Country guide
The best driving roads in Australia
15 hand-picked driving roads in Australia, every one mapped from real geometry and fact-checked, including 1 world icon.
Roads151 world icon
Combined686 mi1,104 km of driving
High point1,841 m6,040 ft
The five to build a trip around
Our ranking, icons first, with the reasoning on the table. All 15 roads follow below.
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1
28 mi58 minGreat Ocean Road
The famous 45 km between Lorne and Apollo Bay, built by returned WWI soldiers and squeezed between the Otways and the surf.
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2
1,544 msummitMount Buffalo Road
A historic hairpin climb from Porepunkah onto the granite-tor plateau of Mount Buffalo, engineered in 1908.
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3
1,331 msummitThunderbolts Way
Hairpin escarpment climb from Gloucester to Walcha over the Great Dividing Range.
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4
58 mi1 h 50 minCaves Road
A winding tunnel of karri forest and vineyards running the length of the Margaret River wine country between two capes.
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5
18 mi41 minMacquarie Pass
Steep, tight hairpin climb of the Illawarra escarpment between Albion Park and Robertson.
The roads
Mount Buffalo Road21 mi · 44 min · 7 hairpinsView the roadbook ›
Great Ocean Road
Caves Road
Thunderbolts Way
Macquarie Pass
Captain Cook Highway
Alpine Way
Black Spur Drive
Putty Road
Gibb River Road
Lyell Highway
Grand Pacific Drive
Great Alpine Road
Oxley Highway
Gordon River Road
Collections featuring Australia
Nearby countries
New Zealand
Indonesia
MalaysiaDriving in Australia: common questions
What is the best driving road in Australia?
Mount Buffalo Road is the place to start. A historic hairpin climb from Porepunkah onto the granite-tor plateau of Mount Buffalo, engineered in 1908.
How many great driving roads does Australia have?
15 hand-picked and fact-checked roads, including 1 world icon, 686 miles of driving in all, every one mapped from real road geometry.
When is the best time to drive in Australia?
Most of the roads here are at their best in summer and autumn.
What is the highest road in Australia?
Great Alpine Road is the highest, climbing to about 1,841 m (6,040 ft).