Australian Adventure Drives

My Favorite 3 East Coast Australian Adventure Drives

Australia is a massive continent. The Australian continent is roughly 75% of the size of the United States. This is why Australian road trips can be so difficult to schedule out and complete. The road trips could take you months to complete. However, during my last trip to Australia, I completed a few Australian adventure drives that I think should make your road trip top 10 lists next time you are in Australia.

The Great Ocean Road Road Trip

The Great Ocean Road road trip is an adventure in its self. The road trip is approx 130 miles / 300 kilometers. The trip takes you along the southeastern tip of Australia. I started in Melbourne and finished at the London bridge. It was an amazing journey and so many cool stops along the way. The two highways that you will be using are the Princes Highway and the Surf Coast Highway. Below is a picture of a map I came across while researching this that perfectly lays out the route. 

Things to keep your eye out for on the Great Ocean Road road trip

• The Twelve Apostles
• Gibson Steps
• Loch Ard Gorge
• The Grotto
• The Arch
• Bay of Islands
• Triplet Falls
• Lorne
• Teddys Lookout
• Mariners Lookout

Brisbane to Cairns

This road trip is going to catch many Australians by surprise because this is not an everyday road trip travelers talk about. The trip from Brisbane to Cairns is an amazing ride that goes along the eastern coast of Australia along with the Queensland territory. This is definitely a backpackers road trip and you will encounter your fair share of these fun-loving travelers along the way. However, before you get too excited it is important to note that this is a multiple-day road trip. The two places do not look very far apart on a map but I assure you that they are. The distance is approximately 1700 kilometers / 1056 miles and can take on around 14-16 hours of straight driving to complete. 

Brisbane to Byron Bay

Brisbane to Byron can be a somewhat boring drive but when you get to Byron Bay it is quite worth the wait. The small town became quite the backpacker town over the past few years. It has been attracting a lot of young backpackers due to its reputation growing and growing. While visiting Byron Bay I went camping, ate lots of ice cream, and visited the Byron Bay lighthouse. 😎 Some locals see the increased tourism as a great improvement to the city while others not as much, I’ll let you decide.

All three of these road trips have their unique appeal and offer different forms of adventure. If you are able to I encourage you to take all 3 of them and enjoy every moment you have on the open road in Australia. Australia is an amazing country and offers a unique landscape that can only be seen in Australia. 

Next Up: Check Out “The Best European Road Trips”