Road Trips

Unless TV has lied to us, hitting the open road is the number one guaranteed way of finding yourself (wherever you carelessly put yourself down). There’s the sense of pure freedom as you discover that you really can go wherever you like: shall I head up the East Coast to the tropics? Shall we take a trip to green and historic Tassie? Shall we go for the long drive all the way to Western Australia and brave Australia’s hostile interior? Can we retrace Priscilla’s drag-tastic tyreprints and head to Alice Springs and Coober Pedy?

What is it about a road trip that captures our imagination so? Perhaps it’s the endless, often lonely, roads in the Outback that expand your mind; or the alien empty landscapes that give you a new, larger perspective on life. Why are we here? What was the planet like millions of years ago? How can that kangaroo bounce so far? These kind of musings make it easy to shake off petty niggling irritations, and realise that if Colin from IT does keep stealing your stapler at work, in the grand scheme of things it really doesn’t matter.

There are very few hard and fast rules when it comes to road trips: number one is probably check where the nearest petrol stations are – seriously, being stranded in the Outback is no laughing matter. Having plenty to drink on board is also a good one; as is having a good map – this also makes it easier to change your mind on a whim and head north instead of south if you fancy it.

Trips come in various shapes and sizes: hiring a car; buying a car; jumping on board a campervan with fellow travellers you’ve just met; joining organised tours for some of the journey, for some ideas to get you started, check out our Driving section.

It goes against the spirit of the road to be told where to go, and how long to stay there: but some popular routes include the length of the East Coast (Melbourne-Sydney-Brisbane, taking in the famous Great Ocean Road along the way); the West Coast (usually ticking off Margaret River, Perth and Rockingham); driving along the south from Adelaide to Perth; plus of course going up the middle, from Adelaide towards Alice Springs and Darwin via Coober Pedy - here you can even rest underground if the mood takes you or the heat gets too much!

The best way of experiencing Oz however is to make up your own unique trip - perhaps through little bits of everybody else’s journeys. Find some ideas and blogs on road trips at Real Travel and hit the road!