Itineraries

Sydney to Cairns

4 Weeks

Hugging the east coast between Sydney and Cairns for 2864km, this is the most well-trodden path in Australia. You could do it in two weeks, but why not take four and really chill out.

Start with a few days immersed in the bright lights and glitz of Sydney, then meander north along the Pacific Hwy through central and northern New South Wales (NSW). Hang out in the Hunter Valley for some fine vino-quaffing, and stop to splash in the sea at family-friendly Port Stephens and Coffs Harbour, home of the iconic/kitsch 'Big Banana'. Skip up to Byron Bay for New Age awakenings and superb beaches, then head over the Queensland border to the party-prone, surf-addled Gold Coast. Pause in hip Brisbane then amble up through the Glasshouse Mountains and hippie Eumundi to affluent Noosa on the Sunshine Coast.

The Bruce Hwy traces the stunning coast into Far North Queensland. Spot some passing whales off the coast of Hervey Bay and track further north to the blissful Whitsundays archipelago, the coral charms of the Great Barrier Reef and the scuba-diving nexus of Cairns.

Itineraries

Around Australia: the Giant Loop

4 Weeks

Bid a fond au revoir to the bright lights, bars and boutiques of Sydney and take an internal flight to Alice Springs in desert-hot central Australia. Check out the outstanding Alice Springs Desert Park, then tour south to the astonishing Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Uluru gets all the press, but Kata Tjuta's boulders are actually higher (and less crowded).

Back in Alice, hire a car and scoot north along the Stuart Hwy to emerging, rough-and-ready Darwin. En route, paddle a canoe or take a cruise at gorgeous Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) National Park, and check out some crocodiles and ancient Aboriginal rock-art galleries at Kakadu National Park.

From Darwin, hop another flight to Perth – a confident city that sets its own agenda – and the soulful old port town of Fremantle nearby. Continuing south, wine away some hours around Margaret River until you're ready to tackle the flat immensity of the Nullarbor Plain − if you're not up for the epic drive to festival-frenzied Adelaide, the Indian Pacific train ride is unforgettable.

Check out the world-class wine regions around Adelaide (the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale are both an hour away), or head east along the impossibly scenic Great Ocean Road to sports-mad Melbourne. Don't miss a game of Australian Rules football or cricket at the cauldron-like Melbourne Cricket Ground.

If you have a few extra days, take the car ferry across to Tasmania. Australia's divine island state preserves some of the country's oldest forests and World Heritage–listed mountain ranges: Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park is accessible and absolutely beautiful.

From Melbourne, continue along the Victorian coast to the penguins and koalas on Phillip Island and white-sand seclusion of Wilsons Promontory National Park. Spend a couple of days somewhere along Ninety Mile Beach then cruise up the southern NSW coast to idyllic Jervis Bay (spot any whales?). Back in Sydney, there are so many beaches you're sure to find a patch of sand with your name on it.

Itineraries

Itineraries

Adelaide to Darwin

2 Weeks

This classic 3000km dash up the Stuart Hwy takes you into Australia’s desert heart.

From the eat-streets and old stone pubs of Adelaide, head north to the Barossa Valley for world-beating red wines. Next stop is rust-coloured Flinders Ranges National Park: Ikara (Wilpena Pound) jags up from the semidesert.

Just off the Stuart Hwy are the opal-tinted dugouts of unique Coober Pedy. Continuing north into the desert, the Lasseter Hwy delivers you to weighty, iconic Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. The gaping chasm of Watarrka (Kings Canyon) National Park is 300km further north.

Overnight in the desert oasis of Alice Springs, then continue north to the wetlands and rock-scapes of World Heritage–listed Kakadu National Park and the waterfalls and swimming holes of Litchfield National Park.

Gone are the days when Darwin was just a redneck outpost: these days the city is very multicultural, as a visit to the fabulous Mindil Beach Sunset Market will confirm. Don't miss the quirky Deckchair Cinema and excellent Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.

Itineraries

Perth, the Pilbara & the Kimberley

3½ Weeks

Feeling adventurous? Steer your 4WD north from Perth…and keep going til you hit Darwin!

First stop is otherworldly Nambung National Park, followed by Kalbarri with its soaring sea cliffs and incredible gorges. Commune with dolphins at Shark Bay's Monkey Mia, then hug the coast for superb snorkelling at Ningaloo Reef.

Inland are the ironstone hues of the Pilbara. Cool-off at tranquil Millstream-Chichester National Park then plunge into the gorges at Karijini National Park. Down a beer at Marble Bar, Australia's hottest town, before spying some turtles at Eighty Mile Beach.

The Big Empty stretches northeast to Broome: watch the camels on Cable Beach at sunset. Nearby Dampier Peninsula beckons with pristine beaches and camping in Indigenous communities. From here, veer east into the Kimberley along legendary Gibb River Road, with wilderness camps and waterfalls en route.

Restock in Kununurra before heading south on the Great Northern Hwy to the sandstone domes of Purnululu National Park. Take the exquisitely lonely Duncan Road into the NT: once you’re on the asphalt, Darwin isn’t far away.

Itineraries

Sydney to Melbourne

1 Week

Most people fly into Sydney, Australia's biggest city. But don't miss Melbourne, Sydney's arty rival, approximately 1000km to the south.

Check out Sydney from its sparkling harbour: the gorgeous Sydney Opera House and colossal Sydney Harbour Bridge are unmissable. For a bird's-eye view, tackle the Bridge Climb over the great grey arch. Feel like a swim? The backpackers, beach breaks and bikinis make Bondi Beach a quintessential Australian experience.

Heading south, zip through Royal National Park to the elevated Grand Pacific Drive, continuing to Wollongong and the lovely coastal town of Kiama. Nearby, the Illawarra Fly Tree Top Walk and Zipline traverse the rainforest canopy.

Continuing south, meander through Ulladulla, Narooma and the aptly named Eden near the Victorian border. The road from here to Melbourne is low-key: spice things up with some blissful bushwalks and beaches at Wilsons Promontory National Park.

Melbourne is a burgeoning bayside city famous for the arts, Australian Rules football and coffee. Wander the laneways, mooch around the galleries, grab a pub dinner and catch a live band.

Itineraries

Brisbane to Byron Bay

1 Week

Strap a surfboard to the roof rack and cruise into your very own Endless Summer: this stretch of Australia's east coast is famous for its surf.

Once a sleepy river town, Brisbane is booming, growing so fast that it can be difficult to navigate. Its urban charms (great restaurants, arts scene, coffee and bars) meld seamlessly with the natural environment (cliffs, parklands and the serpentine Brisbane River).

Heading south to the Gold Coast, the cityscape of Surfers Paradise rises on the horizon. There are as many apartment towers here as shades of fake tan: check it out if you like casinos, theme parks and boozy backpackers. More low-key are the surfie town of Burleigh Heads and the surf life-saving mecca Coolangatta.

Despite big summer (and Easter) crowds and big development money, Byron Bay in northern NSW remains a hippie haven with great pubs, restaurants, beaches and the famous Pass point break. Don't miss inland day-trips to pretty Bangalow and Australia's near-mythical alternative-lifestyle hangout, Nimbin.