20 Best Road Trips In Australia
Australia, the ‘Land Down Under’ cannot be explored to its fullest until and unless you have taken your family on an adventurous road trip. Yes, the country is so vast and has such rich natural beauty and culture that it can be best discovered by road. Lets take this discussion further as we list down the top 20 best road trips in Australia – amazing land for our adventure crazy readers that are planning to take a road trip soon.
1. The Savannah Way, Queensland
In this list of the top road trips in Australia, The Savannah Way comes first as its regarded as one of the ultimate road trips in the world and stretches as far as 3700 kms. The journey begins from Cairns and ends in Broome. In all you should expect to cover almost some important destinations from east to western most point of Australia like Cobbold Gorge, Undara Lava Tubes, Boodjamulla National Park and the gorgeous Millaa Millaa Waterfalls.
2. Launceston to Hobart, Tasmania
This road trip in Tasmania takes you all over the east coast, covering destinations like Port Arthur, Bay of Fires, Wineglass Bay, Freycinet National Park and Hazards Beach. The journey sees you starting from Launceston, passing Bicheno and ending in Hobart. Most tourists make a stopover at Bay of Fires that looks astonishing. Other points of interests include Port Arthur and Salamanca.
3. Perth to Broome road trip
‘Wild wild West’ is calling all adventure lovers to undertake a road trip to explore Western fringes of this great land, a land that hides many unique gems like waterfalls, deserts, national parks and gorgeous reefs. The road journey takes tourists from Perth and commences in Broome, taking you to some famous places like Karijini National Park, Cable Beach, Ningaloo Reef and Monkey Mia. You would fall in love with this trip as your kids get a chance to make friends with dolphins at Monkey Mia and have a swim session with whale sharks.
4. Darwin to Sydney road trip
Family road trips in Australia combine fun with educational explorations for your family. One such explorative road trip is the journey from Darwin to Sydney where you get to travel all the way from top to south coastal part of this country. You can explore Uluru’s beauty and terrain, or take a cruise down the river Mary, or visit the Parliament House. There are ample opportunities for camping at any of the cool farm stays and also visit the famous Twelve Apostles.
5. Outback Queensland road trip
When you travel across Queensland’s outback, you come across such rich cultural heritage and beauty that is unparalleled. Some iconic destination that can offer insight into Australia and its natives are Longreach, Charleville, Australian Age of Dinosaurs and Cosmos Station. The mining tours conducted at Mt Isa are just perfect for your kids and so are the colorfully painted towns that speak volumes about Australia’s rich heritage. If you like wildlife, make a tour to Lawn Hill National Park to experience its lush green surroundings and fauna.
6. The Nullarbor road trip
The Nullarbor is the longest stretch of road on the Eyre Highway in Australia and covers a distance of 2700 km. The Plain of Nullarbor is devoid of any vegetation or trees and looks expansive. There are a number of fun activities you can do here like visit the Bunda Cliffs and Eucla Telegraph Station. Whale watchers can gather at Head of Bight and for those that love to see animals in their natural habitat, there are emus and camels that roam wild. Great road trips like the Nullarbor must be undertaken to understand the continent’s varied landscape and terrain.
7. Alice Springs to Glen Helen road trip
With an impressive list of attractions, Alice Springs will attract many of you that love taking road trips and discovering historical richness and natural bounties along your journey as you traverse through various towns and small hamlets to reach Glen Helen. One such attraction is the Alice Springs Desert Park which is famous for its rugged terrain and its Reptilian Centre. Other attractions worth mentioning are Albert Namatjira Gallery, Glen Helen Gorge and the West MacDonnell Ranges.
8. Sydney to Brisbane road trip
The 900 kms road journey starts from Sydney and ends at Brisbane whereby you get to see lush green mountain peaks, wineries, bays and coasts. The whole stretch of the road takes you along many beautiful river side hamlets while you enjoy the marvelous beauty of the Port Macquarie and Gold Coast. Wildlife watchers too can explore their interests as there is lot of scope for such an activity. Kids can do scuba diving or snorkeling while undertaking this road trip.
9. Sydney to Jervis Bay, NSW
When we think of Australia, road trips come to mind as the country has some of the most breathtaking roadways that connect important cities and places of interests with one another. One such road trip is the journey from Sydney to Jervis Bay. Some places that you would like to stop include Royal National Park, Cliff Bridge, Booderee National Park, Greenpatch Beach and Bald Head Lookout.
10. Melbourne to Adelaide road trip
The south coast of Australia boasts of breathtaking scenic views. As you drive down this amazing road, overlooking the Great ocean Road, you come across many gorgeous waterfalls and beautiful towns where fishing is a primary occupation of people. Here, the foodies can try out delicious sea food. You can visit Grampians National Park and the Great Otway National Park where you can spot koala bear. There are options to pitch your tents at Johanna Beach and move further towards Port Fairy.
11. Darwin to Adelaide road trip
This road trip from Darwin to Adelaide is picturesque and offers a great deal of entertainment to everyone. Be it watching crocodiles in their wild habitat in the River Adelaide or cruising down its azure waters, the trip has a unique adventurous streak to it. Other attractions to hold your interest would be the famous Kakadu National Park which also happens to be the home of the famed wildlife specialist Mike Dundee, aka, Crocodile Dundee. The park is also inhabited by the Jabiru Tribe.
12. Great Ocean Road, Victoria
Counted as one of the most scenic drives in the world, the road trip down the Great Ocean Road promises a lot to tourists in the form of exquisite beaches, national parks, and wildlife. This journey starts in a place called Torquay and continues towards Warrnambol wherein you get to watch the famous Twelve Apostles and visit Port Campbell National Park. For koala lovers, there is an option to see them in their natural habitat at Kennett River.
13. Cairns to Cape Tribulation
Ever wondered what makes the Tropical North Queensland a favorite road trip route? Well, its this region in Australia that houses the famous Daintree Rainforest and also the Great Barrier Reef. Most visitors make a road trip in winters when the climate is comfortable and perfect for explorations. On the way, you can visit Mossman Gorge, the Daintree Discovery Centre and Port Douglas.
14. Sydney to Cairns
A road journey from the fashion hub of Australia, Sydney to a tropical destination like Cairns offers much scope for discovering many hidden treasures along the way. The road trip will take you through places like Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, Byron Bay and also the famed Glass House Mountains where you can enjoy marvelous scenic views. Other attractions include Noosa Beach and Whitsunday Islands.
15. Broome to Perth, Western Australia
The road trip on the western coastline of Australia is a scenic one where you get to enjoy some of the best beaches of the country. All the beaches offer great scope for water sports like snorkeling and scuba diving. Some attractions that must be visited include the Karijini National Park for which you need to spend a week before starting your trip further towards Perth. When you plan to visit Australia, road trips like this one must feature high on your bucket list if you want to have loads of fun.
16. The 75 Mile Highway, Fraser Island
Fraser Island is the world’s only sand island which happens to be a motorable driveway too. The island is vast and attracts hundreds of tourists that come here to drive along the sandy shoreline. Driving through the sand waters and watching beautiful lakes and wild dingos as you whiz past the waters of the sea is amazing. The beach is dotted with old shipwrecks and is a popular destination for many Aussies.
17. Darwin, Kakadu, Katherine to Litchfield
The journey from Darwin takes you along some of the most breathtaking places in Australia and gives you a chance to experience wildlife like never before when you arrive at Kakadu National Park, an abode of various species of animals that are indigenous to this land. You will also stop over at Katherine to see one of the most astonishing gorges in the whole of the continent, namely Katherine Gorge and move further towards Litchfield National Park that is famous for its many wonderful watering holes.
18. Red Centre Way, Northern Territory
Dotted with gorgeous canyons and gorges, exquisite trails for trekking and beautifully adorned landscape, the Red Centre Way is considered one of the best road trips that will take your breath away when you come face to face with the gigantic Uluru and experience the rustic way of life here. For families that love to camp around, they will get ample scope for pitching their tents amidst beautiful surroundings of Kata Tjuta.
19. Gibb River Road, Western Australia
Have you always wondered what makes The Kimberleys a popular place in Australia that boasts of great wilderness and is located on the border of the continent? Well, its the fauna that attracts people from all across the world to this place. Now, if you wish to explore The Kimberleys, you have to take the Gibb River Road or more like a dirt track that takes you on an adventurous ride through this wildlife reserve. On the way get enamored by the lovely waterfalls and cattle stations where you can dwell deep into the Aboriginal history.
20. Broome to Cape Leveque, Western Australia
If driving down the ragged terrain of Western Australia is your kind of thing, you must make a road journey from Broome to Cape Leveque and get a chance to enjoy its many natural wonders. Most families come here for camping and fishing activities. While, the terrain is composed of red soil and looks rough, there are sylvan beaches too that are still untouched by tourists. You can visit Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm too.
With this, we come to the end of this post that lists down the top 20 best road trips in Australia and we are sure you would have already started making plans to drive down on a few such cool family road trips that will offer you a fabulous time. From wonderful landscapes dotted with gorges, waterfalls, plains and canyons, to rich Australian cultural treasures, these great road trips will open up your horizons and make you fall in love with the concept of road journeys.
Source: Ultimate Places
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