Australia features in the top spot of thousands of people’s travel bucket lists. It’s not difficult to see why. It has beautiful weather throughout much of the year, stunning landscapes, seascapes and some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. However, when it actually comes to visiting Aus, many travellers stick to tourist hotspots—such as the Great Barrier Reef, Sydney Opera House and lounging on Bondi Beach. 

While this may be good for a standard holiday, those seeking a taste of the real Australia will want to take the road less traveled. The best way to stray from the beaten track? Australian road trips, of course! So, here’s everything you need to know for a quality road trip in the land down under.

What You Need to Know About Australian Road Trips

Planning a Route

First things first, you need to settle on where you want to go. Australia is a huge country consisting of vast expanses of land—from Sydney and Melbourne to Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. It would be simply impossible to see absolutely everything in one trip. Your time is likely to be limited, so choose wisely. If you are looking for beaches, you can head to Sydney for Bondi Beach. However, you are likely to experience crowds.

Brilliant alternatives to consider could include Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park, Lizard Island in Queensland, or Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island. If you want to experience the outback, visit Lake Ballard in Goldfields, Farina (an outback ghost town), or Chambers Pillar. Your route will vary greatly based on your tastes. However, it is absolutely essential that you plan a logical route that will pass through all of the key locations that you want to tick off your list. This will ensure that you see everything that you want and encourages you to be realistic with your travel aims and goals.

Choosing a Vehicle

As you’re travelling, it’s unlikely that you’ll be using your own vehicle. This is where vehicle hire comes into play. You need to use a recommended company that will give you use of a high-quality, reliable vehicle. Remember, this isn’t just something to get you from A to B. You need it to be spacious (allowing room for both passengers and luggage), comfortable (as you will be spending long periods of time in it) and sturdy (especially if you’re going to be travelling less frequented roads, as you don’t want to have to wait all too long for recovery if you were to break down). The ideal option would generally be minibus hire, as a good minibus will meet all of these requirements.

Choosing a Travel Partner

You need to ensure that you are completely comfortable and compatible with the person you choose to travel with. Remember that you will be living in a close proximity to one another for an extended period of time. If you don’t know the person all too well, you may quickly come to the realization that you rub one another up the wrong way, which will result in arguments and a ruined trip. You should also try to travel with someone who can also drive. This means that you can share driving responsibilities, lifting pressure from both of your shoulders.

Following these steps will guarantee a wonderful road trip through some of the most wonderful terrains that the world has to offer! So, get planning and packing. There’s nothing holding you back.

This ‘Australian Road Trips’ post was contributed to The Lady-like Leopard.