The Best Places to Travel Alone in Australia

Australia is a great destination to travel solo and for road trips too. There are so many unique places that match any solo travel style.

As a solo traveller, you may feel overwhelmed because of the vast distances that you need to consider before choosing destinations to travel alone. I would pick places you feel comfortable with, regarding what you can there and transportation options.

If you don’t plan to drive alone in Australia, make sure that your itinerary is covered by an excellent public transportation network, like modern trains and buses and flight connections too.

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Places to start your Trip in Australia Alone.

As a first time traveller to Australia, you are better off starting your journey from the main Australian cities like Sydney and Melbourne and Perth and Adelaide. These are the safest places to visit in Australia on your own. As a woman, I highly recommend it to all first-time solo female travellers if you don’t feel like going on a self-driving itinerary.

While activities and attractions are abundant in all Australian cities, you can also use small towns as the central hub for further explorations of the surroundings.

Cities like Melbourne and Sydney are the top solo destinations in Australia to start your trip with many exciting things to do without having to drive long distances. It’s easy to see Sydney alone and explore its surroundings by public transport.

From Melbourne, you can go by bus and visit small towns like Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong and if you feel confident about driving solo, go on an easy day trips from Melbourne.

If you can consider self-driving, then you have it all. Australia is a beautiful country for road trips. From rural areas to scenic coastal drives to remote Outback regions, you name it.

Here is a list of the best places I have discovered by going on road trips over 15 years of solo travel adventures in Australia.

Best Places to Travel Alone in Australia

Here is a list of top places for travelling alone in Australia. They are absolutely a no-brainer, and everyone can embrace these adventures, even if you travel by yourself for the first time. I have gone to these places by myself several times with rental cars and public transportation.

Driving in Australia does not require exceptional skills as long as you drive on sealed tracks. However, in remote Outback areas, you need a certain level of experience as a four-wheel drive is strictly necessary on unsealed roads. Moreover, weather conditions can make it difficult and dangerous. Therefore before venturing out alone on a road trip across the Australian Outback, consider whether this is something you feel comfortable with and meet your driving experience level.

The Great Ocean Road Trip

After discovering Melbourne alone, a beautiful 300 km coastal drive awaits you. It may be demanding as there are many turns and bends, but the scenery makes up for the effort. There are many places to visit and activities to do along your way, offering time for resting too. Plan at least 2-3 days to make the most of this fascinating coastal drive.

I recommend hiring a car in Melbourne and taking an inland detour to the Grampians National Park on your way back.

Here you can read more about the best places to travel alone on the Great Ocean Road Trip.

From Alice Springs to Ayers Rock

There are many myths about Uluru and the Red Centre. You will be amazed at how easy this road trip is to travel alone. Just keep driving straight ahead of you for hundreds of kilometres. You don’t need to hire a four-wheel-drive car, as the route is entirely on sealed roads.

The 440km from Alice Springs to Yulara Resort and 330 km from Alice Springs to Kings Canyon are reasonable distances that everyone can easily travel alone.

A first stop could be the Rim Walk in Kings Canyon, one night at the Kings Canyon Resort and then drive further to Ayers Rock for two more nights. In this post, you can read about my tips for driving to Uluru.

My tip: plan four days for the Solo Road Trip To Uluru.

A Solo Trip from Perth to Margaret River

After visiting Perth Alone, 300km south of the city, lies one of Australia’s most surprising regions for Food and Wine. It’s a pleasant and comfortable highway drive to get there. You will need a car to explore the area between Margaret River, Busselton and the Geographe Bay region.

My tip: Add an extra 200-300 km and travel to Walpole, Denmark and further south to Albany to visit the wild coastal landscapes and see the famous Tall Trees.

All roads are sealed and in the right conditions — plan at least 4-5 days for Margaret River, explore the Geographe Bay Region and spend 4-5 days travelling South Western Australia.

Travelling Alone Down South Western Australia

If you can plan more than a week, I would drive down south and visit more beautiful South West Australia. I went on a 10-day solo road trip down south the West Coast and explored one of the most ancient with the world’s highest biodiversity.

It’s one of my favourites places for solo adventures in Australia. In this post, you can read about how to discover South Western Australia on your own.

Exploring the Central East Coast of Australia from Sydney to Cairns

The East Coast Australia ranks high on all solo travellers in Australia among the most popular destinations for a solo backpacking trip. Queensland hosts hundreds of backpackers in summer on their Australian Working Holiday, and it’s an ideal destination for everyone wanting to spend some time alone yet not feeling completely lonely.

While hiring a car in Australia is probably a more relaxed way to travel up from Sydney to Cairns, you can also use public buses and make your way up with Greyhound.

You will be able to stop along your way as much as you like and spend time at the lovely beaches in Byron Bay, soaking in the great weather at the famous and busy Gold Coast and enjoying the Sunshine Coast.

Further north from Airlie Beach, you can explore the Whitsundays Islands, drive to Rockhampton and along the Capricorn Coast,

If driving alone is not your thing, there are more options to travel around on the East Coast of Australia. There are many local train and bus networks, like Greyhound, which offers excellent bus passes. Plan at least 3-4 weeks from Sydney to Cairns to make the most of your time alone on the East Coast.

Discover Australia Gold Coast Hinterland

Another top place to travel alone is the East Coast of Australia along the Gold Coast. I first went to Coolangatta in 2013 ago and visited Coolangatta coming from South Wales. Later on, I spent six weeks in Mermaid Beach while house-sitting in Australia.

This is an excellent way of visiting alone Australia on a budget and saving money on accommodation which can be pretty expensive for a single traveller.

I think the Gold Coast is an excellent place to be in Australia for solos too. Despite being a bit touristy, it does offer everything to any traveller, with a variety of fun outdoor activities, festivals and amenities that is hard to beat.

You can also escape the crowds and drive inland to the beautiful Gold Coast hinterland for more outdoor explorations and great walks in nature.

Driving Alone from Cairns to Cape Tribulation

Two more great road trips for solo travellers are in North Tropical Queensland. The first trip is from Cairns to Cape Tribulation, where you can visit Port Douglas, Mossman Gorge.

You can do it either as a day trip or by staying overnight at Cape Tribulation in the heart of the Daintree Rainforest.

The tropical region offers spectacular rainforest scenery with solo walks and cruises, abundant fruits, coffee plantations, hills and mountains, gorges and waterfalls in the Atherton Tablelands. Another great trip to go alone is the ride from Cairns across the Atherton Tablelands.

Hiking Solo in Tasmania

If you love hiking and are thinking of exploring alone more of Australia, I’d recommend Tasmania as one of the best destinations for hiking solo in Australia. I have gone on several walks alone and loved it. I also went on a solo road trip to the East Coast and explored the Freycinet National Parks.

My last adventure in Tasmania was hiking the Three Capes Track Walk on my own.

The right places to visit Australia Alone

The destinations I have listed on this page are suitable for all kinds of solo travellers, from beginners to more experienced, with different skills and if you travel alone with your pet around Australia.

I have also travelled to remote regions of Australia’s Outback alone that I haven’t listed here. I’m sure, among this list, you will find the right places to travel independently, that will make you want to explore more of Australia.

Now over to you: What are your best places for travelling alone in Australia? If you have a road trip that you can recommend for the solo traveller, please share it with us. Thanks!

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How to organise your Time Travelling Alone in Australia

The best way to organise your time travelling alone around Australia is by driving. You may prefer self-driving to guided day trips, depending on your driving skills. Solo road trips are good fun, and there are many accessible routes for solo travellers too.

You can also combine self-driving with guided tours and public transport. Here are all the tools I use for planning my solo adventures in Australia.

If you find this article helpful for your trip, I’d appreciate it if you could support Rocky Travel and book your tours, accommodation, rental car, or purchase my book using the links in the box below. Thank you!

Last updated in March 2021

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