The 11 best spring road trips around Australia

Embrace lengthier days, blooming fields and the annual whale migration with the country’s most-loved spring road trips.

There’s no better time to explore our own backyards than when winter-coddled bodies begin thawing amid rising temperatures. Whether you’re keen to spot the annual humpback migration, combing mountain ranges for blooming wildflower flushes or aching for outdoor adventure sports, spring road trips will often take your breath away – as long as you know where to steer. Here, a handful of our favourites, renowned for their jaw-dropping moments.

1. Bowral to Canberra, NSW to the ACT

Tulip flower festival — The annual Tulip Time Flower festival boasts a spectacular display of tulips. (Image: Destination NSW)

Chase the rainbow to not one but two dazzling spring flower festivals with the two-hour journey from Bowral to Canberra. First up, you’ll spy vivid colour at the Southern Highlands’ Tulip Time Flower Festival , staged for a little over three weeks each year and home to more than 80,000 plantings and a marketplace. Once you’re done, hit the Hume Highway, past Goulburn (but do drop in for a house-baked triple chocolate cookie at Grit Cafe ), before hitting our roundabout capital for the most spectacular green thumb extravaganza of all: Floriade . Expect staggeringly beautiful flowers, live entertainment, sculptures, artworks, and so much more.

2. Avon Valley 500 Loop, WA

Avon Valley hot-air balloon — A hot-air balloon delivers a defining Avon Valley experience. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Stretching roughly 392 kilometres in length, about 30 kilometres east of Perth, the Avon Valley 500 Loop winds through tiny towns and Western Australia’s first national park, the John Forest National Park. But arguably its prettiest highlights (and there are many) are the canola fields found along the Great Southern Highway portion of the trip – otherworldly yellow spreads that intensify at the end of winter and into the first month of spring. Additionally, the heritage town of York, where you should most definitely spend the night, offers antique stores, galleries and stunning architecture.

3. The East Coast, Tas

The Freycinet National Park is known for its wildlife wonders. (Image: Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service)

Ready to see a whale? Drift along the east coast of Tasmania, starting from the beach town of St Helens to like-minded sleepy Swansea before turning into Freycinet National Park for Wineglass Bay, where humpbacks are spotted seeking warmer waters from June to November. If you don’t catch them the day you’re there, don’t despair – the entire easterly coastline is renowned for top-notch whale-watching until November as the majestic giants migrate north and south to breed and birth.

4. The Red Centre Way, NT

While Northern Territory headliners Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa National Park pull crowds all year round, the iconic Red Centre Way shines in spring amid blossoming wildflowers. The vivid blooms pop against the region’s famed red dirt, creating some of the most extraordinary scenes on the planet. It’s a mammoth trail, notching up 835 kilometres in total, so it’s common to tackle small portions, like the unsealed Mereenie Loop Tourist Drive.

5. Adelaide to Kangaroo Island, SA

Hit the M2 from Adelaide to Kangaroo Island’s ferry stop in Cape Jervis to experience world-famous wine country before descending on wildlife heaven. You’ll need to turn off the freeway to sample McLaren Vale’s famed drops, but don’t linger too long because Kangaroo Island is just a 45-minute ferry ride off the coast. In spring, the island bursts with wildflowers and orchids while kangaroos, sea lions, baby koalas and joeys are also known to emerge.

6. Kosciuszko Alpine Way, NSW

Lake Jindabyne, Kosciuszko National Park — The Kosciuszko Alpine Way is a 100-km drive. (Image: Destination NSW)

Located within the Snowy Mountains, the Kosciuszko Alpine Way really turns the table on its moniker during the warmer months. The 100-kilometre stretch from Jindabyne to the Victorian border is flanked by wildflowers, making for a scenic trail dotted with activity. Scale Jindy Rock with rock-climbing experts K7 Adventures , skid with the best of them at Thredbo Mountain Bike Park, and uncover historic alpine huts at Geehi Flats, just off the pristine Swampy Plains River.

7. Capricorn Way, Qld

The Capricorn Way road trip through Blackdown Tablelands National Park — The Capricorn Way is calling your name. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

If you’re a foodie, the Capricorn Way is calling your name, particularly at the beginning of September. Encompassing 600 glorious kilometres, the road trip starts in Rockhampton, home to the Capricorn Food and Wine Festival from 4 to 7 September 2025. There you’ll sample the region’s finest seafood, spring produce and arts scene, before you should really keep on trucking to the astonishing limestone tunnel network of Capricorn Caves, secret swimming holes warm enough to bathe in, and a giant Van Gogh ‘Sunflowers’ replica. Your final destination? Barcaldine in the Queensland outback.

8. Silo Art Trail, Vic

A 200-kilometre scenic route through western Victoria, the Silo Art Trail is Australia’s largest outdoor art gallery, dotted with 23 enormous murals created by international street artists. Starting in Rupanyup, the cultural awakening is also littered with wildflowers in spring, crafting an ongoing visual feast unlike any other in the country. You can navigate in two directions, but both visit a string of totally charming rural towns

9. Nullarbor crossing, SA

Car sitting at pit stop along the Nullarbor — Every Australian should cross the Nullarbor at least once. (Image: Mason Kirby & Sarah Parker)

Go big or go home with a bucket list journey across the Nullarbor Plain. Tackle it in spring to spy wildflowers popping out along the grand 1256-kilometre trail, which takes in remote campsites and pubs, gigantic rock formations, spotless beaches and sand dunes, and Australia’s longest and straightest road, the 90 Mile Straight. A journey for the ages, whether you do it in full or take smaller bites.

10. The Great Ocean Road, Vic

Van driving on Great Ocean Road — Spring is arguably the best time to explore the Great Ocean Road. (Image: Tourism Australia/Visit Victoria)

You’ve probably driven its winding routes more than a few times, but spring is arguably the best time to explore the Great Ocean Road. Waterfalls are flowing, wildflowers are blooming, and the mercury sits at just the right point – a rarity in Victoria. Unmissable pit stops include the iconic Twelve Apostles, trendy Lorne and watching the waves at Bells Beach and Torquay.

11. Pacific Coast Way, Qld

Taking advantage of Queensland’s 300-odd days of sunshine per year, the Pacific Coast Way goes from the Gold Coast to Cairns, offering up quintessential Sunshine State experiences. From the Glitter Strip’s glitzy wining and dining scene and one of only two Everglade systems in the world, to more seasonal whale-watching and easy access to the Great Barrier Reef, the 1800-kilometre road trip offers non-stop sunny season thrills.

Located just an hour north-west of Melbourne, the largely undiscovered Macedon Ranges quietly pours some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines and serves up some of Victoria’s best food.

Mention the Macedon Ranges and most people will think of day spas and mineral springs around Daylesford, cosy weekends away in the countryside or the famous Hanging Rock (of enigmatic picnic fame). Or they won’t have heard of the Macedon Ranges at all.

But this cool-climate destination has been inconspicuously building a profile as a high-quality food and wine region and is beginning to draw serious attention from oenophiles and epicureans alike.

The rise of Macedon Ranges wine

liquid gold barrels at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — Barrels of liquid gold at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

With elevations ranging from 300 to 800 metres, Macedon Ranges vineyards are among the highest in the country. This altitude, combined with significant day/night temperature swings, makes for a slow ripening season, in turn nurturing wines that embody elegance and structure. Think crisp chardonnays, subtle yet complex pinot noirs and delicate sparkling wines, along with niche varietals, such as gamay and nebbiolo.

Despite the region’s natural advantages – which vary from estate to estate, as each site embodies unique terroir depending on its position in relation to the Great Dividing Range, soil make-up and altitude – the Macedon Ranges has remained something of an insider’s secret. Unlike Victoria’s Yarra Valley or Mornington Peninsula, you won’t find large tour buses here and there’s no mass marketing drawing crowds.

Many of the 40-odd wineries are family-run operations with modest yields, meaning the wineries maintain a personal touch (if you visit a cellar door, you’ll likely chat to the owner or winemaker themselves) and a tight sales circle that often doesn’t go far beyond said cellar door. And that’s part of the charm.

Though wines from the Macedon Ranges are just starting to gain more widespread recognition in Australia, the first vines were planted in the 1860s, with a handful of operators then setting up business in the 1970s and ’80s. The industry surged again in the 1990s and early 2000s with the entry of wineries, such as Mount Towrong, which has an Italian slant in both its wine and food offering, and Curly Flat , now one of the largest estates.

Meet the new generation of local winemakers

the Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. — The Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Then, within the last 15 years, a new crop of vignerons like Andrew Wood at Kyneton Ridge Estate , whose vineyard in 2024 was the first in the Macedon Ranges to be certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Australia; Geoff Plahn and Samantha Reid at Paramoor , who have an impressive cellar door with a roaring fire and studded leather couches in an old Clydesdale barn; and Ollie Rapson and Renata Morello at Lyons Will , who rapidly expanded a small vineyard to focus on top-shelf riesling, gamay, pinot noir and chardonnay, have taken ownership of local estates.

Going back to the early days, Llew Knight’s family was one of the pioneers of the 1970s, replacing sheep with vines at Granite Hills when the wool industry dwindled. Knight is proud of the fact that all their wines are made with grapes from their estate, including a light, peppery shiraz (some Macedon wineries purchase fruit from nearby warmer areas, such as Heathcote, particularly to make shiraz) and a European-style grüner veltliner. And, as many other wineries in the region do, he relies on natural acid for balance, rather than an additive, which is often required in warmer regions. “It’s all about understanding and respecting your climate to get the best out of your wines,” he says.

farm animals atKyneton Ridge Estate — Curious residents at Kyneton Ridge Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Throughout the Macedon Ranges, there’s a growing focus on sustainability and natural and low-intervention wines, with producers, such as Brian Martin at Hunter Gatherer making waves in regenerative viticulture. Martin previously worked in senior roles at Australia’s largest sparkling winemaking facility, and now applies that expertise and his own nous to natural, hands‑off, wild-fermented wines, including pét‑nat, riesling and pinot noir. “Wild fermentation brings more complexity,” he says. “Instead of introducing one species of yeast, you can have thousands and they add different characteristics to the wine.”

the vineyard at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The estate’s vineyard, where cool-climate grapes are grown. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Most producers also focus on nurturing their grapes in-field and prune and pick by hand, thus avoiding the introduction of impurities and the need to meddle too much in the winery. “The better the quality of the fruit, the less you have to interfere with the natural winemaking process,” says Wood.

Given the small yields, there’s also little room for error, meaning producers place immense focus on quality. “You’re never going to compete in the middle [in a small region] – you’ve got to aim for the top,” says Curly Flat owner Jeni Kolkka. “Big wineries try to do things as fast as possible, but we’re in no rush,” adds Troy Walsh, owner and winemaker at Attwoods . “We don’t use commercial yeasts; everything is hand-harvested and everything is bottled here, so we bottle only when we’re ready, not when a big truck arrives.” That’s why, when you do see a Macedon Ranges product on a restaurant wine list, it’s usually towards the pointy end.

Come for the wine, stay for the food

pouring sauce onto a dish at Lake HouseDaylesford — Dining at Lake House Daylesford is a treat. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

If wine is the quiet achiever of the Macedon Ranges, then food is its not-so-secret weapon. In fact, the area has more hatted restaurants than any other region in Victoria. A pioneer of the area’s gourmet food movement is region cheerleader Alla Wolf-Tasker, culinary icon and founder of Daylesford’s Lake House.

For more than three decades, Wolf-Tasker has championed local producers and helped define what regional fine dining can look like in Australia. Her influence is palpable, not just in the two-hatted Lake House kitchen, but in the broader ethos of the region’s dining scene, as a wave of high-quality restaurants have followed her lead to become true destination diners.

the Midnight Starling restaurant in Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The hatted Midnight Starling restaurant is located in Kyneton. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

It’s easy to eat well, whether at other hatted restaurants, such as Midnight Starling in the quaint town of Kyneton, or at the wineries themselves, like Le Bouchon at Attwoods, where Walsh is inspired by his time working in France in both his food offering and winemaking.

The beauty of dining and wine touring in the Macedon Ranges is that it feels intimate and unhurried. You’re likely to meet the winemaker, hear about the trials of the latest vintage firsthand, and taste wines that never make it to city shelves. And that’s worth getting out of the city for – even if it is just an hour down the road.

Delicate dishes on the menu at Midnight Starling. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

the accommodation at Cleveland Estate, Macedon Ranges — Stay at the Cleveland Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Soak up vineyard views from Cleveland Estate near Lancefield , embrace retro charm at Kyneton Springs Motel or indulge in lakeside luxury at the Lake House .

Eating there

Enjoy a four-course menu at the one-hatted Surly Goat in Hepburn Springs, Japanese-inspired fare at Kuzu in Woodend or unpretentious fine dining at Mount Monument , which also has a sculpture park.

Drinking there

wine tasting at PassingClouds Winery, Macedon Ranges — A tasting at Passing Clouds Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Settle in for a tasting at Boomtown in Castlemaine, sample local drops at the cosy Woodend Cellar & Bar or wine-hop around the many cellar doors, such as Passing Clouds .

the Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar signage — Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Playing there

a scenic river in Castlemaine — Idyllic scenes at Castlemaine. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Wander through the seasonal splendour of Forest Glade Gardens , hike to the summit of Hanging Rock, or stroll around the tranquil Sanatorium Lake.

purple flowers hanging from a tree — Purple flowers hanging from a tree. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)