The best road trips in Australia in 2026 are the Great Ocean Road from Torquay to the Twelve Apostles, the coast road from Sydney to Brisbane via Byron Bay, the Red Centre Way to Uluru, Tasmania's east coast via Freycinet, the Coral Coast from Perth to Exmouth and the drive from Cairns to Cape Tribulation.
Distances in Australia are huge: plan for 300 to 400 km a day at most, avoid driving at dawn and dusk when wildlife is on the roads, and carry water on outback routes. A hire car is fine for every trip here except unsealed tracks. Campervans are popular for longer journeys. Check road conditions before you go, especially in the tropical north during the wet season (November to April).
Surf beaches, rainforest and the Twelve Apostles on one coast road.
The Great Ocean Road runs about 240 km from Torquay to Allansford, hugging the cliffs past Lorne, Apollo Bay and Cape Otway's rainforest to the limestone stacks of the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge.
Allow two to three days. Spot koalas around Kennett River and stay in Lorne or Apollo Bay.
Good to know: See the Twelve Apostles at sunset, after the tour buses have left.
Torquay VIC 3228
Beaches, national parks and Byron Bay along the east coast.
The roughly 900 km drive north from Sydney passes the Hunter Valley, Port Stephens, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay before reaching the Gold Coast and Brisbane.
Detour off the Pacific Highway for coast roads and national parks, and allow four to seven days.
Good to know: Stay at least two nights in Byron Bay; it's the highlight of the drive.
Byron Bay NSW 2481
Alice Springs to Uluru via the West MacDonnell Ranges and Kings Canyon.
The Red Centre Way loops from Alice Springs through the West MacDonnell Ranges' gorges and waterholes, past Kings Canyon to Uluru and Kata Tjuta.
Allow five to seven days. Part of the Mereenie Loop section is unsealed, so check your hire car's conditions, or return to Alice Springs via the Stuart Highway.
Good to know: Walk the Kings Canyon Rim Walk at dawn, before the heat.
Alice Springs NT 0870
Hobart to the Bay of Fires via Freycinet and Wineglass Bay.
Tasmania's east coast drive runs from Orford through Swansea, Freycinet National Park and Bicheno to St Helens and the orange-lichened boulders of the Bay of Fires.
Allow three to five days. Walk to the Wineglass Bay lookout and eat oysters along the way.
Good to know: Walk to the Wineglass Bay lookout early; the car park fills by mid-morning.
Coles Bay TAS 7215
Perth to Ningaloo Reef via the Pinnacles, Kalbarri and Shark Bay.
This drive runs about 1,200 km north from Perth past the Pinnacles Desert, Kalbarri's gorges and Skywalk, Shark Bay's Monkey Mia dolphins and on to Coral Bay and Exmouth on Ningaloo Reef.
Allow at least a week, longer if you want time to snorkel Ningaloo.
Good to know: Time it for March to July to swim with whale sharks at the end.
Exmouth WA 6707
Rainforest meets reef on one of the most beautiful coast roads anywhere.
The Captain Cook Highway from Cairns to Port Douglas winds along the coast, and beyond it the road crosses the Daintree River by ferry into rainforest that runs down to the beach at Cape Tribulation.
Allow two or three days, with a night in Port Douglas and a Daintree River cruise for crocodiles.
Good to know: Stop at Rex Lookout between Cairns and Port Douglas for the coastal view.
Cape Tribulation QLD 4873
Royal National Park and the Sea Cliff Bridge, a day from Sydney.
The Grand Pacific Drive runs south from Sydney through Royal National Park, across the Sea Cliff Bridge and down the coast via Wollongong to Kiama and the Shoalhaven.
It works as a long day trip or a weekend, with beaches and ocean pools along the way.
Good to know: Stop at Bald Hill Lookout for hang-gliders and the view over the Sea Cliff Bridge.
Sea Cliff Bridge, Lawrence Hargrave Dr, Clifton NSW 2515
Through the Victorian High Country to the Gippsland Lakes.
The Great Alpine Road runs about 300 km from Wangaratta through the food and wine towns of the High Country, including Bright, over Mount Hotham to the Gippsland Lakes.
Autumn colours in Bright are spectacular, and in winter the road is a ski route; snow chains may be required.
Good to know: Visit Bright in April for autumn colours.
Bright VIC 3741
Darwin to Kakadu, Katherine Gorge and Litchfield in a loop.
Nature's Way loops from Darwin to Kakadu National Park, south to Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk) and back through Litchfield National Park's waterfalls and swimming holes.
Drive it in the dry season, from May to September, when roads and swimming holes are open.
Good to know: Swim only where signs say it's safe; saltwater crocodiles live in many Top End waterways.
Darwin NT 0800
The Great Ocean Road in Victoria, which runs about 240 km along the coast from Torquay to Allansford, past surf beaches, rainforest and the Twelve Apostles. Allow at least two or three days.
About 10 to 12 hours non-stop by the Pacific Highway, but take four to seven days to enjoy Port Stephens, Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay and the Gold Coast on the way.
Not for the routes here, which are sealed. You need a 4WD for some outback tracks, K'gari (Fraser Island) and Cape York beyond Cape Tribulation.
The south (Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia) is best from October to April; the north and outback are best from May to September, in the dry season.
Yes, Highway 1 circles the country in about 14,500 km. Most people take three months or more.