Self-drive Australia - and explore the country at your leisure
On or off the road, Australia is classic big drive country. From cruising along the roads of Tasmania's pristine wilderness, taking a four wheel drive adventure to Australia's most northerly point or exploring the red desert of outback Australia, the options for self-drive vacations are boundless.
ADVENTURE NORTH TO THE TIP OF AUSTRALIA
For a true road adventure, the 500-mile drive from the tropical city of Cairns
north to Cape York, situated at the very tip of Australia, cuts through some
of the most rugged terrain the country has to offer. Driving through this
region exposes the traveler to a range of incredibly varied landscapes from
savanna, rainforest, wetlands, historic goldmines, cattle stations, ancient
rock art, wild rivers that fade to a trickle in the dry season, and golden
beaches lapped by warm waters. A nature lovers paradise, the region's tropical
climate encourages luxuriant growth and vast wetlands which are home to a
diverse range of exotic bird species and animal life, including crocodiles.
WIND ALONG THE SOUTHERN ROLLERCOASTER
The Great Ocean Road winds alongside one of the world's most stunning coastlines.
Recognised as one of the greatest scenic drives in the country, it is an exhilarating
rollercoaster route that rides the cliff tops high above the Southern Ocean
along the Victorian southern coastline.
Starting just east of the seaside retreat of Lorne, follow the coast past a continuous succession of pristine swimming and surf beaches. Further along beyond historic Apollo Bay, the road turns inland through Otway National Park, a captivating, lush rainforest filled with giant tree ferns and mountain ash, which are among the tallest trees in the world.
Emerging from the cloistered darkness of the Otway Ranges, the road enters Port Campbell National Park and the start of the windswept seascapes of the Shipwreck Coast. For the next 20 miles, the road snakes along the cliff top, high above a raging sea that has left pillars of more resilient rock stranded in the sea - these extraordinary rock formations are known as the Twelve Apostles.
ESCAPE TO REMOTE DESERT LODGES
For the ultimate Outback experience, adventure along Northern Territory's
Mereenie Loop Road. The road links Alice Springs, the hub of Australia's red
centre, with the remote desert lodges of Glen Helen, Kings Canyon and Uluru.
The route through this dramatic landscape covers about 720 miles and should
be experienced over three to five days to explore the many walks, side trips,
impressive gorges and pristine swimming holes.
Key highlights along this road include the spectacular Kings Canyon, an enormous natural amphitheatre formed about 40 million years ago. It features 300 feet-high rock walls, colourful domes in an area known as the Lost City, and an oases of palms and rock pools.
There is no more beautiful time to experience the desert than in the evening. As the day cools and the setting sun turns the sheer red cliffs into walls of fire and the ghost gums into white poles, the animals come down to drink - rock wallabies, euros (small kangaroos), lizards, flocks of colourful, screeching parrots and perhaps the occassional dingo. Your journey continues on to the World Heritage protected area of Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas). Loop back along the Lasseter and Stuart highways for your return to Alice Springs - an easy five hour drive.
DRIVE BACK TO AUSTRALIA'S COLONIAL PAST
The island State of Tasmania offers a number of great driving experiences.
Among them is the route to Port Arthur - formerly Australia's most dreaded
penal colony, it housed the colony's most troublesome and intractable convicts
in the earlier decades of the 19th Century. Situated on the Tasman Peninsula,
east of Hobart it is joined to the rest of the Tasmania by a narrow cape known
as Eaglehawk Neck. The prison was abandoned in 1877, but the beauty of its
architecture and its captivating surroundings, as well as its chilling history,
have ensured it a popular spot on the traveler's map.
Another Tasmanian must-do drive is along the Heritage Highway from Hobart to Launceston. Although it is a short drive, allow at least two days to explore the historic former colonial army garrison towns along the route. Among them are picturesque Ross, one of Tasmania's best preserved historic villages and Oatlands, whose claim to fame is its 87 colonial-era sandstone buildings, many of which were built by convicts.
TAKE THE TOURING ROUTE TO THE VINEYARDS
Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, is a perfect base for a driving
tour of the captivating Barossa Valley winegrowing region, a mere hour's drive
to the north-east.
Grapes were first grown in the broad, shallow valley in the 1840s by European immigrants, whose influence on the area is evident in the solid, bluestone architecture, the tall spires of the Lutheran churches, and in the continental-style butchers' and pastry shops in the towns of Nuriootpa and Tanunda. Today, the 48 wineries of the Barossa produce about 10 per cent of Australia's wine.
Immediately to the east of Adelaide, the green slopes, woodlands, orchards and vineyards of the Adelaide Hills give the area a European feel. Add country markets, wonderful restaurants and historic towns and you have the perfect day tour, or a more leisurely two to three days' drive, staying at one on the many quaint B&B's along the way.
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