Top 11 Longest Roads in Australia

As the sixth largest country by area and, without question, one of the most sparsely populated nations on Earth, Australia has some of the longest roads in the world. When driving your rental car from city to city while touring Australia, you’ll most probably use one or more of these roads at any given point. Enjoy, then, as we look at the 11 longest roads in Australia.

1. Great Northern Highway

3,228 km

The Great Northern Highway runs from the northern Western Australian town of Wyndham all the way south to the capital city of Perth, crossing major towns such as Broome and Port Hedland on the WA coast before making its way inland through the Pilbara region.

2. Stuart Highway

2,710 km

The Stuart Highway runs from Darwin in the Northern Territory all the way south to Port Augusta in South Australia. It passes through the major town in the centre of Australia, Alice Springs, as well as Tennant Creek in NT and Coober Pedy in SA.

3. Princes Highway

1,941 km

Starting in the city of Sydney, it makes its way down the NSW south coast before looping around to follow Victoria’s coastline, passing through Melbourne. It then continues north towards South Australia, finishing its run in Port Augusta.

4. Bruce Highway

1,707 km

The Bruce Highway runs from Cairns in Queensland’s north to the state’s capital of Brisbane in the south. It makes its way down the Queensland coastline, crossing through towns such as Townsville, Mackay and Rockhampton and is the major access road for those visiting the iconic Great Barrier Reef.

5. Eyre Highway

1,668 km

While there is no road that directly connects the South Australian capital of Adelaide with the Western Australian capital of Perth, the Eyre Highway is the closest thing, linking WA’s Norseman with SA’s Port Augusta. It passes through the famous Nullarbor Plain and the Great Australian Bight is a short detour away at certain points.

6. Diamantina Developmental Road

1,354 km

So named because it passes by the Diamantina National Park, this winding road connects the west Queensland town of Mt Isa with the town of Charleville in the state’s centre, passing through such towns as Dajarra, Bedourie and Quilpie.

7. North West Coastal Highway

1,339 km

It’s the biggest state in the county so it makes sense that Western Australia would have another road of this magnitude completely within its state borders. The North West Coastal Highway runs from Port Hedland in the state’s Pilbara region to the fishing town of Geraldton, passing through the towns of Kalbarri and Carnarvon on the way.

8. Anne Beadell Highway

1,320 km

Suitable only for experienced and well-stocked 4WD vehicles and drivers, the Anne Beadell Highway is an unsealed outback track running from Coober Pedy in South Australia to Laverton in Western Australia. Even in good conditions, this track takes five days to complete. Car hire companies definitely wouldn’t recommend taking this route!

9. Mitchell Highway

1,101 km

Another major rural road, the Mitchell Highway starts at Augathella in central Queensland and finishing at Bathurst just west of the Great Dividing Range in NSW. It passes major rural centres such as Cunnamulla, Bourke, Nyngan, Dubbo and Orange on the way.

10. Burke Developmental Road

1,082 km

Another winding road through rural Queensland, the Burke Developmental Road runs from Mareeba (near Cairns) in the state’s north east coast, making its way down west towards the town of Normanton before taking a turn south towards the town of Cloncurry.

11. Tanami Road

1,055 km

Tanami Road runs from just north of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory to the town of Halls Creek in Western Australia’s Kimberley region. It passes through the Tanami Desert.

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