Australia by car

Having your own vehicle really allows you to explore Australia. Having access to your own set of wheels frees you from the constraints of routes and schedules and allows you to visit places off the beaten track, allowing you to get to national parks, the isolated beaches and the outback towns that makes Australia such a special place.

If your trip is a long one - three months or more - then buying a vehicle may well be the cheapest way of seeing Australia. On shorter trips you should consider renting - if not for the whole time, then at least for short periods between bus and train trips, thereby allowing you to explore an area in depth.

International Travellers

As a bon-fide overseas visitor you may drive in Australia if you hold a valid overseas drivers licence and providing you are licensed for the class of vehicle you will be driving. Licences must be carried at all times when in control of a vehicle.

If your drivers licence is not in the english language then a translation must be carried along with a permit... An international drivers permit is not sufficient by itself and must be accompanied by a valid drivers permit. For further information see... Driving in Australia

Driving in Australia is easy. Traffic drives on the left and roads are generally well maintained but motorways are usually restricted to the approaches to major cities and heavily travelled routes such as Melbourne to Sydney and SUnshine Coast to Brisbane to Gold Coast. A regular car will take you virtually everywhere in Australia, but a four-wheel-drive is essential for beach driving or if you want to explore Fraser Island and Cape York Peninsula.

There are some very long and boring stretches of road in Australia... make plenty of rest stops... and share the driving with someone else.

Main hazards are fatigue, losing control on dirt roads, and the presence of animals on the road - a serious problem everywhere (not just in the Outback) at dawn, dusk and night-time. Beware of fifty-metre-long road trains: these colossal trucks can't stop quickly or pull off the road safely, so if there's the slightest doubt, get out of the way; only overtake a road train if you can see well ahead and are certain that your vehicle can manage it. On dirt roads be doubly cautious, or just pull over for a rest and let the road train get ahead.

Speed limits on most country roads are 100-110km/h. On motorways the limit is usually 110km/h outside cities and 100km/h in built up areas. Minor roads in towns and cities are usually either 50km/h or 60km/h with an increasing number of town adopting the lower speed limit. On highways in the Northern Territory you can drive as fast as your car and common sense will allow. It is compulsory to wear seat belts and it's illegal to talk on a mobile phone while driving. You must not park facing oncoming traffic.

Motoring organisations

If you're a member of a motoring organisation you can use the facilities of their Australian counterpart. Each Australian state has its own motoring organisation, although they all fall under the umbrella of the Australian Automobile Association (AAA).

If you're not a member of an auto club at home it's worth joining one in Australia, particularly for the peace of mind and the potential savings of the roadside assistance. Roadside assistance can be contacted by calling 13 11 11 in any state... see state motoring organisations:

AANT
(Automobile Association of Northern Territory)
81 Smith Street, Darwin
Tel (08) 8981 3837
Website www.aant.com.au

NRMA
(National Roads & Motorists Association)
74- 76 King Street Sydney
Train Martin Place, Wynyard
Tel 13 21 32
Website www.nrma.com.au

RAA
(Royal Automobile Association)
41 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide
Tel (08) 8208 4600
Website www.raa.com.au

RACT
(Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania)
Corner Murray & Patrick Streets, Hobart
Tel 13 11 11
Website www.ract.com.au

RACQ
(Royal Automobile Club of Queensland)
300 St Pauls Terrace, Fortitude Valley
Train Brunswick Street
Tel (07) 3361 2444
Website www.racq.com.au

RACV
(Royal Automobile Club of Victoria)
360 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Tram 19, 57, 59, 68, 86, 96 Train Flinders Street, Melbourne Central
Tel 13 19 55
Website www.racv.com.au

RAC of WA
(Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia)
228 Adelaide Terrace, Perth
Tel (08) 9421 4444
Website www.racwa.com.au

Renting a car

Although expensive over a long period, renting a car is a good option if your time is limited and if you want to explore a particular region in depth. Car rental companies with branches nationwide are generally the most expensive although these companies do offer advantages such as airport pickup and dropoff points, frequent flyer points and long distance one way rentals.

The standard insurance cover that comes with most rental companies requires you pay an excess or around $2000 before the insurance company pays out. Rental car companies will try and sell you insurance to cover this excess, but at around $20 a day this is expensive and can substantially increase the cost of your car rental... A much better idea is to take out travel insurance that covers this excess or arrange rental car excess insurance before leaving home. This works out a lot cheaper than paying the excess cover that rental car companies charge you... To organise a rental car see our web section... Campervans, cars and 4WD's

Renting a campervan

Campervans are a popular alternative to a rental car since they give you somewhere to stay. However they are more expensive than regular car rental and you'll often have to pay to stay in a caravan park so you can have a shower.

Holidays Allover acts as the agent for several companies that rent fully equipped campervans complete with camping gear and prices are quite reasonable for longer rentals. See our web section... Campervans, cars and 4WD's