The best road trips that don’t require you to drive

Australian Traveller Australian Traveller
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Kick back, relax, and let someone else take the wheel.

Here are 8 of Australia’s best no-drive road trips to inspire you from our special 100 Amazing Road Trips around Australia series.

No drive road trips

67. Hire That Pink Merc, NSW

Let vintage-lover and pink Mercedes owner Katrina Holden do the driving for you.

When did you buy your pink Merc?

I purchased this beautiful 1975 Mercedes Benz 450SEL in June 2021; right as we were due to collect it NSW went into lockdown. It was a bit of a leap of faith as the car had to be placed on a transport truck [from northern NSW]. I had it wrapped in a soft baby pink acrylic wrap. I wanted to showcase a classic in a fun, fresh way.

Pink Mercedes tour
Feel pretty in pink as you tour the streets in this vintage 1975 Mercedes Benz.

Where’s your favourite place to drive your passengers?

As I’m from the Northern Beaches [in Sydney], I have a particular affinity for the area. I think you can’t beat a leisurely drive up the peninsula, past beaches such as Manly, Newport, Bilgola, Avalon and then arriving at Palm Beach. I also think cruising around the city is pretty special, doing the scenic loop near Mrs Macquarie’s Chair.

If you were in the passenger seat, what would be your ideal That Pink Merc itinerary?

Being a vintage lover, I’d head to the Southern Highlands, stopping at Twisting Vintage in Mittagong and Dirty Janes [in Bowral], followed by lunch at Harry’s On Green Lane.

68. Join a tour of the Red Centre, NT

Get straight to the crux of it – the country that is – with Globus on a Gems of the Red Centre journey through the heart of Australia.

Kata Tjuta
Admire the awe-inspiring Kata Tjuta, an iconic landmark and Indigenous sacred site. (Image: Tourism NT/Helen Orr)

Over six days, this small-group discovery tour (its average of 20–24 people per departure promises room to roam and up-close-and-personal experiences along with the benefit of letting someone else drive) travels by coach from Alice Springs to Uluru via Kings Canyon, taking in all the highlights and more: from an interlude at West MacDonnell Ranges’ stunning Standley Chasm Angkerle Atwatye to spectacular canyon walks to the medley of unforgettable experiences that await at Uluru itself.

Standley Chasm Hike
Lace up your hiking boots and take in the magnificent geology of Australia’s red centre. (Image: Tourism NT/Salty Aura)

Distance:

660 kilometres

69. A 4WD tour of the Binns Track, NT

Clocking in at an epic 2230 kilometres, the Binns Track (named for ranger Bill Binns, a 32-year veteran with NT Parks and Wildlife) is the kind of road trip that reminds you just how vast and untamed much of our country is.

Binns Track dunes
Revel in the rich reds of the earth in a journey into the heart of Australia. (Image: Tourism NT/Steve Strike)

The journey charts a course through the Central Australian landscape, from Alice Springs to Timber Creek, taking in Gemtree, Tennant Creek and Dunmarra along the way. And then there’s the scenery: a seemingly infinite sweep of rich ochre sand that only nature could make so perfect. The drive is 4WD all the way, so let professionals like Outback Spirit do the hard work while you take it all in over 13 unforgettable days.

Binns track 4WD road NT
Kick back as your tour guide navigates through the unforgettable scenery of the Central Australian landscape. (Image: Tourism NT/Steve Strike)

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

AI Prompt

70. Criss-cross Melbourne by tram, Vic

Melbourne is one of the easiest cities in the country to navigate, thanks largely to its network of trams that criss-cross the city, ferrying passengers around the CBD, and delivering them to compelling neighbourhoods and suburbs far and wide. No wonder Melburnians have a cat-that-ate-the-cream satisfaction about living in their very liveable metropolis.

Collins Street Melbourne
Take the tram and discover the lively neighbourhoods scattered around Melbourne.

But the good news is that visitors can bask in this reflective smugness by mastering the tram system themselves. It’s as easy as ducking into any 7-Eleven you pass by and purchasing a myki card, the tap-on, tap-off payment system used there. Even with a myki card tucked into your back pocket, chances are you won’t have to use it if you are travelling in the CBD or out to the Docklands area: the city’s Free Tram Zone allows you to jump a tram without having to pay as long as you are within a (slightly wonky) rectangular grid bound by Queen Victoria Market, Docklands, Spring Street, La Trobe Street and Flinders Street, and which encompasses the likes of Bourke Street, Collins Street and Federation Square.

Once you have fine-tuned how to use the tram system, it’s time to decide where to go on it; may we suggest these five top spots:

1. St Kilda

With a thriving cafe culture, sparkling waters and funky late-night drinking spots (and penguins, of course) it’s little wonder the inner-city suburb of St Kilda is a perennial favourite with locals and out-of-towners alike. Browse the abundance of its cake shops on Acland Street, sink a schooner and listen to live music at Hotel Esplanade (or the Espy as it’s affectionately known to locals), and then spend the night at the sleek, recently revamped Prince Hotel.

Tram route: 96

Acland Street St Kilda Melbourne
Join the buzz of the lively café culture on Acland street.

2. High Street Armadale

Melburnians love to shop and High Street Armadale is where they come to do it. Often described as Melbourne’s answer to Rodeo Drive, the shopping strip here is lined with stylish boutiques from a who’s who roster of Australian labels from Zimmermann to Jac + Jack to Dion Lee. And as you’d expect, the area is well stocked with cafes, restaurants and bars too.

Tram route: 6

Shopping at Armadale
The streets of Armadale are a treasure trove of boutique finds.

3. Collingwood

The residents of Collingwood will never go hungry. The hipster suburb is powered by its stomach with a profusion of destination eateries serving up interesting fare, from the Japanese influences at Cibi to chef Shannon Martinez’s recently relocated vegan emporium Smith & Daughters (including Smith & Deli). Bolthole bars, art galleries and one-of-a-kind boutique shopping keep things interesting.

Tram route: 86

Melbourne bar
Grab a drink at a secluded inner-city bar for the quintessential Melbourne experience. The suburbs of Collingwood and Fitzroy offer plenty to explore.

4. Fitzroy

Cafes, cool bars, fine diners and street art (with a side of graffiti) clash and collide to brilliant effect in Fitzroy. Locals converge on Gertrude, Johnston, Smith and Brunswick streets to shop for vintage, listen to live music, meet up for drinks and chow down on everything from crabs to croissants to cookies and cream gelato.

Tram route: 11

Sir Charles in Fizroy
Melbourne is world-renown for its coffee scene – for good reason. Head down to a stylish café like Sir Charles in Fitzroy, to see what all the fuss is about.

5. Prahan

Prahran is a mecca for vintage hunters who have enough to busy themselves for hours along Greville Street and Chapel Street, the home of the brilliantly dishevelled Chapel Street Bazaar. Prahran Market, stocked with fresh cheeses, produce, meats and flowers, is a vintage find in itself given it is one of the oldest in Australia.

Tram route: 72

Prahran Market
Head to Prahran Market for the ultimate foodie experience.

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71. Brisbane to Byron Bay with Kiff & Culture

Kiff & Culture is a non-traditional travel company with a new offering designed to appeal to those who wouldn’t normally consider taking a touring holiday. A three-day foodie foray into the fertile region dubbed the Green Cauldron, the Brisbane to Byron Food Trail takes the contrasting landscapes of the Scenic Rim, Byron Shire and Tweed hinterlands and melds them together with experiences at best-in-class artisan food and drink suppliers along the way. Highlights include stops at renowned venues such as Husk Distillery, The Farm Byron Bay, Cape Byron Distillery and Witches Falls Winery, all of which are underscored by a commitment to sustainable practices.

Husk Distillery
Stop off at Husk Distillery for a refreshing taste of the paddock-to-bottle product.

The experience is topped off by a stay at an equally planet-friendly luxury hotel, Crystalbrook Byron. You’ll travel in fun, Kombi-esque vehicles (the company was born with a Kombi in Cape Town; ‘kiff’ is a South African slang word meaning cool) and have evenings in Byron Bay purposefully left free for you to explore the linger-worthy coastal town at leisure.

Crystalbrook Byron Bay
Relax in luxury at Crystalbrook Byron Bay, surrounded by subtropical rainforest after sampling some of the region’s finest foods.

“The regions between Brisbane and Byron Bay truly are something special," says Alex Baker, the company’s head of marketing (and also good times). “Having grown up in the region and spent a large portion of our twenties overseas, we can’t believe there aren’t more offerings like this. From the lush rainforests on Tamborine Mountain looking over the Scenic Rim, to the ancient caldera of the Tweed Hinterland and rolling hills and pristine beaches around Byron Bay, it’s a journey that not only showcases these regions, but celebrates them."

Distance:

360 kilometres

72. AAT Kings’ Outback Adventure

The drive from the South Australian capital of Adelaide northward through the Red Centre of the country and onto the Top End city of Darwin is more than epic, it is a true odyssey, one that will totally recalibrate your understanding – and your appreciation – of Australia. The most direct route tips out on the odometer at just over 3000 kilometres, but if you want to really indulge in the wonder of the journey then two weeks is what’s needed. AAT Kings’ Outback Adventure itinerary clocks in at 15 days and ticks off every single ‘pinch-me’ moment along the way: Flinders Ranges, Port Augusta, Coober Pedy, Uluru and Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, Kakadu National Park, Litchfield. We’re exhausted – but a little excited – just thinking about it.

Jim Jim Falls
Marvel at the magical Jim Jim Falls, the largest in the UNESCO heritage-listed Kakadu National Park. (Image: Tourism NT/Hello Emily)

73. Overland Adventure Aboard The Ghan

Specialists in experiential luxury travel the world over, Abercrombie & Kent’s portfolio of Australian adventures reads like a rollcall of boutique bucket-list experiences – from air safaris in the Top End and Kimberley to a wine, wildlife and wilderness tour of Tasmania. And its Overland Adventure Aboard The Ghan is the ultimate example: begin by sampling the best of the Barossa including a stay at luxe accommodation The Louise.

The Louise Barossa Valley
Relax in the heart of Barossa wine country. (Image: The Louise)

Then, board the legendary train and watch as the Flinders Ranges drop away and the South Australian outback becomes the Northern Territory’s Red Centre. Disembark in Darwin.

The Ghan Railway
Witness the outback in style and luxury aboard The Ghan. (Image: Journey Beyond Rail Expeditions)

Distance: 3000 kilometres.

74. Dark Mofo festival with Inspiring Journeys, Tas

The dark, the cold, the bizarre and the ever-so-slightly bonkers are embraced during the iconic Dark Mofo festival, which takes place during the winter solstice in the Tassie capital of Hobart. The program differs from year to year, but at any given time you are sure to be challenged, confounded and even provoked by the events taking place across the city and out to the spiritual home of the festival, the Museum of New and Old Art (MONA).

Dark Mofo Winter Feast
Embrace the darkness at Dark Mofo’s winter feast. (Image: Dark Lab Media)

Let Inspiring Journeys be your designated driver for the duration with its four-day Dark Mofo Long Weekend itinerary, ferrying you to and from Hobart and MONA, and on to New Norfolk for lunch at Agrarian Kitchen Eatery, housed (in true Dark Mofo style) within a former mental asylum.

Winter solstice nude swim Dark Mofo
Take an exhilarating swim in the chilly waters of Hobart’s River Derwent for Dark Mofo’s winter solstice nude swim (Image: Dark Lab Media)
Keep reading our special Top 100 Road Trips in Australia editorial series.

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Meet the makers shaping Ballarat’s new era of creativity

    Margaret Barca Margaret Barca
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    Makers, bakers, artists, chefs, crafters – Ballarat and its surrounds are overflowing with creative spirits. All dedicated to keeping traditional skills alive for a city that is humming with artful energy.

    Modern makers: a new generation of artists and artisans

    “Keeping craft alive is a noble cause,” says Jess Cameron-Wootten, a charming and passionate master leathercrafter and cordwainer, who handmakes traditional leather boots and shoes in Ballarat’s old Gun Cotton Goods Store.

    Ballarat was recognised in 2019 as a UNESCO Creative City of Craft and Folk Art, and today it’s a place where craft traditions converge with contemporary needs. Nothing quite captures this convergence as a visit to Wootten, the workshop and store of Jess Cameron-Wootten and his partner Krystina Menegazzo.

    heritage buildings in Ballarat
    Ballarat’s streets are lined with heritage buildings. (Image: Matt Dunne)

    Jess’s father was an artisan bootmaker, or cordwainer. Now Jess and Krys and their small team of artisans continue the tradition, but with a modern spin. The company’s boots and shoes, made completely from scratch, are renowned for their quality and longevity. Wootten also craft shoes, bags, belts, leather aprons, wallets and more.

    Cosy beanies, gloves, alpaca socks, “unbreakable” shoelaces and various other goods – many from local craftspeople and small-scale makers – fill the shop’s shelves. “We’re always happy to support a mate,” says Jess. “People love to see the workshop and where things are made. Our clients care about quality and sustainability,” Krys comments. The company slogan ‘Made for generations’ says it all.

    Ruby Pilven’s ceramics at Ross Creek Gallery
    Ruby Pilven’s ceramics at Ross Creek Gallery. (Image: Tara Moore)

    For Ruby Pilven, craft is also in the DNA – both her parents were potters and with her latest porcelain ceramics, Ruby’s young daughter has been helping add colour to the glazes. “I grew up watching my parents in the workshop – I’ve always been doing ceramics,” she says, although her Visual Arts degree was in printmaking. That printmaking training comes through particularly in the rich layering of pattern. Her audacious colour, unexpected shapes and sudden pops of 12-carat gold are contemporary, quirky – and joyful.

    You can see Ruby’s handcrafted ceramics, and work by other local and regional artists, at Ross Creek Gallery, a light-filled space surrounded by serene bushland, across from the mudbrick house her parents built in the 1980s. A 10-minute drive from Ballarat, it’s a tangible link to the region’s well-established craft traditions.

    How Ballarat is preserving the past

    artisans making crafts at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, Ballarat
    The Centre for Rare Arts & Forgotten Trades holds workshops to preserve crafts and skills.

    While tradition is ongoing, there’s a danger that many of these specific type of skills and knowledge are fading as an older generation passes on. Step forward the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades.

    The seven purpose-built studios occupy a fabulous modern building adjacent to Sovereign Hill, with state-of-the-art facilities, enormous windows and landscape views across to Warrenheip and Wadawurrung Country.

    artisanal works at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, Ballarat
    Check out artisanal works at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades.

    Practising artisans run hands-on workshops. Fancy making your own medieval armour? Or trying your hand at blacksmithing, spinning wool, plaiting leather, weaving cane or craft a knife? Book a class and learn how. “It’s about creating awareness and also sharing knowledge and skills before they are lost,” explains Deborah Klein, the centre manager.

    A city steeped in food and flavours

    Chef José Fernandez preparing American streetfood at Pancho
    Chef José Fernandez creates vibrant South American street food at Pancho. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

    One skill that hasn’t been lost is that of cooking. Ballarat’s burgeoning gastronomy scene runs the gamut from an artisan bakery (the atmospheric 1816 Bakehouse) to cool coffee shops, speakeasy cocktail bars and distilleries to fine-dining venues. But I’m still surprised to find Pancho, José Fernandez’s South American street food restaurant, serving fried cheese tequeños, fiery fish tacos, Argentinian grilled chicken.

    The room is as lively as the food – a whirl of colour filled with gifted and thrifted paintings, photos, tchotchkes (trinkets), plants. There’s a Mexican abuela aesthetic going on here. Even before the music and mezcal kick in, it’s fun. Heads up on the drinks menu – an authentic selection of mezcal, tequila, South American wines and Mexican cerveza.

    a cocktail at Itinerant Spirits, Ballarat
    Enjoy a cocktail at Itinerant Spirits. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

    The spirit is willing, so after lunch we head towards the gold rush-era Ballarat train station and across the line to the old 1860s Goods Shed for Itinerant Spirits. At one end, a massive German copper still looms behind a wall of glass. The fit-out embraces deep olive-green tones, original bluestone walls, steamer trunks as coffee tables, heritage timber floors, oversized lamp shades and cognac-hued modernist leather seating.

    the Itinerant Spirits Distillery & Cocktail Bar, Ballarat
    The distillery operates from an old goods shed. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

    Gallivanter Gin, Vansetter Vodka and Wayfarer Whiskey – the key spirits distilled – star at the bar. The spirits are crafted using grains from the Wimmera Mallee region, and native botanicals foraged in the Grampians. Seasonal cocktails are inspired by local people and places (I loved The Headland, inspired by Sovereign Hill and flavoured with old-fashioned raspberry drops). Sample the spirits, and join a cocktail masterclass or a distillery tour. It’s a seductive setting – you’ll likely find yourself ordering a charcuterie platter or pizza as the evening progresses.

    The Ballarat stay combining history and luxury

    one of the rooms at Hotel Vera, Ballarat
    The rooms at Hotel Vera have a contemporary style. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

    New lives for old buildings keeps history alive. Vera, Ballarat’s boutique five-star hotel, has taken it to the next level: it’s a palimpsest, a subtle layering of early 1900s and 1930s Art Deco architecture with a sleek new wing. There are seven spacious suites, each a dramatically different colour, with designer chairs, blissful bathrooms. High-end pottery and hand-picked artworks imbue the spaces with personality.

    Vera’s intimate, award-winning restaurant, Babae, is subtly theatrical with sheer drapes and gallery lighting, its bespoke timber furniture and brass-edged marble bench setting the stage for food with a sharp regional focus. “We have goat’s cheese from a local supplier, handmade granola from local Vegas & Rose, truffles from nearby Black Cat Truffles, fresh food from our garden, and regional wines,” says joint owner David Cook-Doulton.

    Celebrating the local makers, bakers, growers and producers, and the master chefs who work their magic is all part of the rich tapestry that links Ballarat’s history to its vibrant present.

    A traveller’s checklist

    Getting there

    It’s 90 minutes from Melbourne, either on the Western Freeway, or hop on a V/Line train from Southern Cross Station.

    Staying there

    Hotel Vera is a centrally located Art Deco boutique hotel. Consider Hotel Provincial, which feels like a sleek country house, but with its own restaurant, Lola.

    a contemporary room at Hotel Provincial, Ballarat
    Hotel Provincial has country house vibes.

    Eating there

    dining at Mr Jones, Ballarat
    The table is set at Mr Jones. (Image: Tony Evans/ Visit Victoria)

    Culinary whiz Damien Jones helms Chef’s Hat winner Mr Jones Dining with quiet assurance. His modern Asian food is deceptively simple with deep, intense flavours. Low-key, laid-back ambience, lovely staff, thoughtful wine list.

    Cocktails are definitely a thing in Ballarat. Reynard (fox in French) is foxy indeed, a clubby space with top-notch cocktails and small bites. Grainery Lane is extravagantly OTT with its massive 1880s bar, myriad chandeliers, brass gin still, Asian-inspired food and lavish cocktails.

    dining at Grainery Lane, Ballarat
    Dining at Grainery Lane.

    Playing there

    a laneway filled with artworks in Ballarat
    An artful laneway in the city. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

    Check out local design legend Travis Price’s wall murals in Hop Lane with its colourful canopy of brollies, or in Main Street. The Art Gallery of Ballarat’s off-site Backspace Gallery showcases early-career artists in a stylish, contemporary space. First Nations-owned and run Perridak Arts connects people to place, bringing together art and crafts in this gallery/shop.

    a woman admiring artworks at Perridak Arts Gallery
    Perridak Arts is a First Nations-run gallery. (Image: Tony Evans)

    The wineries of the Pyrenees are close at hand with their welcoming cellar doors and robust reds. Join a behind-the-scenes tour at the Centre for Gold Rush Collections.

    Dalwhinnie Wines in the Pyrenees
    Dalwhinnie Wines in the Pyrenees.

    Don’t forget the giant bluestone Kryal Castle, ‘the land of adventure’, for a little medieval magic, and not just for the kids: get ready for Highland-style feasting, jousting, even overnight stays.