What is Australia’s Most Scenic Drive? 7 Best Australia’s Coastal Drives

Australia has 50,000 km of beautiful coastlines that are just waiting to be explored on your next road trip. There are a lot of different coastal drives to choose from, whether you want a 4-wheel drive adventure or a scenic highway trip. We’ve put together a list of the seven best coastal routes in Australia.

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Pacific Coast (NSW to Queensland)

Along the 900 km from Sydney to Brisbane, you will see some of the most famous places on the east coast. Some of the most popular stops include feeding pelicans at The Entrance, discovering the historic city of Newcastle, soaking in the scenic views and swimming at Port Macquarie, getting your photo with the Big Banana at Coffs Harbour, snorkelling with sea turtles in Byron Bay and taking a surf break along Surfers Paradise.

What is Australia's Most Scenic Drive? - Travel Pixy — Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, QLD | Courtesy of Tourism Australia © Ellenor Argyropoulos

Great Southern Way (NSW to Victoria)

The Great Southern Way will take you through New South Wales and Victoria, two of Australia’s most beautiful states. It is suggested that you spend at least eight days on the 1,100km route. You will see beautiful national parks and beaches as you drive along the Pacific Ocean, the Tasman Sea, and the Bass Strait. Make sure to stop and look at the kangaroos on Pebbly Beach, scuba dive at Montague Island, watch whales in Eden, visit the southernmost point of Australia at Wilsons Promontory, and walk with the penguins on Phillip Island.

The Great Ocean Road (Victoria)

The Great Ocean Road is known as one of the best road trips in the world. It has a lot of stops where you can see beautiful views, go hiking, meet Aussie wildlife, and find waterfalls and beachside towns. The Twelve Apostles are a popular place to stop, but we recommend going deeper into Loch Ard Gorge, Port Campbell National Park, Great Otway National Park, and Apollo Bay. Watching fur seals play along Portland, learning about Aboriginal culture in Geelong, and taking it easy in the fishing village of Port Fairy are also popular things to do.

Great Eastern Drive (Tasmania)

Take the Great Eastern Drive in Tasmania to get from Hobart to the Bay of Fires. Along the way, stop at some of the walks and views that have won awards. There’s no better way to start your trip than by relaxing on one of Swansea’s many beaches or trying wines at one of the area’s vineyards. Discover the amazing sights of the Freycinet Peninsular and Coles Bay, swim in Wineglass Bay, climb the pink granite Mount Graham, watch penguins on Diamond Island, go fishing in St. Helens, and see the amazing shell-covered beaches at the Bay of Fires.

Coral Coast (Western Australia)

Whether you drive from Perth to Exmouth or further north to Broome, you should give yourself at least two weeks to drive and see the Coral Coast, which is one of Australia’s longest coastal drives. On this route, you can see the ancient Pinnacles, smell the wildflowers in Kalbarri, swim with dolphins in Monkey Mia, and explore Karijini National Park, which is one of the best national parks in Australia. If you go to Broome, you should take a walk along Cable Beach and ride a camel along the beach as the sun goes down. What better way could there be to end your trip?

Fraser Island’s 75 Mile Beach (Queensland)

The 75 Mile Beach is on Fraser Island, which is the world’s largest sand island. It is known as one of the best places to drive a four-wheel drive in the country. You can travel along this beautiful beach to see the Maheno Shipwreck or stop to see the pristine lakes and beautiful forests on the way to Kingfisher Bay. Make sure to stop at Eli Creek and Lake Mackenzie. Due to the high number of sharks and dangerous currents, it’s not safe to swim along the beach. If you want to go for a swim, check out the Champagne Pools instead.

Highway Captain Cook (Queensland)

This one-hour coastal drive from Cairns to Mossman in the far north of Queensland is one of the shortest. The Captain Cook Highway will take you past several large beaches, along boardwalks in the rainforest, and into gorges that are filled with mist. At the end of the highway, you can see Daintree National Park, which you should definitely visit, pouring down the mountains into the ocean. If you look out through the forest, you’ll see that the Great Barrier Reef is only a stone’s throw away.

Topic: What is Australia’s Most Scenic Drive? 7 Best Australia’s Coastal Drives

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