Travelling in Australia

Flying

If your time in Australia is limited and you want to see as much as possible from the country, it is a good idea to include one or two flights in your travel plan. With Jetstar, Virgin Blue and other low price airlines, it has become quite affordable to do just that. Btw, Jetstar has inherited their IATA code JQ from Air Jamaica Express, a Carribbean airline which has closed down some years ago. So don't be surprised if your flight booking lists Air Jamaica Express... 
Click here for our list of Australian Airlines.

Driving

Australians drive on the left! Americans and continental Europeans sometimes forget that when entering an overland highway from a small side road.... Otherwise, no problems. In large cities, an intricate network of one way roads makes it a bit difficult, and traffic on some freeways is rather crowded (the author did not enjoy the Sydney-to-Brisbane freeway). But outside of large cities, traffic is light and unhurried, and driving easy. Australians are fond of roundabouts - in some areas, the sheer number of those might make you a bit giddy.

Rental Car

In addition to the world wide car rental companies,  several local companies exist, which offer cars at low rental prices. Those usually are located in town, not at the airport. The disadvantage of local companies is, though, that you usually have to return the car at the same location where you rented it. The author made good experiences with Bayswater Car Rental ("no birds") in Sydney.

Campers

The dream of most Australia travellers is touring the outback with a 4WD camper. There is only a small number of companies offering these, and of course standard non-4WD campers - you will encounter their campers on every larger campground in Australia:

- www.keacampers.com - found everywhere, originally from New Zealand (as the name implies)
- www.apollocamper.com - Apollocampers are also seen quite often in Australia
- www.britz.com.au - a large rental company with a good range of campers, offering quite reasonable prices
- www.wickedcampers.com.au - we don't know much about them yet, but worth a try
- www.easylife-rentals.com.au- good prices, they are also a camper manufacturer, based in Brisbane! Limited oneway rentals

Tips: When receiving your car at the rental station, check it carefully if it matches the description you received, and if you find something not matching, do negotiate with the staff in a friendly but firm way! And the "EBIRP" equipment offered with some rental companies is a satellite based emergency radio beacon which might save your life if you have an accident off the main roads.

Buying a car

If you are staying in Australia for two months or more, buying a car might be a good idea. Secondhand car dealers can be found at the usual outward roads, like Parramatta Rd in Sydney. Some might offer buyback deals, reducing the fuss when you need to get rid of the car before flying back.

 

Selling a car means you have to have it checked through in advance ("Rego"). Garages in the vicinity of Kings Cross might be more inclined at overlooking slight issues the cars might have, while still making sure the basic safety level is reached.

Overland bus

Like in the U.S., Greyhound Pioneer offers an overland bus network. Tourist passes are available. But these buses usually do not stop at interesting sights like national parks - you will miss most of the sights you have come to see if you rely only on overland buses. A possibility may be to take a bike with you and tour the sights from nearby towns, but transport of bikes, although possible, is not always guaranteed - better check in advance.

 

Tour bus

If you think of those large tour buses carrying loads of senior citizens through the landscape - well, yes, they exist, but there are also companies who cater to younger travellers (young at heart, that's what matters!), with small buses travelling to less known sights, guided by young fun-loving tour guides. The author's beloved Straycat bus line is a thing of the past, but try Wayward Bus!

Train

Most people would think there is only one train line in Australia - the Ghan, from Adelaide via Alice Springs to Darwin. But there are many regional train lines in Australia which can be easily included in a travel itinerary. A nice trip, e.g., is the tour from Sydney up to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, or in WA down the coast from Perth. Most touristically oriented rail operators are linked by the Rail Australia Alliance.

Bike

A bike tour around Australia will take some time - a National Geographic author reported about such a tour some years ago, and a friend of the author's has crossed the continent in north-south direction in his youth. But it does not have to be such a tour de force - if you restrict yourself to some smaller regions, jumping between them by bus or train, Australia is a great biking country. Getting your bike to Australia by plane usually is not a big problem, if you check in advance with the airline.

Biking in rural Australia is fun - there is not much traffic, people generally are friendly, and there usually is a backpacker or youth hostel (YHA) in reach for a day's hop. But you should avoid the new long distance highways, better keep on smaller roads. Btw, bicycle helmets are mandatory in Australia!