Getting out there on the open road is the dream vacation for many of us. Having the freedom of a car, instead of relying on public transport, means that you can truly get off the beaten track and explore at your own pace. Australia is a stunning country, with a breath-taking natural landscape that’s incredibly varied. It makes the perfect destination for a lengthy road trip, as you’ll get to see so much variety. If you’re lucky enough to have some time off work and want to fill it with an adventure, then this is our guide for planning your trip around Australia.
Prepare For Downtime
Even the best laid plans sometimes go awry and in the case of road trips this often means break downs. Even new cars can break down, particularly in the hot Australian sunshine, so having a plan is essential. Of course you should have breakdown cover for your trip, so that you can get back on the road as quickly as possible.
As well as this though, it’s a good idea to have an arsenal of things to keep you amused while you wait. If you’re into gaming then downloading a few titles to your phone, checking out the online casino in Australia, or even bringing an old fashioned GameBoy with you can be a great way of busting that boredom. Those who prefer other types of entertainment could bring a puzzle book, a novel, or even a bit of work along with them to keep busy. Everybody hopes that they won’t suffer a breakdown, but preparedness never hurts.
Service Your Car
Whilst it’s no substitution for having plenty to keep you occupied in the case of a breakdown, it’s still a really good idea to service your car. If you’re hiring one, then make sure it’s been serviced well and is a newer model. It might cost a few extra dollars but it will save you the headache in the long run.
Those who are handy can save some money themselves by changing their tyres for fresh ones, topping up their oil and making sure their washer fluid is at the right level. Beyond this, it’s a good idea to leave the full service to the professionals whilst you get on with planning the more exciting parts of your trip.
Plan Your Route
One of the most exciting parts of preparing for a road trip is planning out where you’re going to go. Australia is a vast country with such a varied landscape that if you can afford to take a good length of time off, you really should. Seeing the rugged coastline, as well as the arid scrubland, the white sandy beaches, the lush green jungle and plenty of the metropolitan cities will make this a road trip to remember.
Begin your plan by deciding on half a dozen places that you want to visit more than any. Plot them out on a map and see if there’s a route that makes sense between them. If you have just one place that’s an outlier and would take a huge detour to get to, then remove it and focus on adding in some points between the places that are more conveniently located. Once you’ve got a rough route planned, you can look for campsites, hotels, or good parking spaces along the way if you’re staying in your vehicle.
With all of the important stuff marked in, use Google Maps to help you figure out how long you’re going to be driving for between rest stops. That way you can book in to campsites or hotels for the right number of days to make sure you’re covering ground but not spending the whole trip driving ten hour days.
Make a Great Playlist
Everybody has certain songs that transport them straight back to a certain moment in time. So, if you want to keep those core memories of your road trip forever, then you’ve got to make a killer playlist. If you’re struggling for inspiration then there are lots of professional and user-created playlists on Spotify that you can use as a jumping off point. Beyond this, make sure to think about the people that you’re travelling with and include songs that you know they will love too.
Stock Up With Snacks
The final part of the preparation for your trip is a bit that some people do a little too hastily. If you’re going to be spending long hours on the road then you need to have plenty of drinks and snacks to keep you busy. Most cars will happily run a twelve volt coolbox on their system and investing in one means you can open a cold soda at any point during your trip. As well as this, a small cool box can help to keep snacks that aren’t shelf stable edible for much longer. So, if you like to munch on cheese, fruits, or even charcuterie, you can keep it cold and delicious in your cooler. Beyond this, trail mix, crisps, crackers and candy are all great options that will stave off the hunger until you find somewhere nice to stop for lunch.
