4 of the Best Road Trips in Australia

When you think of a holiday in Australia, you might think of the Outback or the Great Barrier Reef, but one of the best ways to holiday in Australia is by hiring a car or 4WD vehicle and venturing out on one of many great road trips. Some of the best road trips in the world are in Australia and you are definitely in for an adventure no matter which one you choose. We have Budget Trucks locations all over the country and we don’t only feature moving trucks, we also have a fleet of SUVs, four wheel drives, and other types of trucks and vehicles for hire that will fit a variety of needs.  Here are 4 very amazing and very different journeys in Australia to choose from.

1. The Great Ocean Drive

The Great Ocean Road is one of the best and most scenic road trips in the world, let alone Australia. The official start to the road trip begins in Geelong, southwest of Melbourne in Victoria. The road trip takes you along the dramatic, rugged, and picturesque southern coast of Victoria. The highlights along the way include:

The town of Lorne on the Great Ocean Road

Cape Otway Lighthouse on the Great Ocean Road

• Torquay Beach (Gateway to the Great Ocean Road and the surf capital of Australia)
• Bells Beach
• Otway National Park
• Cape Otway Lighthouse
• Lorne
• Apollo Bay
• Port Campbell National Park
• Loch Ard Gorge
• Gibson’s Steps
• The 12 Apostles
• Bay of Islands
• The Grotto
• London Arch
• The Great Ocean Road Wildlife Park
• Port Fairy

2. Tasmania’s East Coast

One of the most spectacular road trips is the drive up Tasmania’s East Coast. It takes you 276 km from Hobart, the capital city in the southeast corner of the island state north to the Bay of Fires. Even though the drive could be done in one day, why would you want to? As the saying goes, “stop and smell the roses” or in this case, the smell the sea air and take in the beautiful coastal sights. Here are some of the highlights of this fantastic road trip:

Mount Wellington in Hobart

Great Oyster Bay on the Freycinet Peninsula, Freycinet National Park

Bay of Fires

• Begin in Hobart, the capital city with a rich history, mountainous inland, and plenty to see and do to fill your cultural calendar.
• Orford is a quiet little town known for boating on the river and tranquil beaches. Fishing and watersports are popular here.
• Swansea is one of the oldest cities in Tasmania and all of Australia. Here you will find historic buildings more than 100 years old as well as Oyster Bay, the Hazards Mountains, and Freycinet National Park. Play in the waters alongside the dolphins and marine life.
• Bay of Fires is so named because of the bright orange rocks along the bay. They are a beautiful sharp contrast to the beautiful blue hue of the waters of the bay. Here you will also find Eddystone Point Lighthouse, Binalong Bay, and Mount William National Park. Things to do include camping, beach fun, picnics, and bird watching.

3. The Savannah Way

The Cockburn Ranges and Pentecost River

Edith Falls

Purnululu National Park Bungle Bungles Range

The Savannah Way is an iconic road trip that takes you clear across the Top End of Australia known as the tropical north. You can begin at either coast, the east coast starting point is Cairns in the Far North of Queensland and the west coast starting (or ending point) in the city of Broome. There is a smaller version of the Savannah Way called the Gibb River Road, which is just the part that takes you through The Kimberley Region of Western Australia. If you want to see the remote and rugged Kimberley, the Gibb River Road Trip is the way to do it and it is shorter than the 3700 km journey of the Savannah Way. The Savannah Way begins in Cairns where you will find tropical rainforests and takes you west through some of the most remote terrain in the world and includes 15 national parks, 5 World Heritage-Listed Sites, Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory, and the magnificently carved gorges of The Kimberley. If you are looking for an adventure any portion of the Savannah Way or the Gibb River Road are bucket list worthy road trips.

4. The Alpine Road

You may not think of snowcapped mountains when you think about an Australian vacation, but that is exactly what you will find on The Great Alpine Road in winter. This is a great road trip anytime of the year, but you will likely only see snow in winter. It is a distance of 300 km but has many different stops you can make along the way. Here are some of the highlights of this road trip through the mountains of Victoria including the Australian Alps and the Victorian Alps:

Alpine National Park

Alpine National Park

Footbridge across Morses Creek where it crosses the Ovens River in Centenary Park in Bright

• Wangaratta is the gateway to the Great Alpine Road. In this town you will find jazz music, fresh produce, local wine, parks and gardens.
• Beechworth is the next stop and is a historic town where you can see quite a bit of history while also taking in the beautiful countryside.
• Myrtleford is a quaint country mountain town home to fertile grounds rich in agriculture and vineyards.
• Mount Buffalo National Park is great for mountain climbing and wildlife galore.
• Porepenkuh is known as the gateway to Mount Buffalo and where you will find the picture perfect Ovens River.
• Bright is a small mountain town known for its spectrum of autumn colours. Other sights include the Ovens River, Morses Creek, Howitt Park, and Centenary Park.
• Harrietville is an old gold mining town located at the base of Mount Feathertop.
• Gippsland is an entire region that covers more than just the Alpine Road, it is very rural.
• Alpine National Park encompasses 10 of the 11 highest mountains in Victoria and is great for winter sports in the snow, camping, bush walking, mountain hiking, fly-fishing, rapids, and horseback riding.
• Mount Hotham is the highest peak of the road trip at 1,840 metres above sea level. There is a luxury ski resort at the top of the peak.
• Dinner Plain is just past Mount Hotham and is a popular resort town.
• Omeo has a rich history with its roots as an old gold mining town. Most of the historic sights are now tourist attractions.
• Swifts Creek is a picturesque mountain town where you can expect to receive classic country hospitality.
• Bruthen is where you will see the mountains turn into rolling hills and forest morphs into farmland.
• Bairnsdale is the end of the Great Alpine Road trip but there is still plenty to see here including local wineries, cafes, museums, art galleries, antique shops, and nearby is the Mitchell River and MItchell River National Park.