The Ultimate Guide For A Road Trip In Australia – Getting Ready
Doing a road trip in Australia is a part of many people’s dream. Whether you are on a working holiday or just traveling in Australia for a shorter period, a road trip is one of the best ways to experience this amazing country! We have created The Ultimate Guide For A Road Trip In Australia – Getting Ready.
VIEW POST: Working Holiday in Australia
During our working holiday, we did a round trip around Australia for about four months. We can tell you that this was one of the most epic trips we have ever done. By car, we were able to explore all the best spots of this vast country. We were also able to save heaps of money by taking advantage of the many free camping areas around Australia. Hopefully you will be able to do the same with the help of this guide for a road trip in Australia.
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VIEW POST: The Ultimate Guide For A Road Trip In Australia – On The Road
Before heading off on the trip
Before going on a road trip, there a multiple things to think about first. What route do I want to drive? Who am I going to travel with and where do I get a car? What do I need to pack with me? Where can I camp? How much will it cost me?
We have created The Ultimate Guide For A Road Trip Around Australia to help you plan your trip. In the first post, we will tell you all the essential things you need to take into consideration before going on your epic road trip. In the second post, we will share our best tips on the road and of course how much all this fun will cost you.
Different road trips
If you have time and you are after the ultimate adventure, you can follow our route and drive around the whole country. If you don’t have the time to do this, or if you only want to experience certain parts of Australia by car, there are a few options you can choose from.
East Coast – This is probably the most popular road trip done in Australia among working holidaymakers. East Coast has something for everyone, as you can find stunning nature but also good parties along the way. The most common route is to drive from Cairns all the way down to Sydney (or the other way around). We have written a guide for the East Coast of Australia road trip, where you can find all the must-see places during this trip.
VIEW POST: The Ultimate East Coast Road Trip Guide
West Coast – This is something many people end up doing either after East Coast or during their round trip around Australia. This road trip is guaranteed to be EPIC. You fill find nature that blows your mind with its rough beauty. You will be driving hours and hours on the road and the surroundings will look exactly the same as they were when you started driving, you will camp on beaches and see stunning sunsets.
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Southwest – This part is one of our personal favorites. You will find crystal clear water, an endless amount of rock pools and a stunning coastline. We definitely recommend you to do this part, if you are also doing the West Coast, as they are easy to combine.
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Great Ocean Road – Maybe the most popular road trip in Australia. It is also the shortest so it is very easy to do as you don’t need much time for this. On Great Ocean Road you will find the Ten Apostoles, winding roads and also a rainforest. It won’t disappoint you!
Getting ready for your road trip
Choose your travel buddy carefully
When you have decided what route you will be following, it is time to start planning your trip! Make sure to think carefully about who you are going to travel with. Being on a road trip can get very intensive when you spend hours and hours in the same car. You basically can’t escape anywhere if you start getting on each other’s nerves.
We decided to go just the two of us because then we knew we could go on a pace we wanted and take the route that was based on our plans. Going as a duo is probably how many couples choose to do on their road trip. We enjoyed being just us two (we’re not the most social people) and would not have done it any other way. But if you are a social person who likes to hang out with other people, a good idea might also be to stick together with good friends and go as a group. Either way, you will probably end up having the most memorable nights chatting, playing games or sipping beer under the star sky.
Travel solo or with someone
If you are traveling solo, you can either choose to go on your own or find a travel buddy to travel with. If you decide to go on your own, we would recommend East Coast or Great Ocean Road. West Coast is also doable solo, but it can be way more challenging as it is way fewer people traveling there. Also, safety-wise West Coast is harder, since you will be without a reception in many areas and it is harder to get help there if something happens.
If you want to travel with someone, but don’t know anyone who would be interested in going on a road trip, you can find other travelers online. Facebook is a popular place for travelers to connect. Obviously, it is smart to meet up and see how you sync before making any big decisions.
Whoever you decide to travel with, we really want to emphasize to think carefully who you are going to travel with. It would be horrible if your road trip would be ruined because you and your travel mates don’t get along or you just get irritated by each other 90% of the time.
Rent or buy a car?
You can’t go on a road trip without a car, obviously. But what kind of car and where to get it from? For this, there are also a few options.
If you are going only on a short trip and you are not bothered with all the effort of buying and selling a car, you can always rent one. This is a good option if you are only going for a shorter trip, like a month or less. After this, it is really not a smart option to rent anymore since it can get really expensive. Renting a car is not cheap but it is an easy way to travel.
Buying a car
Many people, including us, choose to buy a car. Buying a car is always riskier because let’s face it, with bad luck a car can break anytime. But you have also a good chance of getting the money back that you invested in it. If you are going on a longer trip or you will find a use for it after your trip, buying is a good option. It will also be smart financially if there is more than one person putting money into it together.
There are big differences in buying and selling a car, depending on which state you are in. The easiest is probably Western Australia, where you don’t need much other paperwork but the registration is done. This means you don’t have to do any kind of security checks so it is super easy to buy and sell a car here. It might also mean that a car you buy might break straight away, cause it has not been maintained at all. In some states such as New South Wales and Queensland, you will need to have a roadworthy certificate done before you can sell a car. There are pros and cons in different states, just make sure to find enough information on the differences. Buy a car in a state that fits your needs the best. You can buy cars from example gumtree.com.
Choose your car
People do road trips in different kinds of cars, most commonly in vans or 4x4s. Choose your car depending on what kind of trip you are doing. A small car and a tent might be enough on a shorter trip, a van will be more comfortable on a longer one. A road trip down the West Coast of Australia is often recommended to be done on 4×4, but our experience was that you can also do it without if you are not keen on going off-road.
If you are traveling in a group, it might not be a good idea to squeeze five people in one car. It might feel cost-effective and fun. But when you get to the actual point that all five of you + your backpacks try to fit in, it might not be so fun anymore.
What to pack with you
After you have all the essential things mentioned above figured out, it is time to focus on what you need to pack with you. We did our road trip in an all-wheel-drive that had a rooftop tent. What you need might differ slightly depending on what kind of car you have, but the essentials will pretty much be the same. Next we will guide you through the essentials that you should pack for you road trip in Australia.
For your car – There are certain things you should not go on a road trip without. These might be a no brainer to you but we will put them here anyway. Have everything you will need to change a tire, including tire changing tools and a spare tire. If you intend to drive off-road or on the beach, make sure to have an air compressor to change your tire pressure.
Jumpstart kit is a must-have. Always have extra oil and coolant with you. We recommend having an extra petrol tank with you too, especially on the West Coast where the distances between petrol stations can be far.
Always have insurance. In Australia, it is compulsory to have a third party cover, but we would still recommend having at least some kind of basic insurance.
Everyday essentials – First of all, you need to sleep somewhere. If you have a van or a rooftop tent as we did, it is all figured out already. Otherwise, you might want to have a regular tent. Not the comfiest option, you might want to have a yoga mat underneath it to get a bit softer sleep.
Things that are also good to have
Pack some lights with you. A headlamp is a must-have but also a good camping light will make your life much easier. A car charger for your phone is always good to have. You might want to consider investing in a power bank, that way you can keep gadgets working at all times.
A portable shower might sound funny but we actually used it quite a few times on West Coast. If you are free camping in a place without a shower or water, baby wipes are a savior! All the basic toiletries are obviously good to have, check out our post about packing a sustainable travel kit. A table and chairs are also something you don’t want to go without.
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Cooking gear
Cooking – A number one you will definitely need is a stove. We had a gas stove with two plates that worked with liquid gas. We recommend having two plates in your stove as it makes cooking much faster. Another thing you might want to consider is a portable fridge. This won’t be cheap, but if you are going on a longer trip, it is worth it. We did not have one, but we wish we had bought one. Another option is to buy ice and put it in a cool box. The ice will melt fast and it will easily add up to the costs, especially if you want to have food in the cold all the time.
WATER. That is what you will need but what you will not find everywhere. Have at least two ten liters water containers with you, especially if you are going on the West Coast.
Have basic cooking gear with you. Remember simple things like a can opener and a good knife.
Food – You will be wanting to cook most of the time, as that is a good way to save money. Stock up dry food before you go from big markets like Coles and Woolworths. This will save you a lot of money especially if you are going to the West Coast, where they mostly have just small and expensive stores.
Buy easy and quick food that lasts heat. Pasta, rice, noodles, beans all type, chickpeas, lentils, crushed tomatoes, oats, nuts, and dried fruit are all good things to have. It is nice to be able to variate your food, but try to keep it simple. A good amount of spices with you will give a nice change to your dinners. If you have a fridge, your cooking options will almost double as you can have fresh products with you. Snack bars will always make you happy.
What else?
Driving for hours might get boring, so make sure to download lots of good playlists and podcasts. Speaker is good to have and playing cards or travel-size board games. We had road maps in our car that the previous owner had left, but we never used them. Make sure to download offline maps on your phone, so you will find your way if the reception dies. On the West Coast, the reception will die inevitably at some point. We were using Telstra during our trip and we found it to have the best coverage everywhere.
First aid kit is always good to have with you. If you are going to the West Coast, a mosquito hat might get useful as the flies are EVERYWHERE.
As you will be wanting to save water, have a small bucket to do your dishes in. It might sound a bit weird again, but this was something we did not think at first. A regular dishwashing sponge will just get sandy and gross, so get yourself a bamboo brush to do your dishes.
You will want to caption your memories of your epic road trip. An old film camera or a Polaroid camera might be fun to have! We would recommend buying a travel journal, it is always fun to read them afterward.
Apps to download before you start the trip.
Before leaving, download WikiCamps. We found most of our camping spots through this app. You will find all kinds of camping areas through this app from free camping spots to big RV parks. It will tell you what each place has (toilet, drinking water, etc.) and the prices. There are other apps too like CamperMate, but we liked WikiCamps the best.
We also tried to see beforehand how much petrol costs in different places and choose the cheapest place. We used Fuel Map for this. The prices are not always 100% correct, but it will still end up saving a few pennies for you.
This was our first part of The Ultimate Guide For A Road Trip In Australia. In the next post, we will go tell you how much a road trip will cost you and our best tips on the road.
