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From Perth, Australia's fourth city (and its fastest-growing metropolis) to its cultural (if not administrative) capital of Sydney is quite some adventure with vast stretches of unchanging scenery. It's already nearly 2,500 miles (4,000km), and includes the world's longest straight road, but many people who drive it take a massive inland detour via Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Alice Springs, bringing the total up to 3,267 miles (5,259km).

ESSENTIAL INFO

Suggested route

Australia is the second biggest island in the world (after Greenland) and the largest island that can be travelled coast-to-coast by car, so you're going to be spending a lot of time on the road.

From our starting point in central Perth take the ramp onto the Great Eastern Highway (94). Bear slightly left onto the Roe Highway at about 10.7 miles (17.3km) from the start point. Follow it for 3.5 miles (5.7km) and turn right onto Toodyay Road for 35.5 miles (57.1km). Continue on Clackine Toodyay Road for 2.2 miles (3.5km) and turn right at Northam Toodyay Road for 13 miles (20.9km).

From here it's a left onto the Great Eastern Highway for 287 miles (462km). The biggest town on this stretch is Merredin with a population of 2,500. At Coolgardie turn right onto the Coolgardie Esperance Highway for 102 miles (165km) and then left onto Eyre Highway (1) at Norseman for a long 745 miles (1199km). The Eyre Highway contains what is reputed to be the world's longest straight stretch of road: 91.1 miles (146.6km) without a turn between Balladonia and Caiguna. Though the rest of the highway is anything but twisty.

Beware that it can be 186 miles (300km) between filling stations. So stop when you have the opportunity and fill to the brim.

You'll need to touch the steering wheel at Ceduna, turn left at Kuhlmann Street and go straight through a roundabout for 0.7 miles (1.1km) and continue on the Eyre Highway for 138 miles (222km). Turn left after Kyancutta to continue on the Eyre Highway for 55.1 miles (88.6km) and then turn left at Kimba to stay on the Eyre Highway for 80.4 miles (129km). Kimba is said to be the midpoint between the east and west coasts of Australia, and this fact is celebrated, somewhat bizarrely, by a 26-foot tall Galah (a small cockatoo native to Australia).

After another 15 miles (24.1km), take a left to continue on Eyre Highway until you reach Port Augusta where you continue onto the Princes Highway (A1) for 69.4 miles (112km).

Turn left at Frith Road and drive through Crystal Brook, joining the Clare Highway (B64) for 15 miles (24.2km) and turn right on the B64 towards Spalding and turn left 1.2 miles (2.1km) later at Gulnare onto Gulnare Spalding Road. Follow signs for Spalding, taking a right onto the B64 (New Road/Ford Road) for 20.7 miles (33.3km).

Join the Barrier Highway A32 for 4.2 miles (6.7km) and take the B64 (Spalding Burramble Morgan Road) from the outskirts of Burra for 49.7 miles (80km). Continue on Morgan Terrace and take a left on the outskirts of Morgan onto the B64 (Morgan Renmark Road) for 55.1 miles (88.7km). Turn left again onto the A20 Sturt Highway before Monash for 560 miles (901km) through Mildura, Hay and Wagga Wagga becoming the 31 Hume Highway past Borambola. Continue on the Hume Highway at Gundagai for 181 miles (291km).

Continue on the South Western Freeway for 25.9 miles (41.8km) and then the South Western Motorway for 17 miles (27.4km) to reach the outskirts of Sydney. It's been quite a journey. Long, hot and at times mind-numbingly monotonous. But now you can let your hair down and party, you're in Sydney, Australia's capital of fun.

GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR TRIP

Worth getting out of the car for

• Dundas Rocks and Lone Grave - 13.7 miles (22km) from Norseman lie the Dundas Rocks, a prehistoric rock foundation that has inspired photographers (but no-one would blame you for just wanting a nice old picnic there) and the remnants of one of the communities that sprang up out of Australia's Gold Rush. At Lake Dundas is the Lone Grave, a monument to Stanley Whitehead, who died there aged seven months in 1897.

• Nullarbor National Park - Look at the Southern Ocean coastline from the Nullarbor cliffs, explore the park's caves (it's the world's largest landscape of semi-arid caves) and view its wildlife species including the Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombat.

• Wagga Wagga - With a population of 45,000, Wagga's practically a bustling metropolis after the long stretches of highway that precede it. Its civic centre houses a museum, art gallery and theatre.

Events

• 5 February-1 March, Perth International Arts Festival - Australia's oldest international arts festival returns for a month of theatre, film, literature and visual arts. Established in 1953, it was the first international arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere.

• 26-28 February, 2010, Royal Canberra Show - Australia's capital city is an hour's detour from our route. From the Hume Highway take the Barton Highway (25). Held in the Exhibition Park, the Royal Show is an annual family fun event with animals, sideshow attractions, stunt shows and fireworks.

• 9-20 January, 2010, Sydney Festival - An accessible festival with events for all the family, 2009's festival included music from Bon Iver, Grace Jones and a dawn chorus of birds on Bondi Beach. Taking place in venues throughout the city, including the iconic Sydney Opera House, there's usually something for everyone.

Useful links

• Australian Road Trips

• Australian Tourism

• Norseman

• Wagga Wagga Tourism

• Sydney Tourism

Have you done this trip? Got advice on the route? Know some unmissable stop-offs? Help others by adding ideas and comments below.