How to plan the ultimate campervanning adventure through Australia

As road trip destinations go, there are few better places than Australia. Nature seems to flow in through the windows in eucalyptus-scented gusts as you drive, while the wonders of the great red continent unfurl beyond the windscreen. 

Koalas munch on gum leaves in the tall trees, while kangaroos bound carefree along the roadside. Come the evening, chirruping cicadas and croaking frogs surround you. In the morning, the birds seem to serenade the returning sun, with the fluting notes of magpies and the mischievous cackles of kookaburras.

A campervan gives you the freedom to change your route and stop whenever and wherever you wish — at every farmers’ market, cellar door, viewpoint and watering hole. Along the country’s southern coast, you can trace the curves of sheer cliffs beside sapphire waters, explore dynamic cities and learn about First Australian cultures that stretch back over 50,000 years. To the west, one of the world’s remotest cities is the first step to tasting fine local dishes and world-leading wines, and to meeting one of the continent’s most charismatic ambassadors: the smiley marsupial known as the quokka.

When it’s time to settle down for the night, there are abundant campsites, holiday parks and national parks. Immerse yourself fully in some of the country’s most beautiful landscapes while you rest. Choose to rise early, and your footprints can be the day’s first on white sand beaches. But in a campervan, there’s no schedule to keep, and you can sleep in if you wish. Ahead lies the prospect of new adventures and the freedom of the open road. 

Itinerary 1: Melbourne to Adelaide

Some of Australia’s most extraordinary scenery lies along its southeast coast, from vertiginous sea cliffs to golden beaches. 

The best place to start is Melbourne, where avant-garde art and eye-popping architecture meet a devoted coffee culture. Then head around 80 minutes west to Torquay, gateway to fabled scenic route the Great Ocean Road.This remarkable feat of engineering stretches 150 miles west along Victoria’s coastal fringes, as far as the town of Allansford. White-knuckled, it clings to limestone cliffs ribboned with foamy surf. 

Along the way, the road curves through surfer towns known for produce such as southern rock lobsters. It swoops inland, into the dense rainforest of the Great Otway National Park, then out past the Twelve Apostles rock formation that looms offshore.

Beyond lies the Limestone Coast, where an intriguing network of caves and the Coonawarra wine country await. 

Highlights

1. Melbourne
The Manhattan-like skyline is deceptive: beneath are Victorian train stations. This is Australia’s cultural heart, with Federation Square and adjacent lanes acting as galleries for street art. Elsewhere, you’ll discover modern masterpieces in the National Gallery and First Nations sculptures along the Yarra River. 

2. Torquay 
It may seem like any other beach town, with laid-back brunch spots and a barefoot culture, but Torquay is a Goliath in the surfing world. It draws devotees in search of the perfect wave and, if you’re a beginner, it’s an ideal place to clamber onto a board.

3. Lorne
Arrive hungry in Lorne, a beachside hamlet known for creative local dishes. Don’t miss the Cantonese-inspired Australian dumplings — known as ‘dim sims’, stuffed with pork and cabbage — at Little Picket. You can play lawn bowls while you wait.  

4. Great Otway National Park
The Great Ocean Road is at its wildest as it winds through this national park, full of rugged beach cliffs, undulating mountains and rainforests with ferns the size of houses. Park up to wander forest trails under a canopy of eucalyptuses, discover the waterfalls, and stay till dusk to spot elusive platypuses. 

5. The Twelve Apostles
These karst stacks, sculpted by thrashing seas, were named the Twelve Apostles in the 1920s to provoke a sense of biblical wonder, yet only eight formations rise from the surf. Time your stop for sunset, when the light takes on a soft pink glow. 

6. Coonawarra
An hour’s drive from the coast, just over the border into South Australia, lies the Coonawarra wine region. Thanks to its cool climate and unique red soil, this region produces some of the country’s most exceptional wines, from a rich, heady Cabernet Sauvignon to a fruity, peppery Shiraz. Try the cellar doors at the rustic Brand’s Laira (brandslaira.com) or Hollick’s (hollick.com).

7. Adelaide 
South Australia’s capital Adelaide was once known as the city of churches, but it’s since become more famous for its music scene. Discover dozens of live venues across the area, from old-school pubs showcasing up-and-coming bands, to tucked-away rooftop bars, like the Nineteen Ten, for smooth jazz. 

Itinerary 2: Western Australia

Picture an Australian road trip, and it’s likely that iron-red landscapes fringed with white sand beaches come to mind. Add swathes of vineyards and forests of karri eucalyptuses — which are among the world’s tallest trees — and you have Western Australia.

Journeys here start in Perth, the shining state capital and gateway to the island of Wadjemup, previously known as Rottnest. To the south is Margaret River, as renowned for surf-friendly beaches as for world-class wine. Reserves such as Walpole-Nornalup National Park are full of gargantuan hardwood trees, while William Bay boasts granite outcrops.

The furthest point of this route is easy to identify: bubblegum-pink lakes dot Esperance. This is the gateway to the Cape Le Grand National Park and some of the state’s most astonishing beaches, where kangaroos hop and laze amid dunes of powdery white sand. 

Highlights

1. Perth
Tucked into the cobalt-blue curves of the Swan River, Perthvisitperth.com is one of the world’s most isolated urban centres, more than 1,300 miles from the nearest comparably populated city — Adelaide. Gleaming high rises overlook lush gardens, where locals laze on the grass and cook elaborate feasts on public barbecues. Explore the city from up in a fragrant canopy of eucalyptuses on the Botanic Garden’s treetop walk, or board a ferry to nearby Wadjemup (Rottnest), where you can swim in aquamarine waters and observe its quokkas, a small and inquisitive marsupial found only in the southwest corner of Australia.   

2. Margaret River
Three hours south of Perth is Margaret River, a location synonymous with surfing and wine. You can begin the day by heading to a pristine beach to catch a wave, before disappearing off among the vines. The region is dotted with boutique wine estates — from the original Margaret River vineyard at Vasse Felix, to Howard Park's ultra-modern cellar door — producing deeply fruity Cabernet Sauvignons and bright, citrusy Chardonnays. 

3. William Bay National Park
Wind-smoothed granite boulders crowd the shores at Elephant Rocks in William Bay National Park. The adjacent Greens Pool is a sheltered cove of turquoise water and fine, white sand, and it’s just one of several popular swimming spots. Wander along the coastline or head into the forest to discover the local giants: towering karri hardwood trees and thick-trunked eucalyptuses known, delightfully, as tingles. 

4. Bremer Bay
From January to April, orcas gather south of Bremer Bay, 150 miles east of William Bay National Park, to feast on squid. This makes it one of the best places to see so-called killer whales in the wild. Head onto the water with a marine scientist guide, staying at a respectful distance. 

5. Esperance 
Neither tricks of the light nor manmade oddities, some of the lakes around Esperance are the colour of bubblegum — owing to their salt concentration. Most vivid is Lake Hillier, on an island offshore best viewed by air. Flights leave the town’s airport six times a day. Esperance itself is home to beautiful beaches, and borders Cape Le Grand National Park, known for its beachcombing kangaroos.