Just done a road trip up the west coast - some advice:
Wicked campers are good, they give you almost everything you need (shop around tho they have some competitors who aren't in WA). You don't get to choose what's on the side of the van tho - some guys we met had 2 cookie monsters shagging and they kept pulling up next to kids...
They give you a day free if you rock up naked... (NSFW link)
http://www.wickedcampers.com.au/component/option,com_joomgallery/Itemid,113/catid,1/func,viewcategory/startpage,2/#category
We went to bunnings to get:
camp chairs @ $7 each
water bottle coolers @ $7 (then you can buy cold 1.5 ltr water bottles and add cordial)
butane cooker around $20 - they give you a gas cooker but it was too slow
Also we got a stove top coffee perculator from coles for $14 - essential.

Spots - every few hours you'll find another

Gear rental - expensive like it is in Vietnam. BYO if possible.

Hey Storm,

Start in Cooktown and go south. No point going lower than about Mackay at that time of year.

Main places are Archer Point (South of Cooktown)
Wonga Beach North of Port Douglas
Port Douglas
Yorkeys Knob North of Cairns
Lucinda
Townsville
Alva etc.

Have fun!

Hi Scotty I hope your going to drop in on your way up the coast , if wind permitting will do a down winder or two, yesterday arvo was epic big swell with a direct southerly.

Finding spots these days is easy - just fire up google maps or google earth and scoll down the coast till you find a spot that looks "special"