Brissy to Melbs- with new camper and kids in tow

How old are the kids?
First bit of advice (unless you wish to lose a few day$ and lot$ of ca$h!!) distract them as you drive past all the theme parks on the Gold Coast!!
:)
Depends on your timing out of Brissy..., just south of the Qld border, detour off the highway and along the coast (Kingscliff, Hastings Point, Pottsville etc). Hastings Point and Pottsville have gorgeous camping at caravan parks on creeks.
Even if you don't wish to stay at caravan parks or if your timing is wrong for an overnighter, give the kids a break here. Very safe creeks to swim/stalk fish/chase seagulls and nice parks with loos and picnic facilities to have lunch.

Which Brissy suburb do you collect your camper? Your best bet is probably to head across to the Gateway Motorway and head south. Don't be fazed by the traffic...it moves eventually lol It's just the easiest route when you're not familiar with the area.
Just about every major road has a toll of some sort (unless you're keen enough to go through the city!) and googling GoVia will let you know how you pay up.

Have a lovely trip!

In relation to camping spots, could i suggest down loading Wikicamps on to your i-pad (that's if you have one, cost about $5), or purchase the latest version of Camps Australia, available from the ExplorOz shop.
There are so many beautiful camping spots coming down the coast, to listed here.
Have a great trip.
Cheers.
baz

The children can't be "In Tow", they must ride in the vehicle.

Forget the theme parks, and save yourself some dollars. There are some of the loveliest places along the coast from Bris to Melbourne, grab a couple of fishing rods, yabby pump and make it a competition for the kids, the biggest, most species etc, just remember everyone's a winner at the end. As mentioned some of the towns are Hastings, Ballina, Yamba, Grafton, Merimbula, Pambula, Batemans Bay and the list goes on. Google the motoring club sites for loads of info. Flip inland to avoid Sydney and go to the war museum in canberra for a change of scenery.
Drive safe.
Tony.

Hi Steven,

I would guess that for your first overnighter you would want to be fairly close to Brisbane so that should you find something amiss with your new camper (hope not!) you can go back to the manufacturer quickly. Others have made suggestions about possible sites close to Bris.

Broomes Head (turn off at Maclean) is another great spot only a couple of hours drive south of the border where you can camp right next to the beach on level grassy spots. There are showers and toilets all for a modest fee. Look it up in the Places section on this site (just double click if the words are underlined and you will go straight there).

South from there just about all the way to the Vic border are dozens of beachside places - mostly full of weekenders but usually with a caravan park or campground. Probably not much in the way of free camping though as the whole coast is rather built up now. Favourites of ours are around Nambucca Heads - there is a quiet CP at Valla Beach beside a creek with safe swimming and quite close to the beach. Spend a few days there.

Further south again is Diamond Head NP with a good campground next to a looong beach and a huge headland to explore. Another few days.

The suggestion to swing inland via the M7 onto the Hume highway to Canberra and avoid much of the Sydney traffic is a good one. Lots to see and do in Canberra with adequate central camping at the showground. From Canberra you could go back to the coast via either Batemans Bay or Bega. On the coast near Bega is Tathra and another NP with good camping at Gillards Beach just a few kms north of the town.

Eden is another scenic place and I believe the whaling museum is worth a visit. Im less familiar with the Vic coast but Mallacoota is nice, but Pt Hicks a bit further west used to have a big camping area beside a pretty creek and only a short walk from beach, lighthose and big sand dunes.

Hope you have loads of fun in your camper and that your "maiden voyage" turns out well.

Cheers,

Val

depending what time you leave Brisbane after picking up your camper.....it's a small detour but i'd drive inland on the New England Hwy to Stanthorpe area and stop in at Girraween National Park. Next morning first up climb The Pyramid giving your camper time to dry any wet canvas it may have, after returning from the walk pack up your camper. From here head South to Glen Innes and turn East, continue a short distance along The Gwydir Hwy and you then turn right onto The Old Grafton - Glen Innes Rd. There's a nice camp at the bottom of the range here called Mann River Reserve (the climb down the range is on bitumin road but very very windy and steep, so stay off the brakes as much as you can and use low gears to slow you down...i did this but still could smell my brakes by the time i got to the bottom). Spend the night at Mann River and then the next day continue on to Dorrigo, there's a nice camp here called Dangar Falls Lodge, it's right next to Dangar Falls. Spend a few days here looking around the area and doing some of the walks...from here you can rejoin the highway for the run South.
I know it's not the route you asked about, but the views from a top The Pyramid and the scenery along The Old Old Grafton - Glen Innes Rd, aswell as the waterfalls around Dorrigo will make that route an unforgetable trip.

Steven,

Iluka is a quiet little hamlet, just across the Clarence River from Yamba. If you stayed there you can catch the ferry across to Yamba for a bit more upmarket touristy things.

Just north of Woolgoolga is a special little spot called Arrawarra. Used to stay there as a kid, and I've been informed it's still a good spot. Fresh water creek, headland and a long stretch of beach. Been to Diamond Head too, and it's a great beach. Was "wall to wall" 'vans when we were there to see a relly, and that put me off a little, think it was holiday time.

Another spot further down the coast is Maitland Bay. Not sure if you can get a camper in there, as haven't been for a long, long time. Someone else might know?

Hope you and the family enjoy it,

Bob

For Vic get a map & look for the coastal Parks. Croajingalong, Wilsons Prom. etc. Use the Parks Vic website to learn more.