Port Macquarie is a great stop North of Sydney. It has seven great beaches, camel rides, lighthouse, shopping, history, etc. Cheap place to stay is T's Tennis Resort for about $60 a night, it is clean and the owners are great too. Eleven kms outside Port Macquarie is a small fishing village of Harrington and Crowdy Head. This is a friendly place with a matching lighthouse of Port Macquarie, history, and there is a rock wall across the river mouth that you can take a walk on to a small inlet of a national park. You can spot dolphins and the view is amazing. This is not a tourist town and is such a relaxing atmosphere.

In Brisbane there are great historic buildings, walk the town and it will amaze you. Across Victoria Bridge is South Bank. This is the art quarter with a small manmade beach, but the walk around the arbors and small cafes are good. The maritime museum, Queensland museum are both over there and great to take a look at. Martime is $7 to get in and you get to go aboard the HMAS Dimantina and the Qld museum is free entry. Don't miss the arch on Victoria bridge that was erected for an 11 year old boy that was killed while welcoming home troops from WWI. Go see the Anzac Square Complex too, the monuments are out of this world. Backpacker place to stay in Brisbane is the Palace a block from central station, cheap and has a bar in the basement and BBQ on the roof.

While in Brisbane find your way to Redcliffe and Sandgate for beach and jetty walks. At Redcliffe there is the HMAS Gayundah rusting on the beach at Woody Point, it was the first colonial navy ship for QLD. Pelican Point also has pelican feeding at 10am daily. Sandgate is a small town with a huge jetty, the park there is very relaxing and as you walk around the bay there is usually kite surfers at WWI Park that I like watching. Great group of guys to talk to also. Get you lunch and go to Sandgate park, the gazzebos are comfortable and you can watch all the eels and turtle swarm the side looking for a free lunch.