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8 of Australia’s ultimate road trips

From the Kimberley to Cape York, explore Australia’s epic and varied landscapes on curated and all-inclusive, intimate adventures via custom-built all-terrain coaches with Outback Spirit.

From the tip of the Northern Territory to the rugged coast of the country’s southernmost point, Australia is a continent ripe with diverse and distinct adventures that are captivating and inspiring in equal measure. Luckily, so many of them are accessible by car with epic road trips that showcase the journey as much as the destination. With Outback Spirit, the award-winning and eco-certified tour operator from leading experiential tourism group Journey Beyond, the road less travelled – accessible in custom-built all-terrain coaches chaperoned by expert local guides – is the only way to go.

From the dramatic jewels of the Kimberley in Western Australia to the remote stretches of Savannah Way in the country’s far north, Outback Spirit does all the hard work on all-inclusive, small-group tours that pause at an exclusive network of lodges and safari camps – so you can just enjoy the ride.

1. The Kimberley

With an otherworldly ambience that must be experienced to be understood, the Kimberley is a cornucopia of breathtaking cliffs, stunning gorges and exceptional waterways. A highlight of the 13-day Jewels of the Kimberley adventure is the spectacular 18-minute scenic helicopter flight over the Bungle Bungles. You’ll encounter a bounty of new perspectives elsewhere, too, between the astounding cruise through the Attenborough-approved Buccaneer Archipelago, humbling walks beneath ancient rock drawings, and evenings spent in the comfort of Outback Spirit’s exclusive-use, well-appointed Ngauwudu Safari Camp Safari Suites.

Ngauwudu Safari Camp
Relax in Ngauwudu Safari Camp Safari Suites.

2. Arnhem Land

The Traditional Lands of the Yolngu People reach into your heart and stay there. Outback Spirit’s 13-day Arnhem Land Wetlands & Wildlife tour was conceived in extensive consultation with Traditional Owners to guarantee a true immersion in Country. Explore the world’s largest outdoor rock art gallery; try your luck catching a metre-long barramundi; and discover pristine ecosystems from freshwater swamps to rocky escarpments. Relax each night in comfortable lodges exclusive to Outback Spirit, including the iconic Seven Spirit Bay Resort. Here, sophisticated luxury villas are perched on the bay’s edge overlooking clear, turquoise waters of Coral Bay.

Seven Spirit Bay in arnhem land
Enjoy the views at Seven Spirit Bay Resort.

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3. Cape York

Travelling from Cairns to Cape York and back over 13 days, the small-group Cape York Wilderness Adventure tour runs from May to September, with unparalleled access to stunning sacred destinations and vibrant experiences on Thursday, Horn and Friday islands in the Torres Strait. The World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest is a star of the expedition, with the exclusive guided Dreamtime Gorge Walk with a Kuku Yulanji elder taking place beneath lush ferns, with the commanding rumble of Mossman Gorge in the distance.

tour guide at Mossman Gorge
Join the Dreamtime Gorge Walk. (Image: TEQ)

4. Margaret River

The nine-day Margaret River & Rottnest Discovery highlights fine wine, great food, art, music and local produce at Leeuwin Estate on the vineyard-packed banks of the Margaret River, pausing to explore the ancient underground caves and towering Karri timber forests. Start the journey with a ride on the iconic Indian Pacific and pop to Rottnest Island on the tail-end of the trip, with 10,000 quokkas to befriend and 63 gorgeous beaches to explore before lunch. With bubbles included, of course.

food and wine at Leeuwin Estate
Treat your tastebuds at Leeuwin Estate. (Image: Tourism WA)

5. Savannah Way

On this 15-day Leichhardt’s Savannah Expedition , Outback Spirit’s custom all-terrain Mercedes-Benz coaches cross two states from Cairns to Darwin. After visiting the most northerly camp of the Burke and Wills Expedition of 1860/61 and visiting the see-it-to-believe-it Millaa Millaa Falls (refreshing swim optional!), you’ll indulge in three nights at the million-acre Lorella Springs Station, a sunset dinner cruise on the Gulf of Carpentaria and a dip in warmed thermal pools in the middle of the wilderness.

aerial of Millaa Millaa Falls
Dive into Millaa Millaa Falls. (Image: TEQ)

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6. Central Australia

The captivating splendour of Uluru is the central focus of the eight-day Red Centre Explorer tour, which includes Alice Springs and Kings Canyon among its stops. Hosted on the sacred lands of the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Anangu, this itinerary is grounded in the landscape, with visits to the critically acclaimed Field of Light installation, a multi-course dinner under the stars at Ayers Rock Resort, and a didgeridoo performance to accompany bush-tucker-packed snacks all within the shadow of the sacred geological site. Awaken early for a sunrise over the pindan plateau, the image of which will remain in your memory for a lifetime to come.

two people in front of the field of light
Marvel at the Field of Light installation (Image: Tourism NT/ Lola and Jira/ Uluru Kata-Tjuta NP)

7. Flinders Ranges

The remote South Australian landscape is your playground on the 11-day Outback South Australia tour, which takes in the sights (including Wilpena Pound and beloved Lake Eyre), sounds and flavours of the ‘festival’ state. At Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, cosmos chasers will enjoy a tour of the stars at the accredited onsite astronomical observatory as endangered yellow-footed rock wallabies bounce in the dark. The next day, guests will take to open-air 4WDs with expert guides for the Ridgetop Tour to explore the breathtaking, unique 1600-million-year-old landscape within the Flinders Ranges.

mist around Wilpena Pound in flinders ranges
See the impressive Wilpena Pound. (Image: Emile Ristevski)

8. Tasmania

Take in stunning views from Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park (or, afterwards, from the comfort of Cradle Mountain Lodge) on the 12-day curated Tasmanian Wilderness Explorer itinerary. Taste the incredible food on Bruny Island and wander Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park. Traverse the glacial-formed Dove Lake on a 5.7-kilometre hike; soak up sombre history at Port Arthur; and pose with penguins in Penguin before settling in for the night at Outback Spirit’s suite of exclusive partner lodges.

Wineglass Bay in tasmania
See the spectacular Wineglass Bay. (Image: Chad Dewson)

Find your Outback Spirit with the 2026 season. Book now to receive Earlybird savings up to $2200 per person at outbackspirittours.com.au .

Riley Wilson
Riley Wilson is a journalist and editor based between Sydney, Tamworth and Tasmania. She grew up in Australia and the United States, with extensive travels throughout Europe and Asia along the way. A former newspaper editor, she currently contributes to publications in Australia and abroad, covering travel, food, agriculture, sustainability and architecture. When she's not playing with words or chasing adventures, she spends her time fishing, bushwalking and sipping hot cuppas in far-flung places. 
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Mornington Peninsula’s storied past: war, shipwrecks and a runaway convict 

    Kellie Floyd Kellie Floyd
    The Mornington Peninsula is a coastline of contrasts, where convict and military history meets shipwrecks, wild seas and adventures above and below the surface.

    The Mornington Peninsula can be the kind of place where salt-tangled hair feels like a badge of honour – proof you’ve been somewhere wild, raw and real. Peel back the layers and you’ll discover stories that anchor this region to something other than its famed food and wine.

    This land is the traditional Sea Country of the Bunurong/Boon Wurrung people. Long before grapevines were planted and artisanal goods were crafted, the Bunurong Traditional Owners lived in deep connection with the land and sea. Today, places such as Mushroom Reef Marine Sanctuary echo that tradition, with families exploring its rockpools in search of colourful sea stars and crabs at low tide and learning how these fragile ecosystems have been cared for across countless generations.

    a group of people visiting the Port Nepean National Park
    Take in the rugged coastal landscape at Port Nepean National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    A visit to Point Nepean National Park feels like stepping back through time. The fort, built in 1882, protected the narrow entrance to Port Phillip Bay until the end of the Second World War. It was here that the first Allied shot of the First World War was fired – at a German cargo ship trying to escape just hours after war was declared. Nearby, the old Quarantine Station, one of Australia’s first permanent quarantine facilities, established in 1852, still stands. Walking through the hospital and disinfecting complex evokes stories of those who arrived from faraway shores.

    Not far from here is a story of survival that inspired the Aussie phrase ‘you’ve got Buckley’s chance’. In 1803, escaped convict William Buckley vanished into the bush near what’s now Sorrento. Everyone thought he had no hope of surviving, but he reappeared 32 years later, having lived with local Aboriginal people.

    Even the waters here hold history. The infamous stretch known as The Rip, just three kilometres wide at the entrance of Port Phillip Bay, is among the most treacherous waterways. Countless ships were lost here in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and in 1967, Australia’s own Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming off the coast, never to be found.

    a seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay
    A seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

    But for all its danger, the sea here also holds extraordinary beauty. Dolphins are often seen near Sorrento’s cliffs, while below the surface, seagrass meadows and rocky reefs teem with life. Marine tours offer a viewing to this underwater wonderland, while back on terra firma, walking trails lead along beaches, through coastal scrub, and over rock pools.

    And if you think you’ll forget about the Mornington Peninsula once you’ve left? You’ve got Buckley’s chance.

    A traveller’s checklist

    Staying there

    the suite interior at InterContinental Sorrento
    Luxury interiors at the historic InterContinental Sorrento. (Image: Greg Elms)

    Point Nepean Discovery Tents is immersive glamping beside the historic Quarantine Station. Or upgrade to luxury at the 1875-built InterContinental Sorrento .

    Playing there

    an aerial view of Cape Schanck Lighthouse
    Make your way to the Cape Schanck Lighthouse. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

    Bayplay Adventure Tours offer eco-adventures from snorkelling with sea dragons to kayaking with dolphins and cycling Point Nepean. Cape Schanck Lighthouse is fascinating to explore on a guided tour, which takes you into the lighthouse and keeper’s cottage.

    Eating there

    Portsea Hotel is a beautifully restored 1876 Tudor-style pub right on the beach, serving seasonal local fare.