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Top 5 Aussie road trips you've just gotta drive

Embarking on a great Aussie road trip should be a rite of passage for all Australians. After all, it's our vast southern land – easily navigable by road – that attracts visitors from all around the world to our shores.

Embarking on a great Aussie road trip should be a rite of passage for all Australians. After all, it’s our vast southern land – easily navigable by road – that attracts visitors from all around the world to our shores.

From misty rainforests, arid deserts, sparkling oceans abutting stretches of sandy beach, and quaint country towns, Australia’s diverse topography is legendary, and its multi-dimensional nature is definitely worth exploring – easily done on a self-drive holiday!

Hiring a car or motorhome and getting behind the wheel allows you to cover vast distances in your own time, and gives you the freedom to stop and appreciate the continent’s beauty from whichever angle takes your fancy.

Plus, by having your own set of wheels you can deviate from the trodden path and discover your own version of the lucky country.

With that said, here are five of the most awesome great Aussie road trips that you’ve just got to drive!

 

1. Great Ocean Road Drive (VIC & SA)

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Snaking a 243 km course along Victoria’s south-western coastline from Torquay to Allansford, the Great Ocean Road is an absolute must-do for all who venture down south to the cosmopolitan city of Melbourne.

Doable in a day but best savoured over three, this rugged route takes in famous beaches (including Bells Beach which was featured in the movie Point Break), ancient rainforest (stop at Otway National Park and spot koalas between May and October), and of course the 20 million year old ‘Twelve Apostles’ – a set of limestone rock formations that make the perfect selfie background!

 

2. Northern Territory Nature’s Way (NT)

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Get back to nature in the true heart of the Australian outback and drive the 550 kilometre stretch of dusty road that links Darwin to Katherine via Kakadu National Park. You won’t regret it!

Combining the chance to see wildlife (including salt water crocs), ancient Aboriginal rock art, a soak in a natural hot spring, and a swim in a waterfall fed rock pool, this is the type of road trip most people associate with Australia, so you’d better have it under your belt as an Aussie!

 

3. Central Coast & Hunter Valley Route (NSW)

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Visually stunning Sydney – with its iconic harbour and cove upon cove of sandy beach – hints at what else lays within the state of New South Wales.

Head north beyond Sydney’s urban sprawl to Central Coast, never letting the Pacific Ocean escape your view, and have your own slice of Australia’s coastal magic.

Or plunge like a cork into Australian wine country along the Hunter Valley Route, and surround yourself with rolling vistas of vineyards – best appreciated with a glass of local vino of course!

 

4. World Heritage Drive (WA)

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Visit two UNESCO World Heritage sites – Ningaloo Reef, Australia’s largest and most accessible fringing reef; and the Hamelin Pool Stromatolites, home of the largest and oldest living fossils on the planet – on the one self-drive holiday, and have an experience you’ll never, ever, forget!

Performing a loop from Perth, the World Heritage Drive takes you along Australia’s western frontier coast, where you can swim with whale sharks, spot dolphins, go on a bush walk and much more.

 

5. Great Barrier Reef Drive (QLD)

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Treat yourself to one, three of five days of Great Barrier Reef beauty on the Great Barrier Reed Drive, undoubtedly the best road trip you’ll ever take in Queensland.

From Cairns to Cape Tribulation, this drive winds its way through two World Heritage areas – the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics rainforest – giving you a taste of Australia’s tropical side.

Along the way, you’ll also have a chance to learn about traditional Aboriginal culture at Mossman Gorge, as well as sign up for a crocodile spotting tour in Daintree.

Whether travelling home for the summer holidays or having your own summer break, don’t go past a self-drive experience with DriveAway.

Find out more here.

Which classic Aussie road trip will you be driving this year?

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