Great Australian drive holidays
Get your motor running with these classic Australian road trips.
Great Alpine Road, Victoria
339 kilometres
You might be more familiar with another Great road in Victoria, but the less famous Great Alpine Road is impressive in its own right. It travels through the high country in the northeast of the state, along the highest year-round accessible sealed road in the country and past the beautiful Gippsland Lakes. The region is becoming famous for its gourmet offerings with vineyards, fresh produce and great restaurants to break the journey – and expand your waistline.
Gibb River Road, Western Australia
660 kilometres
This road began life as a stock route for cattle and cuts through the centre of the rugged Kimberley region from Derby to Kununurra. In some places, the desert landscape gives way to shaded river gorges with freshwater rock pools for a cooling dip. You’ll need a four-wheel drive to tackle this road and many car hire operators in Kununurra offer one-way rentals. It’s almost impossible to say how long it takes to drive the Gibb River Road as weather, traffic, road conditions and your own skill are all factors, but we say there’s no point rushing it; spend a night or two at a campsite or station along the way.
The Savannah Way, Queensland/Northern Territory/Western Australia
3,700 kilometres
This is an epic journey in more ways than one. Running from Cairns to Broome via Katherine, The Savannah Way crosses 15 national parks, five World Heritage areas, three states and half a continent. You could drive the whole length of it in around 48 hours straight, but the point here is the journey not the destination. Stop off at thundering waterfalls, drive through sleepy frontier towns, pass multi-million acre cattle stations or catch your own dinner straight from the river. The road is best attempted in the dry season and a four-wheel drive is recommended.
Legendary Pacific Coast, New South Wales/Queensland
930 kilometres
This drive will bring back fond memories of family road trips – packing the kids and the dog and the luggage into the back of the station wagon and heading north. The route starts in Sydney and passes through seaside holiday towns like Terrigal, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay before finishing up in Brisbane. You can also make short detours inland to the Hunter Valley, Dorrigo Plateau and Tweed Valley. There’s plenty to do on the way including dolphin cruises, sand boarding, a koala conservation centre, markets, fishing and, of course, plenty of waves to surf.
The Fleurieu Way, South Australia
235 kilometres
This might be the shortest drive on our list but you won’t want to rush it – there’s plenty to keep you entertained along the way. Starting just outside Adelaide, the Fleurieu Way winds around the Fleurieu Peninsula and the Limestone Coast, taking in some of South Australia’s most beautiful scenery. It also passes through the McLaren Vale and Langhorn Creek wine regions, so you’ll no doubt come home with a few bottles in the boot. There’s even a GPS guided iPhone app that you can download to direct you around the route.