Australians’ enduring love for road trips has produced a variety of iconic drives across the country, ranging from brief outings to extensive cross-continental journeys. Despite the growing popularity of electric vehicles, many of these routes remain best suited to traditional combustion engines due to their length, terrain, and remoteness. Here is an overview of five notable road trips across Australia, each offering unique landscapes and experiences.

In New South Wales, the Oxley Highway to Walcha covers approximately 160 kilometers and features over 300 corners as it ascends from the coast to the New England Tablelands. The route is known for its technical driving challenges, with loose gravel, land slippage, and variable weather conditions adding to the complexity. Drivers can extend the journey into a loop by returning via Waterfall Way through Bellingen, Dorrigo rainforest, and Wollomombi Gorge before finishing with Thunderbolts Way from Gloucester to Uralla. The Long Flat Pub along the way is a popular stop for travelers.

Tasmania hosts the renowned Targa Tasmania rally each November, attracting a wide range of vehicles manufactured between 1948 and 2026. The event includes a tour section where participants can legally drive at speeds up to 130 km/h on certain closed-road stages. Open from November 18 to 22, the rally offers a full five-day option as well as a shorter three-day alternative, with entry fees ranging from approximately AUD 4,000 to 8,000. The course traverses some of Tasmania’s most scenic roads.

South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula features a 750-kilometer coastal drive between Whyalla and Ceduna, passing through towns such as Cowell, Tumby Bay, Port Lincoln, and Coffin Bay. This route is distinguished by its access to fresh seafood, including locally sourced oysters, and opportunities to observe natural phenomena like the giant Australian cuttlefish migration near Whyalla, which lasts until the end of August, and southern right whales at Head of Bight through October. The drive is fully sealed and notably quiet, offering a stark contrast to more congested coastal routes.

In Queensland, the Mulligan Highway provides a more direct route from Cairns to Cooktown, reducing the travel time by nearly half compared to the coastal alternative. Covering roughly 330 kilometers, the highway ascends the Kuranda Range and passes through Mareeba, Mount Molloy, and Mount Carbine before entering savannah landscapes near Cooktown. This sealed road enables standard vehicles to reach the northern limit of Australia’s sealed road network without relying on ferry connections.

Western Australia’s South Coast Highway connects Albany and Esperance across approximately 500 kilometers of sealed road. The drive passes through Fitzgerald River National Park and towns such as Hopetoun, Ravensthorpe, and along the edge of Stokes National Park. Close to Esperance lie Cape Le Grand and Lucky Bay, renowned for their remarkably white sand and native wildlife. Winter months bring whale migrations to the area, enhancing the route’s appeal to wildlife enthusiasts.

These diverse drives illustrate the variety of driving experiences Australia has to offer, from rugged mountain passes to coastal seafood trails and remote outback stretches. While electric vehicles continue to gain traction, many of these trips currently pose challenges for EV drivers due to infrastructure limitations and route length. Nonetheless, they remain popular choices for those seeking to explore the continent by road.