6 Best Road Trips in Australia
One of the best ways to explore a country is via a road trip.
A road trip offers the flexibility to stay longer in some places and shorter in others, creating a unique holiday for each individual traveller. For an even better road trip experience, you should consider renting a campervan.
A campervan is similar to a cruise in the sense that you don’t have to pack and unpack every time you want to visit a new destination. Campervans also offer the flexibility of sleeping almost anywhere along your route in the comfort of your van instead of a tent. It doesn’t get much better than that!
In a country like Australia, there are so many incredible road trips that it can be difficult to narrow down your ideal itinerary. But don’t worry! In this post, we break down the six best road trips in Australia that will expose you to beaches, rainforests, bushlands, unique scenery and a touch of dessert.
1. Great Ocean Road
This is probably the most famous Australian drive. Starting in Torquay and following the coastline west for 243kms before ending in Warrnambool. The drive should be done over multiple days in order to properly explore everything the coastal drive has to offer. The highlight of this drive is the geological wonders of the Twelve Apostles, which are now seven rock formations still rising out of the ocean just off the coast line.
The drive has many highlights including:
Bells Beach at Torquay – famous surf spot
Otways National Park – temperate rainforest
Triplet falls in Otway National Park
Cape Otway Lighthouse
Wreck Beach – tough walk to anchors of shipwrecks Marie Gabrielle & Fiji
Thunder Cave – unique cave that creates a thunder due to ocean swell
The Twelve Apostles – rock formations
Loch Ard Gorge – a great beach on the coast
London Arch – a single land arch not attached to main land
Bay of Islands at Peterborough – a group geological formations
There are multiple townships along the way you find accommodation and restaurants such as Apollo Bay, Lorne and Port Campbell. This drive will expose you to some unique and rugged coastlines.
2. Grand Pacific Ocean Drive
This drive starts from Sydney and heads south along the coast for 140kms ending in Shoalhaven. Although the drive can be extended further south to include Jervis Bay, the Sapphire Coast and end in the town of Eden adding a further 288kms to the drive.
There is quite a lot to see and experience on this drive including:
Rainforest in the Royal National Park
Coastal Walk and Wedding Cake Rock in Royal National Park
Sky Bridge and stunning coastal views
Sandy beaches all the way down the coast
Blowholes and ocean pool at Kiama
Green Rolling Countryside around Kiama
Great surfing particularly at Shell Harbour
Sandy white beaches at Jervis Bay
National Park and Bushlands
Turquoise water colour on the Sapphire Coast
This drive passes through quite a few townships to stay such as Kiama, Shoalhaven, Jervis Bay, Bega and Eden. The coastal scenery is rocky headlands amongst great stretches of beaches and waterways.
3. The Great Barrier Reef Drive
The only place where tropical rainforest meets coral reefs is in the north Queensland area of the Daintree. The Great Barrier Reef drive takes you from Cairns north to Cape Tribulation. The trip is only 140kms long, but there is much to experience and explore along the way.
Major highlights of this road trip include:
Palm beach and the Cairns Beaches area
Port Douglas and Four Mile beach
Outer Coral Reef Tours from Port Douglas
Ocean Drive from Cairns beaches to Port Douglas
Mossman Gorge and Creek
Daintree River Cruises
Daintree forest
Ocean Kayaking from Cape Tribulation
Cape Tribulation and snorkelling to reef from beaches
Perfect white sand beach of Cape Tribulation
The Drive is something you should do over multiple days to enjoy the region. Cairns Beaches and Port Douglas offer a multitude of accommodation and restaurant options. You can also stay at eco lodges in the Daintree itself.
As a short side trip, consider visiting Kuranda at the back of Cairns on the top of the tablelands. This side trip you can ride the cable car up to Kuranda and come back down by train. This drive you can visit the best Wet Tropical Rainforests, beaches and coral reefs all in one trip.
4. Cross the Nullarbor Plains
The Nullarbor crossing is usually done as part of a crossing from Adelaide to Perth. The actual Nullarbor stretches from Ceduna in South Australia to Norseman in Western Australia some 1,342kms. This road trip will take you along the longest straight road in the world, through plenty of remoteness and into some wonderful night skies.
Main things to see and do:
Play golf across the Nullarbor on the Nullarbor Links
Surf at the revered Cactus Beach 21kms South of Penang
Watch for whales from Fowlers Bay
Watch out for emus, kangaroos, dingoes and wedge tail eagles
Visit Head of the Great Australian Bight for some awesome coastal views
5. The Gibb River Road
The Gibb River Road drive is a 660km 4WD only adventure that runs from Derby across the Kimberly region to Wyndham. This road trip takes you across unsealed roads and through wash outs. The trip will also take you through the wilderness of the Kimberley region. While the driving is not for everyone, those undertaking it will experience a part of Australia most do not visit.
Highlights of this drive include:
Vertical Falls – visit from Derby
Bell Gorge
Manning Gorge – Aboriginal Rock Art
Drysdale River Station
El Questro Wilderness Park
Home Valley Station
Windjana Gorge National Park
This drive usually means camping, but there are good places to camp along the way. You can also visit Lake Argyle once you get to Kununurra.
6. East Coast of Tasmania
This drive takes you from Hobart to Bay of Fires along the east coast of Tasmania. The distance is around 300kms including the trip to Freycinet National Park. The drive will expose you to some much unexpected beaches and countryside. You do not typically think of Tasmania when thinking of beaches due to the cooler climate, yet the east coast of Tasmania is blessed with great white sand beaches and great surfing.
What you can experience on a drive along the east coast:
Perfect white sandy beaches
Bushwalking in Freycinet National Park
Hike or Tour to Wineglass Bay
Surfing, Diving, Kayaking from Coles Bay
Great wineries and cellar doors for cool climate wines
Wonderful produce and seafood
Nature World wildlife sanctuary
Douglas Apsley National Park
Deep Sea Fishing from St Helens
Bay of Fires Walk
Final Thoughts
There are several other drives that also offer great options to explore Australia, Sydney to Brisbane Pacific Drive, touring the South West Australia, the Victoria Alpine Drive, The Savannah Way, Crossing the Simpson Dessert.
While these other drives would also offer great scenery, the six mentioned above give the broadest taste of Australia that can be chosen in distinct drive holidays.
One reminder before you hit the road: Protect your car from the sun and heat. Cover your dashboard with a one-piece mat that fits to keep it from fading or getting discoloured. Also with the dash mat in place, you’ll worry less about the glare while driving and getting to every stop on your road-trip list. Don’t forget to protect your seats too.
Ready for your road trip?