Australia is one of the few countries in the world where the drive itself is the point.
Not the destination. The drive.
The distances are real. The roads are often empty. The landscapes shift from coast to desert to mountain to plains in ways that take your breath away if you let them. And if you are the kind of person for whom a car is more than a vehicle, this country was built for you.
Here are the road trips worth doing at least once.
The Great Ocean Road, Victoria
The Great Ocean Road is the one that everyone lists first, and it earns the place.
The 243-kilometre stretch from Torquay to Allansford follows the Southern Ocean coastline through a sequence of views that rarely let up. Limestone Arch. The Twelve Apostles. Loch Ard Gorge. Port Campbell. The road bends and dips with the coastline in a way that rewards a car with good steering feel and a driver who is actually paying attention.
The best time to drive it is early morning before the tourist traffic builds, heading west so the ocean sits on your left and the light falls the right way.
Do not rush it. Three days is better than one.
The Oxley Highway, New South Wales
Most people outside New South Wales have not heard of the Oxley Highway.
People who have driven it do not forget it.
The section between Walcha and Wauchope covers around 150 kilometres of mountains, switchbacks, and elevation that few sealed roads in Australia can match. It is winding in the best possible sense the kind of road that asks the driver to be present, to read the corner ahead, to trust the car.
For anyone who owns a car they actually enjoy driving, the Oxley is the benchmark Australian driving road. It passes through the Werrikimbe National Park with very little traffic, no barriers on most corners, and views across the ranges that reward the effort of getting there.
This is the road Australian car media has been writing about for decades. It deserves every word.
The Nullarbor Plain
The Nullarbor is not a conventional road trip. It is more like a test.
The crossing from Ceduna in South Australia to Norseman in Western Australia is around 1,200 kilometres, a large portion of which is the longest straight stretch of road in Australia the 146-kilometre Eyre Highway straight that sits in the mind long after the drive is done.
There are no mountains. No spectacular bends. No scenic vistas in the traditional sense.
What there is: emptiness on a scale that is difficult to prepare for, a sky that takes up more of your vision than land, roadhouses with names that feel like the end of the world, and the very real sensation of being genuinely far from anything.
The Nullarbor rewards patience and preparation. Fuel before you need it. Carry water. Check your tyres. Go during the cooler months.
But go. At least once, go.
The Alpine Way, Victoria and New South Wales
The Alpine Way runs from Khancoban in New South Wales through to Wodonga in Victoria, crossing the Victorian High Country through Thredbo, Jindabyne, and the Snowy Mountains.
In summer, it is one of the most technically interesting drives in south-eastern Australia. In winter, sections close for snow and ice. The road through the high plains passes through terrain that feels genuinely remote even though it is accessible within a day’s drive from Sydney or Melbourne.
The combination of alpine scenery, honest road character, and low traffic makes it a favourite for car enthusiasts willing to make the trip north from Melbourne.
Cape York Peninsula, Queensland
For the four-wheel drive community, Cape York is the ultimate Australian road trip goal.
The drive from Cairns to the Tip of Australia is not paved in the traditional sense for most of its length it is corrugated dirt, creek crossings, and track that demands proper preparation, a capable vehicle, and a willingness to manage whatever the road gives you.
What it gives you in return is the most remote and spectacular scenery accessible by road in the country.
The dry season window from June to October is when most people make the run. Convoys are common. Recovery gear is not optional. The communities along the route are part of the experience.
Cape York is the road trip that Australian four-wheel drive culture has built its identity around. It is worth every kilometre.
How to Plan a Road Trip the Right Way
A few things make the difference between a great Australian road trip and a difficult one.
Service intervals matter more than usual when you are running long distances on remote roads. Check your tyres not just pressure but condition before any serious outback or high country route. Carry more water than you think you need. Let someone know your route and expected arrival.
On the driving itself: leave early, drive in the cooler parts of the day if the heat is a factor, and build in more time than your mapping app suggests. The best moments of most Australian road trips happen in the unscheduled hours.
The car is ready. The road is waiting.
