Australia’s most loved winter road trips revealed

Emily MurphyBy Emily Murphy
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The data is in, and the most loved drives this winter are…

Winter is fast approaching in Australia, but for road trippers, the cooler season is no reason to stay parked. In fact, it’s the perfect time to hit the open road, with misty mornings, star-filled nights and epic scenery in every direction. But which routes are worth the drive when the temps drop?

A new report by the car insurance experts at ROLLiN’ has crunched the numbers to reveal the most loved winter road trips in Australia. By analysing 22 of the country’s most iconic routes across key data points – including search volume, social media buzz, Google reviews and distance – they’ve ranked the ultimate cold-weather drives that travellers can’t get enough of.

Great Ocean Road coastline in Anglesea
The Great Ocean Road is the most popular winter road trip.

And topping the list? No surprises here: the Great Ocean Road reigns supreme. This Victorian icon racks up 196,600 winter monthly searches, which accounts for nearly 20 per cent of all searches on the route. Its fame extends well beyond Google, with over 33 million TikTok posts and 1.8 million Instagram posts capturing its winding clifftops, seaside towns and the iconic Twelve Apostles. Whether it’s misty mornings or golden hour glow, the Great Ocean Road is a year-round crowd-pleaser – but winter, it seems, is peak time for those in the know.

Great Beach Drive in Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Drive along the beach on the Great Beach Drive. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

In second place is Queensland’s Great Beach Drive – a unique stretch where you can literally drive along the sand. 26 per cent of all interest in this route spikes in the cooler months, proving the novelty of cruising the coastline, dodging the tides and soaking up some sunshine is an all-season thrill. The route also boasts over 622,000 Instagram posts and a strong 4.74-star Google rating.

El Questro Wilderness Park, Gibb River Road
Head to the outback on Gibb River Road. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Rounding out the top three is Western Australia’s Gibb River Road. It racks up a solid 95,400 winter searches, and with 38 per cent of all interest landing in the cooler season, it’s clear the dry, dust-free conditions of winter make this remote red-dirt adventure a bucket-list favourite. Add in a 4.77-star Google rating, and you’ve got a road trip that’s as rugged as it is rewarding.

Aerial overlooking cars driving along Sea Cliff Bridge, Clifton
Drive along the Sea Cliff Bridge on the Grand Pacific Drive. (Image: Destination NSW)

Other standouts on the list include the Red Centre Way in the NT (think starry skies and ochre landscapes), Grand Pacific Drive in NSW (with its iconic Sea Cliff Bridge), the Great Barrier Reef Drive (tropical vibes and ocean views) and Tasmania’s Great Eastern Drive, which, while clocking fewer searches, punches above its weight with a near-perfect 4.79-star Google rating.

Great Barrier Reef Drive in Cairns, Queensland
Take the scenic route on the Great Barrier Reef Drive. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Tasmania’s Western Wilds also deserves a shoutout – while it didn’t crack the top 10 for winter road trips, it holds the crown for the highest-rated road trip in Australia, with an impressive 4.80-star average.

What does it all mean? That winter road tripping in Australia is alive and well. Whether you’re chasing rugged coastlines, remote outback adventures or misty rainforest vibes, there’s a road trip calling your name. And with fewer crowds, crisper air and the chance to spot wildlife like migrating whales or desert wildflowers, winter could just be the best time to pack the car and hit the road.

Emily Murphy
Emily Murphy is Australian Traveller's Email & Social Editor, and in her time at the company she has been instrumental in shaping its social media and email presence, and crafting compelling narratives that inspire others to explore Australia's vast landscapes. Her previous role was a journalist at Prime Creative Media and before that she was freelancing in publishing, content creation and digital marketing. When she's not creating scroll-stopping travel content, Em is a devoted 'bun mum' and enjoys spending her spare time by the sea, reading, binge-watching a good TV show and exploring Sydney's vibrant dining scene. Next on her Aussie travel wish list? Tasmania and The Kimberley.
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This luxe trawler tour is redefining Victoria’s seafood experience

    Chloe CannBy Chloe Cann
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    Victoria’s ‘mussel capital’ is the source of exceptional shellfish used by top chefs far and wide. Step aboard a beautifully refurbished trawler to see how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    A curtain is slowly winched from the placid, teal waters just off Portarlington , like a floating garland beside our boat. The ropes heave with blue mussels, the star attraction of our tour. But as we reach to pluck our own, it’s quickly clear they’re not alone; a mass of weird and wonderful creatures has colonised the ropes, turning them into a living tapestry. ‘Fairy’ oysters, jelly-like sea squirts, and tiny, wriggling skeleton shrimp all inhabit this underwater ecosystem.

    We prize our bivalve bounty from the ropes, and minutes later the mussels arrive split on a platter. The plump orange morsels are served raw, ready to be spritzed with wedges of lemon and a lick of chilli as we gaze out over the bay. They’re briny, tender and faintly sweet. “This wasn’t originally part of the tour,” explains Connie Trathen, who doubles as the boat’s cook, deckhand and guide. “But a chef [who came onboard] wanted to taste the mussels raw first, and it’s now become one of the key features.”

    A humble trawler turned Hamptons-style dreamboat

    inspecting bivalve bounty from the ropes
    Inspecting the bounty. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    It’s a crisp, calm winter’s day, and the sun is pouring down upon Valerie, a restored Huon pine workhorse that was first launched in January 1980. In a previous life she trawled the turbulent Bass Strait. These days she takes jaunts into Port Phillip Bay under the helm of Lance Wiffen, a fourth-generation Bellarine farmer, and the owner of Portarlington Mussel Tours . While Lance has been involved in the fishing industry for 30-plus years, the company’s tour boat only debuted in 2023.

    holding Portarlington mussels
    See how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    It took more than three years to transform the former shark trawler into a dreamy, Hamptons-esque vessel, with little expense spared. Think muted green suede banquettes, white-washed walls, Breton-striped bench cushions, hardwood tables, bouquets of homegrown dahlias, and woollen blankets sourced from Waverley Mills, Australia’s oldest working textile mill. It’s intimate, too, welcoming 12 guests at most. And yet there’s nothing pretentious about the experience – just warm, down-to-earth Aussie hospitality.

    As we cruise out, we crack open a bottle of local bubbles and nibble on the most beautifully curated cheese platter, adorned with seashells and grey saltbush picked from the water’s edge that very morning. Australasian gannets soar overhead, and I’m told it’s not uncommon for guests to spot the odd seal, pod of dolphins, or even the occasional little penguin.

    The sustainable secret behind Victoria’s best mussels

    blue mussels off Portarlington
    Blue mussels sourced just off Portarlington.

    Connie and Lance both extol the virtues of mussels. They’re delicious. A lean source of protein and packed with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and zinc. They’re cooked in a flash (Connie steams our fresh harvest with cider and onion jam). And they’re also widely regarded as one of the most sustainable foods in the world.

    Portarlington mussels with lemon and chilli
    Mussels served with lemon and chilli.

    “Aquaculture is [often] seen as destructive, so a lot of our guests are really surprised about how environmentally friendly and sustainable our industry is,” Lance says. “[Our mussels] would filter 1.4 billion litres of water a day,” he adds, explaining how mussels remove excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the water. “And through biomineralisation, we lock carbon into mussel shells.”

    a hand holding a Portarlington mussel
    Mussels are a sustainable food.

    Despite their glowing list of accolades, these molluscs have long been seen as the oysters’ poorer cousins. “It was a really slow start,” explains Lance, who says that in the early days of his career, “you could not sell mussels in Victoria”.

    But word has slowly caught on. Chefs as globally acclaimed as Attica’s Ben Shewry and even René Redzepi of Noma, Denmark, have travelled to these very waters just to try the shellfish at the source, sharing only the highest praise, and using Lance’s mussels in their restaurants.

    guests sampling Portarlington mussels onboard
    Sampling the goods onboard. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    According to Lance there’s one obvious reason why the cool depths of Portarlington outshine other locations for mussel farming. “The water quality is second to none,” he says, noting how other regions are frequently rocked by harvest closures due to poor water quality. “We grow, without a doubt, some of the best shellfish in the world.” And with Lance’s bold claims backed up by some of the industry’s greatest names, perhaps it won’t be much longer until more Aussies uncover the appeal of Portarlington’s mussels.