The Best Short Road Trips in Australia — and How They Fit a Longer Roadie

Every major city has good country within easy reach. Here’s where I’d head from each, with an easy option and a slightly bigger one.

Short road trips from Sydney

Drive south for the Grand Pacific Drive and Jervis Bay’s white sand, about two to three hours to the bay, or head west into the Blue Mountains for lookouts and bushwalks within ninety minutes. Both make an easy day or weekend. The South Coast in particular is hard to beat, and there’s more in our coastal road trips guide.

Short road trips from Melbourne

The Great Ocean Road is the obvious one, and you can sample its first stretch in a day or do it properly over a weekend. For something quieter, the Yarra Valley and the Black Spur make a lovely short loop just over an hour away. Both feature in our scenic drives guide.

Short road trips from Brisbane

The Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast hinterlands are both within an hour or two, with rainforest drives, waterfalls and lookouts around Springbrook, Maleny and Montville. Easy day trips, or a relaxed overnight if you want to slow down and stay for the markets.

Short road trips from Perth

Head south to Dunsborough and the Margaret River beaches for a weekend, or inland to the historic town of York for a quick country escape under two hours away. In spring, the wildflowers add a reason to push a little further afield.

Short road trips from Adelaide

The Barossa Valley is barely an hour away for a day of cellar doors, while the Fleurieu and Yorke Peninsulas offer quiet beaches and coastal lookouts over a weekend. The Adelaide Hills, even closer, make a gentle half-day of wildlife and village stops.

Short road trips from the Gold Coast

The hinterland behind the coast climbs quickly into rainforest. Springbrook and Lamington National Parks have waterfalls and ancient Gondwana forest within an easy day’s loop, and the drive up is half the fun.

Short road trips from the Sunshine Coast

The Glass House Mountains and the Blackall Range around Maleny and Montville make a scenic short loop, with lookouts, markets and easy walks close together. It’s an easy day, or a lovely overnight in the hills.

Short road trips from Cairns

The Great Barrier Reef Drive up to Cape Tribulation is one of the best short coastal drives in the country, with reef and rainforest side by side, about two hours each way before stops. We cover it in detail in the scenic drives guide.

Short road trips from Hobart

The Convict Trail down to Port Arthur makes a full and rewarding day, while the Tasman Peninsula’s coastal lookouts are close by. Tasmania’s compact size makes short trips especially easy here, and you can pack a lot of variety into a single weekend.

Short road trips from Canberra

The capital is closer to the coast and the mountains than people expect. The South Coast beaches around Batemans Bay are about two hours east, while the Snowy Mountains and the Kosciuszko high country sit within reach for a weekend of alpine air and walks.

Short road trips from Darwin

In the dry season, Litchfield National Park is an easy day trip, with waterfalls and clear plunge pools within about ninety minutes. Kakadu rewards a longer weekend with its wetlands and rock art. Both are dry-season trips, so plan for roughly May to October.

Not sure where to point the camper? Pick by what you’re in the mood for.

• For the beach: the South Coast from Sydney, where Booderee National Park around Jervis Bay has campgrounds a short walk from some of the whitest sand in the country, or Dunsborough from Perth for the calm bays and surf of the Margaret River coast.
• For wine and food: the Barossa or Adelaide Hills from Adelaide, an easy hour of cellar doors, farm shops and historic stone villages, or the Yarra Valley from Melbourne for wineries and the Healesville wildlife sanctuary. Caravan parks in Tanunda or Healesville make a comfortable base.
• For rainforest: the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast hinterland from Brisbane, where Lamington and Springbrook National Parks have waterfalls, glow-worms and walking tracks, with camping up among the trees at Green Mountains and Binna Burra.
• For mountains: the Blue Mountains from Sydney for the Three Sisters and clifftop lookouts, or the Snowy Mountains from Canberra for alpine walks and the campgrounds around Kosciuszko National Park.
• For history: the Convict Trail to Port Arthur from Hobart, taking in the convict ruins of the Tasman Peninsula, with Fortescue Bay a scenic spot to camp nearby.

Day trips

A single day is enough for plenty. Aim for somewhere within a couple of hours so you’re not spending the whole day in the car:

• Melbourne to the Great Ocean Road’s first stretch: Torquay’s surf beaches, the koalas at Kennett River and the rainforest of the Otways, all within reach for a full day.
• Adelaide to the Barossa Valley: under an hour to one of the country’s great wine regions, with historic cellar doors and good bakeries in Tanunda and Angaston.
• Cairns to the Daintree and Cape Tribulation: two hours north into ancient rainforest where the Daintree meets the reef. There’s national-park camping near Cape Tribulation if you want to stay over.
• Sydney to the Blue Mountains: ninety minutes to Katoomba for the Three Sisters, Scenic World and a string of clifftop walks.

Two to three days

A long weekend opens up a proper little adventure with an overnight or two:

• Sydney to Jervis Bay and the South Coast: white-sand beaches, clear water and the bushland of Booderee National Park, with campgrounds close to the shore.
• Perth to Margaret River and the Capes: surf beaches, limestone caves and cellar doors, with holiday parks around Dunsborough and bush camping in the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park.
• Hobart to Port Arthur and the Tasman Peninsula: the convict historic site, dramatic sea cliffs and a night by the water at Fortescue Bay.
• Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast hinterland: the Glass House Mountains, the villages of Maleny and Montville, and the rainforest of the Blackall Range, with caravan parks and national-park camping close by.

A week or more: linking legs into a longer roadie

A week is where these short stretches start joining up into something bigger. Loop Tasmania’s southeast, take in South West WA at a relaxed pace, or connect a run of East Coast legs — Sydney to Byron, Melbourne to Adelaide — into the first stage of a longer trip.

This is usually where a short trip stops being a stand-alone thing and becomes part of a proper journey. Our 3-week Australia itinerary and East Coast itinerary show how to build a full roadie around the legs in this guide.

Short trips are perfect with kids: less time in the car, and a good way to test camper life before a bigger adventure. Pick somewhere with a beach or a national park and keep the drive to a couple of hours. Our family road trips guide has more family-friendly options and tips for keeping everyone happy on the road.

• Leave early. An early start beats the traffic and gives you the whole day at the other end.
• Don’t over-plan. One or two anchor stops is plenty; leave room to wander.
• Pick one direction. Coast or country: choosing a theme makes the day flow.
• Pack a picnic. A good lunch with a view is half the fun of a short trip.

Check the season. Wildflowers, whales or autumn colour can turn a good drive into a great one.

What is the best short road trip in Australia?

It depends where you are, but the South Coast from Sydney, the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne, and the Great Barrier Reef Drive from Cairns are all hard to beat. Each packs remarkable scenery into a day or a weekend and starts close to a major city.

What’s a good weekend road trip?

Two to three days is a great length for a single region with an overnight or two — Sydney to Jervis Bay, Perth to Margaret River, and Hobart to Port Arthur are all excellent stretches with easy driving and plenty to see. They also work well as the opening leg of a longer trip if you’ve got more time up your sleeve.

Is a campervan worth it for a short trip?

Definitely. You skip the accommodation hunt, cook your own meals, and can change plans on a whim. It’s also a low-pressure way to try camper travel before locking in a longer trip.

How far can you go on a day trip?

Aim for somewhere within about two hours each way so the driving doesn’t eat the day. That radius covers a surprising amount from most cities: beaches, mountains, wine regions and rainforest are all usually within reach.

When is the best time for a short road trip?

Short trips work year-round, but a few seasons stand out: spring for wildflowers in WA and SA, autumn for colour in the high country, winter for whale-watching along the coast, and the dry season up north. A little timing turns a good weekend into a memorable one.

These short stretches are a great place to start, but they’re even better strung together into a proper roadie. Tell us where you’re starting and how long you’ve got, and we’ll help you build a route and find the right van for it.

Tell us your travel dates and we’ll build you a personalised camper deal with our best price guarantee, tailored to you. Our team have done these trips themselves, so you get real, money-saving advice along with the keys. Start your free, no-obligation enquiry here.