I did a road trip from the East to the West Coast through Central Australia and I loved it all. Australia is diverse–in its landscapes and in its culture. Each place, no matter how big or small, is unique and special in its own way. One week you can be a sporty girl in Sydney and the other covered in dust digging for gems in the bush. Every aspect of Australian culture felt somehow unreal to me which made me want to explore even more.
If you are dreaming about doing a road trip across Australia, getting your own vehicle is probably the best choice. You can go with your own flow, stop wherever you want, and change plans last minute. But you shouldn’t be so casual about it. Here is what you should know before starting your adventure (based on my own mistakes and takeaways).
Side Note: If you don’t want to commit to a vehicle, don’t have a drivers licence, or simply don’t enjoy driving, no worries. There’re many others ways to do a road trip. Read here: … .
Size and Population
Australia is huge and isolated, a continent and island on its own. Geography might be boring to you, but it’s essential to understand the country’s size and its population in order to plan travel itineraries.
Australia is with 7 million sq. km bigger than all European countries combined but it’s not in the slightest that much populated. It is estimated to reach 28 million this year and has a handful of major towns with most of them being located on the East Coast. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide are the most populated cities and you will likely arrive in one of them if you’re coming from overseas.
Distances
Perth, for example, is the most isolated major city in the world. Yes, there are smaller towns nearby and you can do great road trips around the area but Adelaide–being the next major town with an airport, fully equipped hospitals, and shopping centres–is more than 2.000 km away. Besides that, you have to cross the Nullarbor to reach it. That’s 1.200 km through the desert with limited facilities along the way.
There is also Alice Springs, a relatively small town that feels like an oasis with all its shops and cafes when reaching it. It’s located in the centre of Australia between Adelaide and Darwin on the famous Stuart Highway. The driving distance from both towns is approximately 1.500 km. That’s like driving from Berlin to Rome, from Paris to Zurich, or Kyiv to Vienna but with barely any other town on the way. So quite remote too.
Even though the distances sound manageable, and they are, you should be aware of them before driving. The Outback plays by its own rules. Have respect and come prepared!
Tipp: Take enough fuel and water and know where to refill! Prices in remote areas are high, fuel stations close early, and there is a water shortage in the desert. Also know your emergency contacts and tell people where you’re going! That’s a must. Read more here: … .
Navigation
When planning a road trip across Australia, make yourself familiar with the maps. No matter where I go I always use Google Maps for planning my trips. I put pins beforehand, and download offline maps which is super convenient and makes travelling so much easier.
I also had a physical map with me and I recommend you to get one too. Experience taught me that relying on one smartphone is not a good idea. I can name multiple scenarios that can happen on a road trip in which you might end up without a functioning phone–either the screen breaks, you drop it somewhere, or it overheats. Crossing fingers you won’t experience neither of it.
However, if something like this happens, don’t panic. There is always help and a way out of a tricky situation. Especially in isolated areas, I found people to be extremely helpful and generous. Aussies stop and ask if everything is ok when they see you reaching out.
Also, it’s very easy to navigate by traffic signs without using a navigation system. And you can always ask for directions or for the best route which I would recommend to do anyway as Google Maps is not always accurate in remote areas. Nevertheless, have at least a slight idea of your route in mind.
Where to start?
In my opinion, the East Coast is the best and safest place to start a road trip, especially when you’re new to Australia, not used to long distance driving, or not so sure about driving by yourself. You’ll be fine when your car breaks down, you’ll be able to get help, and figure out how things work. It’s safe and convenient for the start. After grooving in you can go towards the Outback with more confidence.
In contrary to West or Central Australia, the East Coast is very well populated and has a great infrastructure. You can easily stop in a motel for the night, do groceries along the way, or level up your camping gear. It’s also a great place to meet fellow travellers and future friends. The route from Melbourne to Cairns has short distances between towns which makes it easy to drive. You can go slow along the coast or skip the detour and get straight to major towns along the high way.
Side Note: You can stay on Australia’s Highway 1 and do a full loop around the country. It’s a network of highways connecting all major towns which makes it the world’s longest national highway. However, you will miss out on many beautiful places when only sticking to it and as a road trip is about exploring, I highly recommend the slower drive along the coasts.
How much time to plan?
There’s big speculation about the best timing for a road trip through Australia. I often got asked about where to start and which way to go around. I tried to figure it out myself and made some calculations but I came to the conclusion that there is no ultimate timing or ideal route for a round trip across Australia.
You should plan your journey based on where you will start your adventure, which places you want to visit, what you want to do, what your budget is, and how long time you have.
Time wise there’s no limit. I’ve met people who were doing their third loop around Australia, others who did one loop within six years, and others who dedicated their whole life to it. So it really depends on how much time you want to dedicate to your road trip. I felt that 10 months was not enough, as it didn’t allow enough time to settle down and work at places to get some extra travel coins. As soon as I’ve got familiar with a place and its people it was time to leave. Also I didn’t manage to see everything I wanted or sometimes I couldn’t do things I had planned because it was not the right timing for it.
Seasons
In order to make the best decision on when to start your journey you should think Australia in its seasons.
Southern Australia has four seasons that are opposite to the Northern Hemisphere. So when December to February is winter time in Europe, Australian has its peak summer season and the other way around. Santa on the beach and Christmas in July are a thing.
Seasons of Southern Australia:
December – February = Summer
March – May = Autumn
June – August = Winter
September – November = Spring
Side Note: Australia is not that far from Antarctica. I realised that when I was living through my first Australian winter in Sydney. I literally felt the Arctic cold in the wind. Also, Australian houses are badly insulated. Australian winter season felt much colder than winter has ever been in Europe.
Northern Australia, or better the Top End, is with its tropical climate another story. It’s much more humid and nearly all year round warm. However, there you have to deal with the wet and dry seasons. That’s lots of rain, heavy thunderstorms, or even severe tropical cyclones. Some were so heavy that people are still talking about them. I encountered cyclone Alfred in 2025 and let me tell you, that was no fun. Especially not in a roof top tent.
Seasons of Northern Australia:
November – April = Wet Season
May – October = Dry Season
Side Note: I visited the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in Darwin (MAGNT Darwin) and they had an exhibition on Cyclone Tracy that destroyed the city on Christmas Eve in 1974. It’s still stuck with me. It’s free entry and worth visiting to learn more about the Northern Territory.
Weather hazards
Rain in Australia often correlates with flooding. There are areas that are more prone to it than others. However, you should be aware that roads are affected too and road closures are a measurement.
Also, keep in mind that the rain in Queensland doesn’t stay in Queensland. Water can flows. Take Lake Eyre, the Greatest Lake in Australia, which is located in the south east centre, just above Adelaide. It’s normally dry but it can fill up with floodwater every now and then. When I was around the area in 2025 it was extremely busy because people wanted to do a scenic flight to see the color changes in the water from above.
Besides water, there’re severe fire hazards. There’re lots of controlled fires happening but you can also encounter natural disasters. Always check for fires during summer or dry season! Especially, when choosing your camp spot. I recommend to stay as far as possible as wind direction can change and spread the fire quickly.
Check out my post on useful apps that will help you plan your road trip and stay safe in Australia: … .
When to go?
From December to March you want to be somewhere in the South, either southern WA in Perth or Esperance, South Australia, south NSW, or Tasmania. April to September is great to drive up the East or West Coast, whereas October to December is great to drive down. June to September is good for visiting Central Australia while July to October is probably the best time to get around the Top End.
How I said, it really depends what you’re interested in and what you want to do.
If you want to do the Gibb Road you should plan to do it in the dry season as ranges and parks will start to close for the rain season around the start of October. If you want to see humpback whales in the southern parts of the East or West Coast, you should wait for the autumn and winter season. If you want to snorkel with whale sharks on the West Coast try to make it there in May or June. If you want to enjoy the Whitsundays without worrying about getting stung by the Box jellyfish, go there during the dry season to avoid the stinger season from October until May.
You won’t be able to do everything at once or in one year. Pick the things you really want to do and plan around them or just go with your own flow and plan on the go. Or better combine both approaches. You’ll be surprised how many times you’ll change your plans or how many great things will come your way unexpectedly. Don’t stress yourself about planning your journey too much. There’s no perfect plan anyway. Make your journey an adventure instead!
Don’t miss out on events
There’re lots of festivals and events that are worth checking out. I recommend looking into official event pages before planning. Most states, territories and states have one. It’s good to know what’s going on and it will help you plan.
I personally enjoyed the cultural program of the Northern Territory and especially the art scene in Alice Springs. I went to the Red CentreNATS, the Desert Mob Art Exhibition, the Bush Bands Bash and some other events in September alone. Unfortunately, I had missed out on the Tatts Finke Desert Race which takes place in June each year. It’s Australia’s Greatest Desert Race.
Bigger cities like Sydney have nearly every day something going on. In summer you have open air cinemas or in Spring you can visit the Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour which is something you won’t finde anywhere else in the world. In June you have the Vivid Festival which you shouldn’t miss out either. But there are also lot’s of other events going on like markets, street festivals, and parties. There’s literally so much going you just have to look for it. Read more: … .
It’s hard to get everything timed out, so don’t pressure yourself. You’ll have to take some compromises and decide for one or the other but have fun doing so!