The humble road trip is considered a quintessential Aussie holiday, where our nation's gorgeous coastal stretches, bizarre roadside curios and secret nature spots turn any long drive into an unforgettable adventure. In the lead-up to summer (aka road trip season), eBay Australia surveyed more than 1,000 Aussies to discover the nation’s top ten road trip routes – and we’re pretty stoked to see that a Victorian road trip came out on top.
Topping the list with 27 per cent of the votes is – no surprises here – the Great Ocean Road. Snaking all along the southwest coast of Victoria, starting in Torquay (1.5 hours from Melbourne CBD) and finishing up just before Warrnambool, this coastal stretch offers up beautiful bushwalks, stunning beaches and, as a final prize, the towering wonders of the 12 Apostles.
The area surrounding this famous collection of limestone stacks has recently undergone a big glow-up, with a stunning $9.2 million viewing platform being unveiled in June. Named Saddle Lookout, this new vantage point allows roadtrippers to marvel at the majestic 12 Apostles from a whole new perspective.
Just down the road, a second new lookout is also being constructed at the Blowhole landmark. This huge, sculptural viewing area is set to be completed next year. Once both lookouts are good to go, work will begin on a massive redevelopment of the 12 Apostles tourist site, which will gain a shiny new hub. Not to mention, the 12 Apostles area has also been earmarked for a swanky new hot springs, so visitors will be able to unwind after sightseeing, too.
The Great Ocean Road was the only Victorian route to make the list of Australia’s favourite road trips and you can check out the full list below.
Here are Australia’s ten favourite road trips:
- Great Ocean Road: Torquay to Allansford, VIC
- Pacific Coast Touring Route: Sydney, NSW to Brisbane, QLD
- Great Barrier Reef Drive: Cairns to Cape Tribulation, QLD
- Grand Pacific Drive: Sydney to Sapphire Coast, NSW
- Great Eastern Drive: Hobart to Bay of Fires, TAS
- Red Centre Way Loop: Alice Springs to Uluru, NT
- Nullarbor Plain: Norseman, WA to Ceduna, SA
- Heritage Highway: Launceston to Hobart, TAS
- South West Edge: Perth to Esperance, WA
- Coral Coast Highway: Perth to Exmouth, WA