Seven of Australia's great touring routes, mapped end to end — with honest distances, terrain you'll actually meet, and the seasons that make or break each leg.
Every route below is written for a touring set-up — a caravan, camper or tray-back with a roof-top tent. We flag where the bitumen ends, where a high-clearance 4WD stops being optional, and how many days you'll really want rather than the brochure minimum.
Use the filters to narrow by terrain and difficulty, then dig into the day-by-day Flinders Ranges itinerary further down for a feel of how we structure a trip.
Cairns to Broome across the tropical top — Atherton Tablelands, Gulf country, the Roper and the Kimberley fringe. Sealed for most of it, with detours that beg for a 4WD.
Norseman to Ceduna along the Eyre Highway. Long, sealed and famous for the longest straight in the country at Caiguna — fuel discipline and a watch for stock and roos at dusk matter more than the driving.
Derby to Kununurra through the heart of the Kimberley. Corrugations that loosen bolts, river crossings at the start of the Dry, and gorges — Bell, Manning, El Questro — that earn every kilometre. Off-road van or camper only.
Wangaratta to Bairnsdale over Australia's highest sealed road. Wineries at Bright, the climb over Mount Hotham, then the descent to the Gippsland Lakes. Watch van weight on the grades and check for winter closures up top.
Cairns to the Tip, with the legendary OTT for those set up for it — Palm Creek, Gunshot, Nolans Brook. Most tow rigs run the bypass roads and leave the camper at Bramwell. The reward is standing at the northernmost point of the mainland.
Hawker up through Wilpena Pound, Blinman and the Brachina Gorge geological trail to Arkaroola. A mix of good bitumen and well-graded dirt with old shearers' quarters, ancient ranges and some of the best dark skies in the country.
Hobart to St Helens past Freycinet, Wineglass Bay and the Bay of Fires. Short hops, sealed the whole way and easy on the rig — the kind of route where you stop more than you drive. Book ferries and Freycinet sites well ahead in summer.
A real-world plan from Hawker, looping the central Flinders. Mostly sealed with confident gravel sections — comfortable in an off-road-capable van and a relaxed pace for a 4WD camper.
Before you go: Fuel and groceries are cheapest in Hawker and Wilpena. Carry drinking water for two extra days, top up at every roadhouse, and check the SA Parks site for Brachina and Bunyeroo conditions after rain.
Stock up, fuel up, and drive out to the Hawker lookout for sunset over the ranges. The Jeff Morgan panorama in town is a quietly brilliant way to get your bearings before the loop.
Set up at Wilpena Pound campground, then take the shuttle and walk to Wangara lookout for the view across the natural amphitheatre. Easy half-day; save your legs for tomorrow.
The Brachina Gorge geological trail reads 600 million years of earth in a morning. Watch for yellow-footed rock-wallabies on the gorge walls and ford the shallow crossings slowly.
Tour the historic Blinman copper mine, then a counter meal at the North Blinman Hotel. Short driving day — a good one to do laundry and dump tanks.
Graded dirt to the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary. Book the Ridgetop Tour if it's running, and stay up for the observatory — these are some of the darkest skies in Australia.
Roll back south through Parachilna — a feed of native game at the Prairie Hotel is the traditional send-off — then on to Hawker or push toward home.
Australia is a country of opposite seasons, and getting the timing wrong is the most common way a big trip turns sour. The short version: be in the tropical north during the Dry, and head south for summer.
The Gibb, the Savannah Way, Cape York. The Wet floods rivers and closes tracks roughly November to April — chase the Dry and you'll have firm ground and clear nights.
Flinders, Red Centre, the Nullarbor. Mild days and cold nights. Avoid mid-summer, when 45°C makes camping miserable and hard on the dog.
Tasmania, the Great Alpine Road, the southern beaches. Long daylight and warm water. The Alpine Road's high sections can close with winter snow.
The questions we get most about planning a long touring route. Still stuck? Drop us a line and we'll point you at the right leg.
Ask a questionMost touring couples settle around 300–350 km on a driving day, less on dirt. The trap on a big trip is treating every day as a transit day. Plan a stop every third day to do nothing — your tyres, your patience and your relationship will all last longer for it.
Not for the sealed ones — the Nullarbor, Great Alpine Road and Tasmania's East Coast are fine in any tow vehicle. The Gibb River Road and Cape York genuinely require high clearance, recovery gear and an off-road-rated van or camper. The Savannah Way and Flinders sit in between: a 2WD will do the main route, but you'll miss the best detours.
For national-park hotspots in peak season — Freycinet over summer, Wilpena in the school holidays, anything on the Gibb during the Dry — book the moment the window opens, often months out. Off-peak and on free camps you can usually run loose and decide on the day. Carry a backup plan for the popular nights regardless.
Plan your range around towing economy, not the manufacturer's figure — a loaded van can lift consumption by a third or more. On the Nullarbor and remote Savannah Way legs, fill at every roadhouse rather than gambling on the next one, and carry 20 litres in a jerry as insurance. Diesel is widely available but pricey out west; budget accordingly.
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