What do you do to prepare for a drive across australia in case your car breakdowns?
I would like to drive from Melbourne to Perth, but the major thing putting me off is, what the hell do I do if i break down?
My car mechanics skills are awful, and I dont have anybody I know to call along the way. I'll be with 1 other person.
Do any rental companies offer any sort of pick up service (however long it may take them)?
Has anyone got any experience they can share with me?
I dont want to rely on good fortune.
Reply to this Hello Graham
There is a lot of empty space between Perth and Melbourne - especially after you leave Kalgoorlie and before you arrive in Port Augusta. Even if a car rental company did offer a breakdown service it is likely you will be waiting a while for assistance. See if you can contact the rental companies direct.
I drove that road a few years ago and there was always some traffic on the road, but mostly trucks. However, if you do break down anywhere in the remote parts of Australia you are likely to be well over a hundred kilometres from any assistance - if not more.
My best advice is to go with a reputable (and larger) rental company - don't trust the smaller operators with cheaper prices - it is not worth the hassle if something goes wrong.
Best of luck with the decision.
Shane
PS: The roads you are driving are a more than acceptable quality - good, sealed and generally flat. They aren't up to the European motorway/highway standards, but they are better than many places.
Reply to this I would suggest taking a good supply of water - more than you think you could possibly need. I've heard a few stories of people who break down, then go wandering for help and get into trouble because they have nothing to drink. Also spare phone batteries.
If anything happens, stay with the car - it will be easier to spot than a person.
Ditto to Shane's advise, and have a great trip :-)
Reply to this you could pay for a break down service.
I live in Brisbane and I subscibe to RACQ (The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland) or they have similar ones in other states such as the NRMA in New south wales. It costs around $100 for a basic one and they will come to you to fix the problems. You can pay extra for coverage including towing if needed. Now obviously this doesnt cover if you are 1000s km away from a town, but will cover you for the coastal roads etc with towns near by.
I am not sure if this applies to rental cars (I am sure the cost includes a break down service) but this info is for if you choose to buy a car and re sell when you leave australia.
Maybe get someone who is a little handy in the car maintenace department to give you a little crash course before you head off.
Reply to this Hi getinvolved,
Did you ever manage this? I'm planning Perth-Melbourne-Sydney for early next year and would love to know how you got on!
Cheers
Simon
Reply to this Sorry for the late reply. Probably not worth answering - but I didnt end up doing this, and glad I didnt.
Since being in Australia for a while now and driving around a fair bit, I am glad I did not drive from Melbourne to Perth, not only because i might have broken down in the middle of nowhere, but mainly because it would have been so bloody boring!
Reply to this It is anything but boring Graham.I have done the Nullabor around 80times.
There is an unwritten rule in Australia that you NEVER drive past someone with the bonnet of their car up.Unfortunatly alot of people ignore this rule ,these days, but if you do break down don't stress someone will stop to help.
Also most Hire car companies will send out a new car to whereever you are
Reply to this LOL!! As my parents say (who have a mobile home and travel around australia) Australia is very beautiful... but there can be a lot of nothing in between 😊 This is one thing visitors find out when they get here.. Australia is a BIG PLACE with many hours travel between places
Reply to this My personal opinion is that the drive between Port Headland and Broome in Western Australia is more tedious than the Nullarbor. I didn't mind the Nullabor, there were interesting stops along the way (such as Eucla and the cliffs) where in comparison the drive between Port Headland and Broome really did not have anything to grab your attention.
Reply to this There is plenty to do along the Nullabor including Cliffs ,fishing ,whale watching and caving.The world record for the deepest caving expedition is held under the Nullabor.The record gets broken every few years but they just go a bit further down the same cave.
There is also plenty to see between Pt Hedland and Broome though.Pardoo Station ,Mosquito Creek ,80 Mile Beach ect.Australia is the only continent with reef on the West Coast so we have some very unique coastline and the Pilbara/Kimberly Coast is some of the best ,in my opinion
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