It’s the classic pre-trip selfie. You snap a picture of yourself with your passport and boarding pass, then promptly share the photo on social media. Your family, friends and followers may like it.
21.07.2023 - 08:07 / roughguides.com
With its stunning Outback scenery, arrow-straight roads and stupendous scale, driving in Australia is the ultimate way to see it the country up close and personally. Whether you're driving a souped-up Land Cruiser capable of crossing a croc-infested creek or a humble hatchback more at home in a Melbourne suburb, you'll find a route to suit.
Use this guide to driving in Australia to plan your trip, particularly for long-term travel. If you're looking for a self-drive vacation, get inspired with these signature trips created by local experts in Australia.
Choosing what to drive usually boils down to time, budget and where you're planning to go. A standard hire car will get you surprisingly far in Australia, as you'll find well-paved roads and roadhouses (a garage with attached pub/pie-shop and accommodation) along all but the most remote sections of coast, even deep into the Outback.
For the romantics among you, hiring a campervan allows you greater freedom, and a true sense of adventure. Bear in mind, though, that the lack of space and the joys of a chemical toilet mean you'll often be craving the facilities of a campsite (aka campground) kitted out with power points, BBQs and hot showers. If you do go for a campervan, invest in air-con and preferably a fridge. There's nothing more Australian than cracking open an ice-cold VB beer under a star-strewn sky.
For anything truly gnarly, a four-wheel drive (4WD) is your best bet – in Australia that generally translates to the 'bulletproof' Toyota Land Cruiser. For the basics on 4WD driving print out the safety card produced by the National 4WD Association and read our Outback driving tips.
Driving into the Australian outback © fotosaga/Shutterstock
Many travellers on a longer trip decide to buy a car or campervan, hoping they can offload it at a reasonable price down the track. Apart from the usual suspects such as Gumtree and eBay, Sydney's backpacker car market in Kings Cross has a huge range of road-worthy (and importantly) state-registered cars for sale. If you don't fancy the hassle,Travellers Autobarn offer guaranteed buyback on cars and campervans.
If you prefer to rent instead, check out our tips on where and how to rent a car worldwide.
Despite its epic and often empty roads, there's a maximum speed limit of 110kph, or 68mph, across Australia. Police do not need a reason to pull you over for a breath test and you'll often find roadblocks testing every driver on the approach to big cities, especially if there's a big rugby, AFL or cricket match on.
Parking fines can also be a headache for those with a campervan who expect to be able to park anywhere (and don't expect to escape a fine once you've left the country — the authorities are great at tracking
It’s the classic pre-trip selfie. You snap a picture of yourself with your passport and boarding pass, then promptly share the photo on social media. Your family, friends and followers may like it.
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