The Eyre Highway across the Nullarbor Plain has a stretch of 146.6 km without a single bend, the longest straight road in Australia. It is a fair summary of the country by car: distances are huge, the roads are good, and you can drive for hours between roadhouses without seeing another town.
The classic drives are more varied than that suggests. The Great Ocean Road hugs the cliffs west of Melbourne to the Twelve Apostles, the Red Centre Way links Alice Springs, Kings Canyon and Uluru, and the Gibb River Road crosses the Kimberley from Derby, near Broome, to Kununurra on red dirt and river crossings.
Fly between regions and drive within them. Most visitors combine one long drive with flights, and the season matters as much as the route: the north is for May to October, the south for spring, summer and autumn.
At a Glance#
- The classic: the Great Ocean Road, about 243 km from Torquay to near Warrnambool, two or three days from Melbourne.
- The outback: the Red Centre Way from Alice Springs through the West MacDonnell Ranges and Kings Canyon to Uluru.
- Crossing the continent: the Eyre Highway over the Nullarbor between Port Augusta and Norseman, and the Stuart Highway from Darwin to Port Augusta.
- 4WD adventure: the Gibb River Road through the Kimberley, about 660 km, open in the dry season only.
- Coast and islands: Sydney to Brisbane via Byron Bay, the Queensland coast to Cairns and the Daintree, and a loop of Tasmania.
- Western Australia: Margaret River and the southwest, and the Coral Coast north of Perth to the Ningaloo Coast.
Great Ocean Road and Victoria#
The Great Ocean Road was built by returned First World War soldiers between 1919 and 1932 and is dedicated to those killed in the war. It runs about 243 km from Torquay, an hour and a half from Melbourne, through the surf towns of Lorne and Apollo Bay, past koalas in the trees at Kennett River and into the rainforest of Great Otway National Park. The finale is Port Campbell National Park: the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and the Bay of Islands.
Allow two nights at least. Drive from east to west so the ocean is on your side of the road, and see the Apostles at sunset or early morning to avoid the tour buses. Return to Melbourne inland via the Grampians to make a loop of four or five days. Further east, the coast through Gippsland to Wilsons Promontory is quieter.
The east coast#
The drive from Sydney to Melbourne along the coast takes about 1,000 km and four or five days via the Grand Pacific Drive and the Sea Cliff Bridge south of Sydney, Wollongong, Jervis Bay and the quiet beaches of the far south coast. North from Sydney to Brisbane, about 900 km, the Pacific Highway is now dual carriageway most of the way; detour to the beaches of Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay.
Queensland’s coast road continues about 1,700 km from Brisbane to Cairns, past the Sunshine Coast, Hervey Bay for K’gari, and Airlie Beach for the Whitsunday Islands. Leave time for the short drive north of Cairns: the Captain Cook Highway to Port Douglas is one of the most scenic coastal roads in the country, and a cable ferry crosses the Daintree River to the rainforest and Cape Tribulation.
The Red Centre and the Stuart Highway#
The Red Centre Way is a loop of roughly 1,100 km from Alice Springs: west along the West MacDonnell Ranges past Standley Chasm and Ormiston Gorge, across the Mereenie Loop to Kings Canyon, then south to Uluru and Kata Tjuta. The Mereenie Loop is unsealed, crosses Aboriginal land and needs a permit bought in Alice Springs or at Kings Canyon, and many hire contracts ban it, in which case you return to the sealed highway. Allow five to seven days.
The Stuart Highway runs about 2,700 km from Darwin to Port Augusta through Katherine, the boulders of Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles), Alice Springs and the opal town of Coober Pedy, where people live underground to escape the heat. Parts of it in the Northern Territory have a 130 km/h limit. It is a long, empty road: plan on 500 km a day and stop at every roadhouse for fuel.
The Nullarbor#
The Eyre Highway runs about 1,660 km from Port Augusta to Norseman in Western Australia, across the treeless Nullarbor Plain and along the top of the Bunda Cliffs, where lookouts drop straight into the Great Australian Bight. The Head of Bight platform is one of the best places in Australia to watch southern right whales and their calves, from about June to October. Most drivers take three to four days; the roadhouses along the way sell fuel, meals and basic rooms, and Nullarbor National Park protects the plain and its caves.
Western Australia runs a quarantine checkpoint at Border Village, and South Australia one at Ceduna for eastbound traffic. Fresh fruit, vegetables, honey and plants are confiscated, so eat them before you reach the border.
Western Australia and the Kimberley#
The Gibb River Road runs about 660 km from Derby to the Great Northern Highway near Kununurra, almost all of it unsealed, with river crossings, corrugations and side tracks to Windjana Gorge, Bell Gorge and El Questro. It opens only in the dry season, roughly May to October, and needs a high-clearance 4WD with two spare tyres; check road status with Main Roads WA before you set out. Few standard hire contracts allow it.
From Perth, the Coral Coast runs about 1,250 km north past the Pinnacles in Nambung, the gorges of Kalbarri, the dolphins of Shark Bay and on to Exmouth and Cape Range on the Ningaloo Coast. South of Perth, a loop of a week takes in Margaret River’s wineries, the giant tingle and karri forests and the south coast at Albany and Esperance.
Tasmania#
Tasmania is made for a road trip: distances are short, the roads quiet and the scenery changes every hour. A loop of 10 to 14 days runs from Hobart up the east coast to Freycinet and the Bay of Fires, across to Launceston, west to Cradle Mountain and down the wild west coast through Strahan and Queenstown back to Hobart. Bring your car on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry from Geelong to Devonport, or fly in and hire one.
Car hire, tolls and driving rules#
- Licence: you can drive on a valid overseas licence; if it is not in English, carry an International Driving Permit or an official translation. Australians drive on the left.
- Hire: compare one-way fees before planning a long drive; they can run to several hundred dollars, especially to and from Darwin, Broome and Perth. Our getting around guide covers car and campervan prices.
- Unsealed roads: most standard hire contracts ban unsealed roads, and insurance does not cover you on them. For the Gibb, K’gari or the Mereenie Loop, hire a 4WD from a company that permits it.
- Tolls: Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane have cashless electronic tolls. Hire cars carry a tag and the company bills the toll later with an administration fee; if you bring your own car, buy a visitor pass online within a few days of using the road.
- Speed and alcohol: limits are usually 100 to 110 km/h on rural roads, and the blood alcohol limit is 0.05. Speed cameras are everywhere.
- Road conditions: check the state road reports in the wet season, when floods close northern highways for days.
Outback driving
Do not drive at dawn, dusk or after dark in the outback: kangaroos, cattle and camels on the road cause serious crashes. Fill up at every roadhouse, carry at least 10 litres of water per person, and if you break down, stay with your vehicle.
For more on outback hazards see our safety guide, and for routes that link the drives, our Australia itineraries. Road trips across the region are covered in road trips in Oceania and road trips around the world.
Best road trip bases in Australia#
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More Things to Do#
Australia road trip FAQs#
What is the best road trip in Australia?
The Great Ocean Road is the most popular, with cliffs, beaches and the Twelve Apostles in two or three days from Melbourne. For the outback, the Red Centre Way from Alice Springs to Kings Canyon and Uluru is the classic, and Tasmania is the best island loop.
Can tourists drive in Australia with a foreign licence?
Yes. Visitors can drive on a valid overseas licence for their stay, carrying an International Driving Permit or an official English translation if the licence is not in English. Rules on how long you can use it vary slightly by state.
How long does it take to drive across the Nullarbor?
The Eyre Highway from Port Augusta to Norseman is about 1,660 km, and most drivers take three to four days, stopping at roadhouses and the Bunda Cliffs lookouts. Perth to Adelaide by road is about 2,700 km, so allow five days or more.
Do I need a 4WD for a road trip in Australia?
Not for most classic drives: the Great Ocean Road, the east coast, Tasmania, the Stuart Highway and the sealed route to Uluru are fine in a normal car. You need a 4WD for the Gibb River Road, K’gari, Cape York and many outback tracks.
How do tolls work in Australian hire cars?
Tolls in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are cashless. Hire cars have an electronic tag and the company charges the toll to your card later, usually with a daily or per-trip administration fee, so ask about the toll package at the counter.
When is the best time for a road trip in Australia?
For the north and centre, May to October, when the tropics are dry and the outback is cooler. For the south, including the Great Ocean Road and Tasmania, October to April. Avoid the Kimberley and Top End roads in the wet season, when floods close them.