6 places worth detouring for

Don’t drive past these must-see locations.

By Jeremy Rochow
Last updated on: September 4, 2018 at 11:51 am

You’re driving along the highway, cruising towards your final destination, when you see a turnoff to a place you’ve never visited.

Do you make an unscheduled stop or continue on your journey without giving it a second thought? It’s a tough call. To help, we’ve chatted to our More for Member partner Apollo Motorhome Holidays to come up with our list of 6 places you should definitely make a detour for.

Perth to Exmouth – Monkey Mia, WA

It takes more than 13 hours to drive from Perth to Exmouth, on the north-west coast of Western Australia, so it’s a good idea to make a few stops along the way.

If you take the Shark Rd turnoff, about 9 hours north of Perth, and continue along the road for another 2 hours, you’ll end up at Monkey Mia. Here, you can feed the dolphins who visit the area daily.

Monkey Mia is also surrounded by rusty red sand dunes, white beaches, and turquoise water teeming with wildlife – not a bad place to take a break.

 

Visit Monkey Mia in Western Australia to feed dolphins.

Adelaide to Darwin – Kata Tjuta, NT

Most people visit Uluru while travelling through the Northern Territory, but there’s a lesser-known sight that’s often overlooked.

The spectacular Kata-Tjuta rock formation, also known as the Olgas and found in the same national park as Uluru, is located 360km south-west of Alice Springs.

You can hike around its 36 domes, which cover an area of about 26km2 and are made of granite, basalt and sandstone.

While you're at Uluru, be sure to visit the lesser-known Kata Tjuta rock formation.

Brisbane to Cairns – Great Sandy National Park, QLD

If you’re driving a 4WD, then the Great Sandy National Park – ­about 2 hours north of Brisbane – is the perfect location for a detour.

The park features untouched beaches, large sand dunes, rainforests, swamps, creeks, freshwater lakes and mangrove forests, making it a great place for exploring.

You can also walk one of the many scenic tracks and explore places such as the historic Double Island Point Lighthouse or even pack a tent and camp along the Cooloola Wilderness Trail.

The Great Sandy National park has plenty to offer.

Adelaide to Sydney – Canberra, ACT

You’ve been driving for more than 10 hours and are already within 300km of Sydney, so why would you want to detour to Canberra?

Only 45 minutes off the Hume Hwy, the nation’s capital has more to offer than you might expect and is worth a visit – especially if you’ve never been before.

You can take a tour of the Old Parliament House, stop by the interactive Questacon museum with the children, visit the Australian War Memorial or stroll around Lake Burley Griffin.

Canberra is worth a detour.

The Great Ocean Rd – Cape Otway, VIC

The Great Ocean Rd, which stretches more than 400km from Torquay to Nelson near the South Australian border, is full of fascinating little towns and spectacular scenery.

Cape Otway, at the southern tip of Victoria’s western coast where the Southern Ocean collides with the Bass Strait, is one of the places that should be on your list to visit.

The national park has plenty to offer, including remote rainforests and towering cliffs, along with white, sandy beaches.

You can also take a tour of mainland Australia’s oldest lighthouse – the Cape Otway Lightstation – and discover its fascinating history.

Take a quick detour to check out Cape Otway.

Sydney to Brisbane – Angourie, NSW

The east coast of Australia has dozens of perfect surf spots, but Angourie is home to 1 of only 2 national surfing reserves, making it an excellent place for a detour.

If surfing isn’t your thing, the small coastal village – just 20 minutes from the Pacific Hwy – also boasts 2 freshwater swimming holes by the ocean, known as the Angourie Blue and Green pools.

As these pools are sometimes affected by algal blooms, it’s worth checking for any signs around before you jump in.

Not interested in surfing or swimming? Chuck on your hiking shoes and check out the village’s coastal walking track.

Surf, swim or go for a hike at Angourie.

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