Four ‘ultimate’ road trips around Australia

Award-winning travel writer and bestselling author Lee Atkinson has explored the globe to bring readers the very best driving holidays she could find.
A self-confessed road trip junkie who loves getting away from the crowds in wild and remote places, she believes “that any excuse to hit the road is a good one”.
Here are her favourite driving holidays in Australia, as featured in her new book ‘Ultimate Road Trips’.
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It’s one of the world’s greatest coastal drives, taking in countless beaches, stunning sections of cliff-top road, lush rainforest and, of course, those famous rocky sea stacks known as the Twelve Apostles.
How long? You can easily drive the Great Ocean Road in one day – and many people even do the return trip to Melbourne/Naarm in one (very long) day – but this is a drive best taken slowly, allowing time to explore the many beaches and coastal towns along the way, so make it a two- or three-day trip. If you are short of time, hook up with the A1 back to Melbourne around 12km (7.5mi) east of Warrnambool.
When to go If you can, try to avoid summer peak periods and Victorian school holidays and weekends, when the heavy traffic can be frustrating. Midweek in mid-winter is a glorious time to drive the route, as you’ll have the road almost to yourself, although it’s too cold to swim. Summers are dry and warm; most rain falls during winter, when temperatures can be quite chilly.
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Drive ratingEasy: sealed roads with extensive winding sections.
Total distance Torquay to Port Fairy: 260km (162mi); Port Fairy to Melbourne, via the A1: 295km (183mi).
Average temperatures- January: 14–21°C (57–70°F)- July: 4–13°C (39–55°F)
More information: visitgreatoceanroad.org.au
This drive will take you to all the icons of the Australian outback: Alice Springs/Mparntwe, Kings Canyon and Uluru.
How long? You’ll need to spend about four days driving once you reach Alice Springs/Mparntwe in the Northern Territory (NT); however, as there is so much to see and do in the Red Centre, you should plan to spend at least two or three days in each place. If you only have time to stop at one of the gorges in the Tjoritja–West MacDonnell Ranges, make it Ellery Creek Big Hole, a perfect spot for a swim.
When to go The temperature range is extreme and travelling through the Red Centre in summer can be uncomfortable, with flies in plague proportions. The best time to go is April through to October. Winter days may be warm, but nights (and early mornings) can be surprisingly very cold, so take a warm jacket.
Drive rating Moderate: some unsealed roads with corrugations and bulldust – a 4WD or SUV vehicle is recommended and some sections aren’t suitable for caravans. If you would prefer to stay on the bitumen, you can take the 445km (276mi) alternative route from Alice Springs to Uluru via the Stuart and Lasseter highways, but it’s not nearly so scenic. 
Total distance Return loop from Alice Springs/Mparntwe: approximately 1080km (671mi).
Average temperatures- January: 22–37°C (72–99°F)- July: 4–19°C (39–66°F)
More information: Alice Springs Visitor Information Centre, cnr Parsons St and Todd Mall; (08) 8952 5800; discovercentralaustralia.com
A magical road trip through some of the best scenery the island state has to offer.
How long?Tassie looks small on the map but feels much bigger in real life; getting from A to B will always take longer than you think as it’s often hilly and roads tend to be single-carriageways without a lot of opportunities to overtake – although road conditions are improving. Also, there are plenty of beautiful places to stop and see en route so detours are encouraged!
Take your time and don’t try to see it all at once. Two weeks is ideal, because it means you can see most of the island and not have to rush too much, although three weeks would be even more leisurely. This journey traces a clockwise loop around the state, beginning in Devonport, where the ferry from Geelong in mainland Australia arrives and departs, but you could also begin and end the trip in Launceston or Hobart/Nipaluna if you are flying in and picking up a hire car. 
When to go Be prepared for all weather, no matter what the time of year. Snow, even in summer, is not uncommon in highland areas, where the roads can be icy, and mist and fog in mountainous areas can roll in at any time too. Rain is frequent on the west coast. A lovely time to visit Cradle Mountain is autumn, when the deciduous beech (fagus) cloaks the slopes in russet tones. Hobart is beautiful year-round but has a special buzz at the end of December with the arrival of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and Tasmania’s Taste of Summer festival.
Drive rating Easy: sealed roads with some winding sections.
Total distance Return loop from the ferry terminal at Devonport/limilinaturi: approximately 1800km (1118mi).
Average temperatures- January: 10–23°C (50-73°F)- July: 2–11°C (36-52°F)
More information: Tasmanian Travel Centre, (03) 6238 4222; discovertasmania.com.au
Explore the remote and spectacular Kimberley region on Australia’s most celebrated outback track.
How long? At least two weeks, because there’s so much to see and do you really don’t want to rush this trip and if the track hasn’t been graded for a while it can be slow going.
When to go May through to November (the dry season); roads are cut by floods during the wet season (Dec to March).
Drive rating Challenging, remote 4WD track with an easier sealed-road option. 
Total distanceKununurra to Broome: 932km (579mi).
More information: australiasnorthwest.com
This is an edited extract from Ultimate Road Trips by Lee Atkinson, published by Hardie Grant Explore. In stores nationally from 1 October 2024. Photography by Lee Atkinson and others.