To cover the many many kms up the East Coast of Australia we had decided upon using Greyhound Coaches. They provide a massive network of stops all over Australia giving the tourist maximum choice about where they want to explore and visit. 
To give some perspective, our journey was to cover between Brisbane and Cairns a distance of 1,682 kms or the equivalent of travelling from John O' Groats to Lands End and back up to almost junction 14 nr Falfield. We had 36 days to do it to catch our domestic flight to Alice Springs.
Before we left and after a little bit of research two tickets were purchased costing $300ish or £177ish. Can you imagine travelling that distance in the UK on National Express individual tickets?
Our plan was to stick to the coastal route of the East Coast of Australia to give us the flexibility of seeing the famous sights and sounds of Fraser Island, the Whitsundays, Magnetic Island and of course the Great Barrier Reef.
The extra height from travelling by coach allows you the opportunity to see some incredible landscapes even on the same journey. Below is an example of those seen between Airlie Beach and Townsville.
You do, however, have to see some other sights that wouldn't appear on any traveller's itinerary but does allow you to see another side of the place. Conversations with truckers, locals and service station attendants still give you a perspective on things and in my opinion, are just as important.
Each stop was a little adventure in itself. You'd be hoping the bus wouldn't go without you, wondering whether you'd see anyone you know, and keeping your fingers crossed you'd been to the loo before you got on!
Travelling times made us Brits wince at first but soon got used to it, 5 hours 30mins Brisbane to Rainbow Beach, 4hr 10mins on to Bundaberg, another 90mins to Agnes Water, 3hrs to Rockhampton, 6hrs 20mins overnights to Airlie Beach, 5 hrs to Townsville and the final 5hrs to end up in Cairns.
All the buses we caught were very well appointed with plenty of legroom, air conditioning and some even having a film on depending on the times on the road. They were huge vehicles, one cost $250 or £143 to refuel but remembering its 1/2 the price here!!!
The drivers were a funny bunch with their Greyhound shirts and shorts, long socks and smart shoes. Again we were fortunate to have great drivers on each leg as we'd heard some horrible stories of drivers continuing talking to the passengers through the night, keeping the air conditioning and volumes too high etc.
The bright red coaches, and the occassional grey one, were a welcome sight. They were like little ants travelling the country dropping its cargo off, turning round and doing exactly the same thing the next day.
Oh, and images a and b are of the most commonly seen view in the coach; the upholstered rear view of the seat in front! Well done to those who got it right!!
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