Road Trips For Summer

Road Trips for Summer

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Australia is world renowned for summer road trips. Our stunning coastlines with long hours of daylight make us spoilt for choice.

We investigate some of the top summer road trips per state:

Firstly, Aussie summer road trips in numbers:

  • Australia has over 10,000 beaches
  • 26,000km of roads line Australia’s coasts
  • Australia has around 7 accidents per 100,000 vehicles (the US has 14)
  • 129,585 photos of Whitehaven Beach, QLD on Instagram - it’s IG’s most photographed beach

Top Summer Road Trips:

Great Beach Drive (Qld)

The Great Beach Drive between Noosa and Rainbow Beach is a prime example of Aussie summer road trips. A 4WD vehicle is ideal for beach driving and getting off the beaten track - the drive is approximately 380 kilometers long.

To get a good idea of what this trip is like, imagine pulling over, grabbing a towel and diving in the warm water. There’s plenty of camping options too.

Distance From Brisbane CBD: 151km (Noosa)

Attractions: Multi-coloured cliffs at Rainbow Beach, Fraser Island, sand and sun

Average summer temperatures: around 29 °C

Car choice for summer road trips: Jeep Wrangler. The Great Beach Drive can have a lot of… beach driving - hence the name. The Wrangler is an off-road expert and also makes frequent sand and surf stops less dramatic with its durable interior. Finance a Wrangler with Positive.

Eyre Peninsula (SA)

This one’s for fishing and seafood fans. The region boasts some of the best oysters and local produce around. Couple that with shark cage diving, secluded beaches and local wineries, it’s got something for almost everyone.

The drive is quite a long one so be prepared for some time behind the wheel. Fortunately, there are plenty of sights to see along the way.

Distance From Adelaide CBD: 640km

Attractions: Sealife, seafood, fishing

Average summer temperatures: around 28 °C

Car choice for summer road trips: Hyundai Santa Fe. The tech-packed Hyundai delivers a comfortable ride (Adl to Eyre Peninsula is quite far). Furthermore, the interior isn’t too full of hard plastic that everything scrapes and rattles, but not too luxurious that you’re scared to look at it. Finance a Santa Fe with Positive today.

Batemans Bay (NSW)

A local beach for Canberrans, Batemans Bay has a reputation for ‘where the forest meets the sea’. Understandably, the bay offers native wildlife, hiking and walking trails along with water activities.

Kayaking, fishing and other water activities are popular as Batemans Bay has natural reefs teeming with native Australian sea life. The coastal forests make for stunning views. Think of kangaroos bouncing along beaches.

Distance From Canberra: 148km
Distance From Sydney: 277km

Attractions: Birdland Animal Park, water activities, hiking

Average summer temperatures: around 26 °C

Car choice for summer road trips: Toyota RAV4. A reliable mid-size SUV with AWD options. The RAV4 is comfortable and durable enough for sandy passengers and some unsealed roads. Finance a RAV4 with Positive today.

The Great Ocean Road (Vic)

One of Australia’s (and the world’s) most famous roads. Dramatic cliffs and rolling white-capped waves make the Great Ocean Road always high on summer road trips lists. An average of 2.8 million people visits this famous road every year. That figure jumps to 6.6 million if you include day-trippers and bus tours. Make sure you’re ready for crowds.

Be sure to stop at famous Bells Beach for a dip on a hot day. If it’s not too hot, there are bushwalking tracks crisscrossing the countryside. Be sure to stop at picturesque Lorne for lunch.

Distance From Melbourne CBD: 103km

Attractions: 12 Apostles, surfing, hiking, national parks

Average summer temperatures: Cooler - 16-19°C

Car choice for summer road trips: Land Rover Discovery. Comfortable and with excellent visibility, the ‘Disco’ provides off-road ability if you choose to explore off the beaten tourist route. The Great Ocean Road can get pretty busy at times, the Discovery makes for a quiet interior. Finance your Discovery with Positive.

Northern Tasmania (Tas)

Looking at the Spirit of Tasmania ferry ride over as a huge plus, Tasmania is fantastic for summer road trips - especially for those who aren’t hot weather fans. ‘Tranquil, rugged and untouched’ are some of the words you’ll often hear people who have been there say.

The northern part of Tasmania is known for adventure activities such as zip-lining and kayaking. For the photographers out there, the rolling purple lavender fields are at their peak in January. Take your fishing rod too as there’s plenty of opportunities.

Distance From Hobart CBD: 280km (Devonport)

Attractions: Heritage estates, cool-climate wines, lavender fields, long sandy beaches

Average summer temperatures: Cooler - 17-23 °C

Car choice for summer road trips: BMW M3. The M3 delivers a powerful punch with 0-100kph times pegged at 4.0 seconds. Perfect for Tasmania’s smooth, windy roads and fast straights. Finance your new BMW M3 with Positive today.

Broome (WA)

In summer, this part of North-West Australia is warm and humid. At the end of summer, rain is more common and the afternoon clouds make for stunning sunsets - helped by its location too. Broome is also famous for beachfront dining and its close proximity to national parks.

The Kimberley Ranges take the crown for mountains in the area - budget a little more time to see them. The beach attraction is the 22km long Cable Beach, named as such in 1889 when an undersea cable was laid to connect Australia to Indonesia.

Distance From Perth CBD: 2,049km (flying and renting a car is recommended)

Attractions: Stunning sunsets, fishing, the Kimberley Ranges and Cable Beach

Average summer temperatures: Warmer - 33 °C

Car choice for summer road trips: Toyota LandCruiser. The ‘LC’ has been a legend on Aussie outback roads for decades. Its tough twin-turbo V8 (Sahara model), delivers massive pulling power for caravans. Excellent off-road ability too. Finance your new LandCruiser with Positive today.

Florence Falls (NT)

If you’ve ever dreamed of those lush, Australian bush waterholes, Litchfield National Park is a good place to start. Florence Falls are located here. Summer is the wet season in the NT so take note of news updates on road closure due to flooding.

Swimming under the falls and relaxing in the waterholes is an NT favourite. There’s minimal to no croc-threat also.

It’s best explored with a 4x4 but Florence Falls has 2WD access and campgrounds too.

Distance From Darwin CBD: 143km

Attractions: Postcard-perfect waterfalls, hiking, off-roading, camping

Average summer temperatures: Warmer - 33 °C

Car choice for summer road trips: Nissan Navara. The Navara offers tough off-road ability and lighter maneuverability than most other utes. The hard plastics inside and a tough outside and tray make it ideal for mud, sand and frequent swim stops. Finance your Navara with Positive today.

Summer road trips in summary:

It’s hard to go wrong with road trip destinations in Australia. There are accommodation options throughout the country, ranging from family-friendly caravan parks to luxury getaways. With state borders opening and international travel difficult, explore your country. The economy will appreciate it too.

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