coast icon, saved from demolition by Bunnings in a $400,000 restoration. Quick photo stop on the way down the Pacific Highway.
Read moreThe route follows the Pacific Highway / Pacific Motorway / A1 from Brisbane south to Sydney — sealed, well-signed, and serviced throughout. Total drive time about 11 hours without stops; with stops, plan for 5–7 days.
Filter by stop type or browse the lot. Each card links to a full guide where one exists, with timing, parking, and visiting info.
Below is the comfortable 5-day version. Add 1–2 days for a more relaxed pace, or compress to 4 days if you're focused. All distances and times approximate.
Pick up hire car at Brisbane Airport (or city). Drive 1hr 30min north to Woombye for the Big Pineapple (allow 4 hours for the theme park experience). Continue 30 minutes to Noosa or Mooloolaba for the night. Beach evening.
Optional morning at the Sunshine Coast. Drive 2hr 30min south via Brisbane (or skip Brisbane entirely) to Byron Bay. Lighthouse walk in late afternoon, dinner in town, overnight in Byron.
Morning departure from Byron. 30 minutes to Ballina for the Big Prawn (quick photo stop, 15 min). Continue 2 hours south to Coffs Harbour. Afternoon at the Big Banana theme park (2–3 hours). Coffs Harbour overnight.
Optional second day at the Big Banana (if not done day 3). Otherwise easy 2hr 30min drive south to Port Macquarie via the Pacific Highway. Afternoon at the koala hospital. Overnight in Port Macquarie.
Morning departure. 3hr 30min south to Newcastle. Quick stop at Hexham for the Big Mosquito (15 min). Continue 2 hours to Sydney (heavy traffic from Gosford onwards — allow time). Drop-off in Sydney by late afternoon.
Most people want at least one extra day — for an extra night in Byron, a side trip to Bellingen from Coffs, or to explore the Hunter Valley wine region near Newcastle (Day 5 detour, adds ~120km but worth it for wine country lovers).
Best months: April–June and September–November (avoid peak January–February school holidays for less traffic). Sealed highway throughout, any rental car suitable. Brisbane → Sydney one-way car hire is standard and affordable.
Into Brisbane, out of Sydney. Most major Australian airlines run this combination daily.
Trip Planner ↗Coastal hotels, resorts, family apartments at every overnight stop. Book Byron Bay early.
Trip Planner ↗Brisbane pickup, Sydney drop-off. One-way fees are modest on this popular route.
Trip Planner ↗Brisbane and Sydney airports · door-to-door transfers.
Airport Shuttle Services ↗If you'd rather have someone else drive, navigate, book the accommodation, and handle the logistics — our flagship 8-day East Coast Big Things tour is the guided version of this exact route, with two extra days for deeper stops. Departures monthly from Brisbane, returns into Sydney.
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