Frequent Renter Programs: Is There A Winner?

Are you driving in circles with your frequent renter program options but failing to get anywhere?

Loyalty programs are offered by all of Australia’s five major car hire companies, but at a glance it can be hard to determine if any are superior. So we set our research team to work to find you the answer. Read more

To Drive Or Not To Drive Australia?

Visiting Australia is not like visiting Vatican City. You can’t really see it all in a day. A year might not even be enough. It’s 4,000 kilometers from Sydney to Perth. Even the flight takes five hours.

So what if you want to experience Oz in all its diverse glory, from the other-worldly grandeur of Ayers Rock to the pristine beauty of the Gold Coast beaches? What if you want to smell the wax of the surfboards on the Whitsundays and taste the dust of the desert around Alice Springs? What’s the best and most rewarding way to get around this vast, country? Should you take to the air, or keep to the ground, fly everywhere or hire a car? To drive or no to drive? – that is the question.

If you’re heading on an Australian holiday and wondering whether to hit the road, here are some of the questions you should probably be asking yourself.

How Much Time Have You Got?

Have you got time to spare, or have you got a plane to catch? If you’ve got a limited amount of time, you’ve got to prioritize. What do you REALLY want to see? And how long is it going to take you to get there? If you want to see the Great Barrier Reef and take in Aida at the Sydney Opera House in the space of a week, driving isn’t really an option. But if you want a more focused holiday, you can fit in some of Australia’s most memorable sights on a road trip.

Some of Australia’s best and most spectacular sights are concentrated around particular areas. You can build your stay around Alice Springs and Ayers Rock, for instance. Or you can focus on Darwin and the Kakuda National Park, Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road or maybe Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef. Hiring a rental car and touring these areas is relatively easy, affordable – and hugely rewarding. Sometimes less is more, if you know what we mean.

Do You Want To Drive Alone?

Australia has an excellent road system that criss-crosses large sections of the country. Roads linking the major cities are especially good. So if you want to drive coast to coast, you can do it. (If you allow yourself a couple of weeks that is.) But the distances are huge and it can be a demanding – and a lonely – drive.

There are some other options though. It doesn’t have to be a lonely trip. You could join up on a tagalong tour, for instance. This popular option allows you to hook your car up with an official tour party and drive through Australia’s in convoy. Think of it as being a little like Mad Max, without the crossbows. There are some really great options available. You might like, for instance, to take the 25 day Kimberley Wander, north east from Alice Springs towards the stunning northern town of Kununurra, an oasis created by the waters of Lake Argyle. Alternatively, you might like to take an 11 day drive through the heart of the country and the Simpson Desert, heading from Broken Hill to Alice Springs.

Do You Want To Follow A Pre-Planned Route?

Alternatively, if you’re determined to do it yourself, you can make life less stressful by booking a self-drive package. This option takes all the pain out of planning a route, stop-offs, researching good bars, restaurants or hotels en route. A tour operator will give you all the directions, maps, schedules and even camping equipment you might need. It takes the heat off and leaves you free to enjoy the open road.

Are You Properly Prepared For Outback Driving?

Driving through the outback is an amazing and unforgettable experience. It will make you feel like the last man or woman on earth. You will experience a silence and isolation unlike anything on earth.

But it will take you through stretches of country where you won’t see anything other than heat haze, insects, lizards and the odd kangaroo for as long as a day or two. So you do need to bear in mind some safety pointers.

The main thing is that you need to make sure you are equipped for all eventualities. You need to plan petrol stops, make sure you have ample supplies of water, maps, shelter and digging tools in case of breakdowns. You need to tell people about your travel plans and carry at least one mobile phone with you. You must also be careful not to pick up hitch hikers.

Why Not Drive – And Fly?

The best way to see a large chunk of Australia during a relatively short visit may be to combine flying and driving. That way you get the best of both worlds.

There are all sorts of options. For instance, you could spend two days exploring Sydney, then fly to Ayers Rock. After a couple of days listening to the startalkers and experiencing the silence of Australia’s iconic natural wonder, you could fly up to Darwin. There you could pick up a rental car and drive through Kakadu, the breathtaking Katherine Gorge, Litchfield National Park and back. From Darwin you could fly to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef. Alternatively, you could drive all the way across north-western Australia and finish your trip on the pristine beaches of tropical Broome on the west coast.

Of course, you could try any other combination. And you can take as much time as you want. If you’re not watching the clock then no one else is. As the Aussie’s say, she’ll keep.