Australia's best two-week road trip itineraries

Australia is a nation of open roads, and one of the best ways to make the most of a two-week trip is under your own steam. Road trips give you the freedom to travel when you want to travel, and stop when you want to stop. Take unscheduled diversions, stay for longer than planned in one perfect spot, or press on to a much-anticipated highlight. The choice is yours. Here's our pick of some of the best two-week itineraries for the perfect Australian road trip, created by Flight Centre. They give you the outline – you can fill in the details as you go along.

The Great Ocean Road

The meandering coastal road between Melbourne and Adelaide is considered one of the world's most spectacular drives, and it is easy to see why. Journey from picturesque seaside towns to lush rainforests and across the tops of towering cliffs, with the ocean crashing against the rocks below. It's a spectacular drive, peppered with lighthouses, lookout points and sandy beaches.

In this itinerary, you can stop off in pretty Lorne, with its galleries, boutiques and seafood restaurants, followed by historical Port Fairy and relaxing, beachside Robe. In-between, you can spot koalas and whales, discover the dramatic (and aptly named) Shipwreck Coast, and explore the pretty fishing port of Robe. While in Robe, make sure you taste the local specialty in one of the superb restaurants – freshly caught crayfish.. For many, the highlight of the trip is the Twelve Apostles, a series of dramatic limestone rock stacks jutting out of the crashing ocean. Elegant, relaxed and compact, Adelaide makes a perfect end to an unforgettable drive.

Find out more about Flight Centre's two-week Great Ocean Road itinerary.

Campervanning near Perth

Australia's stunning west coast is a road less travelled for many UK visitors. It shouldn't be. The open highways between bustling, sophisticated Perth and the vineyards, beaches, forests and parks of Australia's south west offer a shifting panorama of incredible landscapes. Along the way you can sip coffee on the seafront of bohemian Fremantle, look for humpback whales in Albany and relax on the beautiful beaches of Esperance.

There's so much to see and do in the area that the exact itinerary is up to you. Feel free to explore further afield – head north to the pointed rock formations of the Pinnacles or the bizarre and aptly-named Wave Rock, for example. But if you don't want to spend long behind the wheel, you won't miss out by sticking to the sights and scenery within easy reach of Perth. A scenic cruise along the city's Swan River, or a boat trip to enchanting Rottnest Island, offer sedate breaks from the thrills of the open road.

Find out more about Flight Centre's two-week Campervanning near Perth itinerary.

Melbourne to Sydney Coastal Road

This trip takes in Australia's two largest, liveliest and most cosmopolitan cities, and the 1,000 km or so of striking coastline and countryside between them. This is a trip you can truly make your own. With its food, fashion and sense of fun, Melbourne is a difficult city to leave, but when you do you are faced with a fork in the road. Choose the coastal route all the way to Sydney, or dive inland for a different slice of Australian life. Both have their attractions. The coastal road takes in hideaway coves and secluded sandy beaches, while the inland route winds its way through lush river valleys, gum tree forests and historic gold-mining towns.

At the end of the trip lies a contender for the title of the world's most attractive city. We could wax lyrical about Sydney's Opera House and Harbour Bridge, Bondi beach and the botanic gardens, and much, much more. Suffice to say that Sydney provides a shining beacon at the end of a memorable trip.

Find out more about Flight Centre's two-week Melbourne to Sydney Coastal Road itinerary.

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