Hitting the Open Road, Traveling Australia

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I've been on the road for a little over a month now, travelling the Australian coast from New South Wales all the way down to Victoria's Great Ocean road. The sights I've seen and people I've met have absolutely transformed the way I see Australia, and I can honestly say that this is not only the luckiest country on earth, but also the friendliest. Even at times when I've found my camper stranded by the side of the road, with nothing but empty landscape for miles around, I've been left in awe by the friendliness of strangers who will pull over and ask if there's anything they can do to get me back on the road. Most of the time I've simply given them a smile and a thankyou explaining that help is on the way, albeit from the next town over (sometimes hours away!), but on the odd occasion if people are looking for a rest I've found myself pulling out the cards and a few of the better food rations and hosting a small party by the side of the road!

While this has all been good fun, as a lady of almost half a century, breakdowns can be a bit of a worry when you're out in the scrub on your own. Here's a few pointers I've picked up on my way so far that might help out other silver foxes undertaking similar ventures:

1. If you're traveling on your own, and heading into un-populated terrain, it might be a good idea to invest in a satelite phone . I turned down this option at first, given how pricey they can be ($500 is a good chunk of the travel allowance that could otherwise be spent on much more enticing things). But after the fan belt went on the van while I was between towns, I was thanking my lucky stars that my mobile still got reception out in the bush. If I hadn't been so lucky I might have had to walk for miles before reaching somewhere that I could phone for help. I bought a sat-phone at the next coastal town I got to, second hand, and have not regretted the purchase.

2. In spite of what I just said, try your best to pinch pennies wherever you can. I started this trip with almost 20 years savings behind me, and even then I've been amazed at how quickly you can churn through money on the road. It was a pretty rude shock even starting out to discover how much it can cost just to hire a campervan for three months. I was close to buying one outright before a friend told me that you can rent campers for a steal if you search for a 'one-way-deal', where you deliver a camper to your destination and fly back home. This was the first valuable lesson I got in trying to get the most for the least out of every purchase while traveling because honestly between food, petrol, passes, clothing and the occasional splurge on memorabilia, the costs can really add up.

3. Try to avoid the tourists traps, especially during the holidays. I started out just prior to the beginning of school holidays and the first two weeks were a dream. Then, all of a sudden, everywhere I pulled over was packed with families, backpackers, and other people in campervans. This can be nice on occasion but a huge crowd can really take the fun out of a scenic location or a quiet getaway. I found out very quickly that if you talk to locals and information centers and explain to them that you're looking for nice local places that are a little off the beaten track, you can really find some magic spots that aren't listed in the usual brochures.

I'll definitely have more tips to impart when they come to mind, with so much time on the road now I feel like a seasoned traveler, which my tan can probably attest to. In the mean time thanks for reading my new blog, and if Jenny is reading this, hi, thanks for suggesting I do this!

See you round, I'm off to hit the road again to meet some more smiley people 😊

Jane

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Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Hitting the Open Road
Good for you. Glad you are not sitting around on the couch. Get out and experience the world. Eager to read more of your impressions.