American World Traveler Fall 2017 Issue

Quintessential
Queensland
A Road-Trippers Guide
to Eastern Australia
Article & Photography by Jessica Percy Campbell
As a typical Canadian snowbird,
trading in our frigid Montreal winter
for Australia’s 37°C summer has
been my lifelong dream. This year, I was
fortunate enough to turn that dream into a
reality. After spending the better half of
2017 enjoying Melbourne’s world-class
coffee culture, yoga studios and botanical
gardens, my partner and I topped it all off
with a month-long campervan trip on the
quest for eastern Australia’s most picturesque
beach towns. Spanning almost
2000kms from Northern Queensland’s Port
Douglas all the way down to New South
Whales’ legendary Byron Bay, here are
some highlights from the road trip of a lifetime.
Whether you’re a luxury traveler or if
you’re looking for the ultimate eco-adventure;
read on.
Balance is the Key to Life
Ideal weather conditions, a variety of wellmaintained
campgrounds and an abundance
of pristine beaches make tropical
Queensland a prime spot for exploring all
year round. It’s no secret that Aussies are
avid travelers and road-tripping down the
coast via campervan or RV is a popular
activity not only for young backpackers, but
especially for the retired crowd. While making
our way down the coast, we spent many
nights by the campfire gazing at the Milky
Way, swapping stories and introducing fellow
travelers to s’mores (who knew they
were a North American secret?). Some
would call it “glamping”, as it was very easy
to find clean campgrounds with showers,
kitchens, and free WIFI. We used the Wiki
Camps Australia app to find nearby accommodations
and check campsite reviews. As
much fun, as “roughing it” can be, spending
every few nights in some of Australia’s
finest luxury resorts and villas along the way
made for a wonderful contrast after beach
combing and bush trekking.
Our first upscale stop at Pool Resort Port
Douglas gave us easy access to the Great
Barrier Reef (GBR). For those who love
swimming and want to avoid the crocodiles
and sharks (although sightings are rare),
this is the place for you to enjoy a stress-free
pool-side vacation in a fully-equipped luxury
villa apartment. You may have heard that
parts of the GBR are struggling, but did you
know the reef is the largest living organism
on earth and spans an area the size of
Japan? The friendly crew at Tropical