10 BEST ROAD TRIPS IN AUSTRALIA
Our round-up of the world’s most drivable roads wouldn’t be complete without an edition dedicated to Australia. The nation has some of the fascinating carscapes on the planet, as well as some of its most zealous auto enthusiasts. Australia has no shortage of rousing routes to explore.
In Australia, it’s really true that the journey can be as important as the destination, especially in a land area dominated by expansive outback landscapes.
So here are the 10 best road trips of Australia.
1. Grand Pacific Drive, New South Wales
Don’t make the mistake that it only takes you to Wollongong, Shoalhaven and down the coast, Grand Pacific Drive can give you all types of trips and
adventures. Mix and match these suggestions depending on your interest and your mood.
Enjoy the thrill of a tandem hang-glides at Stanwell Tops. Take a break at the Scarborough Hotel for lunch in a beer garden with views of the Pacific Ocean. In Wollongong, you’ll find accommodation with ocean views and restaurants serving fresh seafood.
Join a Buddhist Awareness excursion at Nan Tien Temple. For surfers, ride the waves at The Farm and Mystics, between the coastal towns of Shellharbour and Kiama. See Kiama’s famous Blowhole.
2. Kuranda, Queensland
Travelling by road, access to Kuranda Village is to the West along the Kennedy Highway or from the East, up and over the Kuranda Range. The western approach from Mareeba is a journey through orchards, coffee plantations and produce farms. Through the lightly timbered country of the Lamb Range, the road climbs easily and the big forest-clad mountains of the Great Dividing Range come into view as you drop down to the outskirts of the Village.
3. Great Alpine Road, Victoria
The Great Alpine Road is in the mountains of Victoria known as Victorian Alps, the southern section of The Australian Alps.The Great Alpine Road Trip is a little over 300 kilometers, and of course, it could be driven in one day, but a road trip wouldn’t be a road trip without making some fabulous stops along the way. The road is accessible in all seasons and whichever season you visit, you will get the different and beautiful view of the mountain countryside. Mount Hotham is the highest point on the trip with a peak of 1,840 meters.
4. Great Ocean Road, Victoria
The Great Ocean Road is an Australian National Heritage listed 243 kilometers stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Allansford. Victoria's best-known highway, the Great Ocean Road, runs 150 miles from Torquay to near Warrnambool, but the scenic drive continues along the Victoria coast to the South Australia state line.
Travel through more of Victoria's west and expand your Great Ocean Road journey further inland to The Grampians and the Victoria's Goldfields or around continue east through Geelong to Port Phillip Bay taking in the Bellarine and Mornington Peninsulas. Ride the car and passenger ferry from Queenscliff to Sorrento and explore the natural attractions and scenic beauty of Phillip Island and Gippsland.
5. Kangaroo Island, South Australia
There are 1,600km of roads to follow through the major towns. Most of Kangaroo Island's main roads are sealed, particularly those connecting Penneshaw, American River, Parndana, Flinders Chase, and Kingscote.
Head off the beaten track on Kangaroo Island's unsealed roads. You'll find secluded beaches, wildlife, and wind-eroded rock faces. Set up camp for the night and fall asleep to the sound of the ocean's crashing waves. Follow the Southern Ocean Drive road trip to explore Kangaroo Island and the Limestone Coast.
6. Sydney to Melbourne
All the action of the drive is around the A1 Princes Highway, which begins in central
Melbourne and continues all the way to Sydney, a distance of 1032 km not including side-trips. The only busy sections are within an hour’s drive of start and finish but otherwise, the route is largely traffic-light with attractions providing regular pit-stops.
7. The Nullarbor Plain, South Australia heading to Western Australia
If you are planning for long holidays then set off from Ceduna in South Australia and head west for some 2,000 km to Perth across the wide almost treeless expanse of the Nullarbor. It might be dry and have a reputation for being a harsh environment, but it’s not a desert. Wooded hills flatten out to plateaus studded with bluebush. Mobs of roos line the road and giant wedge-tailed eagles patrol the skies. You’ll need a four-wheel-drive if you plan to leave the highway, but otherwise, it’s an easy driving route on a powerful scale.
8. Pacific Highway: Brisbane to Sydney
The Pacific Highway from Sydney to Brisbane is also known as The Legendary Pacific Coast. the best beaches and towns are off the highway, follow any brown tourist drive signs and you will see the best of this coastline. The coastal route follows the Pacific Ocean and is the Number one National Highway, which stretches for approx 1100kms and is Australia's top tourism drive. There are 5 places you must visit during a Sydney to Brisbane road trip. 1. Palm Beach 2. Port Macquarie 3. Byron Bay 4. Hastings Point 5. Australia Zoo
9. Red Centre Way, Northern Territory
Instead of taking the Stuart Highway between Uluru and Alice Springs, consider taking the scenic route along the Red Centre Way and discover brilliant landscapes, gorges, canyons, camping and hiking trails of the West MacDonnell Ranges.
Allow yourself plenty of time to take in the wonder of Uluru and nearby Kata Tjuta, it really is the heart of Australia and there is more than one way to experience it.
10. Adelaide to Darwin: The Stuart Highway
The trip from Adelaide to Darwin (or vice versa) is roughly a 3,500km trip of a lifetime! This journey will provide an amazing array of green rolling hills of the wine regions in the south, typical Outback Australia up through the red center and finally ending up in the lush Top End.