Getting Around

A road trip in Australia is a great way to get off the tourist track and explore areas at your own pace. Australia has a massive landscape - you can fit in Europe, including the UK and Ireland and still have plenty of room to spare. 

Any plans to do a self-drive should take the distance into consideration. You don't want to spend all of your holiday on the road! 

Preparing for your four-wheeled adventure: 

Have a valid licence on you at all times - if you're driving in Australia you will need to apply for an international driving permit (IDP). This allows you to drive in overseas countries as long as your local licence is valid. 

Rent or buy a car - car rental prices and insurance policies can vary significantly depending on who you use so spend some time doing research. If you're under 25 then your choices to hire a car are limited. A lot of people prefer to buy a second hand car, especially if they are travelling in the outback for long periods of time. 

Choose a place to stay - there are designated camping areas and caravan parks in most towns and cities. Hostels are usually well-priced. Remember, it's illegal in most places in Australia to sleep in your car outside designated areas. There are usually plenty of signs on outback roads and in national parks to guide you to rest areas and camping grounds. 

Pack the right supplies - Pack PLENTY of water, you'll need it! Do a shop at the supermarket to top up supplies before taking off. Service stations and road houses can be quite expensive. Also, check that your car has a spare tyre and you have enough fuel every day to get to your next destination during your road trip in Australia.

Maps and technology - so you're thinking that your handy dandy iPhone/iPad will help guide you through the roughest terrain. Think again. It's always a good idea to get a local map just in case technology fails (you know what I'm talking about) and to help with things buy a car charger. This will help if you need to make any emergency phone calls...and when the local radio stations are out of range and you want some music. Good website are www.mapquest.com or Google Maps.

Driving rules - Aussies drive on the left hand side of the road. This is your number one driving rule. Mixing alcohol and driving is a big NO in Australia. The limit is 0.05 - about one standard drink an hour before driving but it's not worth the risk. The best option is not to drink and drive and if you've had a big night make sure you eat a decent breakfast before hitting the road again. The penalties cost a lot if the police catch you, not to mention the danger of crashing. 

Emergency numbers - the emergency number for police, fire or ambulance assistance is 000 in Australia. This will connect you to a local station if you need help. This doesn't include car assistance. It's handy to keep the numbers of road side assistance such as RAA (national) or 24/7 Roadservices with you at all times.

Last but not least - have fun! - A road trip in Australia is fun and safe as long as you keep to the road rules and take plenty of breaks. It doesn't matter whether you're checking out the gorgeous beaches on the east coast, the national parks in the Top End or the red dusty centre of Australia. One thing's for sure, you won’t want to stop exploring!