Self- Drive Australia
On or
off the road, Australia is classic big
drive country. The world's flattest continent still offers plenty of
terrain to make the going interesting.
From cruising along the roads of Tasmania's pristine wilderness, taking a
four wheel drive adventure to Australia's most northerly point or exploring
the red desert of outback Australia, the options for self-drive vacations
are boundless.
ADVENTURE NORTH TO THE TIP OF AUSTRALIA
For a true road adventure, the
500-mile drive from the tropical city of Cairns north to Cape York, situated
at the very tip of Australia, cuts through some of the most rugged terrain
the country has to offer. Driving through this region exposes the traveler
to a range of incredibly varied landscapes from savanna, rainforest,
wetlands, historic goldmines, cattle stations, ancient rock art, wild rivers
that fade to a trickle in the dry season, and golden beaches lapped by warm
waters. A nature lovers paradise, the region's tropical climate encourages
luxuriant growth and vast wetlands which are home to a diverse range of
exotic bird species and animal life, including crocodiles.
WIND ALONG THE SOUTHERN ROLLERCOASTER
The Great Ocean Road winds alongside
one of the world's most stunning coastlines. Recognised as one of the
greatest scenic drives in the country, it is an exhilarating rollercoaster
route that rides the cliff tops high above the Southern Ocean along the
Victorian southern coastline.
Starting just east of the seaside retreat of Lorne, follow the coast past a
continuous succession of pristine swimming and surf beaches. Further along
beyond historic Apollo Bay, the road turns inland through Otway National
Park, a captivating, lush rainforest filled with giant tree ferns and
mountain ash, which are among the tallest trees in the world.
Emerging from the cloistered darkness of the Otway Ranges, the road enters
Port Campbell National Park and the start of the windswept seascapes of the
Shipwreck Coast. For the next 20 miles, the road snakes along the cliff top,
high above a raging sea that has left pillars of more resilient rock
stranded in the sea - these extraordinary rock formations are known as the
Twelve Apostles.
ESCAPE TO REMOTE DESERT LODGES
For the ultimate Outback experience,
adventure along Northern Territory's Mereenie Loop Road. The road links
Alice Springs, the hub of Australia's red centre, with the remote desert
lodges of Glen Helen, Kings Canyon and Uluru. The route through this
dramatic landscape covers about 720 miles and should be experienced over
three to five days to explore the many walks, side trips, impressive gorges
and pristine swimming holes.
Key highlights along this road include the spectacular Kings Canyon, an
enormous natural amphitheatre formed about 40 million years ago. It features
300 feet-high rock walls, colourful domes in an area known as the Lost City,
and an oases of palms and rock pools.
There is no more beautiful time to experience the desert than in the
evening. As the day cools and the setting sun turns the sheer red cliffs
into walls of fire and the ghost gums into white poles, the animals come
down to drink - rock wallabies, euros (small kangaroos), lizards, flocks of
colourful, screeching parrots and perhaps the occassional dingo.
Your journey continues on to the World Heritage protected area of Uluru
(Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas). Loop back along the Lasseter and
Stuart highways for your return to Alice Springs - an easy five hour drive.
DRIVE BACK TO AUSTRALIA'S COLONIAL PAST
The island State of Tasmania
offers a number of great driving experiences. Among them is the route to
Port Arthur - formerly Australia's most dreaded penal colony, it housed the
colony's most troublesome and intractable convicts in the earlier decades of
the 19th Century. Situated on the Tasman Peninsula, east of Hobart it is
joined to the rest of the Tasmania by a narrow cape known as Eaglehawk Neck.
The prison was abandoned in 1877, but the beauty of its architecture and its
captivating surroundings, as well as its chilling history, have ensured it a
popular spot on the traveler's map.
Another Tasmanian must-do drive is along the Heritage Highway from Hobart to
Launceston. Although it is a short drive, allow at least two days to explore
the historic former colonial army garrison towns along the route. Among them
are picturesque Ross, one of Tasmania's best preserved historic villages and
Oatlands, whose claim to fame is its 87 colonial-era sandstone buildings,
many of which were built by convicts.
TAKE THE TOURING ROUTE TO THE VINEYARDS
Adelaide, the capital city of
South Australia, is a perfect base for a driving tour of the captivating
Barossa Valley winegrowing region, a mere hour's drive to the north-east.
Grapes were first grown in the broad, shallow valley in the 1840s by
European immigrants, whose influence on the area is evident in the solid,
bluestone architecture, the tall spires of the Lutheran churches, and in the
continental-style butchers' and pastry shops in the towns of Nuriootpa and
Tanunda. Today, the 48 wineries of the Barossa produce about 10 per cent of
Australia's wine.
Immediately to the east of Adelaide, the green slopes, woodlands, orchards
and vineyards of the Adelaide Hills give the area a European feel. Add
country markets, wonderful restaurants and historic towns and you have the
perfect day tour, or a more leisurely two to three days' drive, staying at
one on the many quaint B&B's along the way.
Consumers can visit the Australian Tourist Commission website at
australia.com or call
1-800-333 0262 to receive an Australian vacation planning kit.
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