Moving to Caloundra: One-Way Truck Hire to the Sunshine Coast

A one-way move to the Sunshine Coast is a long drive north and a short one at the end: from your new home to Bowman Road in Caloundra, where you hand back the keys. Plan that last part well and the whole day goes easier.

How does one-way truck hire to Caloundra work?

You collect a car-licence truck or van at our depot in Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide, drive it to the Sunshine Coast, unload, and return it at Sparkles Car Wash, Caloundra Shopping Centre, 47 Bowman Road. One flat, GST-inclusive package covers the hire days, the kilometres and damage cover with a $6,500 excess.

How far is it to Caloundra?

• From Sydney (Castle Hill): 988 km, about 10 hours non-stop.
• From Melbourne (Epping): 1,838 km by the coast, about 18½ hours, or 1,738 km inland.
• From Adelaide (Green Fields): 2,123 km, about 23½ hours on sealed highways.

Sydney is one very long day or two easy ones. The rest are two or three days, so book the motels before you leave rather than hunting for one in a loaded truck at night.

Where do you return the truck?

At Sparkles Car Wash, Caloundra Shopping Centre, 47 Bowman Road, Caloundra QLD 4551: the centre with Kmart and Coles, three minutes from Bulcock Street. Coming up the Bruce Highway, take exit 188 for Caloundra Road and follow it east; it becomes Bowman Road on the way into town. Your drop-off email has the exact meeting spot, a Google Maps pin and the name and number of the person meeting you.

Unload first, then drop off

The usual plan is to drive to your new place, unload, then take the empty truck to Bowman Road for your drop-off appointment. Most of the southern Sunshine Coast is close by. Google Maps puts Bowman Road 8 minutes from Caloundra West and Currimundi, 12 from Aura, 13 from Kawana Waters, 22 from Buderim and 26 from Mooloolaba, all without traffic. Maroochydore is 32 minutes and Noosa just under an hour, so leave room for that drive back.

Moving into an apartment in Kings Beach or Mooloolaba? Book the building's lift and loading dock first, then pick a drop-off time that leaves room after it.

When can you drop off in Caloundra?

Drop-offs run by appointment, Monday to Saturday, from 8:30 AM to the last appointment at 4:45 PM. We're closed on Sundays and Queensland public holidays, including Labour Day (the first Monday in May) and the King's Birthday (the first Monday in October). Over Christmas 2026 we're closed from 25 to 28 December, and on New Year's Day 2027.

Closed days cost you nothing. If your hire ends on one, it runs on to the next open day at no charge, and if you keep the truck longer, only the days we're open count as extra days.

The hour you gain

Queensland doesn't use daylight saving. Drive up between the first Sunday in October and the first Sunday in April and your clocks go back an hour at the border. Your drop-off appointment is in Queensland time, so that hour is yours.

How are hire days counted?

In 24-hour periods from your pickup time. Pick up at 9:00 AM and the truck is due back by 9:00 AM on your last day. A later drop-off counts as one more day, and the booking adds it for you, so the quote always matches the dates and times you chose.

Truck or van?

Everything in the one-way fleet drives on a standard car licence. A van handles a studio or a one-bedroom flat; a family home needs the truck, and the moving trucks seat up to three. We cover the trade-offs in truck or van for an interstate move.

Each route to Caloundra has its own page: Sydney to Caloundra, Melbourne to Caloundra and Adelaide to Caloundra. The Bowman Road guide has directions and the drive from 19 areas. Call 03 8560 7038 if you'd rather talk it through.