Revealed: Australia’s most beloved road trip routes


The spectacular Sea Cliff bridge, north of Woollongong, is perfect road trip fodder. Photo: Getty
The great Aussie road trip is a classic. With the cost of living steeply escalating, thrifty travellers are swapping far-flung vacations for the wide-open road. Here’s where they’re headed.
When it comes to road trips, Australia is truly blessed. There are seemingly endless roads that wind through breathtaking landscapes, from the expansive coast to the iconic red outback.
And in an era of rising living costs, budget-savvy travellers can embrace campsites, caravan parks and apps like Hipcamp to explore the country without breaking the bank.
Youi surveyed over 2000 Aussies to uncover our road trip habits and our favourite destinations. We’ve broken down the top travel trends, destinations and findings below.
Top road trip travel trends
There’s a lot of ground to cover on an Aussie road trip. Half of us racked up over 500 kilometres on the odometer on our last journey, while a quarter of us logged an incredible 17 hours or more behind the wheel.
For a third of respondents, budget was a factor in choosing a road trip. On average, their most recent trip cost $1108, covering fuel, accommodation, meals and entertainment.
Baby boomers proved to be the most intrepid road-trippers, travelling longer, driving further and veering off the beaten path more often. While 20 per cent of all respondents travelled over 1000 kilometres, that figure jumped to 32 per cent for boomers.

Travelling the Gibb River Road in the Kimberley. Photo: Getty
Top road trip destinations
Queenslanders proved to be the biggest road-trippers in the country, with 33 per cent spending more than 17 hours on their most recent journey.
As for the top road trip overall, it’s no surprise that a classic took the crown: Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. An impressive 39 per cent of respondents named it their favourite. Among Victorians, 63 per cent chose the iconic route, while 45 per cent of South Australians also ranked it as their top pick.
Meanwhile, travellers from NSW singled out the Sydney to Brisbane drive as their go-to. Some 43 per cent of Queenslanders awarded top gong to outback Queensland, whereas Western Australians ranked the Perth to Esperance route as their favourite.
This article first appeared in Australian Traveller. Read the original here