Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy are two neighbouring towns in Queensland on Australia's east coast. These quiet, coastal towns together are home to less than 3000 people and offer a peaceful, natural escape right on the fringes of the Great Barrier Reef.
We're currently living full-time in our campervan, a 2018 Mercedes Sprinter, and exploring Australia, with a plan of "driving the lap" (completing the entire perimeter of the country). I first visited Australia in 2019, following the classic backpacker route, mostly visiting big cities, staying in hostels and traveling by public transport.
For thousands of years, the Meerooni people of the Gurang Nation lived on this land, long before any Europeans arrived.
Agnes Water was named after the Agnes, a schooner lost at sea in 1873. Seventeen Seventy is named for the year 1770 in which Captain James Cook sailed along this coastline.
The first Europeans to settle the area primarily did so for sheep and cattle grazing, as well as sawmilling. It has been a tourist destination since the 1970s and is home to the northernmost surfing beach in Queensland.
Every single spot (and more) that I mention in all my blog posts about Australia can be found in my Australia | Ultimate Map!
This is a digital map featuring hundreds of my favourite restaurants, campgrounds, accommodations, shops, photo spots, museums, beaches, lakes, animal spots, bridges, viewpoints, hikes and SO much more in Australia, including its three external territories.
Each pin includes exact locations, images, detailed information, the ability to open and save the spot in your Google Maps and a link to my relevant blog post to read more.
COMING SOON → Buy the Australia | Ultimate Map!
Below is some useful information for preparing for your trip to Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy. In all cases, please be sure to check with the relevant local authorities for the latest and accurate information.
Language: The official language of Australia is English. In Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy, the traditional language of the Meerooni people of the Gurang Nation is Goeng.
→ Learn more about the language of the Meerooni people of the Gurang Nation.
Currency: The currency used in Australia is the Australian dollar, denoted as AUD $. I use a Wise account when I travel which allows me to have a single, free account with multiple currencies. I only have to pay once to convert my money in the app and then I can pay in AUD $!
→ Check the latest currency conversion between AUD $ and your local currency.
Data/WiFi: Before you arrive, I recommend purchasing an eSim on your phone so that you can access data the moment you land. eSims are much more convenient as it means you don't have to put a separate physical Sim into your phone. AirAlo offers great deals for eSims of various data sizes and time lengths with Optus.
→ Load an international eSim on your phone with AirAlo.
If you are visiting Australia long term, you might wish to put a physical Sim in your phone as AirAlo is geared more towards short term visitors on holiday. This way you can access a local phone plan. There are three main mobile phone network providers in Australia: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Telstra has the best coverage across the country whereas Optus and Vodafone are good within cities. I recommend Telstra as it means you have the best coverage while you travel around the country, especially in rural areas.
We travel with a Starlink in our campervan which enables us to have unlimited WiFi wherever we are, even in places without coverage.
A few restaurants, cafes and accommodations in Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy offer free WiFi.
Visa: All passport holders except New Zealand require a visa to visit Australia. All arrivals must fill out an Australian arrival card before landing.
→ Check which visa you need for Australia.
Time of year to visit: Australia can be visited all year-round. Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy are located in Queensland which gets a pretty intense rainy season from December to March which can often see floods and many tourism infrastructure closed. The best time to visit the area is May to October for pleasant, warm, sunny, dry days.
Length of stay: We spent three days across Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy. They are both pretty small beach towns and so a few days is the perfect amount of time to hang out and explore.
Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy are two coastal towns that are a 15-minute drive apart. I have focused on how to get to Agnes Water; you can find out how to get around the area in the next section.
By flight: Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy are located pretty much halfway between two domestic airports: Gladstone and Bundaberg.
Both Gladstone and Bundaberg Airports only connect with Brisbane, flights of about an hour, operated by Qantas, so you could fly into Brisbane and then catch a smaller flight to either. From either airport, it's a one-and-a-half-hour drive, with rental cars available at both airports.
A local shuttle service is also available from both airports.
By car: The best way to get to Agnes Water is with your own wheels. The most popular way of exploring Australia is by camping - whether with a motorhome, campervan, caravan or a roof tent on top of a car. This gives you the ultimate freedom of going as fast or as slow as you like.
By public transport: The Spirit of Queensland train between Brisbane and Cairns stops in Miriam Vale. From there, you can pre-arrange a shuttle to either Agnes Water or Seventeen Seventy.
By coach: Greyhound runs coaches from both Gladstone and Bundaberg to Agnes Water, each journeys of about an hour and a half.
Bundaberg
Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy are two coastal towns that are a 15-minute drive apart.
On foot: Each town is fairly small and totally walkable so getting around on foot is a great way to explore.
By bike: The two towns are a lovely 7km bike ride apart which can be a fun way of getting between the two.
By car: A car is the best way to get around the area quickly and in between the two towns and to the different beaches. There is ample parking available in both towns and along the beaches; a quick search on Google Maps brings up plenty of options.
→ If you don't have your own car, you can rent one in Gladstone or Bundaberg.
By LARC: A LARC is a land vehicle which also has the ability to go out into the water. There are a number of guided tours that allow you to explore Seventeen Seventy, Eurimbula National Park and also go out into the water.
Hotel: Not traveling by campervan? Driving in a car? Whatever your reason for needing a place to stay, there are some great accommodation options in Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy to suit any budget.
→ Check out all the accommodation options in Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy.
Camping: We are driving "the lap" around Australia, exploring the country in our campervan. The best way to find camping spots is to use an app. We use Wikicamps Australia, a cheap app that has every single amenity listed (both free and paid) that you might need on the road. This includes things like where to fill up fresh water, where to dump grey water, where to empty toilets, where to stay, gas stations, information points and also has suggestions for things to do as you go.
→ Download the Wikicamps Australia app.
As there is no free camping near Agnes Water, we chose to book in for a couple of nights at 1770 Eco Camp. It's located on the main road just before Agnes Water and we really enjoyed that, unlike most paid campgrounds in Australia, there was no set check-in time as it has a self-check in system. Simply book online, choose an available spot and pull in to the spot with the right number when you arrive. There are both powered and unpowered sites plus glamping tents available as well as a communal kitchen.
1770 Eco Camp
In Agnes Water, make sure to grab a delicious gelato from 1770 Gelato which was so good we went back twice. We loved the coffee at Spot 23 even though I don't have any photos of it.
In Seventeen Seventy, we had one of our favourite meals in Australia (yes, that good!) at 1770 Barraca by the Sea overlooking the water.
We spent three days hanging out and exploring these coastal towns and enjoying the laidback vibe. Here is what we got up to:
Check out the Captain Cook Memorial
Located just at the entrance to Seventeen Seventy, this stone cairn marks the second place Captain Cook landed in 1770, the year after which the town is named. It's located just a few steps above the beach.
See the view from Wave Lookout
This gorgeous viewpoint is at the very northern tip of the Seventeen Seventy peninsula, just steps from the 1770 Car Park, overlooking a beautiful sandy beach below.
Go for a walk to Bustard Bay Lookout
Carry on walking from the Wave Lookout up to the very northern tip through beautiful coastal bush to reach this breathtaking ocean view overlooking the sea where Captain Cook once sailed through in 1770.
BOOK AN EXPERIENCE IN SEVENTEEN SEVENTY!
PIN THIS POST TO REFER BACK TO LATER!
GET READY TO TRAVEL!
— Book tours and experiences - with GetYourGuide
— Get all the gear you need for your trip - with Amazon (North America)
— Get all the gear you need for your trip - with Amazon (Europe)
— Find a place to stay - with Booking.com
— Choose a hostel to stay at - with Hostelworld
— Purchase global travel insurance - with World Nomads
— Load an international eSim on your phone - with AirAlo
— Start your own travel blog - with Hostinger
— Join the GetYourGuide Travel Creator Community - with GetYourGuide
Discover more from Jana Meerman
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
