I am going to go to Oz and NZ for 1 year, and was thinking about buying a cheap car and road tripping round all four corners for the whole year, staying in caravan parks or something like that. Anyone done anything like this? What about expense? How expensive is Australian fuel? Would I need a 4x4?
Reply to this Sorry just seen the blog 'True cost of driving round Australia'!! Duh..
Reply to this We are doing something similar, but we are wwoofing as well. www.wwoof.com.au. We arrive in Perth on 15th May, and hope to spend at least a year getting over to Melbourne and hopefully Tasmania. We'll be buying a campervan when we arrive. We are staying in a backpackers initially, which it seems are good places to pick up campervans from travellers who have completed the trip.
Good Luck, maybe see you around!
Mark
Reply to this It costs heaps to drive a camper van or 4x4. When i travel accross the country I have my small Mazda Metro 121 and a swag in the backseat. It'll cost me about $40 for 500-600km depending on the conditions and how fast I drive and you can sleep anywhere, as well as being cheaper to sleep in a caravan park than a campervan.
If you want a kit-out car, Darwin has good backpacker car sales. They are not always in good condition, but are also relatively cheap. If you know about cars its a good bet.
In NZ cars are REALLY cheap. I looked at the YMCA noticeboard and wanted to buy a van to take back to Oz. But fuel was more expensive when I was there (last june/july) and because the country is so mountainous it guzzled the fuel. Think about buying a manual car for the mountains.
Enjoy your trip. There is nothing quite like the open roads of Oz. Don't travel at dawn or dusk unless you want to risk the front end of your car. 😊
Reply to this The places you want to go will determine the type of vehicle. You will need a 4WD if you want to go to places like Cape York or off the road in some of the more remote areas but, as long as you are prepared to basically stay on the tar, you will do OK in a 2WD. Get one with higher clearance if you can and that will give you more options. Fuel tends to cost about A$1.20 a litre but that can rise in remote areas but we are out of touch a bit.
A swag is a good option when you are out of the towns. There is good camping in roadside stops through Qld, WA and the NT. Most have toilets and you can get a shower in the roadhouses. National and State parks are also often really good options for cheap camping in lovely surroundings. Info centres usually have details on Parks and Wildlife places or, in Qld, there is good cheap camping in water resources facilities - near dams.
When we drove right around Australia it took us a little over 40,000 kms so it can be costly. The trip from Darwin to, say, Brisbane is around 3,000 kms. If you are from Europe then the stretches between towns and roadhouses in the outback will feel pretty long.
Good luck and safe travels
Reply to this I paid 2.00L along the plenty highway. it all depends on how remote you decide to go. gas was onnly 1.80 along the great central road... a high clearance 4wd is needed for a few of the roads as a precaution incase there is rough sections. or for the fact that the beachs that are legal to drive on are an option. southern western australia has some stunning beaches to drive on. we mostly free camped the whole way, either in the bush or at designated campsites that were listed as free or rest stops. buy camps australia 5 it has a map of the whole place with a complete listing of free camps/ pay camps and directions/gps coordinates.
I did a small blog on traveling in the remote areas to show the costs and how much driving you do on dirt roads compared to paved roads.
Reply to this I think I'll stick with Greyhound! Thanks for all yor responses! X
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