Five Australian drives everyone should do at least once

These iconic drives take in some of the most spectacular scenery in the country. From the Gibb River Road in the Kimberley to the Savannah Way in Outback Queensland, here are routes you don’t want to miss.

Pack your 4WD and your stamina – the Gibb River Road is not for the faint of heart. The legendary route from Derby to Kununurra is mostly gravel, often corrugated. But the bumps heighten the appeal of this bright orange swathe through the Kimberley; remote and ravishing attractions adorn your 660-kilometre journey.

This outback odyssey is an endless sea of vast starry skies, hidden waterfalls and cattle stations the size of small countries. From Derby, an early stop is Windjana Gorge, a spiritual epicentre amid the Napier Range. Part of an ancient limestone reef, its towering escarpments reveal the fossilised remains of marine life. Dimalurru (Tunnel Creek) is part of the same Devonian reef system. Take off your shoes and wade through pools of water dotting Western Australia’s oldest cave system. Or cool down at Dalmanyi (Bell Gorge), where Bell Creek drops 150 metres into a waterhole.

Straddling Victoria’s coast from Torquay to Allansford, the 243-kilometre Great Ocean Road is a rite of passage among Victorians and visitors alike. This legendary coastal route links pretty seaside towns, weaves through koala-filled forests, passes beaches where surfers tackle the Southern Ocean's crashing waves, and leads to attractions normally found only on postcards – look no further than the 12 Apostles (of which eight remain), Gibson Steps and Loch Ard Gorge.

At the southern tip of the shoreline you’ll find Cape Otway, enveloped by Great Otway National Park. Here, rainforests and streams tumble toward rocky cliffs, enveloping sandy beaches and dramatic windswept seascapes.

Ocean-fresh seafood, excellent pinot noir and powder-white beaches… what’s not to like about this journey between Hobart’s waterfront and the bright-orange boulders of the Bay of Fires?

Your drive north features cellar doors, cheesemongers, and berry and oyster farms – and you can justify your indulgences by working up a sweat hiking to Freycinet’s scene-stealing Wineglass Bay Lookout.

Plan ahead and add an extra day or two to hike, camp and bike around the captivating (car-free) Maria Island, with its burgeoning population of elusive Tassie devils.

Stretching 140 kilometres from the Royal National Park south of Sydney, this coastal route takes you over the jaw-dropping Sea Cliff Bridge, past deserted beaches, through bucolic seaside towns, across rugged headlands, and around tangles of rainforest.

Stop for a bite to eat at the recently refurbished Imperial Hotel in Clifton before checking out some of the northern Illawarra’s best beaches: Austinmer, Thirroul, Wollongong. Then plot your course to Kiama Blowhole - you’ll feel the spray from lookouts around its photogenic lighthouse.

Thirty minutes south lies Jervis Bay Marine Park, its 215 square kilometres a haven for seals, dolphins, penguins, and migrating whales. Snorkel, dive, cruise, then lace up your shoes to explore Booderee National Park, covering the southern curve of the bay and uniting powdery beaches and jagged cliffs. Along trails, spot some of its 460 native plants, many of them important sources of food and medicine to the Koori people.

The full Savannah Way stretches 3,700 kilometres from the east coast (Cairns) to the west (Broome), making it Australia’s longest official road trip, connecting two states and a territory. But you can complete it in sections – the Queensland portion of the journey is full of unexpected attractions.

Cairns is the only place in the world where two World Heritage Sites meet: The Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics of Queensland. You’ll want to linger to explore both before driving through the Atherton Tablelands to reach Undara Volcanic National Park, home to the one of the world’s longest lava tubes.

When you reach Cobbold Gorge, you’re in the heart of North Queensland’s Gulf Savannah. This geological landform is nature writ large, its narrow, red-rippled sandstone escarpments carved by a waterway 10,000 years ago.

The Aboriginal community of Doomadgee is the last stop before the remote Hell’s Gate Roadhouse, an outpost just kilometres from the Northern Territory border.

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