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Scenic Drives & Day Trips

Updated: Oct 25, 2025

It's never been a better time to fill up the tank and hit the road, whatever the season. Here are 7 scenic drives and day trips in South East Queensland that are perfect to explore:

Mt Coot-tha

Sir Samuel Griffith Drive is a picturesque route through Mount Coot-tha Forest. Beginning at Brisbane Botanic Gardens, the road circles the peak, providing access to picnic spots, bush walks and Mt Coot-tha Lookout with stunning views over Brisbane and beyond

Samford

For a green change, head north west from Brisbane to the tiny hamlet of Samford Village. Shortly after leaving the suburban outreaches of Brisbane, this scenic trip plunges into bushland and emerges shortly thereafter in a picture-perfect countryside of rolling green hills and valleys

Dayboro - Mt Mee

This lovely drive has it all - winding roads with stunning vistas, bushwalks with waterfalls, and a clifftop cafe where you can stretch your legs and enjoy a good cup of coffee, cold drink or light snack

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Mt Nebo - Mt Glorious

Less than an hour from Brisbane, this scenic drive winds through beautiful eucalypt forest, through Mt Nebo to the tiny mountain hamlet of Mt Glorious - the epicentre of lush rainforest walks, stunning views and country cafes where you can refuel with

Day Tripping In Springbrook National Park

View down to Surfers Paradise from the Best of All Lookout Springbrook

A day trip to Springbrook takes you on winding roads through lush rainforest with plenty of breathtaking lookouts and short tracks including iconic Natural Bridge

Tamborine Mountain

Take a joyride up Tamborine Mountain with plenty of lookouts along the way offering spectacular views of the valleys below. Why not combine this scenic drive with a bushwalk

Road Trip through Currumbin Valley

A road trip to Currumbin Valley, the hidden jewel in the Gold Coast Hinterland, is the quintessential country drive

There are so many great places to explore for day trips from Brisbane. Check out our day trip suggestions here.

Want to make a weekend of it? Pick your destination, plan your itinerary with accommodation and enjoy a weekend away with so many options on offer here.

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