How to prepare for a road trip in Australia?

As you know, last month I went on a road trip along the route «The »Explorer’s Way” in Australia. We traveled more than 4,000 km in 17 days and crossed the country from north to south, from Darwin to Adelaide.

Crossing Australia was a dream for me and telling you all about it wasn’t really on the agenda this year, but fate has turned it into something else… I had the incredible opportunity to participate in a blogging trip with 3 other bloggers (Juliette, Anne and Bruno), 2 Instagrammers (Vuthéara and Joanna) and Nicolas the organizer of this blogtrip.

It was the first time I was going on a road trip this far and the peculiarity of this trip was that I didn’t know my fellow travelers! I know it might seem strange but for me it didn’t bother me at all. On the contrary, I had the feeling of going back 15 years when I went on a summer camp 😉 Those who have experienced it know that emotions are amplified, multiplied and that in the end you have a hard time saying goodbye! Well, that’s exactly what happened, I met my fellow travelers in Paris and within 5 minutes I knew everything would be fine. Traveling for 17 days while being together 24/7 is not given to everyone. I think you have to have a cool attitude, know how to listen to others, know how to make concessions and be tolerant. It was a risky bet but I want to thank Nicolas again for finding the balance between our 7 personalities.

Going on a road trip with friends is an experience that you should have not once but several times in your life; it’s the kind of journey that changes a life, that allows you to question yourself and believe me, you’ll come out of it so much richer!

I am preparing a dozen articles about my road trip in Australia And I’ll start with organization because it’s the most important step of the trip, especially when the chosen destination is the country of kangaroos!

Choosing Australia for your road trip

Australia, this large island in the middle of the Pacific, is 7.5 million km² to cover! This destination is often highly recommended for its Visa Working Holidays and I understand a thousand times better now that I went there!

We have traveled the mythical road «The Explorer's Way» and just the name made me dream: The path of the explorers! I am someone who has been traveling since I was little and who is completely obsessed with the world of travel in general. I can assure you that it was a proud moment to say: I am going on a road trip in Australia, to follow the path of the explorers!

We arrived in Darwin and rented two 4×4s. I think it’s the best way to get around and especially the most comfortable!

For my part, I loved driving on these roads; I felt such a sense of freedom and I think that as a driver you feel the road more and you are more attentive to your surroundings.

The only downside? In Australia you drive… on the left! I’ve already had the opportunity to drive in Ireland; you need some time to adapt, and if you’re not comfortable with that, ask for a 4×4 with an automatic gearbox!

Advice: Apply for the international permit, It’s free, fast, and always better when you want to rent a car.

The plane ticket

I recommend you compare the prices of tickets via Google flights, This is the largest flight comparison site! You’ll find fares starting at 1,000 € (for September 2016, for example), which is a significant budget, but it’s worth it because it’s a very beautiful trip, so save as early as possible to really enjoy it!

We flew with Singapore Airlines and everything was really great! We even got upgraded to Premium for more comfort on the way back. We had a short stopover in Singapore on the way back and a day off on the way back.

Travel insurance

Choose Heymondo travel insurance to organize a trip to Australia Traveling with family with children is a wise decision that ensures comprehensive protection tailored to the specific needs of your loved ones. Heymondo stands out with its extensive coverage, which not only covers medical aspects but also unforeseen events such as flight delays, cancellations, and lost luggage, providing essential peace of mind during family trips. Heymondo insurance includes 24/7 medical assistance, ensuring quick access to quality care in case of need, thereby safeguarding the safety of children. Heymondo’s user-friendly platform simplifies administrative formalities, providing a hassle-free experience for parents. By choosing Heymondo, you invest in the safety and well-being of your family, thereby creating the ideal conditions to explore Australia together and live unforgettable moments with peace of mind.

Itinerary of a road trip in Australia 

Since Australia is a very large country, don’t plan for more than 300 kilometers in a day if you don’t want to be too tired for the rest of the trip, and that will allow you to stop whenever you want to take photos, have a coffee at an old gas station, or just admire the scenery!

Plan at least the steps you want to take using Google Maps, for example, group together the points of interest, and leave some space for surprising discoveries and detours that you might take as you feel like it.

Here is our itinerary: Darwin, Katherine, Daly Waters, Alice Springs, Uluru, Coober Pedy, Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, that is about 4,000 km.

The budget

If you have chosen to go on a road trip in Australia, you should know that it does require a good budget. Life is quite expensive there, even though the exchange rate is very attractive right now; it could quickly rise!

I recommend booking and paying for your flights/accommodation/activities/rental in advance to spread the cost of the trip over several months. You can also set up a savings account in advance; that’s what we’re used to doing and we feel like our trip costs us less…

For the food budget, we mainly took sandwiches for lunch to save time because the service in restaurants is very long; you need to factor in about 12/15 $ for a drink. However, in the evening we went to a restaurant; $ for a dish in a brasserie, you need to factor in between 20 and 30. Be careful for vegetarians; Anne, Juliette and Bruno sometimes had trouble finding meat-free dishes (especially in the Northern Territory); it’s a bit tricky in the remote areas in the middle of Australia!

At the hotel level, the prices are reasonable; you will easily find rooms for less than 100€ / 2.

For cars, I compared prices on different sites; a crossover will cost you about 750 € for 3 weeks and a 4x4 from 1800 € according to a car rental comparison site. And I still have good news, gasoline costs less than in France but prices vary from one country to another…

To finish this paragraph, I recommend that you have enough cash on you (spread out in your bags, suitcases, and wallet): it will be useful for all the small purchases and a credit card for the larger expenses.

The phone

We opted for a Telstra Sim Card Charged with 6 GB of internet for the stay. The network in the center of Australia is, to say the least... well, cata? We spent days without any network, not even wifi in the hotels. But I must say that these breaks without internet did us a lot of good, for those of us who are in ultra-normal everyday life. (ultra) Finally, we managed to disconnect from the connection!  

Price: 30 $ for a chip + 3 GB ( including 200$ international calls ) 

Tip: Remember to unlock your phone before leaving and check that the foreign chips are compatible!

When to go to Australia?

As with any road trip, the weather is an important factor that shouldn’t be overlooked. There are periods when you won’t be able to visit everything you want to in Australia. One of the indisputable examples is the rainy season. To help you, here are some final crucial information.

–          December, January, February: The north is in the middle of the rainy season, so it’s best to avoid it during this Australian summer; instead, opt for the south, which is in the middle of the summer season and has pleasant temperatures!

–          Mars, April, May: (The period of our road trip) It was very hot in the North, about 35 degrees Celsius, and very cool in the South. We had everything we needed in our suitcase for the two different seasons.

–          June, July, August: It’s winter! These are the coldest months for the north, so it’s not a bad time to visit Darwin before the rainy season…

–          September, October, November: It’s spring and you can enjoy the last warm days in the North before the rainy season begins. by Cairns and then head south where it is still cool in the spring.

 

The visa

As in many countries, you will need a visa to enter the country.

For stays of less than 3 months you need an eVisitor visa; you can apply for it. online here.It’s free and very fast.

For a Working Holidays visa, you can make the request here.

The little extras that make a trip different

• A small pharmacy kit: even if you are in a very developed country, know that if you travel inland you won’t find a pharmacy…

• A net for flies: it’s not a myth; there are a lot of flies in the Uluru and Coober Pedy region. Anne advises you the electric fly trap , Bruno and Juliette had them too beautiful nets 😉 Me, I had nothing, I put up with it but it’s sometimes very annoying!

• An inflatable cushion for travel: I found mine at Ikea for 5€; it follows me everywhere and it’s so comfortable!

• An waterproof cape: I had the same problem on the island of Dominica; it rained several times a day. On my return from my trip, I bought a slightly girly cape on Asos, but even though it’s not very glamorous, nothing beats the Decathlon cape! We had 2 days of rain on Kangaroo Island and we were not equipped and therefore soaked in #Loosers!

• Des adapters for Australia with a multi-socket to connect all your electronic devices.

• Think of all the necessary comfort for the car: the cables to charge your phones, to connect the music, a water bottle, snacks…

I’ll see you very soon to present you the stages of my road trip!

Many thanks to the tourism offices @AusOutback and @SouthAustralia and to the agency @Weliketravel for allowing us to make this dream trip happen <3