CountriesAustralia

Australia

Australia’s driving roads range from winding coastal highways and forested escarpments to Alpine routes, remote desert highways, and long open roads across the interior. The Great Dividing Range shapes many of the most engaging routes in the east, while southern coastlines and vast outback regions provide a very different scale of scenic driving.

Driving Roads in Australia

Explore scenic and exciting driving roads across Australia.

99 Bends (Lyell Highway A10)

Tasman Highway (Great Eastern Drive)

Driving in Australia

Australia’s size produces unusually varied driving environments. In the southeast, roads climb through the Australian Alps and the broader Great Dividing Range, with routes such as Victoria’s Great Alpine Road and the Alpine Way in New South Wales linking mountain valleys, high country and ski regions. Coastal driving is equally distinctive: the Great Ocean Road follows cliffs, beaches and forest in Victoria, while mountainous hinterlands create twisting approaches to the coast in New South Wales and Queensland. Tasmania adds compact networks of winding roads through mountains, temperate forest and rugged western landscapes. Away from the populated east and southeast, distances increase dramatically. Roads across the Nullarbor, central Australia and the tropical north pass through open plains, desert, savanna and remote national-park country, where fuel range, road surface and weather become important planning factors. Conditions can vary considerably between sealed highways, minor paved roads and remote unsealed routes.

Season & conditions

Driving conditions vary greatly by region. Snow and ice affect the Australian Alps in winter, and some roads and tracks in Kosciuszko National Park close seasonally; access to certain alpine resort areas is also restricted during the snow season. Northern Australia can experience flooding and road closures during the tropical wet season, while summer heat, bushfires and severe storms can disrupt routes elsewhere. Many major highways remain open year-round, but mountain, national-park and remote roads should be checked individually before travel.

Tolls & access

Australia has no nationwide motorway vignette or general road-toll system. Toll roads are concentrated mainly around Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, with some additional tolled infrastructure such as Queensland’s Toowoomba Bypass. Australian toll roads use electronic, cashless payment; compatible electronic tags generally work across state systems, while temporary or licence-plate-based passes are available for occasional users. Most regional scenic roads are untolled, although separate national-park entry or vehicle fees can apply in places such as Kosciuszko National Park.