Live in the UK? Use a local well known business and book your car
through Ebookers:
If you are staying in Australia for a long time then
it may be worth your while to buy a car and sell it again when you
have made your way around the country. Check out notice boards at
backpackers hostels and the local Saturday papers. In the bigger
cities there are often designated backpacker car markets, organized
by councils who got tired of backpackers hanging out on the streets
taking up valuable car parking spaces in the city centre. Be sure
to get up to date with government regulations first, don't buy a
car that you later can not get registered. People may try to sell
you a car that still needs to pass an inspection before it can be
registered, and tell you that "it only needs a few little things
that won't cost much". Tell them that if it is that easy why
don't they do it themselves then, and you'll find that they won't.
Around Australia by tour-bus
Photo by Rob Lapaer of Rainforest
Hideaway B&B, Cape Tribulation, N.Qld.
Halfway between Cairns and Darwin in the Gulf of Carpenteria
Instead of traveling from A to B on some boring
coach or plane and then booking a tour again on arrival, why not
combine them! There are many tours that will take you on one-way
trips around Australia, stopping regularly to enjoy the sights,
spend the nights camping in the bush under magnificent starry
skies or outback pubs, make friends along the way and actually
enjoy getting from A to B !
Below we have a selection of one way adventure tours
for you, or click
here for more options to other destinations....
Cairns
to Sydney in 14 days - Departs from Cairns and stops
at Airlie Beach, , Fraser Island, Gold Coast, Great Barrier Reef,
Byron Bay, Sunshine Coast, North Johnstone River, Whitsundays,
Mackay, Townsville, Tin Can bay, Rainbow Beach and Magnetic Island
and ends up in Sydney. More
info and reservations...
18
Day Melbourne to Darwin Safari - Departs from Melbourne
and travels via Ayers Rock (Uluru), Alice Springs, Adelaide, Great
Ocean Road, Flinders Ranges, Kata Tjuta (The Olgas), Otway Ranges,
Coober Pedy, Kings Canyon, Wilpena Pound, Grampians, Bells Beach,
Kakadu National Park, Katherine Gorge, Litchfield National Park,
Clare Valley, Mary River Wetlands, Ubirr, Jim Jim Falls, Tennent
Creek, Halls Gap, Port Augusta, Lorne, Apollo Bay, Yourambulla
Caves and Quorn, MacKenzie Falls, Warren Gorge and arrives in
Darwin. More
info and reservations....
7
Day Darwin to Alice Springs via Uluru - Departs from
Darwin and travels via Ayers Rock (Uluru), , Kata Tjuta (The Olgas),
Kings Canyon, Kakadu National Park, Katherine Gorge, Litchfield
National Park, Mary River Wetlands, Jim Jim Falls and Tennent
Creek and arrives in Alice Springs. More
info and reservations....
7
Day Cairns to Darwin - This 7 day adventure through
the outback and the Gulf of Carpenteria includes all the highlights
suuch as Atherton Tablelands, Undarra, Karumba, Normanton, Lawn
Hill National Park, Hells Gate, Borroloola, Southern Lost City,
Roper River, We of the Never Never,- Mataranka Springs and Katherine.
More
info and reservations....
8
Day Cairns to Cape York Adventure - Cape York is
one of the last remaining wilderness areas in the world and this
awesome adventure will show you all the highlights of it in an
eight day journey, such as the Daintree National Park, Cape Tribulation,
Bloomfield Track, Cooktown, Cedar Bay, Lions Den Pub, Iron Range
National Park, Punsand Bay and Thursday Island. Travel one way
by road and the other way by plane along the spectacular Queensland
coast line.
More
info and reservations....
11
Day Broome to Darwin - Departs from Broome and travels
via Kununurra, Bungle Bungles, Fitzroy Crossing, Gibb River Road,
Halls Creek, El Questro Station, Edith Falls and Katherine Gorge.
More info and reservations....
9
Day Broome to Perth - Departs from Broome and travels
south along the Great Northern Highway through vast desert landscapes
to Perth via Shark Bay, Exmouth, Karijini, Monkey Mia, Pinnacles
Desert, Kalbarri, Coral Bay, Denham, Geraldton, Cervantes, Ningaloo
Reef and Carnarvon. More
info and reservations....
The Nullarbor
9
Day Adelaide to Perth - Crossing the Nullarbor is
a mind blowing experience. The vast distance of 2800 km between
the two cities of Adelaide and Perth makes for one of the world's
greatest road journeys. In some places the road runs very close
to the edge of the continent and to stand there looking at the
Great Australian Bight is an awesome "end of the world"
feeling, there are caves to explore, outback pubs and historic
ruins and remains of the days when whaling was an industry along
here.
You can drive it yourself and burn a lot of petrol or book on
a 9 day camping adventure, more
info and reservations...
10
Day Adelaide to Perth - The same tour as above but
in the other direction. More
info and reservations....
6
Day Sydney to Melbourne - Take a walk on the wild
side with this 6 day adventure trip along the coastal stretch
between Sydney and Melbourne to encounter glorious scenery and
wildlife, picturesque countryside and heritage villages.
It’s an unspoiled area of pristine beaches
and headlands, coastal lakes and estuaries, small settlements
and fishing villages, historic reminders of gold mining and whaling
days, shipwrecks and maritime museums, mountains that seem ready
to fall into the sea, and Aboriginal cultural sites that attest
to strong continuing traditions.
It was the first part of the Australian mainland
sighted and charted by Captain Cook in 1769-1770 as he turned
north towards Botany Bay. Much of it has been included in a series
of marine reserves and national parks and has some of the best
opportunities in Australia for sighting a variety of marine life,
birds and animals.
The area is rich in natural and cultural heritage,
and is inhabited by laid-back, friendly locals who are only too
keen to share their good fortune with visitors.
Highlights of your journey through this landscape
include:
Grand Pacific Drive and Sea Cliff Bridge - Jervis
Bay (world’s whitest sand) – whale and dolphin watch
cruise – national parks of the South Coast – Montague
Island cruise (seal colony and whale watching) – historic
Eden – Twofold Bay whaling heritage – Eden Killer
Whale Museum – lighthouse tours – Bataluk Culture
Trail – mouth of the Snowy River – Krowathunkooloong
Aboriginal Cultural Museum – headland walks in Victoria’s
eastern coastal parks – Gippsland Lakes cruise – Ninety
Mile Beach – Phillip Island Penguin Parade. More
info and reservations....
6
Day Melbourne to Sydney - The same tour as above
but in the other direction. More
info and reservations....
3
Day Tour Melbourne to Adelaide via Great Ocean Road & Grampians
- A great way to get from Melbourne to Adelaide and see all the
highlghts along the way, such as Great Ocean Road, Otways and
the Grampians. More
info and reservations....
10
Day Gibb River Road Loop from Broome - Experience
incredible scenery, Aboriginal Art, and Kimberley Wildlife. For
those with limited time this tour will sample the unique Kimberley.
Explore the Kimberley’s ancient mountain ranges, gorges
and rivers as you travel the heart of the Kimberley. Highlights
include; Windjana Gorge, El Questro, Tunnel Creek, Bells Gorge
& Geike Gorge. More
info and reservations....
Sydney to Byron Bay or the other way:
Photo by Rob Lapaer of Rainforest
Hideaway B&B, Cape Tribulation, N.Qld.
A rare event, rain in the desert and a boggedGroovy Grape bus
between William Creek and Coober Pedy
Photo by Rob Lapaer of Rainforest
Hideaway B&B, Cape Tribulation, N.Qld.
The Cool Croc bus on the Queensland/Northern Territory border
Western Australia one way bus tours
Western Australia is a huge place, and you could
find yourself burning a lot of petrol in a rental car, or spending
a lot of time travelling on public transport. But there are some
great extended tours available that will get you from A to B with
minimum hassle and your driver will make sure that you will not
miss any of the highlights along the way!
Around Australia by horse
Havehorsewilltravel.com.au
is a great Australian BYO Horse Travel Website to find out the
latest on where to stop, where to stay, trails to ride and events
to attend. Whether you want to cover some miles, or just get away
for a holiday with your horse.
Around Australia by ship
Spirit of Tasmania have now doubled the ships,
doubled the crossings and doubled the convenience! With two
ships you are able to sail to or from Tassie overnight - every
night!
Spirit of Tasmania I and II give you all the fun, excitement
and romance of sea travel, so crossing Bass Strait will be one
of the highlights of your trip. Feel your holiday start the
moment you step on board as you sit back, relax and watch the
waves roll by, or take advantage of all the great facilities
on board.
What's more, you can take your standard-sized
car across Bass Strait for only $61.- each way.
Just think of the freedom you will have - and the money you
will save - by taking your own car on holiday with you. You
can tour Tasmania or the mainland at your own pace, discovering
your own secret corners along the way. It also makes packing
easy, as you can take as much as you like: just load up your
car with extra suitcases, fishing rods, golf clubs - you name
it! More
info...
Around Australia by motorbike
Photo by Rob Lapaer of Rainforest
Hideaway B&B, Cape Tribulation, N.Qld
Australia is a perfect country for motorbikes
with its long, wide open roads and beautiful scenery. Dependent
on what you want to see you'll have to choose your type of bike,
the Harley pictured above may look cool but is not very suitable
for exploring the more remote regions. Also you'll have to decide
whether to buy or rent or join a tour. Bikeroundoz.com
is a good place to start planning your adventure.
For a really remote adventure try Cape York,
one of the world's last remaining wilderness areas. See the
Cape York Motorcylce Adventures website for more
info...
Around Australia with a caravan
Traveling with a caravan? Check out www.froggyswebs.com
for some info and photos on caravanning
Around Australia by bicycle
This mode of traveling only appeals to a few,
due to the enormous distances and the fact that Australian roads
and drivers are not very bike-friendly. In outback areas you
may find that sometimes there is more than 200 km. between road
houses, temperatures are in the high thirties, cattle stations
are unfenced and scrub bulls can be unpredictable and a fair
bit of (head) wind can blow a well. On the east coast distances
between towns are smaller but there are more cars and trucks
to dodge. Nevertheless when you travel around Australia you
are bound to see cyclists in the most remote areas battling
on through heat and distance. Enough seem to do it to make it
worthwile for Lonely Planet to publish a special travel guide
for cyclists;
Around Australia by camel
A few years ago a friend of mine was going around
Oz and in Adelaide met a couple who was going around the country
on camels. He decided to team up with them for the Nullarbor
leg. By car this is a lenghty drive but on the camels it took
them THREE MONTHS to get from Adelaide to Norseman!
This would be a bit too much for most people but
you'll be pleased to know there are four day desert tours on
camels that you can book online. More
info....
Hitch-hiking around Australia
Photo by Rob Lapaer of Rainforest
Hideaway B&B, Cape Tribulation, N.Qld.
In the early 1990s hitch-hiking around Australia
lost popularity when throughout 1992 and 1993 police kept finding
bodies of European tourists in the Belanglo State Forest near
Berrima, New South Wales. A total of seven bodies was dug up
and Ivan Milat was arrested and charged with their murders and
was locked away for probably the remainder of his life. After
this the tradition of hitch-hiking has never recovered again,
and it might even be illegal now, we'll do some research into
this and let you know.
Around Australia by cargo ship
From Cairns you can go up the eastcoast to the
top of Cape York and back on a cargo ship that supplies remote
coastal communities, it departs once a week and takes about
two days for each journey, can also be done as a one-way when
you fly the other way. Popular with four wheel drivers that
only drive the rough 1000 kms to the top once and then put the
truck on the ship for the return journey. Sea Swift’s
flagship vessel, the MV Trinity Bay, carries up to thirty eight
passengers per week on it's voyage from Cairns to Cape York,
including stops at Horn Island, Thursday Island and Bamaga.
More
info....
Around Australia by kayak
American Eric Stiller and Aussie Tony Brown attempted
for three months to kayak the 10,000 miles around Australia
in a 17-foot-long kayak. Their plan was to just' Keep Australia
on your left' , which is also the title of the book they wrote
on their experiences. When later interviewed Eric Stiller said:
"It seemed like a good idea at the time."
Around Australia by mail-plane
From Cairns you can join the postie in his plane
for an awesome flight all over the remote Cape York peninsula.
More
info....
Around Australia by taxi
A taxi is not normally the most economical, or
fun way, to go around Australia. In normal circumstances you'd
have to call 131008 and then a trip right around the country
would cost you at the going tariffs about $30 000,- if you didn't
do too many side trips, but in Western Australia you can get
a much better deal this year (2010).
In response to the succesful Queensland campaign
featuring the Best Job In The World, WA has now come up with
their way to promote the state to tourists; the
Extraordinary Taxi Ride. If you go to this website you can
apply to be one of the passengers on this amazing nine week
adventure and explore Western Australia in a taxi.
Your taxi driver will be a real local character
who loves his great state, knows his way around it and is up
for showcasing some of WA's best kept secrets.
Around Australia by train
Photo by Rob Lapaer of Rainforest
Hideaway B&B, Cape Tribulation, N.Qld.
Though trains are not the favourite mode of transport
of the Aussies you can get around most of the country by train
and now, after more than a hundred years of talking about it,
they have even built a railway to Darwin! See our page on rail
journeys for more info...
Around Australia by yacht
Hang around a sailing club and check the notice
board or talk to the locals, often sailing boats will take on
crew to help out with work and expenses, one such place is Cairns
where many cruising yachts leave around May to get to Darwin
in time for the June Darwin to Ambon race.
Around Australia on foot
This would not appeal to many people, especially
those who can't convince their boss to give them at least a
year's holidays but this is what Deborah De Williams is doing
now ( march 2004), she is walking in a clockwise direction along
Australia's National Highway 1 and returning to Melbourne on
Friday 15th October 2004.
During her ‘Journey for Kids’ Deborah is raising
money for Kids Help Line, Australia’s only 24 hour, free,
confidential and anonymous telephone and online counselling.
For more information click
here.
Newsflash April 2004: after Deborah had battled cyclones and
floods some youngsters in Halls Creek stole, amongst other things,
her walkingshoes!
If you'd like to explore Sydney on foot see Walksydneystreets.net
, the website of 90 year old Alan Waddell who has walked 2000
kms thorugh every street of 135 Sydney suburbs.
If this mode of transport appeals to you this might be the travel
guide for you;
Maps of Australia
One thing that will help you find your way around
Australia is a good map, you can buy your maps of Australia
online at Ausmaps.com
You know any good ways to get around Australia?
Then tell us!
