East Coast Australia - Sydney to Cairns

I will be landing in Sydney on 1 January 2013. I plan to stay in Sydney for 4 nights before beginning my trek north to Cairns. I have a few stops along the way which I look forward to. I am wondering about transportation options for making my way up the coast. I have looked into Rail Australia and a hop-on, hop-off bus called OZ Experience. Rail Australia (East Coast Discovery: http://passes.railaustralia.com.au/pass/east-coast-discovery-pass) is much cheaper than bus options, however I'm looking for people who have used the train systems on the east coast. What is your experience once you get to the train stations? Are hostels easily accessible? Walking distance? Should I plan on taxi cabs to and from the stations each time? I like the idea of the train because it allows for overnight travel. The bus seems ok, but is quite a bit more expensive, even with some of the add ons they include (Bruce Cobber pass: http://www.ozexperience.com/passes#brucecobber). I have read and heard mixed reviews on this particular bus service. I'm sure it would be a good way to meet fellow travelers, and it seems that they cater to dropping travelers in walking distance of popular hostels along the east coast.

My biggest question, though, is: Is one month enough time to see the east coast? I realize this is an open-ended question depending on how a person does their trip. Roughly, I'd like to make 5-6 stops along the way from Sydney to Cairns, spending 3-5 days in each location.

Let me know what you guys think!