No van and only 7 days leave? No worries. Here’s how to go big on your next holiday.

Long gone are the times of taking off all your annual leave at once, booking an overpriced holiday and basing yourself out of one location for the entirety of your break. Safe to say we’ve all had enough of lockdowns and limitations. Our nomadic inner voices are screaming out for adventure!

So how do you join in on the trend of exploring Australia throughout the year? The answer is simple, cost-effective and time constraint friendly. We are talking about the (not-so) secret hack of hiring a van for a one-way road trip!

All you need is 5-7 days holiday leave and an adventurous spirit.

To inspire something a little different for your next holiday, we’ve put together the best one-way road trips for 7-day campervan hire across Australia. Each drive journey can be swapped or reversed by taking advantage of Apollo’s extensive network of rental pick up and drop off locations across Australia.

Melbourne to Adelaide:

Take a drive along one of Australia’s most famous coastal routes from Melbourne to Adelaide.

Home to world championship surf competitions at Bells Beach, award winning wineries and the very best in coastline driving. This road trip can comfortably be done in 4-10 days and is a winner no matter the season or weather.

Drive time: approx. 7 days

Distance: 700-1200 kilometres

Top three destinations along the way:

1. Great Ocean Road: Catch a local surf comp, take a #vanlife selfie at the beginning of the Great Ocean Road and visit the 12 Apostles.
2. Fleurieu Peninsula: Located approximately 88 kilometres south of Adelaide, the Fleurieu Peninsula is home to clear blue waters, sleepy seaside towns and is a stone’s throw away from McLaren Vale district for world class wineries.
3. Adelaide City: Discover the best things to do in Adelaide, including restaurants, bars, galleries, outdoor and family-friendly activities. There’s plenty to see and do and the ease of driving a motorhome won’t hold you back from navigating through the city.

Alice Springs to Adelaide:

There’s no place like central Australia to sleep out under the stars, learn about local Indigenous cultures and take in the incredible colours of the outback.

If you’re a far east or west coast resident, be sure to check out matching flight options in and out of Alice Springs or Adelaide. Hot deals are often available, and this road trip is well worth flying in for.

Drive time: 5-7 days

Distance: 1500-2000 kilometres

Top three destinations along the way:

1. Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park – The iconic Uluru/Ayers Rock and Kata Tjuta/The Olgas can be found here. The Northern Territory offers tourists the opportunity to connect with the land and take in breathtaking views by walking around the bases of these culturally significant landscapes.
2. Kings Canyon – Lace up your hiking boots and eat your weetbix because this magnificent destination of 300-metre-high sandstone walls, palm-filled crevices, and views stretching across the desert is not to be missed.
3. Coober Pedy – Explore this quirky outback town and see if you can find your very own opal! If opal mining isn’t your thing, the vast landscapes surrounding Coober Pedy make for incredible sights and breathtaking photography.

Brisbane to Cairns:

Road trip along one of Australia’s most diverse tourist drive destinations. From country scenes, enriched forests and mountain ranges to surf breaks and sleepy seaside towns, Queensland has it all.

It is recommended that you explore this route for 10 days, but if you have more time, there will be plenty to keep you busy!

Drive time: 10 days minimum

Distance: Approx. 2500kms

Top three destinations along the way:

1. Noosa – If you are into avo toast and top-notch coffee, then Noosa is the pit stop for you. It’s undoubtedly a total vibe and can easily be seen as the big sis to hippie heaven Byron Bay. With swell and sets for days, don’t leave without catching a wave at one of Australia’s top long board-riding beaches.
2. Davies Creek Falls (or one of the many waterfalls along the way) – When it comes to waterfalls, Queensland tops the lot. While they are all worth a stop in, Davie Creek Falls is the perfect place to take a freshwater dip and enjoy the mountain range view from above.
3. Atherton Tablelands – Cairns is best known as the jewel of the north, nestled between the ancient roots of the Daintree Rainforest in the Atherton Tablelands to the world-heritage listed corals of the Great Barrier Reef. Exploring this area will round out your trip with some slow driving and relaxed exploring.
   
   

Keen to travel try the one-way travel trend?

Of-course you have the option to loop back to your nearest pick-up location, but if you’re short on time and wish to go further, the one-way road trip holiday is for you!

To find the right campervan or motorhome to suit your next short holiday, head to apollocamper.com.au.

For more caravanning and camping news, head to our site here.

Comments are closed.