Australia's sun burnt landscape is a breathtaking spectacle like no other - and what better way is there to see our great country than on the road?
The great Australian road trip, of course, is not for the faint of heart. You'll need to be able to withstand some of the severest climates, with barely a hint of civilisation for hundreds of kilometres - no food, no petrol, no water and you can forget about mobile phone coverage. But it won't be you that's taking the harshest beating - it'll be your car.
Driving distances in Australia
- Cairns - Brisbane - 2 days
- Brisbane - Sydney - 1 to 2 days
- Sydney - Melbourne - 1 day
- Melbourne - Adelaide - 1 day
- Adelaide - Alice Springs - 2 days
- Alice Springs - Darwin - 2 to 3 Days
- Adelaide - Perth - 4 days
- Perth - Broome - 3 days
Picking your car
Experienced road trippers will find that the harsh terrain can do some serious damage to their vehicles. While small manual hatchbacks are all the rage in Europe, you'll find these cars won't be very practical for the difficult journey.
First and foremost, think of your own comfort - you'll be spending long days just sitting inside your car (it'll be too hot to even step out and stretch your legs for very long). Consider a comfortable, reliable and robust touring wagon or an estate vehicle. Locally made Australian wagons, like the Holden Commodore are some of the best cars for these types of journeys. Plus, you'll be able to drop into a number of Holden dealers or Holden HSV dealers for a quick tune-up or service along the way. Meanwhile, you'll also want a car that gets decent mileage as you may be limited in your re-fuelling points along the way.
Planning your trip
When planning your trip, always plan for more travel time than you expect you'll need. Because the landscape is so sparse, you don't want to be pushing yourself or your vehicle too hard to make it to the next destination. Don't weigh down your car with too much luggage or pack in too many passengers - you'll be putting a lot of undue strain on the engine. If you're travelling very long distances, be prepared to break down or experience some amount of car trouble - it'll be part of the experience.
Plan to take your time and make some stops where you can along the way. Bring along plenty of supplies, this includes petrol, water, food, as well as other essentials - and have a great trip!
