Australian roads offer a truly distinctive experience. We have hoppy road hazards, weird road rules, and distances that’d make a Texan think twice. Depending on where you are on any given day you could encounter a family of ducklings – or a water crossing complete with crocs. And despite the challenges and oddities, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Here’s why we absolutely love the unusual and utterly compelling experience of driving on Aussie roads.

Distance is relative

Some of the roads in Australia stretch so long, they extend across multiple time zones. On Australia’s longest straight stretch of road, known as the ‘90 Mile Straight’ on the Eyre Highway, you can drive for 146 kilometres (and 600 metres) without turning a single corner. Some of the country’s highways cover such remote areas that the road sometimes doubles as an airstrip for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. And even in the most out-there places, you can be pretty sure you can find a killer bacon and egg sandwich and a chat at each servo – even if they are 400 kilometres apart.

Whether in the city or the country, we’re used to decent drives. Aussies are prone to understatement, and when someone says “It’s just down the road” that could turn out to be a four-minute, four-hour or four-day drive. When in doubt, take a packed lunch and a water bottle just in case.

The hazards can be hectic

Australia does not mess around when it comes to the wildlife that can appear on the path ahead. There’s a whole menagerie depicted on road signs across the country, including kangaroos, cows, wombats, turtles, echidnas, emus, Tassie devils, cassowaries and camels. Of course, these animal crossings aren’t just charming selfie opportunities for tourists – they can be serious hazards, and a good reason to stay focused while driving.

If all that wildlife wasn’t enough, we also need to navigate road trains on the main highways. Each of these unusually long semi-trailers are lessons in patience and spatial awareness, with many drivers heaving a sigh of relief once they’ve safely passed. And if you really want a shot of adrenaline, just try navigating Melbourne’s right-hand hook turns at peak hour.

The roads can be spectacular

There are few countries in the world that offer such a diverse mix of scenic landscapes to drive through. There’s the picturesque Great Ocean Road that hugs the Southern Ocean; the Pacific Highway that offers rainforest and coastal towns; and the Great Northern Highway in WA that stretches through ancient red earth and dazzling blue sky. And that’s just sticking to the bitumen. Venture further off the beaten track,, and you can visit dinosaur footprints and swim in outback waterholes before sleeping under a blanket of stars.

If you’re lucky enough to take the ultimate driving journey known as the Big Lap all the way around the country, you’ll be able to really soak up every microclimate and character along the way.

The street names are something else

As well as the landscape itself, there are some stellar street and road names to keep you entertained on your journey. New South Wales is home to Come By Chance Road and Odd Street, while WA has a Useless Loop Road and a Beard Elbow. In between, there’s Nowhere Else Road in South Australia. And both Victoria and Queensland have their own Dead Horse Lane.

Just don’t find yourself on Disappointment Road in Victoria, because you’ve been warned how you can expect to feel.

Our roads shape our choice of cars in Australia

Our choice of cars in Australia reflects our rugged, beautiful and far-reaching landscape. Even in the city, we tend to favour spacious passenger cars that can fit in family, friends and maybe a surfboard. Our need for interior space with a compact footprint leads to plenty of love for compact SUVs. There’s also plenty of demand for beautiful sporty rides to make the most of those scenic drives. And further out from the city, we need vehicles for almost every road condition known to humankind. Depending on where you live you could be navigating traffic, fine red dust, snow, sand, rain, or offroad tracks – sometimes with a boat or caravan in tow. Naturally, 4WD vehicles and utes are well represented in car sales in Australia for this very reason. We love a vehicle that can go anywhere.

Of course, if you’re seeking out a quality second-hand car this also makes it important to know what you’re getting. You won’t want a car that’s been through the ringer when it comes to rust, scratches or structural damage. And this is where Carma comes in handy. When you search Carma’s online showroom for used cars in Australia, you can be confident every single car has been carefully selected for quality and met a rigorous checklist by a fully certified team before being listed in high detail.

Why not take a look today and get exploring on our amazing Aussie roads?