Gizmodo’s Top 5 Exhilarating Australian Drives

The national anthem had it right when it got to how beautiful our country is: our land abounds in nature’s gifts, of beauty rich and rare, and our home is girt by sea. Draped all around our fair land are some of the best roads the world has ever known.

These are the five best drives in Australia.

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Nullabor Plain


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Australia has such a diverse climate, meaning you can drive from the beach, through the forest and into the desert within just a few hours. That’s what makes this country so special: diversity.

If you’re a fan of the arid driving conditions, there’s no greater challenge than crossing the Nullabor Plain. This 3000-kilometre journey is the ultimate road-trip for four-wheel drivers, campers, explorers and adventurers alike. Along the way you’ll truly see why Australia is the sunburnt country.


Mount Panorama


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Have you tamed the Mountain? Can we call you (call youuuu) King of the Mountain?

Mount Panorama in the regional NSW town of Bathurst is the hilly track of which we speak, and it’s the premier race venue in Australia. Every year the sound of V8 Supercars thunders off the mountain as Ford and Holden challenge each other for vehicular supremacy.

During the off-season, however, Mount Panorama actually becomes a public road that anyone can drive onto. Be wary, however, the speed limit is relatively slow compared to Jamie Whincup’s incredible pace, and police officers often litter the track waiting to catch speed demons.

Regardless, Mount Panorama is an incredible road to drive for any petrol head.


Great Ocean Road


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If deserts and race-tracks aren’t your thing, perhaps a scenic visit to the seaside is for you. The Great Ocean Road in Victoria is one of the most beautiful drives in the world, as you skirt the coastline and drive above where the sea meets the rocks.

The 243-kilometre drive will take you along the bottom of the country and show you spectacular scenery, including the rocky 12 Apostles.

It’s well worth the trip.


Old Pacific Highway


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Getting from the North of New South Wales into Sydney is often an arduous and sometimes perilous experience via the notorious F3 freeway. Sometimes, though, you have to drive this route, so why not make it more fun for yourself? Turn off the main freeway and take the old road that winds up through the bush, across little rivers, huge bridges and winds its way into your heart.

Popular with motorcyclists and sports cars, the Old Pacific Highway between Gosford and Sydney is some of the bendiest, leafiest, twistiest fun you can have on your commute.


Daintree Rainforest


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The Daintree is one of Australia’s last-remaining unspoiled areas of beauty, so it’s a wonder that you can even drive through it at all.

The relatively short, 35-minute, 28-kilometres journey from Cape Tribulation to Cape Kimberley weaves you through jungle that reaches high enough to block out the Sun and lush enough to make you believe in religion again.

It’s well worth the trip to discover one of Australia’s remaining national treasures. Go get lost in the wilderness.


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