13 amazing road trips in Australia
I’ve traveled through Australia many times myself, and here I’ll show you the 13 amazing road trips in Australia that impressed me the most. Read our travelogues and get ideas to help you plan your own trip through Australia.
Our TOP road trips in Australia
We have gathered the most beautiful travel routes in Australia for you here and present you the most beautiful routes and their sights along the way.
- Brisbane Cairns
- Sydney – Brisbane
- Sydney Melbourne
- Great Ocean Road
- Tasmania
- Nullarbor
- Southwest Australia
- Perth-Broome
- Perth – Darwin
- Gibb River Road
- Stuart Highway
- Darwin-Cairns
- Cape Tribulation
Australia road trips by camper or rental car
You have several options to make your road trip: We recommend the tour with a camper or rental car. I was completely inexperienced when it came to camping before my first trip with a motorhome, but I can only recommend it to everyone – especially if you are traveling with children. In our price comparison, you can check which campers are available for your route and travel time.
By the way: Book your camper as early as possible, because then you can be sure that your desired vehicle is still available. We have made the experience that the motorhomes are booked out quickly, especially on the popular stretches.
The most beautiful road trips in Australia
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01
Brisbane - Cairns in 3 weeks
Route in QueenslandOur highlight
A wonderful road trip in Australia is the one from Brisbane – Cairns. Here you not only get to see the beautiful areas of the east coast of Australia, you also have the opportunity to take wonderful trips to the most beautiful islands of the Great Barrier Reef. Read my travelogoue about our 3 week tour along the coast of Brisbane – Cairns.
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02
Travel route Sydney - Brisbane in Australia
Route in Australia
One of the most beautiful travel routes in Australia takes you along the east coast from Sydney to Brisbane. It is just the right thing for you if you want to combine beautiful coastal cities and relaxed surfer lifestyle with the metropolises Sydney and Brisbane in a short time.
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03
Road trip Sydney - Melbourne
Route in Australia
Sydney – Melbourne is a very popular travel route in Australia. Your tour takes you along the Coastal Drive with the most beautiful beaches and forms a beautiful contrast to the IN metropolises of Australia.
Highlights include Eden, the picturesque Lakes Entrance, Wilsons Promontory National Park, the Sea Cliff Bridge and the famous Mornington Bathing Boxes.
Plan around 14 days for this road trip through Australia, so that you have enough time for the highlights of this route.
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04
The Great Ocean Road
Route in Australia
The most famous travel route in Australia is the Great Ocean Road in Victoria. It stretches from Warrnambool over about 250 kilometers to Torquay. Its biggest highlight are certainly the 12 Apostles, but the route has much more to offer.
You drive this route with many a serpentine directly along the ocean. Also the many small and larger towns like Lorne make this road trip something special. On this route you will see beautiful bays, waterfalls, lots of Australian animals and great beaches.Our tip: Take your time with this route and don’t just focus on the 12 Apostles.
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05
Road Trip Across Australia: The Nullarbor
Route in South Australia
An unforgettable experience is the journey across the Nullarbor, the steppe from Western Australia to South Australia. On this itinerary across Australia you will not only experience the diversity of the continent, but also of the wildlife in Australia – for example whale watching at the Head of Bight. The itinerary leads from Norseman in Western Australia 1200 kilometers over the Eyre Highway to Ceduna in South Australia. We recommend you to start the trip from Perth, here you can best rent a camper.
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06
Southwest Australia: Road trip from Perth
Route in Western Australia
The southwest of Australia has so much to offer, the better that you can drive a road trip through Southwest Australia. It takes you from wine growing areas in the Margaret River Wine Region to the most beautiful coastal stretches along the south coast of Western Australia. Visit beautiful towns like Albany and Esperance!
The tour continues through the Australian Outback to Kalgoorlie, where you can discover the largest gold mine in Australia. Even if the southwest of Australia is often forgotten – this itinerary is one of the most impressive in Australia.
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07
Perth to Broome - one of the most beautiful road trips in Australia
Route in Western Australia
One of the most beautiful travel routes in Australia leads from Perth to Broome. The route is about 3,000 km long and will take you to great landscapes and the most beautiful beaches. Plan for this route in Western Australia necessarily time, we recommend at least 14 days.
From Perth you could make a trip to Rottest Island. And since Broome is one of my favorite places in Australia, you should definitely plan a few days here as well. On the way Perth Broome you will pass these great attractions: The Pinnacles, Nambung National Park, Monkey Mia, the Stromatolites, the Ningaloo Reef near Exmouth and Cable Beach in Broome.
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08
Road trip Perth - Darwin
Route in Australia
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09
The Gibb River Road
Route in Western Australia
One of my personal highlights is the travel route through the west of Australia: The Gibb River Road. The 700km long stretch from Derby to Kununurra is one of the most famous dirt tracks that you can only drive on with a four-wheel drive vehicle. This travel route in Australia takes you into the heart of the Kimberleys and leads you along cattle farms, waterfalls and boab trees at the King Leopold Ranges, Gelvan’s Gorge, Bell Gorge, Tunnel Creek and Windjena Gorge.
The Gibb River Road is resurfaced every year after the rainy season, so you should only drive it from May until the end of October.
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10
Australia Road Trip from North to South: The Stuart Highway
Route in Australia
The Stuart Highway is a travel route in Australia that takes you from north to south. You drive from Adelaide through the red center to Darwin. Highlights on this tour are:
Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock, Coober Pedy, the opal capital of Australia, Kings Canyon and many small so special places of the outback. -
11
Road Trip Cairns - Cape Tribulation
Route in Australia
On this itinerary through Australia from Cairns to Cape Tribulation you will experience the tropical side of Australia with its unique flora and fauna. Besides the Great Barrier Ridge you will also find the Daintree Rainforest. This itinerary should be done in the winter months, because it is not so humid and you avoid the stinger season. Here you have many opportunities to explore the area on one of the really impressive trips to the Great Barrier Rief, Port Douglas, Mossman Gorge and Cape Tribulation.
Very convenient: You can do this tour in just a few days!
Itineraries for Australia at a glance
When planning your trip to Australia, you will surely ask yourself at some point how much time is needed for a certain route. Especially if you want to drive independently through Australia with a camper. Here we have compiled possible routes for certain periods, which of course can always vary. We are always adding new routes here.
Travel time | Travel route | Territorry | suitable for this camper |
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1 week | Sydney - Canberra - Blue Mountains - Sydney | NSW, ACT | all |
Alice Springs - Uluru - MacDonnel Ranges - Alice Springs | NT | all (for the MacDonnel Ranges area we recommend a 4WD camper) | |
Cairns - Cape Tribulation - Cairns | QLD | all (if you want to continue the Bloomfield Track you have to rent a 4WD camper) | |
2 weeks | Gibb River Road | WA | 4WD Camper |
Perth - Broome | Wa | all (for the Broome area rather 4WD campers) | |
3 weeks | Sydney - Melbourne | NSW, VIC | all |
Sydney - Cairns | NSW, QLD | all | |
Darwin - Uluru - Alice Springs | NT | all | |
4 weeks | Perth - Nullarbor - Adelaide | WA, SA | all (the routes off the Nullarbor you can reach mostly only with a 4WD camper) |
Adelaide - Great Ocean Road - Melbourne - Sydney | VIC, NSW | all | |
Darwin - Alice Springs - Uluru - Adelaide | NT, SA | all |
Which Roadtrip in Australia is the best?
There is no right answer. No matter which itinerary in Australia you will choose, you can already look forward to getting to know the country and its people while collecting unforgettable moments.
FAQs
How many days do you need for a road trip in Australia?
The question cant be answered flatly: There are road trips for 1 week (Great Ocean Road) and some for 6 weeks. Always gather some information about the roundtrips which are the best for the season, and your vacation time, so you don’t have to stress on your way through Down Under, and the criteria which interest you the most about each part of Australia.
Can you do road trip in Australia?
A road trip in Australia is probably one of the best things to do to explore and learn to love this beautiful continent (like I did). You’ll see thousands of beautiful beaches, swim in the bluest waters and witness some of the most unusual animals in the world. Obviously, you can also stay in a nice hotel and enjoy some relaxed days in the sun, but I’ll be honest, a road trip is much more exciting!
Where should I road trip Australia?
There are some great road trip routes in Australia, but when it comes to which route is the best first road trip, for example, my answer is clear: Brisbane-Cairns. Not only is it one of the most beautiful trips in Australia, but it also shows you what to look forward to next time you’re in Australia!
What are the best months to drive around Australia?
In the Australian summer months it is best in the southern part of Australia (Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart) (then it is warm and dry there), in the Australian winter the north is perfect (Darwin, Broome, Cairns), because then it is the dry season there.
More travel tips for Australia
