It’s October in Australia - the days are getting a little warmer, the nights balmier, and for the first time in a while, all the borders between our beautiful eastern states are wide open for the summer. So pack the car, sort your accommodation and jump in - we’ve got the low down on the best road trips that New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland have to offer.
1. The Great Ocean Road
Stretching from Torquay to Allansford in Victoria, the Great Ocean Road is one of Australia’s best road trips. This 243-kilometre coastal adventure will take you through rainforests, spectacular cliffs, shipwrecks you can see from the shore and the famous Twelve Apostles (you’ll see eight, but they’re still pretty beautiful).
Once you hit the Apostles, we recommend exploring Port Campbell National Park - home to a slew of other incredible rock formations, walks and a 19th-century shipwreck site, Loch Ard Gorge.
If you’re only going one way, our hot tip is to start at Torquay - this ensures that you’ll be on the ocean side, making lookout stops a whole lot easier.
2. Cairns to Cape York
This 1000-kilometre journey begins in toasty Cairns, Queensland and will take you on the drive of a lifetime that stretches the entire length of the Great Barrier Reef and its coastlines, through the Daintree Rainforest and right up to Australia’s most northern tip, Cape York.
There are sections of this drive that are coastal (via Cape Tribulation), require a 4WD (the Daintree and Bloomfield track), as well as an inland route that follows the Mulligan Highway. Along the way, you’ll find two World Heritage areas (the Reef and the Daintree), abundant red dirt, awe-inspiring waterfalls, adventurous river crossing, ancient Indigenous art, beautiful beaches and captivating coral reefs.
3. The Grand Pacific Drive
The Grand Pacific Drive has been in more car ads than you could poke a stick at - and it’s easy to see why. Winding 140 kilometres through rainforests, over the Sea Cliff Bridge and through coastal towns and cities including Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and the Shoalhaven, this one is perfect for a day trip or weekend getaway.
We recommend packing your swimmers and stopping at Kiama for a look at the iconic natural ‘blowhole’.
4. Pacific Coast
Following a picturesque 900 kilometres of coastline from Sydney to Brisbane, this road trip will take you through the Central Coast, Port Stephens, Newcastle, Coffs Harbour, Ballina and Byron Bay. This trip showcases classic coastal Australia, its surfing beaches, seaside towns, stunning hinterland and countless national parks, all sandwiched between two of our favourite capital cities.
The trip offers scope for some great inland detours, too - whether to the Hunter Valley region west of Newcastle (great for wine, gastronomy, cheese, olives and chocolate) or to other hinterland havens west of the Central Coast and Gold Coast.
5. Jervis Bay
If you’re tight on time, Jervis Bay is a three-hour getaway from both Sydney and Canberra - perfect for the weekend or overnight getaway. The three-hour trip from Sydney will take you over the Sea Cliff Bridge then through Kiama and the Royal National Park so is a perfect way to experience the Grand Pacific Drive on the way to another beautiful destination.
Hot tip: At certain times of the year, you’ll also find patches of bioluminescent algae lighting up the waves at night in parts of the bay. If you’re keen to catch some, there are Facebook groups dedicated to chasing ‘bio’, with Jervis Bay being the chasers’ stop of choice.
If these road trips are calling your name, and you’re looking for a vehicle upgrade before you set off (as we hear off-roading in a hatchback can get a little risky), you can browse our great range of subscription cars here.
