Road Trip Around Australia

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3. The I-Don't-Want-to-Miss-a-Thing Road Trip Around Australia

20,300 km | 293 hr drive | 4 months or more

If you're like us, and don't want to miss anything, this road trip around Australia includes not only Uluru in the central desert region but Broken Hill, Mungo National Park and the rural regions of New South Wales. You can start this road trip in Cairns and end it in Sydney, or start in Sydney and end in Cairns. 

The I-don't-want-to-miss-a-thing road trip around Australia

Itinerary from Cairns 

Cairns to Sydney (East Coast) – 3,500 km | 5 weeks
Sydney to Melbourne – 1,200 km | 5 - 10 days
Melbourne to Adelaide – 1,500 km | 7 - 12 days
Adelaide to Darwin – 3,760 km | 9 - 15 days
Darwin to Broome – 1,900 km | 7 days
Broome to Perth – 3,200 km | 14 - 19 days
Perth to Adelaide – 3,700 km | 16 days 
Adelaide to Sydney – 1,800 km | 7 - 14 days

Itinerary from Sydney

Sydney to Melbourne – 1,200 km | 5 - 10 days
Melbourne to Adelaide – 1,500 km | 7 - 12 days
Adelaide to Darwin – 3,760 km | 9 - 15 days
Darwin to Broome – 1,900 km | 7 days
Broome to Perth – 3,200 km | 14 - 19 days
Perth to Adelaide – 3,700 km | 16 days 
Adelaide to Sydney – 1,800 km | 7 - 14 days
Sydney to Cairns (East Coast) – 3,500 km | 5 weeks

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Build Your Own Road Trip Around Australia

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Driving Around Australia

Vast Distances

Australia is larger than you might think - as large as the USA without Alaska and three quarters the size of Europe. It is also extremely diverse with everything from snow-capped mountains to lush tropical forests, the outback desert and rolling green pastures. If you fly from city-to-city, you'll miss all this.

The Best Way to Travel Australia is by Campervan

The best (and cheapest) way to experience Australia is to hire or buy a campervan and take a road trip. That way you can set your own itinerary, be spontaneous, take the road less travelled, and stop where you want for as long as you want. With a kitchen in the back, you can pull into a stunning location, make lunch and soak in the views. It's the most convenient, affordable and memorable way to dine. And at the end of an adventure-filled day, your home is wherever you park it. 

Australia's Friendly Nomad Community

You will soon discover the camaraderie of the campervan community - kindred spirits who like to get off the beaten path, who appreciate the beauty of Australia, and are eager to share a few tips and their favorite camping locations with you. As Edith Wharton once said "One of the great things about travel is you discover how many good, kind people there are." 

Traveling around Australia is a popular thing to do when you retire here, so much so that these travelers are known as the 'grey nomads'.

Kangaroos and Driving At Night

We strongly advise against driving at night due to the volume of kangaroos that will jump in front of your campervan. Not only will you damage your vehicle, but you'll injure or kill a kangaroo. When you see a dead kangaroo on the road, check its pouch for a joey when safe to do so. Kangaroo rescue centers can be located at Coober Pedy, Alice Springs, Darwin, Katherine and many other towns around Australia. You can find wildlife rescue phone numbers here. Offer it water but nothing else until you get it to a rescue centre. You might save a life! 

Outback Driving Etiquette

If a truck approaches while travelling the outback roads, it is polite (and sensible) to pull over onto the side of the road and wait for it to pass. The trucker will thank you for it and you’ll protect your windscreen from flying rocks.