with my 3 children who will then be 16, 15 and 9. i will be traqvelling alone with them and am wanting to know the cheapest and safest way to travel round australia. i want to take them to brisbane, cairns and ayres rock and maybe do some of the outback as well... being female i am wondering is it safe to hire a campervan (or buy one) and drive round as i am worried that i will be an easy target for all the dicks.... any help would be greatly appreciated! thanks :)
2007-02-28 00:10:43 · 5 answers · asked by palmski71 1 in Travel ➔ Australia ➔ Other - Australia
I'd say it's as safe for you to get a van in OZ as it is for anyone else (on this note, you may or may not want to watch Wolf Creek). I spent 10 months living out of a van in 05 and 06, and never felt that safety was a concern (though one traveler I picked up developed an irrational fear of wild camels in the outback).
Whether to rent or buy a van depends solely on the amount of time that you have, esp. selling once you're done and ready to leave OZ. If you do rent there are several companies to choose from: Wicked, Maui, Britz, and Apollo (and maybe one or two others). The latter three are fairly similar while Wicked your kids will probably like best (each van is custom painted). Wicked only has van sized campers, while the others have larger vehicles available as well.
That said, if the only three spots you want to see are Brisbane, Cairns and Ayer's Rock, I'd look into just flying to these three spots, as the distance between is no small thing. From the East coast to Ayer's Rock is a good week's worth of driving (I never made it up to Cairns, but Brisbane to Cairns is around a week as well). You might just want to drive the coast and then fly out to Alice and do a tour of Ayer's Rock.
2007-02-28 04:08:26 · answer #1 · answered by lebenskunstler3 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Australia is generally a safe country. The biggest problem, as has been said, is distance. Airfares vary from expensive to ridiculously cheap. If you are flexible about dates and times you can get some real bargains. Brisbane to Cairns is a little over 2000km. There is lots to see on the way and it is worth driving and allowing time for the trip. You will be fed up with sugar cane by the end of the trip, it is like driving through a green tunnel with big cane on both sides of the road. There are, however, many diversions to beaches, islands and national parks along the way.
Driving from Quueensland to the red centre you have two choices. South from Brisbane into New South Wales and then west through Broken Hill to Port Augusta then turn north; or west from Townsville through Mt Isa to Tennant Creek and turn south. Either is a very long way with lots and lots of nothing to see. Your best bet would be to fly to Alice Springs and hire a van there and drive to Uluru or take a bus/camping tour from Alice. You can check prices of all of those and even make bookings online.
You didn't say where you came from but a few words about driving in Australia. We drive on the left side of the road. The blood alcohol limit is 0.05 and you can be randomly stopped and breathalysed. Refusing a breath test is an offence. All occupants of a motor vehicle must wear seat belts. No exceptions. If one of your passengers is not wearing a belt both the driver and the passenger can be charged and fined. If you drive above the speed limit you will be caught particularly on busy roads and in towns. Speed cameras and radar are used by the police. Don't use a mobile phone while driving. These laws make Australian roads reasonably safe but there are still horrendous accidents every year. One of the big killers is tiredness. If you are tired, pull over and have a nap.
2007-02-28 06:25:43 · answer #2 · answered by tentofield 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Australia will be a wonderful part of your trip! Australia is a very safe country. That said you still will need to use common sense in protecting yourself by being aware of where you go and who is around.
You do not mention how long you plan to be in Australia. Your time there would determine the best decisions to make regarding travel and cost. Be aware that Australia is around the size of the USA. Driving to your stated destinations will be a long trip. If you have the time it will be a great adventure. If time is a factor I would suggest flying to your various destinations.
Concerning Cairns; there is a extended rainy season at the reef. So please do some research as to weather conditions in relation to the dates of your trip. You would not want your dream trip to the Great Barrier Reef ruined by a typhoon.
FYI, if time is available I highly recommend visiting the Great Ocean Road and the Twelve Apostles.
www.letsgotoaustralia.com has a free e-book that will save you time and give you concise information on the weather and your various destinations of your trip.
2007-02-28 09:22:51 · answer #3 · answered by Ducatifred 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi Camper vans are a good way to see both Oz and NZ. just as long as you ar sensible, always use camping facilities if you can and secure sites.
A couple of months ago a couple of dutch back packers parked up and slept at the side of the road, they were abducted and sexualy assaulted by a couple of locals. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen.
Just be careful, but don't let it get int he way of having a good time. NZ especially is a very safe country.
Have fun
2007-03-03 11:58:12 · answer #4 · answered by Travellin Bry 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you in basic terms like to annoy the crap out of human beings, do not you? "whats up, what dumb-*** questions am i able to ask right now that gets a sort of human beings to not likely answer it, yet have them grant to pay for a one way fee ticket to get me in a distant places united states" Wow.... very unique and extremely unusual. superb of success to you, sweetie
2016-10-16 22:34:26 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋