The Great Australian Road Trip

America has long had a history of great road trips to undertake and is often the best way to move around and explore this vast country - immortalised in movies such as Road Trip, Little Miss Sunshine, Thelma and Louise and Easy Rider.

However Australia lends itself to the great road trip as well. It is a good way to see the in-between places and appreciate the vastness of this country.

Australia has a network of well maintained roads which makes driving a pleasure. The other thing that surprised me about driving in Australia rather than the UK is the quality of their roadside food. It puts Little Chef to shame..!

So grab yourself some scooby snacks, fill up the tank and set your radio to ABC Radio National. Here's a Lazyshark run down to the best Australian road trips:

The Great Ocean Road - A must do. This famous stretch of coastline includes the Twelve Apostles. Good network of campsites along the route.

The West Coast - A much less visited coastline of Australia where you can go a long way without seeing much but it is beautiful and feels like the true Australia.

Sydney to Cairns - A much travelled route by backpackers it is not so much a drive in itself rather than a collection of different experiences as you wind up the coast. Probably cheaper to do using public transport however a somewhat different experience.

Cairns to Port Douglas (and on to Darwin) - Careful with your vehicle choice for this trip... A Smart car might not be the ideal choice (especially in rainy season!)

Fraser Island - Hire a car from Hervey Bay or alternatively many of the hostels offer organised trips across to Fraser Island in larger groups. Great fun and a must do for all backpackers.