Exploring Australia by Road: Best Destinations for Your Next Drive
Australia, oceania
240 km
N/A
extreme
Year-round
Cruising the Great Ocean Road means hugging 240 km of southeastern coastline! Get ready for a technical drive with twisty turns and OMG ocean views. Be warned: tourist traffic around the Twelve Apostles can be cray-cray. The scenery's totally worth it, but stay sharp, the cliffside curves are intense and the Southern Ocean weather can be a real mood swing.
For an authentic Aussie adventure, hit the Red Centre Way. It starts in Alice Springs and leads to Kings Canyon and Uluru. Heads up, this is hardcore self-sufficiency territory! Fuel and water are scarce, and the desert heat messes with your ride. Keep a close eye on that cooling system and your tire pressure!
The Savannah Way is a mega 3,700 km trek from Cairns to Broome. This is a legit expedition through rainforests and grasslands. You might need a 4x4 for some parts, especially in the wet season when flooding closes roads. Map out those fuel stops and get a mechanical check before heading into the remote Kimberley region.
The Nullarbor Plain is a 1,200 km drive across a treeless wasteland. Think seriously straight roads – one of the longest straight stretches in the world! Watch out for driver fatigue and wildlife like kangaroos and emus (especially at dawn and dusk). Roadhouses are few and far between, so plan every fuel stop.
The Great Alpine Road is Australia’s highest paved road, snaking through the Victorian Alps. This 339 km route has super steep climbs and hairpin turns. Winter brings snow and treacherous conditions (snow chains might be a must). Summer's a tough workout for your brakes and engine as you climb high.
Road tripping from Perth to Exmouth? That's 1,100 km of killer coastline! Highlights include the Pinnacles Desert and Ningaloo Reef. The roads are usually solid, but the distances are huge. Stay alert for road trains – those massive multi-trailer trucks that need tons of space to pass on these highways.
Where is it?
Exploring Australia by Road: Best Destinations for Your Next Drive is located in Australia (oceania). Coordinates: -21.6529, 130.7231
Road Details
- Country
- Australia
- Continent
- oceania
- Length
- 240 km
- Difficulty
- extreme
- Coordinates
- -21.6529, 130.7231
Related Roads in oceania
hardA challenging road through Jenolan Caves in the Blue Mountains
🇦🇺 Australia
Okay, so you're heading to New South Wales? You HAVE to check out Jenolan Caves! I mean, we're talking the biggest and most famous caves in all of Australia. But get this – you can DRIVE through them! Seriously, it's one of the only roads *in the world* that tunnels through a cave. You'll find these bad boys near Oberon, about a 3-hour trip west of Sydney, smack-dab in the Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve. Think rolling hills and tons of protected wildlife. Hidden on the southwest side of the Blue Mountains, Jenolan Caves are the most well-known limestone caves in Australia. People have been exploring them for over 150 years and they get about 240,000 visitors a year. What makes these caves special? They're the pioneer of cave networks and have been developed as show caves for almost 200 years. While the number of available show caves changes, there were nine caves open for public viewing when initial records were made in the 1990s. Don't miss Blue Lake, ringed by those incredible natural bridges like the Grand Arch! Oh, and keep an eye out for the blind white shrimp living in the underground waterways – talk about a unique critter! Scientists figured out these caves are around 340 million years old, making them some of the oldest caves *ever*. Now, the road itself, Jenolan Caves Road, is only about 150 meters long as it passes through the Grand Arch. But here's the thing: it's been through a LOT. Storms, fires, floods...it's seen it all! That means it's pretty narrow and can be tricky to navigate, so drive carefully! But the scenery? Totally worth it. Get ready for a wild ride!
moderateTravel Guide to the Top of Kosciuszko Express Chairlift
🇦🇺 Australia
Okay, adventure seekers, listen up! Deep in New South Wales, practically kissing the Victorian border within Kosciuszko National Park, you'll find the Kosciuszko Express Chairlift, perched way up at 1,937m (6,354ft) above sea level. This isn't just high; it's one of the highest spots you can get to in Australia! You'll find it near the famous Rawson Pass, south of Mount Kosciuszko itself. The views? Unreal. And if you make it near the top, treat yourself to a meal at Eagles Nest Restaurant – allegedly Australia's highest restaurant – with insane 270° views stretching over 200km, including Jindabyne Lake and the stunning Victorian mountains. Heads up though: getting there is an *experience*. This "road" (and I use the term loosely!) is a totally unpaved service access road. Think serious 4x4 territory only. Don't even think about taking your sedan. Sadly, this road is closed to private vehicles. The climb is short but brutal: just 3.3 km (2.05 miles) from Thredbo, but with a whopping 523 meters of elevation gain. That's an average gradient of almost 16%, with some sections hitting a crazy 23%! So, while you can't drive it yourself, if you get a chance to experience this route, know that you'll be on a steep, scenic ride.
moderateWhere is Humbert Track?
🇦🇺 Australia
Alright, adventure seekers, listen up! I've got a killer track for you Down Under. We're talking about the Humbert Track in the remote northern reaches of Australia, specifically south of Timber Creek, nestled inside Gregory National Park. This ain't your Sunday drive! This is a proper outback adventure following the valleys, originally carved out to haul supplies between Humbert River Station and... well, adventure! You'll need a 4x4, no question. Think countless creek and river crossings that'll keep you on your toes. Forget about dodging trees; the driving itself is slow but steady. Just a heads up: when it rains, those creeks become raging rivers, and the track can become impassable. The Humbert Track stretches about 70km between Humbert River Station and Victoria Highway. The scenery's wild and rugged. Expect wide open landscapes and a real sense of being in the middle of nowhere.
easyDriving the road to Mount Cook is an absolute must in NZ
🇳🇿 New Zealand
Okay, picture this: you're cruising through the South Island of New Zealand, Canterbury region, with the unreal turquoise waters of Lake Pukaki shimmering beside you. This is Mount Cook Road, people, and it's legendary! We're talking State Highway 80 vibes, but way more scenic. The road hugs the western shore of that milky-blue lake, mostly straight with gentle curves, so the driving's a breeze. Keep an eye out for a one-lane bridge near Mount Cook National Park, though. Clocking in at about 55 km (34 miles), this beauty stretches from Ben Ohau to Aoraki/Mount Cook Village – aka Mt Cook Village – nestled 718m (2,355ft) high in the Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, smack-dab between Christchurch and Queenstown. Sure, you *could* drive it in under an hour, but trust me, you won't want to. Every turn is a photo op! Seriously, you'll be pulling over constantly to soak in the views. Peters Lookout is *the* spot – an iconic vantage point with Mount Cook perfectly framed by the lake. And as you leave the lake behind, BAM! Mount Cook itself dominates the landscape. 360-degree awesomeness guaranteed. Fun fact: this area played a starring role in 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit Trilogies'! It's one of the South Island's top coastal road trips for a reason. Being high in the Southern Alps, the road's generally open year-round, but winter travelers, listen up! Pack your chains and be ready for sudden weather changes and possible road closures due to snow. The original road up the valley dates back to the late 1800s, but thankfully, it was fully paved in '76. Get ready for an epic adventure!