Queensland

Queensland is well-known as the sunshine state because indeed, this part really fights to get cold. It does get windy in summer but, with cyclones a frequent incident in the wet tropics. If you’re going to visit the Great Barrier Reef or the Daintree Rainforest, shoulder seasons outside school holidays are the best as it will avoid crowds and suffocating stickiness. It’s a place of ecstatic coastal drives, such as the beautiful trip from Cairns to Cape Tribulation. In terms of size, it’s another monster, so you’ll come across everything from harsh outback conditions and pleasant tablelands to sleepy seaside communities and built-up coastal metropolises.

Australian Camper, Australian Caravan, Off Road Campers

Northern Territory

It is known for national parks like Kakadu, and the massive Red Centre home of Uluru make it on top of the list of road tripper’s map. Tropical climates with summer deliver extreme desert heat and brilliant electrical storms in the north, so you’ll want to plan your trip appropriately. Exploring the Red Centre and elsewhere can be done on sealed roads, however, you’ll miss out on a lot of lesser-known highlights if you’re limited to the bitumen. River crossings and ridged roads all add to the adventure of the wilderness and brush a true picture of Northern Territory in all its colors. Naturally, you’d want to do a bit of extra research into steering the Red Centre before leveling up from the tourist trail.

Western Australia

Road trips in WA is somewhat the doozy. From south to north its climates range from temperate to arid to tropical, with a big hit of the desert in the middle. This means warm and cool seasons south of Perth, with wet and dry seasons becoming more dominant as we venture north. In the central and western half of Australia, things get much more distant and merciless, so it pays to study and familiarize yourself with direction and distance before heading off all guns blazing.

South Australia

In terms of great Australian road trips in SA, crossing the Nullarbor gets itself at the top of most bucket lists, and it’s also the key route into and out of WA. The closed road means any traveler can experience the amazing sense of emptiness that this drive is recognized for. The Birdsville Track, which gets you north into Queensland, has similar notoriety but is a much more rugged journey than the Nullarbor. And for those looking to hit the sand, SA’s vast tracts of the desert are home to plenty of true uncapped tracks, such as novice friendly Goog’s Track, or the French Line through the Simpson Desert.

There are much more to it, which we will cover next time!