Destinations
Fly north, pick up a Camplify campervan: escape the cold without burning fuel on the highway
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Driving from Melbourne to Cairns right now would cost you roughly $500 in fuel – if you can find an open servo the whole way. With NSW alone reporting 211 station outages and diesel above $3 a litre in parts of the country, the traditional "drive north for winter" plan has a serious problem.
But here's the thing: the north doesn't have a fuel problem. Queensland has zero reported outages. The Northern Territory's metro areas are fully stocked. Fuel prices up there are actually lower than in Sydney or Melbourne. The crisis is a southern and regional distribution problem – and flying over it is the smartest move you can make.
The plan: fly to a warm airport, pick up a campervan or motorhome from a local Camplify owner near the terminal, and explore within a couple of hours of base. You're in the tropics by lunchtime. The van's waiting. And your fuel budget goes entirely on the fun part – not the highway.
Cairns: reef, rainforest, and the Tablelands
Cairns is the obvious first pick – and for good reason. It's about three hours from Melbourne or two and a half from Sydney, with frequent flights from both cities. Camplify travellers regularly pick up from owners near the airport (it's one of the most common pickup points mentioned on the platform), and there are campervans and motorhomes right across the region.
From Cairns, Port Douglas is an hour north – the reef is right there, the Daintree starts at your doorstep, and the road up is one of the great coastal drives. The Atherton Tablelands are 90 minutes inland and a completely different world: waterfalls, crater lakes, platypus in the rivers at Yungaburra, and temperatures a few degrees cooler. Cape Tribulation is where the reef meets the rainforest – genuinely one of the only places on Earth where two World Heritage areas collide.
Where to stay: NRMA Cairns Holiday Park is the most popular with Camplify travellers – close to the airport with powered sites and a pool. Cairns Coconut Holiday Resort is a resort-style park south of the city. For something closer to Port Douglas, Ellis Beach Oceanfront has beachfront sites between the reef and the rainforest.
Fuel note: Cairns has the best fuel availability in the country right now. No outages, prices around $2.13–$2.26 per litre for unleaded. Stations are well-spaced along the coast road to Port Douglas and on the Tablelands.
Townsville: Magnetic Island and the dry tropics
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Townsville is a quieter, more affordable alternative to Cairns – two and a half hours from Melbourne, two from Sydney. The big draw is Magnetic Island, accessible by a 20-minute ferry from the city. Park your campervan at the terminal, ferry across for the day (koalas, snorkelling, walking trails), and come back to the van. Or stay in the region: Charters Towers is 90 minutes inland (gold rush history, outback pubs) and the Paluma Range is an hour north with rainforest walks and swimming holes.
Where to stay: Rowes Bay Caravan Park is on The Strand with ocean views and walking distance to the ferry terminal. BIG4 Ingenia Holidays Townsville has family-friendly facilities and a pool. Both are close to the airport.
Fuel note: Normal supply, no outages reported. Prices around $2.15–$2.40 per litre.
Airlie Beach: Whitsundays base camp
Fly into Proserpine (Whitsunday Coast Airport) and you're half an hour from Airlie Beach – the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands. Pick up a campervan from a local owner and you've got a base camp for island-hopping by ferry, plus mainland adventures: Cedar Creek Falls (swimming hole, easy walk), Conway National Park (rainforest walks with reef views), and Airlie Beach itself – restaurants on the marina, the famous lagoon, and a vibe that's more relaxed than the Gold Coast.
Where to stay: BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort is the go-to for families – resort pool, water park, and walking distance to the marina. Tasman Airlie Beach is right on the esplanade with powered sites and ocean breezes.
Fuel note: Normal supply in the Whitsunday region. Fuel up in Airlie Beach or Proserpine before exploring the national parks.
Darwin: Top End dry season
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Darwin is further (four hours from Melbourne, four and a half from Sydney) but the dry season – May to October – is hands-down the best time to visit. Clear skies, warm days, no humidity. Pick up a campervan in Darwin and the Top End opens up.
The classic loop confirmed by Camplify travellers: Darwin → Litchfield National Park (90 minutes south – waterfalls, plunge pools, termite mounds) → Kakadu National Park (3 hours east – rock art, wetlands, crocs) → Katherine and Nitmiluk Gorge (canoe between towering sandstone gorge walls) → back to Darwin. A week fills it perfectly.
Where to stay: Hidden Valley Holiday Park is the closest park to Darwin Airport – a good first-night base. For Litchfield, camp at Wangi Falls or Florence Falls inside the national park – swimming holes right at your campsite.
Fuel note: Darwin metro is fine – $2.66 per litre average, no outages. But once you head remote (Kakadu, Katherine), expect higher prices ($3–$4/L in very remote areas) and fewer stations. Fill up at every opportunity on the Stuart Highway. Check FuelRadar before heading out.
Brisbane: the shortest flight and the biggest vehicle pool
If you want the quickest escape, Brisbane is two hours from Melbourne and 90 minutes from Sydney – with the cheapest, most frequent flights of any northern destination. It's also where Camplify has its biggest Queensland vehicle pool by far: hundreds of campervans and motorhomes, with airport pickup one of the most common arrangements on the platform.
Brisbane is subtropical rather than tropical, but it's warm enough to escape a Melbourne winter and it's the gateway to everywhere. Head north: the Sunshine Coast and Noosa are 90 minutes up the highway. Head south: the Gold Coast hinterland (Tamborine Mountain, Springbrook) is 45 minutes away. Or stay local: Moreton Bay and Bribie Island are an hour from the airport, and the ferry to North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) leaves from Cleveland.
Where to stay: Brisbane Gateway Resort is near the airport for a first-night stop. Heading north, Noosa River Holiday Park puts you on the river with national park access. For something different, Minjerribah Camping on North Stradbroke Island has beachfront sites accessible by ferry from Cleveland.
Fuel note: Queensland fuel supply is in good shape. No outages, prices around $2.20–$2.30 per litre. Well-stocked stations along all major routes north and south from Brisbane.
Why we've left Broome out (for now)
Broome and the Kimberley are among Australia's greatest road trip destinations. But right now, diesel is above $3 a litre in parts of the region, Western Australia has invoked emergency fuel powers, and the distances between fuel stops are significant. When the supply situation improves, we'll cover it properly. For now, the east coast and Top End give you warmth, adventure, and the fuel security to actually enjoy it.
How to make it work
Pick your warm destination – Cairns, Townsville, Airlie Beach, Darwin, or Brisbane
Book a flight – often cheaper than the fuel you'd burn driving
Browse Camplify for campervans near that airport – arrange pickup for your arrival time
Check fuel availability along your route using FuelRadar or CheckPetrol
Explore within two hours of base – the best stuff is close
The north has fuel, warmth, and Camplify owners ready to hand you the keys. The flight does the heavy lifting. You do the exploring.
More ways to travel smart during the fuel crisis: car-free camping in NSW, free trains in Victoria, and train-to-campervan regional road trips.
Planning your trip? Our detailed guides cover the best caravan parks near Cairns, Townsville, the Whitsundays, Darwin, and Brisbane.
Browse campervans and motorhomes near warm airports across Australia
Find a campervan near your destinationThe information in this blog is accurate and current as of the date of posting. Please be aware that information, facts, and links may become outdated over time.
