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Getting Around: BY BUS

Bus travel is the most popular way to get around Australia among backpackers. Coaches go virtually everywhere and many coach tickets allow you to hop on and off en route to your destination.
There is a fairly comprehensive network of bus routes with lots of competition on the more heavily travelled routes between Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney and up the east coast to Cairns making it a cheap way to get around.
Once you start to head west from Adelaide, there is less competition between various bus companies and the distances between towns are much longer making it a less cost effective transport option.
Coach travel is split between scheduled coach operators such as
McCafferty's, Firefly, Premier and Greyhound and buses geared towards the backpacker market, such as Easyrider, Oz Experience and the Wayward Bus. Scheduled buses are usually cheaper and run more frequently but the specialist backpacker buses often go to out of the way places that you would otherwise miss out on.

NSW: Numerous operators provide coach services between Sydney and Brisbane (coastal and New England routes); Canberra; Melbourne; Adelaide (via Mildura and Canberra). Services to other cities and towns across Australia are by connections to one of those destinations. The main routes followed are -

  • Sydney to Brisbane via Newcastle, Armidale, Toowoomba (17 hrs. 45 minutes)
  • Sydney to Brisbane via Newcastle, Forster, Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour (15 hrs. 25 minutes)
  • Sydney to Melbourne via Albury (12 hours)
  • Sydney to Adelaide via Mildura and Canberra (22 hours)
  • Sydney to Canberra (4 hours)

WA: Numerous operators provide coach services between Perth and Darwin via Geraldton, Carnarvon, Exmouth, Dampier, Broome and Kununurra.
TransWA provides coach services to a large number of localities with the southern section of Western Australia. Many of these services link with trains.


SA: Numerous operators provide coach services linking Adelaide with Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Darwin. Only the smaller coach and tour operators have scheduled services to Perth. The main coach terminal in Adelaide is the Central Bus Station at Franklin Street, Adelaide. All interstate and Intra-state coaches depart from and arrive at this terminal.

  • Sydney to Adelaide via Mildura and Canberra (22 hours)
  • Melbourne to Adelaide via Stawall and Ballarat (9 hours 45 minutes)
  • Melbourne to Adelaide via Gt Ocean Road and Grampians.

VIC: Numerous operators provide coach services between Melbourne and Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane and Adelaide. Services to other cities and towns across Australia are by connections to one of those destinations. The main routes followed are:

  • Melbourne to Sydney (12 hours min.) via Canberra (8 hours min.)
  • Melbourne to Sydney (19 hours 10 minutes) via Sale (5 hours) and Bega (9 hours 50 minutes)
  • Melbourne to Brisbane (22 hours 30 minutes min.) via Ballarat, Dubbo and Moree
  • Melbourne to Adelaide via Stawall and Ballarat (9 hours 45 minutes)
  • Melbourne to Adelaide via Gt Ocean Road and Grampians.

QLD: Numerous operators provide coach services from the Roma Street Transit Centre, Roma Street, Brisbane.

  • Brisbane and Cairns (17 hrs. 30 mins.)
  • Airlie Beach, Whitsundays (6 hrs. 30 mins.)
  • Mt. Isa (26 hrs. 15 mins.); Noosa (2 hrs. 50 mins.)
  • Surfers Paradise (1hr 20 mins.); Sydney via coast road (17 hrs. 30 mins.)
  • Sydney via New England Hwy (14 hrs. 30 mins.)
  • Melbourne direct (24 hrs. 45 mins.)
  • Melbourne via Sydney (37 hrs. 30 mins.)

TAS: a number of coach operators provide coach transport services and organised tours from Hobart. Bus timetables for intercity and regional bus services can be found on the following websites:


NT: Numerous operators provide coach services between Perth and Darwin via Geraldton, Carnarvon, Exmouth, Dampier, Broome and Kununurra; and Adelaide via Alice Springs, Coober Pedy, Woomera and Port Augusta. The main coach terminal in Darwin is the Transit Centre in Mitchell Street. All interstate coaches, airport and railway station shuttle buses and local coach tours depart from and arrive at this terminal.

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