The Best Aussie Summer Road Trips For Your Driving Pleasure


Produced in association with our mates at Hertz.

Summer is the best time of year for road trippin’ with your favourite humans: windows down, tunes cranked and the open road stretching out ahead. In the spirit of this, we teamed up with the legends at Hertz – who are offering car hire with NO age surcharge for renters aged 21-24 atm – to bring you some of our favourite road trip routes from all around OZ.

It’s a massive country, so set out for a weekender or try something more ambitious and head interstate; Australia is your oyster.

SYDNEY > BYRON BAY

The East Coast of Australia is pretty darn special with many hidden gems and great towns all jammed in next to each other. If setting out from Sydney, stop in at the Locale Café in Newcastle to get your caffeine and smoothie fix for the road.

You’ll then be set for stop-ins at some of the State’s best coastal hamlets. Try Hat Head National ParkSeal Rocks and Green Point as you head North. You could also stop in at The Salty Dog Café for a beer, burger and browse of handmade wooden sculptures.

If size really does matter to you, then you’ll love the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour (try some of the locally grown blueberries while you’re there) and the Big Prawn in Ballina (the local community actually rallied to save this oversized, fiberglass icon of kitsch). If you’re hankering for top food and coffee, venture inland of Coffs to the sub-temperate paradise that is Bellingen.  

(Warning: you may never want to leave) or check out the hinterland village of Bangalow closer to Byron.

BRISBANE > CAIRNS



There’s probably nothing that typifies the Australian summer more than the beaches of Sunny Queensland. Why not treat you and your pals to a meandering drive up the Queensland coast? Obviously, it’s worth checking out Noosa (for it’s linen suit and gold chain wearing middle-aged, middle-classers, oh and the beach, of course). But there’s also some stunning, lush hinterland to be marvelled at as well: the Eumundi Markets are a showcase of local artisanal talent and the Glass House Mountains are home to a number of picturesque bushwalks through volcanic peaks.

As you make your way further North, check out Tin Can Bay where the dolphins swim right into town, and stop in at Bundaberg for a patriotic Bundy Rum tasting. Midway between Townsville and Cairns, is the beautiful Mission Beach, the ‘gateway to the Great Barrier Reef’ and if you’re really taken with the area, consider taking a 4WD excursion on Fraser Island


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PERTH > BROOME

Sure, it’s possible to head form Perth to Broome more directly, but if you’ve got the time, meandering up the coast will definitely not disappoint. Stop in at Monkey Mia and Shark Bay for exquisite snorkelling and kayaking locations and the odd dolphin encounter. Further North, Exmouth is definitely worth a look for its abundance of marine life, particularly whale sharks and sea turtles.

So too is Karijini National Park – the traditional home of the Banyjima, Kurrama and Innawonga Aboriginal people – for its gorges, waterfalls, swimming holes and local Indigenous artefacts.

 

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If you still can’t get enough of those beautiful WA beaches, make sure to spend a night or two camping at 80 Mile Beach. Halfway between Port Headland and Broome, down a remote dirt track, 80 Mile Beach Caravan Park butts up against the Indian Ocean. It’s a little piece of paradise in the middle of nowhere and one big campsite ripe for beach parties and communal campfires. Once you’re in Broome treat yourself to a stroll along Cable Beach, watching the sun set over the sea, and finish with a few sneaky bevs at Matso’s Brewery.

DARWIN > ALICE SPRINGS

Before leaving Darwin proper, toast to your travels with a cold one at the infamous Humpty Doo Tavern (obvs mid-strength, if you’re the driver). Heading south of Darwin, you’ll find Litchfield National Park with opportunities for bushwalking and croc-free swimming. But if crocs are what you’re after (not the ever-glamorous footwear though) then check out Adelaide River Jumping Crocodile Tour – you can head out in a boat and see crocs jumping for food, IN THE WILD!

Near Katherine you’ll find Katherine Gorge (of all places) for spectacular views and secluded swimming holes (crocodile absence permitting). Skylark in the Mataranka hot springs – surprisingly refreshing even in the heat.


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While en route to Katherine, be daring and follow the wending dirt track to the iconic Grove Hill Hotel – it’s a small shed where you’ll be served stubbies of Coopers Green and endless yarns. Halfway is Daly Waters, well worth a stopover just to meet the locals at the Daly Waters Pub.

Heading onto Alice, there are excellent camping and bushwalking hotspots at Kings Canyon where you can camp under the stars and explore preserved Indigenous art. Round out the trip with a visit to Uluru and the surprisingly youthful Alice Springs.


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ADELAIDE > PERTH

This is a hardcore road trip and the chance to live out all those Mad Max fantasies you’ve been suppressing. There are vast, open stretches of highway and dessert, but you can punctuate these stretches with some pretty special stopovers. Head from Adelaide to Port Augusta via the rich, red gorges of the Flinders Ranges – allegedly the world’s oldest ranges.

Stop in at Clare for a caffeine refuel. Swim with seals and dolphins at Baird Bay. Forge ahead through the wonder that is the Nullarbor Plain and relish at passing the Great Australian Bight. Once you’ve made it across the Nullarbor, you can celebrate with a dip in the beach at Esperance; there’s a host of galleries to explore and farmer’s markets at least once a month.

Heading closer to Perth, you’ll want to spend time in the Margaret River Region, checking out the outdoor cinema, wineries and craft beer breweries. Make time for the surreal Lake Cave, a cave that contains a permanent lake.

HOBART > HOBART

It’s as though Tasmania has been purpose built for road trips – you can drive the whole island in three days! But it’s worth slowing down a little, checking out Tassie’s nooks and doing a full loop around the island. Begin with a visit to the Coal River Valley where there’s a smattering of stellar wineries. Get in touch with the State’s convict roots at Port Arthur, where you can see sandstone ruins of the former convict settlement featuring eerie solitary confinement cells.

Stop in at Wine Glass Bay where jagged, granite hills meet sparkling beaches. Ogle impossibly cute Fairy Penguins at night in Bichenua, and stop for a group selfie with the over-sized Penguin statue at Penguin (yep, it’s the town’s real name). For more wine tasting, wind your way through the Tamar Valley before exploring the uniquely Tasmanian wilderness of Cradle Mountain.

On the West Coast, stop in at the bucolic town of Straun, catch a ferry up the incredibly scenic Franklin River and live out your Wild West fantasies in frontier-feeling Queenstown.

MELBOURNE > PORT FAIRY

The Great Ocean Road has to be the quintessential road trip route of Australia or maybe even of the world – the views are spectacular and places to stop are plentiful and diverse. Stop in at Geelong for fish and chips along the waterfront and stroll among the public art installations. As you head West, marvel at the cliffs, ocean views and the once aptly but now confusingly named Twelve Apostles.


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Head to Torquay, which proudly boasts Australia’s best surf beach and home of the Bells Beach Surf Classic.


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While in town, indulge your inner-surfing-buff at the Surf World Surfing Museum. There are also ample snorkelling opportunities nearby at Point Danger. Further on to Apollo Bay you can soak up the chilled vibes of this coastal gem, located at the foot of the Otway Ranges.

Once you’re done, head into the rainforests of the Otway Ranges for a blissed-out camping experience under the stars amid calming streams and old-worldly ferns. If you’re up for it, continue on to Port Fairy for yet another sweet coastal town replete with quaint eateries and a chilled vibe.

                       

                                                *~Safe travels~*

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