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I'm surprised that Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, or any of the Maritimes are not on the BeenThere list. They definitely should be, in my mind. Eastern Canada gets no love, imho.
Nova Scotia is beautiful. Drive through it to Sydney and then take the ferry to Newfoundland. From there, you can explore this (deceptively large) island via car, dodging snowstorms and trying to not run into moose.
But it will all be worth it if you drive all the way to the very Northern tip of Newfoundland. Not only can you sit there and stare across the water at Labrador, contemplating how far North you are, but you can also revel in the knowledge that you are standing at a UNESCO World Heritage site - L'Anse aux Meadows. Get in touch with your heritage, at this, the "first and only known site established by Vikings in North America and the earliest evidence of European settlement in the New World" (from UNESCO).
Seriously, pretty awesome to drive to an 11th century Viking settlement in the New World.
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Living in London it's not often you get to drive on the open road. Well, on a recent trip to Northern California, starting in San Francisco I got to do just that. After spending a few days in San Francisco with the girlfriend we rented a car and took 80 East towards Lake Tahoe which is one of the most gorgeous drives I've ever done. And when your destination is Lake Tahoe you really can't get a better package. Spending some time in Lake Tahoe, and a few nights camping was great. But we were soon on our way again down to Yosemite NP. Another breathtaking location in Nor Cal which is full of wildlife and picturesque views. Yosemite Valley is an obvious highlight. We were happy to get back to San Fran, it was a long 10 days. San Francisco remains one of my favourite cities - absolutely beautiful, even if the weather can be a bit odd sometimes!
One of the islands which make up the Hawaiian chain is Oahu, home of Honolulu and Waikiki. One of the thing all tourists should do is get a trip around the island, whether clockwise or anti-clockwise. The best way to do this is to hire a car (you can do it by public transport) but with local car hire rates very cheap ($39/day for us) a car is the way to go. Do not try this via scooter though, they are not allowed on the freeways or highways. The advantage of a car is you can stop when and where you like, to take a break, take a picture or grab something to eat. Driving also gives you access to the famous surf beaches on the top side of Oahu.
Oahu, Hawaii
Hire a car and drive there - it's amazing. Plus condos in Largo are cheap because there are so many.
All part of the ultimate road trip:
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This part of NZ (where I grew up) is largely untouched by tourism and reflects the real NZ, laid back and multicultural.
The drive from Opotiki to Gisborne around the East Cape has some amazing scenery and a few well spaced apart pubs and cafes for a break - try Two Fish cafe in Opotiki - or pack a picnic and find a shady spot near the sea. Rugged scenery and beautiful coastline.
Returning through the Waioeka is a great drive too. If you can, visit in December when the Pohutukawas are in bloom.
Almost no public transport. www.opotiki.co.nz
The Pacific Highway drive from Whakatane through Opotiki, Kakumoa, East Cape, Waioka Gorge, Matawi, to Gisborne in my opinion knocks Victoria's Great Ocean Road into a proverbial cocked hat.
Take care on the unsufaced roads around East Cape or you'll end up on the rocks. At Kakumoa, The Beach Hostel is literally on the beach.
It's on the map!
My nephew and his family and I were in Queenstown in December 1999. At the edge of the town, we saw a cardboard sign tied around the trunk of a tree with 'Glenorchy' written on it and pointing in its direction.
We drove to Glenorchy and it was the most breathtaking drive I had ever taken. We stopped every few minutes, got out of the car to just take in the unspoiled beauty of the place. It was one time, I wished, I had a camcorder so I could record the whole drive. Do not miss it if ever in Queenstown.
As you drive along SH35 you wonder if anyone else knows about this remote part of the North Island. You can drive for what seems like hours before you see another car. You wave, not because you know them, but you just do!
If you plan to break your journey, book up accommodation before you set out. Whakatane visitor centre can help. Try and go when the pohutukawa trees are flowering.
Hire a car and drive the 45km coast road south from Alghero to Bosa.
Around every curve in the road there is a sandy cove or rocky inlet, blue-green water, cliffs and mountains.
It's hard to make any sort of progress along the road, as the water is just too inviting and the clifftop photo opportunities too many.
Bosa itself is an unspoilt town, overlooked by most tourists in favour of the nearby marina and beach. A ruined castle perches on top of a hill, from which cobbled streets and quiet squares tumble down to the river, lined with huge palms and elegant mansions.
Take the SP105 from Alghero.
The train journey to Harlech from Dyfi Junction is beautiful as is the car journey, either along the coast past Barmouth or inland and then over to the coast.
The castle is beautiful to look at from the beach or sea level but is not that spectacular from the inside. On a nice day the area between Barmouth and Porthmadog is lovely to experience.
One of the most spectacular strips of tarmac in the world. A 6 mile road from Hout Bay to Noordhoek in the Southern Cape Peninsula, Cape Town, perched 300 metres above the churning Atlantic Ocean. Spot the whales below in season.
Check out this street map of South Africa to find Chapmans Peak - click down to Hout Bay, just south of Cape Town city centre: www.africanbudgetsafaris.com/south-africa-street-map.htm
This is a 26km drive from Cardwell which takes in Cardwell lookout and a number of areas for swimming and picnicking. I recommend the 'spa pool' which is just what it sounds like - a lovely swimming hole and spa effect created by water rushing into a pool over rocks. Go in the week and you will probably get it all to yourselves as we did.
Turn off the Bruce highway onto Brasenose Street, follow the road over the railway crossing, straight ahead onto a gravel road and follow the 'forest drive' road circular drive.
Google map: tinyurl.com/ncjz87
It is the most fantastic coastal drive in the world I reckon (even better than west coast US).
From Melbourne drive west along the coast.
A sweeping, swooping rollercoaster of a drive that that hugs the coast and takes you through everchanging scenery: deep valleys, rugged headlands, gentle coves and tooth-achingly pretty villages. You take in the Giant's Causeway, the swinging, swaying Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, the beaches of Port Ballantrae and White Park Bay, and the Clough William-Ellis houses of Cushendun. Start at Portrush Strand, stop for lunch in the Londonderry Arms (once owned by Churchill), but turn off for Ballymena (instead of staying on the road to Larne), and plough through the deep Glens of Antrim.
Queensland's east coast has everything - arrive in Cairns, buy yourself a camper and travel from rainforest to the bush. See the wildlife and enjoy the nightlife of the coastal cities. Travellers are welcome, work is available and at the end you can flog the camper in Sydney or even Perth. See Australia as it is meant to be seen - by road.
Visit the Gumtree website for info on all this in every city.
Mind blowing years worth of history on a river bank in south Goa.
The drive towards Rivona is itself a spectacular green profusion. Keep following the green and red tourist signs, then follow the mud track past the turquoise quarry et voila.
If you want to see the tallest and oldest trees in the world than you must visit Sequoia park. Driving on a scenic road, you'll enjoy the beauty of Calfornia. It is a 4 1/2 hour drive from LA. Even if the sun shines in LA bring warm clothes cause it is cold up there.
There’s a great scenic drive from Westport, out through Louisburgh down to Leenane. The mountains shoulder each other aside above the black moorland bog pools while tiny cascades tumble over boulders worn smooth with time, their waters stained rich with peat.
All around the area are huge beaches, the Silver Strand being one of the best. These are strands to wander along at the water’s edge and feel the winds drifting in from warm ocean currents born in the tropics.
The Vinales valley is fantastically scenic, with a flat valley bottom and weirdly shaped domed mountains rising sheer out of it. Very atmospheric when we were there in August, with mists and thunderstorms, and it's a completely different Cuba to the one you see in Havana. There are several hotels/B&Bs in Vinales village, and you can also hire scooters.
You can drive out to the Santo Tomas caverns in under an hour for a guided tour - well worth it, with 45 km of galleries, a bit of rope climbing is required - and you can even get to a beach at Cayo Jutia.
The roads are very quiet and in reasonable repair, and you can't get lost as the locals always point you in the right direction!
The nearest large town is Pinar del Rio, about two hours to the west of Havana.
A fantastic view of San Francisco, along with all the bridges, down to the Dumbarton, as well as much of the entire Bay Area, can be had from the top of the Oakland Hills, on the opposite side of the Bay.
You'll need a car, for this, and it's a bit out of the way, but, to get there, go east, across the Bay Bridge, and follow the signs for Highway 24. Continue about 5 miles, up and through the Caldecott Tunnel; then, take the first possible exit, get back on the freeway going west, and immediately take the exit for "Fish Ranch Road". Go to the end of the ramp, and turn rignt; then, go up to the first stop sign (four way stop), turn left, and drive about 1/4 of a mile. The road will bend to the left, and you'll find yourself looking down on one of the most stunning views of the San Francisco Bay Area you'll likely encounter outside of an aircraft. At sunset it's simply gorgeous!
When you're ready to leave, just follow the road down; and, when faced with a stop sign, always turn downhill (mostly right, but there's a left at the bottom, just before you're returned to the Highway 24). Once you reach 24, just follow the signs back to the Bay Bridge, and San Francisco. You might also stop at Yerba Buena/Treasure Island for a more close up view of the skyline.
Top of the Oakland Hills on Tunnel Road.
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