From Brisbane to Cairns: Queensland's quintessential summer sailing route

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Seasoned sailors know all too well just how spoiled we are when it comes to sailing routes here in Australia. Many fans of coastal cruising are likely to have sampled just some of this island continent's most scintillating seaside vistas, spanning from sailing around Rottnest Island in Western Australia to traversing the Antarctic waters found across Tasmania's southern coast.

There is, however, one sailing route that takes the cake as the definitive summer experience for every passionate Aussie sailor: the picturesque and surprisingly whopping 1800km journey from Brisbane to Cairns.

This route is well-loved by many for being the perfect opportunity to get up close and personal with the Great Barrier Reef, alongside also being a generally low-risk and high-reward sailing experience.

You can even use this route as a fantastic introduction to the sport of sailing as a whole as, despite being a touch lengthy, this route is incredibly forgiving and has minimal risks of environmental challenges. Novice sailors themselves can feel confident embarking out on the Coral Sea even shortly after signing purchasing paperwork with their yacht broker on the Sunshine Coast.

But what should your trip itinerary look like? And which anchorages should you stop at along the way? We'll be exploring some of this sailing route's must-see sights so that you can get a head start on planning your maiden voyage along Queensland's sunkissed Gold Coast!

If you're travelling along the inner coast of the Great Barrier Reef, you'll be glad to hear that there's no shortage of easy anchorages across the length of your trip. What's more, is that most of these little ports are likely to be accompanied by some breathtaking views of the Coral Sea.

Below are some of the absolute must-stop anchorages that you'll come across along your journey in the order that you'll be meeting them when travelling from Brisbane's Moreton Bay to the Port of Cairns.

There are some considerations that you'll need to make along the way, including whether or not you want to travel on the inside or outside coast of the expansive Fraser Island, or stop to take in the sights for a little longer at any of the anchorages on this list or others that you may find along the way or during your own itinerary planning.

We'll be expanding on some of these major considerations throughout the rest of this article.

Compared to all the other islands that dot the coast of Queensland, Fraser Island is actually significantly large, with a total land area of about 1655 square kilometres. Because of this, anybody who's looking to travel around this particular seaside escape is going to have to decide whether they'll traverse the island's east coast out in the open waters of the Coral Sea, or go through the western coast that overlooks the mainland.

The benefit of sailing across Fraser Island's western coast and through the Great Sandy Strait, is that you likely won't have to drop anchor at Rooney Point in northern Fraser Island for the evening, saving you from about a day or two of extra travel. Whilst going through the Great Sandy Strait can be significantly faster, this route isn't particularly suited for all types of vessels.

Despite the Great Sandy Strait being deep enough to accommodate most large vessels like ferries, it's small yet speedy vessels like power catamarans that may find this environment to be a bit cumbersome to navigate. The reason for this is that the strait itself is only 1km wide at its narrowest point, and despite its northern mouth towards Hervey Bay measuring up at around 10km wide, the sandbanks that litter the length of the strait are also incredibly swampy and are home to a lot of marine life, including migratory shorebirds and schools of fish.

Travelling through the area with a loud motor may take away from the innate serenity of the strait, whilst using your speed along Fraser Island's east coast could prove to be a far more satisfying experience for those in power catamarans and smaller motorised vessels.

Once you've finally found yourself north of Fraser Island, you'll be well on your way to anchoring in Hervey Bay, otherwise known as the whale-watching capital of the world!

You can get seriously close to some friendly humpback whales during their spring migration to the Antarctic, so making a stop anywhere across the Gladstone region is highly recommended if you're planning to sail across this extensive route anywhere between August to October in particular.

If your voyage isn't scheduled until the very beginning of summer, however, rest assured there is still plenty to see and do in and around Gladstone. The region is well-known for its gorgeous surrounding islands as well as its rich colonial history. If you're travelling along the coast, you'll be able to get a unique look at Agnes Water and the historical town of 1770 in particular.

Not only are there many daytime attractions and eateries here, but the sloping hillsides surrounding Agnes Water are also packed to the brim with some idyllic coastal hikes and bushwalks. Anchoring here won't result in a day of rest, but of great outdoor exploration!

The climb north from Great Keppel Island to Island Head Creek can be quite difficult for most sailors making this journey from Brisbane to Cairns, and it could very well be the most challenging part of your voyage, especially if you get caught in any south-west to north-western winds, which are all too typical for the entire length of coastline you'll be travelling throughout the course of your trip.

It can be tempting to try and just gun straight for Hamilton Island and Airlie Beach upon finding yourself finally arriving up around the west coast of Allandale Island, but rest assured, if you take your time to explore the region between Allandale and Scawfell on your way to Hamilton, you will not regret it!

Refuge Bay at Scawfell Island in particular is well-known throughout the region for being a highly picturesque anchorage, with plenty to see and do. You can take advantage of the area's many fishing spots, trek through the trees and get up close to the bases of brilliant, granite cliffs, or even go for a swim and enjoy the pristine waters and soft sands of the bay itself. Stopping at Refuge Bay will absolutely provide a highly satisfying respite from days of sailing.

There's also not too much distance at all between Scawfell and Hamilton Island, meaning that you can absolutely drop anchor at Refuge Bay for the evening to escape harsh nighttime winds before setting off nice and early in order to reach Hamilton in the morning and beat the crowds of tourists that usually dot the coastlines of both Hamilton as well as Airlie Beach on the mainland.

Finally, it wouldn't be a Queensland sailing voyage without paying a little visit to the Whitsunday Islands themselves! As seasoned sailors and avid Queensland adventurers know, the striking Whitsundays aren't too far from Airlie Beach either, so you'll likely have multiple beach days in a row during this tail end of your trip.

Your moorings in Hamilton Island are also likely to be just a hop, skip, and a jump away from your moorings on Whitsunday Island or any of the other islands due north and on your way to Cairns. Of course, as the Whitsundays also acts as a conservation site for the Great Barrier Reef, it's well worth checking ahead of time to ensure that your selected Whitsunday moorings are still allowing recreational vessels to anchor.

And now that you've finally arrived at Cairns, all that's left to do is find your wharf, set down your anchor, and take in all that this little seaside town has to offer! Cairns is bursting with good food, shopping experiences, and plenty to do when the sun sets too.

Feel free to spend as much time as you like getting your landlubber legs back by walking across the Esplanade, or perhaps say farewell to both land and sea for a while by organising a helicopter tour of this awe-inspiring coastal region.

Let yourself enjoy your destination just as much as you did your journey. After all, with this sailing route, it's really hard to pinpoint any given experience as the trip's definitive highlight!