The Ultimate Australian Road Trip Guide: Routes, Tips & What to Pack

Australia is one of the best countries on earth for a road trip. The distances are real — this is a continent, not a country — but that’s the point. The space between places is where the trip actually happens.

Here’s how to do it well.

The Best Routes

The Great Ocean Road (Victoria)

Distance: 243km | Best done: 2–3 days

The classic. Starts at Torquay, ends at Allansford. The Twelve Apostles are the headline act, but the drive itself — coastal cliffs, rainforest sections, surf towns like Lorne and Apollo Bay — is the real reward. Do it in autumn (March–May) when the crowds thin and the light turns golden.

Don’t rush it. Stay overnight in Apollo Bay. Walk the Cape Otway Lighthouse. The people who regret this road trip are the ones who did it in a single day.

The Gibb River Road (Western Australia)

Distance: 660km unsealed | Best done: 5–7 days minimum

Not for the faint-hearted and absolutely worth it. The Gibb cuts across the Kimberley region, connecting Derby to Kununurra through some of the most dramatic landscape in Australia — gorges, boab trees, station stays, waterfalls you’ll have to yourself.

You need a 4WD. You need to carry spare tyres. You need to go between May and September (it floods in the wet season). And you need to plan fuel stops carefully — distances between stations are brutal.

The Pacific Coast Highway (NSW)

Distance: Sydney to Byron Bay, roughly 800km | Best done: 5–7 days

The easy one. Sydney north through the Hunter Valley wine region, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, the Hinterland, Byron Bay. Stop at Seal Rocks for the best beach most people have never heard of. Eat oysters in the Hawkesbury. Arrive in Byron tired, tan, and immediately wanting to stay.

Stuart Highway: Adelaide to Darwin

Distance: 3,021km | Best done: 10–14 days

The big one. Red dirt, the Flinders Ranges, Coober Pedy (underground town), Uluru if you detour, Kings Canyon, Alice Springs, then the Top End. This is the trip that genuinely changes your sense of scale. Australia is enormous and the Stuart is how you feel it.

What to Drive

Campervan: The best option for multi-week trips. You sleep where you stop, cook your own food, and aren’t locked into hotel bookings. Budget around $120–180/day to hire. Websites like Jucy and Apollo have Australia-wide fleets.

4WD with rooftop tent: More freedom than a campervan, lighter on fuel, essential for the Gibb River Road and other unsealed routes. Rent or buy secondhand in Perth or Darwin if you’re going remote.

Own car: Fine for the Great Ocean Road and East Coast. Not suitable for remote WA or NT unless it’s properly prepared.

What to Know Before You Go

Fuel: In remote areas, fuel stops can be 300km+ apart. Always fill up when you can, not when you need to. Carry a jerry can on any Outback route.

Wildlife: Kangaroos are most active at dawn and dusk and will destroy your car if you hit them at speed. Don’t drive remote roads after dark. It’s not worth it.

Camping: Most national parks have free or low-cost campgrounds bookable online. Book ahead in school holidays — popular sites fill up months out. The Wikicamps Australia app is worth the $6.

Mobile coverage: Telstra has the best regional coverage by a wide margin. If you’re going remote, consider a Telstra SIM or a satellite communicator (Garmin inReach is the standard).

Permits: Some areas require permits — Aboriginal land crossings in the NT, for example. Check before you go, not when you’re at the gate.