Getting around Australia
In case you hadn’t already realised Australia is a huge country. In fact it’s bigger than Europe. So, one of the main issues for a backpacker is just how to travel around it.
Coaches:
Greyhound - This coach company travels countrywide offering budget travel to get from A to B. They offer passes for travellers which can cover the whole country, east coast, west coast, the centre etc. etc. These passes allow you to travel in one direction to your destination - if you want to backtrack then you have to by a separate ticket. Greyhound also offer kilometre passes where you can pay for a certain amount of km to travel anywhere you like in any direction. Although you can travel at your own speed you must complete your journey within a time limit (one month, three months, a year etc. depending on the type of pass you have). Alternatively you can pay for separate journeys, but this can prove quite costly. Once you have got your pass you can start booking your travel. You don’t need to book all your travel at once - so if you decide you want to stay somewhere for a bit longer than you planned it doesn’t matter. You just have to call the coach company a day or two before you want to travel or call into one of their booking offices around the country and book yourself a seat.
Pros:
- Cheap way of travelling
- Travelling over land gives you a chance to really get a feel for the size of the country - Overnight buses mean you can save yourself a bit of cash on accommodation and wake up somewhere completely new
- The coaches are reasonably comfy - reclining chairs, on-board toilet, lots of leg room on the new red Greyhound coaches, plenty of breaks to stretch your legs, films and air conditioning.
Cons:
- The coaches can be slow and tedious and stopping for breaks can be frustrating when you have just nodded off into a deep sleep and the coach driver insists on everyone getting off the coach so he can lock it for the duration of the break - Don’t assume the on-board films are going to be to your taste - there’s only so many times you can sit through What a Girl Wants without the nauseous feeling actually turning into a bout of vomiting - If you are travelling on your own and are desperate to meet other like-minded travellers then the Greyhound isn’t the best place to do it. You may well meet other backpackers but the services are also used by a lot of the locals - Greyhound buses only take you from A to B. There is no commentary about sights along the way and definitely no detours to see them.
Visit www.greyhound.com.au for more information
Oz Experience - This is a backpacker's bus network that aims to show you more of Australia than the basic A to B route. The distinctive bright green buses cover a large proportion of the country, taking detours from the main highways. For instance, one of the overnight stops is at a sheep station where you can see a sheep sheering demonstration, another daytime stop is for wine tasting. A big advantage to this bus is that the driver will give a running commentary on the sights you pass, which you wouldn't find on any other form of transport. Oz Experience has a bit of a reputation for being a party bus, which is not entirely justified. The bus does have a lot of the younger backpacking crowd, so partying is going to be a priority for some. You will find that more mature passengers are common too. In the end it is a bus, it does not force you to go out drinking till the small hours every night.
Pros:
- Very easy and convenient way to get around. They even help you to book your hostel rooms and activities.
- The driver gives a running commentary about the history and culture of the areas you pass through.
- The bus takes on diversions for viewpoints and photo opportunities.
- You get to meet lots of other backpackers, so good if you are travelling alone for the first time.
Cons :
- Expensive when compared to other direct bus operators.
- Only one departure per stop per day, usually early in the morning.
- Some of the stops are compulsory and you have to go with the provided accommodation (such as the sheep station).
- If you are older you may wish to avoid the younger gap-year crowd
Visit www.ozexperience.com.au for more information
Flying:
Australia is really well served by the air. It’s also not too expensive to fly from place to place if you know where to look for the deals. The main companies include Virgin Blue, Qantas and JetStar. Fierce competition between them means there are always low fares which suit a backpacker budget. One of the best ways to keep on top of the constantly changing prices is by signing up to online newsletters which are emailed out to you detailing all the news and price war offers. Domestic flights in Australia are really easy. You only need to check-in half an hour before your flight is due to leave and there are no tickets involved - you just need to present one piece of identification such as your passport or driving licence. Special air passes can be brought from outside Australia such as Qantas’ Boomerang pass which involves buying coupons for flights or the company Regional Express has a special backpacker offer.
Pros:
- If you don’t have much time in Australia or you just can’t stand long journeys then flying is a great way to get around.
- If you know when you want to travel in advance then you can pick up some really good deals.
Cons:
- Flying doesn’t give you the chance to see just how big Australia is and you miss out on a lot of the scenery.
- Flying can prove to be expensive if you leave it to the last minute to book your flight or there are no special deals going on at the time you want to travel.
- Travelling by air doesn’t really give you the chance to meet other travellers as the flights are quite often full of business people or families.
Visit www.virginblue.com.au, www.qantas.com.au, www.jetstar.com.au or www.regionalexpress.com.au for more information.
Trains:
This is not the quickest way to travel across the country but it can prove to be more comfortable than the bus. Travelling on the Indian Pacific across the Nullarbor Plain and the Ghan from Adelaide to Darwin are considered ‘classic’ rail journeys and should be given some consideration. They give you the opportunity to spend a couple of days relaxing and look out the window at absolutely nothing - a real eye opener if you are used to seeing house and house. As with most transport in Australia there are special backpacker passes. CountryLink provide a pass which allows travel on the whole CountryLink network.
Pros - Trains are a great way to get off the roads and see the countryside.
- Trains can be a lot comfier than buses and cars
Cons: - This is one of the slower ways to travel around the country.
- Meeting other backpackers could prove difficult as this is not a popular way of getting around with travellers.
Visit www.countrylink.nsw.gov.au and www.gsr.com.au for more information.
Car buying/hiring:
This is a great way to get off the beaten track and gives the backpacker total freedom to go where they want - especially in western Australia where coach routes are limited and infrequent. Holders of driving licences from most countries can drive in Australia - as long as they are written in English. Australians drive on the left hand side of the road and the rules are pretty much the same as in the UK. Recently the laws have become a lot tighter on wearing seat-belts and drink-driving.
Buying:
Buying a vehicle as a backpacker in Australia is pretty easy. Visit most hostels in the country and they will have notice boards advertising cars and campers for sale. Most of the sellers will be fellow travellers coming to the end of their trip which means you can sometimes get a good deal if they are getting desperate to sell. It is also worth seeing if you can get any extras included for free or at a cut price such as camping and cooking equipment. When buying a vehicle you should make sure it has a valid registration (green sticker in the window). This means it is road worthy, but don’t just rely on this - if you can, get someone who knows what they are talking about to check it over. The last thing you want is to be stranded in the middle of nowhere when the engine blows. Third party insurance is included in the vehicle registration cost and it’s up to you as to whether you take out any further insurance.
Visit the Australian Automobile Association at www.aaa.asn.au for more information.
Hiring:
There are many companies than offer hiring from classy cars to backpacker camper vans. Many of the bigger companies also offer a relocation so you don’t have to take the vehicle back to where you started from - but this can be pricey so check the cost before you drive off. When deciding which company to hire from you need to bear in mind how far you intent to travel. If you are going to be driving for long distances then you need to get a vehicle with unlimited kilometres, otherwise companies do offers such as 100k free per day.
Pros: - Get off the beaten track and see things that travellers taking other forms of transport won’t get the chance to see.
- Driving Australia gives you complete freedom . . . you can leave when you want and aren’t left waiting for a bus on the side of the road with all your belongings.
- You can meet other travellers by offering people lifts between destinations and share the cost of the fuel.
Cons:
- If the vehicle doesn’t have air con then things are going to get pretty sticky, especially during the summer.
- Finding a hostel in the cities which offers parking can prove to be a bit of a nightmare so some advance planning is needed.
- Any accidents or breakdowns can prove to be very costly.
