Terrific Summer Road Trips for Locals in Australia
Australians live in one of the most beautiful, vast and under-populated countries on the planet, but how many of us actually get to experience the beauty of this great land firsthand? If you’d like to see more of our immensely beautiful country, a country we’re all proud to call home, why not look at taking a campervan trip to some breathtaking destinations you’re yet to experience?
The campervan
As there are quite a few campervans to select from, depending on which campervan hire service you use, be sure to give plenty of thought to the campervan you hire for your trip. When selecting a campervan give the following adequate thought and attention:
- The size and specifications of the campervan. How many people are travelling and how many berths does the campervan feature?
- Fuel economy. What’s the approximate fuel consumption (litres/100km) and how much are you prepared to spend on fuel?
- Power steering and transmission. Does the vehicle have power steering and are you more comfortable driving a manual or an automatic, moreover what about the others who might get behind the wheel?
- Babies and small children. If there are babies and small children travelling with you, does the campervan have bolster seats or can they be fitted?
- Kitchens and kitchen kits? Does the campervan have a kitchen and how large is the fridge and water tank?
- Driver’s cabin and internal walk-through access? Does the campervan have a separate cabin or internal walk-through access and do you need them?
By asking yourself questions such as these when selecting a campervan you’ll find that nothing is overlooked and that you’re better able to select a suitable campervan for your trip.
Suggested routes
Depending on how long you have to spend on holiday and how far you’re interested in travelling, the following are some suggested routes that many people have found immensely rewarding.
- Short East Coast Trip (4000km): Sydney – Brisbane – Cairns
- Medium West Coast Trip (7000km): Darwin – Katherine – Broome – Port Hedland – Carnarvon – Perth
- Medium NSW to NT Trip (8000km): Sydney – Canberra – Melbourne – Adelaide – Alice Springs – Darwin
- Long Sydney to Ayers Rock (and back) Trip (14,000km): Sydney – Canberra – Melbourne – Adelaide – Ayers Rock – Alice Springs – Darwin – Cairns – Townsville – Brisbane – Sydney
These are only suggested routes, with only the major destinations and cities listed, moreover due to the distances involved between each destination you’ll have to do plenty of planning with regard to where you’ll stop and stay along the way.
Travel tips
If you’re planning a campervan trip don’t overlook websites that offer great travel tips for campervan drivers because accessing these websites will prove advantageous in a number of ways.
Firstly you’ll gain an idea of what other people behind the wheel of a campervan thought about the destinations they travelled to and the campervans they hired from a campervan hire company. Secondly you’ll gain a better idea of the roads that you’ll travel on, which when travelling around a country as vast as Australia will prove extremely advantageous, especially with regard to the isolated roads in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Thirdly, you’ll come across destinations that most of us Australians never knew existed and could therefore provide you with some excellent ideas for your upcoming road trip.
In addition to travelling tips such as these, you’ll also need to source information concerning permits, since permits are required for certain parts of the Northern Territory and Western Australia, two of the remotest parts of Australia and two of the most rewarding to travel to by campervan.
About the Author:
Debra Crutchfield writes on a freelance basis for a company whose rental vehicles are unmarked and are provided through a friendly service. Travel Car Centre is a reliable provider of campervan hire in Sydney.