Australia is a country and a continent of kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, tough people, beautiful landscapes and beaches, and perhaps most strikingly – vast patches of space. Indeed, it’s a perfect place for an epic road trip you will never forget.
The thing is, road trips represent a way to see large parts of the country you’re on a road trip, plus you get to camp wherever you want, and meet interesting new folks along the way. To explore Australia coast to coast, the first thing you’ll need to do is rent a car as soon as you get to the airport. Here you can read another article about the ranking of the best car rental companies in Australia.
In this article, we’re going to talk about the best road trips you can have in the country of Australia. We’ll mention some of the road trip routes you may want to take and what sights you can see along the way. All of these road trips are unique in their way, but all of them involve breathtaking nature, wildlife and undoubtedly plenty on fun along the way.
Here’s the deal.
Adelaide to Darwin
If you want to get to know Australia coast-to-coast but can’t afford to go along all of its edges, then it might be a good idea to pick your route to be from Adelaide to Darwin. This route cuts Australia in half, so to speak, so you’ll get to see the best of both worlds – both the dry southern parts and the tropical north.
Plus, you can see the ocean right at the beginning of your trip and towards its end, so there’s another thing you can add to the list of pros for picking this particular route.
Along the way, you can visit places like Uluru (you’d have to make a slight digression to get there, but it’d be worth it), Kata Tjuta, as well as the Grand Canyon.
Since there are large patches of the trip where you won’t encounter any people or at, or even gas stations, you have to plan everything out in advance, lest you end up in a tough situation all on your own in the middle of the Australian outback.
Brisbane to Cairns
While the Brisbane to Cairns road trip may not be the longest road trip out there, it is still one of the most popular road trips in Australia.
Two options are recommended for this road trip when it comes to the sort of vehicle you’re using – You can either go by car or take a campervan for the ‘mission’. The thing is, the distances between various motels, gas stations, and other civilization and towns is not that great on this road trip, so you can go by car if you plan to stay in motels along the way.
That said, if you want more of an engaging experience, a camper van may be a better option here, because you’ll be able to camp wherever you want along the way. All you need to do is take your camping setup items, and, well, set them up, and you’re good for the night. Some of the fantastic locations you will see along the way would certainly include Hervey Bay, Airlie Beach, and Fraser Island.
Perth to Darwin
Switching over to one of the longest and toughest road trips you can take in Australia – Perth to Darwin. With over 4,000 km of the road, you have to cover, going on this road trip and completing it is quite an accomplishment, but it would probably work best for the folks who have already completed shorter road trips and who have the experience with it, so to speak.
There are two main routes you can choose between within this route.
The first one would start from Perth and then go inland towards Darwin. This route certainly does have its pluses but chances are – you’re going to see some desert, too, and there are fewer interesting places to visit along the way.
As for the second route – the idea is to go along the coast, so you can see both the ocean and some of the fantastic cities en route to Darwin such as the Coral Bay and the Ningaloo Reef.
Again, it’d be important to mention that you need to take all necessary precautions when embarking on this trip, to avoid encountering any difficulties along the way.
All in all, going on a road trip is a joyous experience that does require some toughness and resourcefulness on your part to work like a charm. If you’re willing to brave the hot weather, tackle and vehicle issues you may experience along the way, and drive for hours on end, you will also reap the benefits of seeing some of the most fantastic sunsets on Earth as well as a host of interesting locations along the way.
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