Both tourists and locals enjoy strolling Australia’s streets. The country’s interior and coast offer scenic drives that are well worth the effort to reach. To get you excited about a trip to Australia, here is a list of 7 of the country’s most beautiful roads.
Great Ocean Road – Road Trips Australia
The Great Ocean Road is one of Australia’s most well-known tourist attractions. Lucky for us, it’s as good as it sounds. This length of coast in Victoria, Australia, stretches from Torquay to Allansford for a total of 151 miles (243 kilometers) and is part of the Australian National Heritage list.
Torquay, a quaint beach resort, is one of the highlights, along with the 12 Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, Great Otway National Park, the Great Ocean Walk, and Tower Hill Wildlife Sanctuary.
Nullarbor Plain – Road Trips Australia
Crossing the Nullarbor Plain is an experience unlike any other and a refreshing change from the typical coastal roads. The Nullarbor Plains are a treeless, flat region of southern Australia. Therefore the name “nullarbor” translates to “no tree” in Latin.
The Nullarbor Plain is the biggest single outcrop of limestone anywhere in the globe, covering an area of over 200,000 square kilometers (77,000 square miles). Travel from the gold mines of Western Australia to the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia along the Eyre Highway, the country’s longest, flattest, and straightest roadway. Hikers making the trek across Nullarbor Plain should stock up on fuel, food, and water just in case.
Circle Tasmania
Considering how beautiful the whole island is, limiting your visit to Tasmania to one scenic drive would be a shame. Thankfully, a week is enough time to tour Tasmania’s towns and national parks.
Hobart is the starting point for the Australian government’s recommended Circumnavigation of Tasmania. Freycinet National Park and Wineglass Bay, Mount William and Launceston National Parks, and Cradle Mountain-Lake St. National Park are just a few places that can be reached from that location. World Heritage sites include both Mount Field National Park and Lake St. Clair.
The South Coast of New South Wales
It doesn’t sound like much fun to drive from Sydney to Melbourne. However, one of Australia’s most stunning coastline drives may be found on the southern New South Wales coast. Beginning in Sydney’s Royal National Park and ending in Kiama, the Grand Pacific Drive spans 140 kilometers (87 miles) and features several well-known landmarks, such as the Sea Cliff Bridge (check out the views from Stanwell Peak).
The coastal towns of Jervis Bay and Hyams Beach, Bateman Bay and the kangaroos of Pebbly Beach, Pambula, and Eden await after you finish the Drive. The next step is to travel through Victoria to get to Melbourne.
Cross the Kimberley – Road Trips Australia
The Kimberley region of Western Australia is a rural, yet beautiful, place to take a road trip. You can pick between the Gibb River Road, the Great Northern Highway, and the Savannah Way to get from Kununurra to Broome.
Hikers looking for the real bush experience should head off the beaten path and down Gibb River Road or Savannah Road. These routes share a common feature: they take you past breathtaking natural landmarks, including national parks, canyons, and waterfalls. The RAC of Western Australia also suggests the Broome to Exmouth Warlu Way Dreamtime Trail.
Route of the Great Barrier Reef
While the drive from Cairns to Cape Tribulation via the Great Barrier Reef in Far North Queensland isn’t particularly long, the scenery along the way is breathtaking. The Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest are part of the World Heritage-listed route that spans 140 kilometers (87 miles).
Travelers can stop at Port Douglas, enjoy the beautiful beach at Palm Cove, test their mettle at Bloomfield Raceway (4WD only), and wind through Mossman Gorge on their journey to the Great Barrier Reef. Overlanders must also use a cable ferry across the Daintree River to reach Cape Tribulation.
Great Alpine Road
The Great Alpine Road connects the cities of Wangaratta in the state’s north with Bairnsdale in the state’s east. The Great Alpine Road is Australia’s highest open-year-round closed road at 303 kilometers (188 miles).
The Great Alpine Road winds its way through mountains, the Australian Alps, valleys, woods, historic towns, rivers, award-winning wines, and lush farmlands. You can also reverse your trip and return to Victoria’s capital city of Melbourne.
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