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Top 5 best self-drive holidays in Australia

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Hitting the road in a self-drive RV is one of the best ways to explore Australia. With the freedom of having a home on wheels and nothing but the great open road ahead of you, a self-drive trip is the holiday of a lifetime.

Whether you want to explore in-land Australia, or hit up the coast, we’ve got you sorted with five of the best self-drive holidays.

 

The Great Ocean Road, Victoria

Spanning just over 240 kilometres, the scenic Great Ocean Road covers off some of the most picturesque coastal towns in Victoria including Torquay, Port Campbell, Lorne and Port Fairy. There are also some incredible natural landscapes to see like the 12 Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge (site of a 19th century shipwreck) and the London Bridge (also known as the London Arch). We also love surfing at Bells Beach, checking out the National Parks or making the most of the many food and beverage offerings in the area. There are also a number of great caravan parks and campgrounds along the Great Ocean Road, which are suitable for motorhomes and campervans.

 

Pacific Coast, New South Wales and Queensland

The aptly named Pacific Coast Trip extends 600 kilometres from Sydney to Brisbane (otherwise known as the Pacific Coast corridor). You can also further lengthen your holiday and head up to Cairns. This self-drive road trip will take in destinations including Terrigal, Newcastle, Port Stephens, Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay and Brisbane. There are plenty of sights to see and things to do along the way including the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie, kayaking in Byron Bay and a visit to the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour. Plus, there are plenty of stunning beaches, wineries and National Parks to take in. If you do choose to head to Cairns, make sure you take in places like the Glasshouse Mountains, Noosa, Hervey Bay, Agnes Waters, Airlie Beach and Townsville.

 

Darwin to Adelaide

The drive from Darwin to Adelaide spans 3,000 kilometres and is considered the ultimate outback Australia road trip. There are some incredible camping spots in National Parks along the route, including in the Kakadu National Park, West MacDonnell National Park and Finke Gorge National Park, but we also love Lake Bennett and Port Augusta for great camping. You will also be able to see some stunning sights along the way like Katherine Gorge, Edith Falls, Cooper Pedy, Uluru, Kings Canyon, Port August and Alice Springs. As well as epic campsites, Kakadu National Park is home to plunge pools, Aboriginal rock art and Gunlom plunge pool.  Two to three weeks is recommended for this trip as it gives you enough time to take in all the sights along the way.

 

East Coast of Tasmania

Tasmania’s East Coast is full of picturesque coastlines, gourmet food delights and epic rainforests, making it a great option for a self-drive holiday. Starting in Hobart, this road trip extends up along the East Coast and offers so much to do, like nature hikes in one of the many national parks or eating your way through the small coastal towns. You also can’t go past the Bay of Fires or a visit to Wineglass Bay Lookout. There are some good camping sites located in the National Parks, but you can find good campgrounds and caravan parks dotted all along the coast as well.

 

The Coral Coast Highway, Western Australia

The Coral Coast is one for the bucket list. Starting and ending in Perth, this trip takes you on an incredible journey to see some of the most amazing destinations in WA, including Ningaloo Reef, Kalbarri National Park, Shark Bay, Monkey Mia and Exmouth. There are some great campsites and caravan parks available along the route as well, including Quobba Station, Port Gregory Caravan Park and RAC Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort.

 

What is your favourite self-drive route? Let us know by tagging us on Instagram or Facebook.

 

*image credit: Tourism Australia