Best Road Trips in Australia
When people write out their Travel Bucket List, there is no doubt that exploring Australia is going to be on that list. But just saying that you are going to the land down under isn’t enough. This is because even though it may look small on most modern maps, Australia is actually about the same size as continental USA. So how does a person explore the 2.97 million square miles of this magnificent country and see the great sights? The answer is to take one of the best road trips in Australia!
Whether you want to explore the entire vast country or just hit up a specific area, road tripping through Australia will allow you the freedom to tackle your bucket list items the way you want.
But, do you know what road trips in Australia you want to take?
Well, to help out, we found 7 of the best road trips in Australia to satisfy any personality!
Table of Contents
Driving The Great Ocean Road
Whether you are driving a rental car or you buy a second hand motor home you find on Gumtree, there is no doubt that driving the Great Ocean Road in southern Australia should be on your bucket list. The Great Ocean Road is one of the quintessential road trips in Australia. Whether you want to explore the surfing mecca of Torquay or you want to see the limestone towers known as the 12 Apostles in Port Campbell National Park, the Great Ocean Road is a bucket list destination.
Cruising the Sunshine Coast
If you are looking for more quiet road trips in Australia, then cruising the Sunshine Coast should be on your bucket list. This is because the Sunshine Coast doesn’t have many popular tourist hot spots. With that said, this road trip will offer you a perfect blend of beaches and mountains. You can surf Kings Beach in Caloundra, hike to the Fairy Ponds and Devil’s Kitchen in Noosa National Park, or explore the Glass House Mountains.
See the Surf Towns of the Gold Coast
If you have surfing in Australia on your bucket list, then you are going to want to grab your surf board, pack up your trailer, and take the cars on a road trip from Brisbane to Sidney along the Gold Coast! The towns of Burleigh Heads and Coolangatta are both considered a surfer’s paradise and are absolutely breath taking. This is also a great place to take a whale watching tour as you look for the humpback whales’ migrating towards Antarctica.
Go Off Roading on Fraser Island
If you love outdoor adventure activities, then taking a road trip on Fraser Island should definitely be added to your bucket list. Listed on the World Heritage List in 1992, Fraser Island is the largest sand island on the planet. This will allow you to to experience some of the best 4-wheeling on huge dunes on 75 Mile Beach Highway. While cruising the beach highway make sure you stop to see the Maheno Shipwreck. This shipwreck in it’s heyday was a luxury liner and a World War I hospital ship before it washed ashore in 1935.
Warning: Fraser Island is home to a plethora of Wild Dingos. Please heed the signs warning of the danger all over the island. They seem like harmless animals but they have been known to attack.
Go to the Outback on Stuart Highway
What would a bucket list of the best road trips in Australia without seeing Uluru in the Outback? Also known as Ayers Rock, this large sandstone rock formation is one of the most impressive landmarks in Australia. A road trip along the Stuart Highway will get you there. Known as “the Explorer’s Way”, Stuart Highway will take you from Adelaide to Darwin through the heart of the Australian outback. Besides the amazing desert scenery, you can explore the remote Aboriginal communities in and around Alice Springs.
Drive Cross Country along the Savannah Way
Perhaps considered the King of all Australian Road Trips, the Savannah Way is a 3700-kilometer (2200 mile) route connecting Cairns in Queensland to Broome in Western Australia. This road trip won’t disappoint as you will be able to see longest lava tube in Undara, dig for Topaz at Mount Surprise, and admire an ancient gorge at Cobbold Gorge. You will also witness tons of wildlife throughout the tropical savannahs like kangaroos, emus, and even crocs!
To help you out with this long road trip, there is even a non-profit company that does it’s best to promote local small communities and events on the Savannah Way called the Savannah Way Limited. This way you can find tons of things to do along the way and really dive into the historic pioneer culture of Australia.
Explore the West Coast
There are so many bucket list activities to do in Eastern Australia, but that doesn’t mean you should not explore the west coast! If exploring the bush is on your bucket list then you are going to want to take a Road Trip between Perth and Broome. Also if you have animal encounters on your Adventure Activities & Experiences Bucket List then you will definitely want to take a West Coast Australia road trip. Along this coastline drive, you will find camel riding trips on the beaches, opportunities to swim with whale sharks on Ningaloo Reef, or for me, #170 the chance to take a Quokka selfie on Rottnest Island!
Load Up the Car & Get Going!
So as you can see, road trips in Australia are the best way to see a lot of this beautiful continent. Of course, when you get there, make sure you check out Discover Cars to find the best priced Car Rentals in Australia! That way you can use all that money you saved for Vegemite sandwiches and Moon Dog Beer!
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13 thoughts on “Best Road Trips in Australia”
Amazing! I know nothing about traveling all over the country, what a wonderful looking place to explore.
You are right! When you visit Australia, especially from the US or Europe, you better spend weeks to explore the country because it’s very far. The Great Ocean Road is number 1 in my list. Stuart Highway and Savannah Way are also interesting. It will be great to do these road trips.
Great list of Australian road trips! All of them sound great, but Fraser Island really caught my attention. I have heard about the island before and the famous shipwreck. Off roading on the island sounds like a lot of fun and is definitely on my bucket list. The Great Ocean Road is another that I must do some day!
Your post really made me sad we missed our trip to Australia this year. With all those great water views it would be hard to pick just one to do. Guess that means a long time to do several of these. Camel rides and swimming with whale sharks would certainly be on our list!
This is a great list, going to go ahead and pin it for future reference! The only one I’ve “done” (if I can even say that) was the Great Ocean Road, but it was a one day tour, and man was that rushed. Overall, they did a great job for what it was, but having to get to the Twelve Apostles before sundown meant we were spending 15 or 30 minutes in a bunch of towns along the coast without any time to explore any of them. Having been to Perth too, I am really interested in revisiting WA someday soon and getting out of the city. A road trip down to Margaret River sounds heavenly.
well that is a bummer that you never got to experience the amazing cities along your organized tour road trip along the Great Ocean Road. I guess on a major tour, the 12 Apostles are the big show. But after watching how you tour Brazil. I am sure you would have a blast exploring the entire coastline and all the towns along it all.
Rooooad trips!
One of my friends told me that Fraser Island was one of the highlights to her Aussie trip, so I’d want to give that a go, but all of these sound gorgeous.
Having said that, Tassie is the part of Australia that calls to me the most. I would looove to road trip (and hike…and meet all the animals) there!!
Yeah, just seeing all the unique flora and fauna would be worth the road trip alone in most parts of Australia to us too!
Driving from Alice Springs to Uluru is a long drive with mostly straight roads. I would, however, not only go to Uluru, but also include the Olgas and Kings Canyon. Two wonderful destinations that are worth extending your trip by a few days since you are in the area already.
Yeah, we have heard of great things about Kings Canyon too. Though we havent heard to much about Olgas so I guess I need to do more research on it.
Stunning pictures and a great guide to Australia. Would love to visit some day.
The great outdoors of Australia offers the most stunning road trips. Each one that you have listed here is unique and magical. Would love to drive along the great ocean road someday.
You guys would absolutely love these road trips in Australia with the way you travel! Plus you are so good at photos that I am sure you could capture some of the most beautiful sights along the Great Ocean Road or any of these bucket list road trips!
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