Clockwise or Anticlockwise? Which Direction Should You Do The Big Lap?

It seems like a simple question. Left or right? Clockwise or anticlockwise? But ask it in any Big Lap Facebook group and you’ll trigger a 200-comment debate that somehow involves weather patterns, van door orientation, and whether Perth people are doing it wrong. The truth is, direction matters more than most people expect, and less than the internet makes it seem.

The direction you choose determines what weather you’ll hit and when, how crowded the popular spots will be when you arrive, which side of the road you’re parked on at beachside camps, and how your departure timing interacts with the seasons. Get it right and you’ll be chasing good weather the whole way. Get it wrong and you’ll spend three weeks sitting out rain in Broome wondering why you didn’t go the other way.

Two directions, same country, very different trips. Your starting point and timing determine which way makes sense.

Why Direction Actually Matters

Australia’s size is the reason this decision is important. The country spans roughly 4,000km from top to bottom, and the climate difference between Darwin and Hobart is enormous. The Top End has a tropical wet/dry climate with a wet season from November to April that closes roads and makes camping miserable. The south has cold, wet winters that make Tasmania and Victoria less appealing from June to August. Western Australia’s wildflower season runs July to November. The east coast school holiday crush peaks in December and January.

Your direction determines whether you’re arriving in each region at the right time or the wrong time. The goal is simple: be in the north during the dry season (roughly May to October) and in the south during the warmer months (roughly October to April). Your direction is the mechanism that makes that happen.

The Case for Anticlockwise

Anticlockwise (up the east coast, across the top, down the west coast) is by far the most popular direction. Roughly 60 to 70% of Big Lappers go this way, and there are good reasons for that.

Weather Chasing

If you leave from Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane between March and May, heading anticlockwise puts you on the east coast in autumn (pleasant weather, thinning crowds), across the Top End during the dry season (May to October), and down the west coast into spring and early summer. You arrive back in the south as summer kicks in. It’s the most natural weather-chasing route for anyone starting from the eastern states.

The East Coast Warm-Up

The east coast is the most populated and best-serviced stretch of the lap. Fuel stops are frequent, phone coverage is reliable, caravan parks are everywhere, and the towns are close together. For people doing their first long trip in a caravan, this is a gentle introduction before hitting the more remote sections across the top and down the west. You get your towing confidence, camp setup routine, and travel rhythm sorted before the distances stretch out.

Community and Convoy

Because most people go anticlockwise, you’ll run into the same travellers repeatedly. You’ll meet a couple at a camp in Bundaberg, see them again in Airlie Beach, and share a campfire with them in Kakadu. This creates a loose travelling community that many Big Lappers say is one of the best parts of the trip. Go clockwise and you’re swimming against the current; you’ll meet plenty of people, but the repeat encounters are less common.

Anticlockwise: Best For

People starting from the eastern states (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide) who are departing between March and May. First-time caravanners who want an easier run to build confidence. Families and travellers who value the social side of meeting other Big Lappers on the road.

The Case for Clockwise

Clockwise (up the west coast, across the top, down the east coast) is the less popular choice, but it has genuine advantages that make it the better option for certain travellers.

Weather Chasing from the West

If you’re starting from Perth or Adelaide and leaving between March and May, clockwise is the natural weather-chasing direction. You head up the west coast in autumn (good weather, wildflower season starting in the north), across the Top End during the dry season, and down the east coast into spring and summer. For West Australians especially, anticlockwise would mean driving east across the Nullarbor first, which adds days of driving before you see anything new.

Fewer Crowds

Because the majority of Big Lappers go anticlockwise, clockwise travellers often find popular spots less crowded. Free camps that fill up by lunchtime for the anticlockwise wave might still have spots in the afternoon for clockwise travellers. Caravan parks are easier to book without as much advance planning. If you’re the type who prefers quiet over community, clockwise gives you more breathing room.

The Nullarbor Fresh

One underrated advantage of clockwise from the east: you tackle the Nullarbor early in your trip when you’re fresh and excited, rather than at the end when you’re tired and keen to get home. Many anticlockwise travellers report that the long Nullarbor crossing at the tail end of a 6 to 12-month trip feels like a slog. Doing it first, while the novelty of the road is still strong, can be a better experience.

Clockwise: Best For

People starting from Perth or regional WA. Travellers departing Adelaide who want to head west first. Anyone who prefers fewer crowds and doesn’t mind less of the “travelling convoy” social scene. People doing a shorter 3-month lap who want to prioritise WA and the Top End.

Clockwise travellers get the west coast early. Anticlockwise travellers get it as the grand finale. Both are spectacular.

How Your Starting City Changes Everything

Your home city is actually a bigger factor than most guides admit. The “best” direction depends heavily on where you’re leaving from and when.

Sydney or Melbourne, departing March to May: Anticlockwise is the natural fit. Head up the east coast in autumn, across the top in the dry season, down the west coast in spring, and home via the Nullarbor in summer. This is the classic Big Lap route for a reason.

Brisbane or North Queensland, departing March to May: Anticlockwise still works, but you’ll want to head north quickly before the dry season starts in earnest. Some Queenslanders go clockwise instead, heading south first to do Victoria and SA in autumn, across the Nullarbor, up WA in winter/spring, then across the top and home. It’s a less common route but it avoids doubling back.

Adelaide, departing March to May: Either direction works well. Clockwise (west across the Nullarbor, up WA, across the top, down the east coast) is slightly more natural geographically. Anticlockwise (east to Melbourne, up the coast, across the top, down WA, home via the Nullarbor) works just as well. Adelaide is the most “direction-neutral” starting point in Australia.

Perth, departing any time: Clockwise is almost always the better choice. Heading up the west coast, across the top, and down the east coast means you see your home state’s best bits first (or save them for last, depending on how you look at it) and tackle the Nullarbor on the return leg when you’re motivated by getting home. Anticlockwise from Perth means the Nullarbor is your first leg, which is a long, empty introduction to the trip.

The Door-Side Debate

This one comes up constantly in Big Lap forums, and it’s worth addressing even if it sounds trivial. In Australia, we drive on the left side of the road. Most caravans have their main entry door on the left side (the “road side” when parked). This means:

Anticlockwise: When you pull over at a beachside rest area or free camp on the coast road, the ocean is generally on your left (the door side). You open your van door and you’re looking at the water. Your awning rolls out toward the view. Your camp setup faces the scenery.

Clockwise: The ocean is on your right (the non-door side for most vans). You open your door and you’re looking at the road. Your camp setup faces traffic.

Is this a reason to choose your entire direction? Honestly, probably not. It’s a nice bonus for anticlockwise travellers at beachside pullover spots, but in practice you’ll camp in caravan parks, bush camps, national parks, and rest areas that face every direction. The door-side advantage applies to maybe 10 to 15% of your actual camps. It’s a tiebreaker, not a deciding factor.

The door-side advantage in action. Nice when it happens, but not worth basing your entire trip direction on.

So Which Way Should You Go?

Here’s the direct answer based on the most common scenarios.

If you’re still unsure, go anticlockwise. It’s the most popular direction for good reasons, and the travelling community you’ll join along the way is worth a lot. The people who go clockwise tend to be experienced travellers who have specific reasons for choosing it, or West Australians for whom it’s the obvious geographical choice.

And here’s the thing nobody mentions: it doesn’t matter as much as you think. Both directions cover the same country. Both let you see the same places. Both can be timed to chase good weather. People have done incredible laps in both directions. Pick one, plan your timing around the seasons, and don’t lose sleep over it.