THE BIG LAP: WHICH DIRECTION SHOULD I GO FOR THE BEST ADVENTURE!

To make sure we all value the same thing, this article focuses on:

• Following the sunshine
• Ensuring you aren’t trapped in the heat
• Experience the best events
• See amazing animal migrations
• Find the amazing food experiences
• And connect with lots of amazing people

Overview

• February - March = Tassie
• End of March = Victoria
• April = South Australia
• May = Nullarbor to Exmouth
• June = Ningaloo Reef to Kununarra
• July = Broome to Darwin
• August = Litchfield to Uluru
• September = Alice Springs to North Queensland
• October = South East Queensland
• November = New South Whales
• December = Your Choice
• January = Victoria

February to March

• Obviously we want to make the most of summer so this is the perfect time to head to Tassie & it’s when Tassie comes alive! From festivals to foodie events there is so much to see! We did the loop anticlockwise & if you are going this way round we highly recommend stopping at the lavender farm first.. We didn’t and when we completed the lap they had harvest the crops.. It’s ok taking photos with naked lavender plants was still fun
• Make sure to book your festival tickets a head of time as well & if you are into Mountain biking the trails here are better than any other trails in Australia

March to April

• Heading back to Victoria there are plenty of things to see and do. The festival event season is now in full swing across Victoria. We would recommend from the ferry to head to Mornington Peninsula first before heading west. This will ensure you can go to the Caravan & Camping show as well as Australia’s biggest Connection Festival is on in the first week of April which will open your eyes to the full potential of humanity.
• Once you are ready to head west cruise back down to Melbourne to get any extra suppliers via Macedon Ranges before heading to the Great Ocean Road.
• Mount Gambier swimming holes & caves were a highlight for us on this leg of the trip

April to May

• Enjoy exploring the Eyre Peninsula before heading into Adelaide. Head North through Barossa Valley drinking and eating at all the great Wineries. Continue North exploring the Lake Eyre National Park & Cooper Pedy before heading south to Whyalla the best place in the world to swim with the Cuttle Fish migration.
• Next head to Port Lincoln for the most epic shark diving experience.
• Towards the middle of May head across the Nullarbor playing the worlds largest golf course along the way.

May to June

• Take a left after the worlds longest straight road at Norseman
• This will take you down into Esperance exploring some of the best beaches in Australia
• As you travel toward Perth checkout out the Wineries, The Longest Jetty & Caves.
• Once in Perth be sure to check out the Botanical garden to learn about the environment you are about to head into.
• After leaving Perth if you need new tyres head to Geraldton Tyrepower who work on the road trains & have the best prices on Tyres I could find in Australia

June

• This is where the Ningaloo Reef comes life, enjoy swimming with Manta Rays in Coral Bay. Then swim with Whale Sharks & Humpback Whales in Exmouth. There are hidden caves in Exmouth, if you find them please let me know where they are I couldn’t find them haha
• Once you have enjoyed your time swimming it’s time to go in land to Karijini National Park, one of the most unique environment I have ever explored. There is free camping between the 2 gorges & is the only place with reception.
• From here you’ll be heading to Port Headland which has great free camping in town
• Next stop be saw to check out Marble Bar the hottest place in Australia
• Then across to Broome, where we recommend to restock on any supplies

July

• From Broome it’s a long drive across some very remotes parts of Australia before you arrive in Kununarra. This place was a massive highlight for us. The food at The Pumphouse was amazing and flying over the Bungle Bungles was incredible. Be sure to check out Lake Argyle while you are there.
• Next we headed to Katherine & on to Darwin. We recommend heading to Kakadu National Park on the way up. The highlights here were the Rock Art & Cahill Crossing. If you end up going on the Yellow Water cruise ask for Denise to be your tour guide when you book.

August

• The trip from Darwin to Uluru is epic! You’ll love Litchfield National Park, Bitter Springs, Daly Waters Pub & the West MacDonnell National Park gorges.
• Heading into Uluru, be sure to drive south of Alice Springs to get to Uluru the 150km is extremely remote & extremely corrugated. It will take you the same time to drive 450km as it does 150km due to the road conditions.
• Kings Canyon is definitely worth the extra drive.
• Once in Uluru be sure to see Kata Jita, it’s just as impressive as Uluru. Did you know these two rocks were once connected?

September

• Will see you cruise back up north to the Barkly Highway where your first stop should be the Barkly Home-Stead after the new renovations this place will make you fee like your in the city again.
• From here you’ll have Mount Isa in sight. Mount Isa is surprisingly I very nice town and definitely wins the award for best Tourist Information center.
• After stocking up again head to Cape York if you can. We ran out of time to do this however its a must see destination on The Big Lap.
• Coming back down the Daintree Rain Forest is incredible & your last chance to get up close with wild Crocodiles.
• Port Douglas is your next major stop & the best destination to access the Great Barrier Reef.

October

• Take your time exploring Cairns, Kuranda, Atherton Tablelands, Waterfalls, Magnetic Island, Bowen & Airlie Beach. Each place has many highlights.
• From Airlie it’s a long drive to Noosa, be sure to stop at the Bundaberg Distillery it was amazing to see how this business actually runs.
• From Noosa it will feel like your back into the Main Stream tourism again.. So take your time exploring off the beaten trails and you’ll find amazing places like Kondalilla Falls.
• Cruising south now you’ll be passing Australia Zoo, Brisbane, Byron Bay & some epic swimming holes!

November

• As you head further south to past Coffs Harbour & New Castle you will reach Gosford. From here we recommend following the convict trail to Wisemans Ferry into the Blue Mountains. This way you get to see both sides of the Mountain Range.
• There is a secret waterfall cave on the Grand Canyon Walking Track, it’s cold but well worth the adventure.

December

• I have just recommended to you an entire trip of Australia, it’s a lot to see in 12 months, therefore I think leaving 4 weeks for spontaneous activities along the way is best. To ensure if you want to stop and explore more you can.

January

• Now after the festive season has finished & Victoria is starting to warm up, we recommend exploring the Gippsland & Alpine areas of the state. By now you might be over beaches, if so take the route via Jindabyne it’s a beautiful drive with lots of things to see on the way.
• If you are heading to the Alpine Region there are some amazing Mountain Biking trails to explore between wineries.
• If you are following the coast check out Raymond island to see Koala & Wilson’s Prom because this area of Australia is where I grew up.

This is not a locked in adventure schedule, by all means mix it up. If you have a better way of seeing Australia in a 2wd Drive camper van I would live to hear about it.

Til then, I’ll see you out exploring.