Twelve road trips, seven in Australia and five in New Zealand, from the two-hour Milford Road to a week or more up the Stuart Highway. Both countries drive on the left in right-hand-drive cars, so UK drivers have little to adjust to. The seasons are the reverse of ours, and the far north of Australia has a wet season that closes some roads.
| Route | Distance | Days | Best months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Ocean Road (VIC) | 243 km | 2 to 3 | November to April |
| Cairns to Cape Tribulation (QLD) | about 140 km | 2 to 3 | May to October |
| Adelaide to Alice Springs (SA/NT) | about 1,530 km | 4 to 6 | April to October |
| Tasmania's east coast | about 400 km | 4 to 5 | November to April |
| Sydney to Byron Bay (NSW) | about 770 km | 4 to 6 | September to May |
| Perth to Exmouth (WA) | about 1,250 km | 7 to 10 | April to October |
| Gibb River Road (WA) | about 660 km | 7 to 10 | May to October only |
| Milford Road (NZ) | about 120 km | 1 | November to April |
| Queenstown to Hokitika via Haast (NZ) | about 480 km | 2 to 3 | November to April |
| Forgotten World Highway (NZ) | about 150 km | 1 | October to April |
| Coromandel and the Pacific Coast Highway (NZ) | up to about 1,000 km to Napier | 4 to 7 | November to April |
| Queenstown to Christchurch via Aoraki/Mount Cook (NZ) | about 480 km plus the Mount Cook road | 2 to 3 | all year (check winter conditions) |
Australia
1. Great Ocean Road, Victoria
243 km from Torquay to Allansford, about an hour and a quarter from Melbourne to the start. The road follows the coast from Torquay to Apollo Bay, cuts inland through the Otways, and comes back to the cliffs at the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and London Arch (London Bridge until its span collapsed in 1990). Bells Beach, Lorne and Cape Otway Lightstation are the other main stops.
Driving on the left, westbound from Torquay puts you in the ocean-side lane, which makes it easier to pull into the coastal lookouts. Our Great Ocean Road page has the route and stops.
2. Cairns to Cape Tribulation, Queensland
About 140 km north from Cairns, past Port Douglas and Mossman Gorge, across the Daintree River on the cable ferry, and through the Daintree rainforest to Cape Tribulation. Here two World Heritage areas, the rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef, meet at the coast. Reef trips run by boat from Cape Tribulation and Port Douglas. Saltwater crocodiles live in the rivers and estuaries, so don't swim where the signs say not to. From roughly November to May, box jellyfish are a risk in the sea as well.
3. Adelaide to Alice Springs (Stuart Highway)
The Stuart Highway starts at Port Augusta, about 300 km north of Adelaide, and runs to Darwin. Alice Springs is about 1,530 km from Adelaide in total. The highlights are Coober Pedy, the opal town where many people live in underground dugouts, and the long empty country north of it. Uluru is a big detour west from Erldunda.
- Fill up at every roadhouse, and carry spare water.
- Avoid driving at dawn, dusk and night, when kangaroos, cattle and camels are on the road. Many hire companies restrict night driving outside towns, so check your agreement.
- Road trains can be over 50 m long. Give them room and only overtake on long, clear straights.
4. Tasmania's east coast
About 400 km from Hobart to Launceston up the Tasman Highway. Freycinet National Park (the walk up to the Wineglass Bay lookout), Bicheno's penguins at dusk, the orange-lichened boulders of the Bay of Fires, and Maria Island by ferry from Triabunna (no cars on the island). Traffic is light, and four or five days is enough.
5. Sydney to Byron Bay, New South Wales
About 770 km. The Pacific Motorway is quick, but the better trip uses the coast roads and detours: Port Stephens, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, and inland to Bellingen and Dorrigo on the Waterfall Way.
6. Perth to Exmouth, Western Australia
About 1,250 km north. The Indian Ocean Drive takes you to the Pinnacles, the limestone pillars in Nambung National Park, then on to Geraldton, the gorges and coastal cliffs of Kalbarri, Shark Bay and Monkey Mia's dolphins, and Ningaloo Reef. At Turquoise Bay near Exmouth you can snorkel straight off the beach onto coral. Swimming with whale sharks is done from boat tours, roughly March to July.
7. Gibb River Road, Western Australia
About 660 km through the Kimberley between Derby and Kununurra, mostly unsealed. It's only open in the dry season, roughly May to October, and you need a high-clearance 4x4, two spare tyres, recovery gear and enough fuel for long gaps between roadhouses. Highlights include Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek, Bell Gorge, Manning Gorge and El Questro. Check that your hire agreement covers it: many standard rentals don't allow it.
New Zealand
8. Milford Road, Fiordland
About 120 km on State Highway 94 from Te Anau to Milford Sound, two hours without stops but a full day with them. It runs through the Eglinton Valley and beech forest, past the Mirror Lakes, through the 1.2 km Homer Tunnel and down to the sound. There's no fuel after Te Anau, and in winter you must carry chains because of avalanche risk. See our Milford Road page.
9. Queenstown to Hokitika via the Haast Pass
About 480 km via Wanaka, the Haast Pass and the West Coast, past Thunder Creek Falls, Fox and Franz Josef glaciers and Okarito Lagoon, ending at Hokitika (pounamu carving, and the turquoise Hokitika Gorge just inland). The weather on the West Coast changes quickly, and there are plenty of single-lane bridges. The sign tells you who gives way.
10. Forgotten World Highway, North Island
State Highway 43 runs about 150 km between Stratford and Taumarunui over saddles and through the Moki tunnel, stopping at Whangamōmona, a village that declared itself a republic. There's no fuel along the way, so fill up at either end. Part of the Tangarakau Gorge section has long been gravel, so check its current state.
11. Coromandel and the Pacific Coast Highway
The Pacific Coast Highway touring route runs from Auckland round the Coromandel Peninsula, along the Bay of Plenty, round East Cape and down to Gisborne and Napier, the Art Deco town on Hawke's Bay. The Coromandel alone is worth two or three days. At Hot Water Beach you dig your own pool in the sand around low tide. Access to Cathedral Cove has been affected by storm damage in recent years, so check before you go. Roads on East Cape have also been hit by storms, so check NZTA for closures.
12. Queenstown to Christchurch via Aoraki/Mount Cook
About 480 km over the Lindis Pass and past Lakes Pukaki and Tekapo, with the 55 km side road up Lake Pukaki to Aoraki/Mount Cook Village, below New Zealand's highest mountain. Tekapo sits in the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, so stay a night for the stars.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive in Australia and New Zealand on a UK licence?
Yes, as a visitor. New Zealand accepts a valid UK licence for up to 12 months from arrival. Australian rules vary slightly by state, but a current UK licence is generally accepted for visitors. Carry the photocard, and check your hire company's own requirements.
Do they drive on the left in Australia and New Zealand?
Yes, both drive on the left, and roundabouts go clockwise as in the UK. The differences to watch for are Melbourne's hook turns in the city centre, single-lane bridges in New Zealand, and road trains and wildlife in the Australian outback.