Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

GETTING AROUND AUSTRALIA 67
brands with their own networks, passes
are combined and can be used interchangeably
on either network. The
coaches and service standards of both
companies are virtually identical. The
only real difference between them is
that McCafferty’s does not travel in
Western Australia, while Greyhound
Pioneer does (although McCafferty’s
reservations offices can book your travel
in Western Australia aboard Greyhound
Pioneer buses, anyhow).
Neither bus company operates
within Tasmania; however, McCafferty’s
provides a booking and transfer
service from Melbourne across the Bass
Strait aboard the Spirit of Tasmania
ferry to connect with one of Tasmania’s
Redline Coaches. As well as point-topoint
services, both coach companies
offer a limited range of tours at popular
locations on their networks. McCafferty’s/Greyhound
Pioneer has many
international agents, including Inta-
Aussie South Pacific (& 310/568-
2060) in the United States, Goway
(& 800/387-8850) in Canada, and
Bridge the World (& 020/7911
0900) in the United Kingdom.
BUS PASSES Bus passes are a great
value. There are several kinds—Day
passes, Pre-set Itinerary passes, and
Kilometre passes. Look into the one
that suits you best. Note that even
with a pass, you may still need to book
the next leg of your trip 12 or 24
hours ahead as a condition of the pass,
and in school vacation periods, which
are always busy, it may be smart to
book as much as 7 days ahead.
The Aussie Day Pass is good for 7,
10, 15, 21, or 30 days of travel, consecutive
or not, within a 1- to 2-
month period depending on how
many days you buy. The pass is valid
for unlimited travel, and backtracking
is allowed. Fares range from A$781
(US$508) for a 7-day pass to A$1,879
(US$1,221) for a 30-day pass.
Greyhound Adventures (& 1800/
800 260 in Australia; www.greyhound
adventures.com.au) has packages that
can be tailor-made to combine bus
travel with accommodations, some
meals, and an “adventure” component.
SAMPLE TRAVEL TIMES &
BUS FARES
Here are some sample bus fares and
travel times, to give you an idea of
what you’re getting yourself into as
you step aboard. All fares and travel
times are one-way.
Route Travel Time (Approx.) Fare
Broome–Darwin 27 hr. A$255 (US$166)
Sydney–Brisbane 17 hr. A$93 (US$60)
Cairns–Brisbane 29 hr. A$192 (US$125)
Note: Fares and some passes will be considerably cheaper if you’re a student, a senior, a
backpacker cardholder, or a Hostelling International/YHA member.
If you know where you are going
and are willing to obey a “no backtracking”
rule, consider an Aussie
Explorer predetermined itinerary pass.
These passes allow unlimited stops in a
generous time frame on a preset oneway
route (you are permitted to travel
the route in either direction). There is
a huge range of itineraries to choose
from. As an example, the Aussie Reef
and Rock pass takes in Alice Springs,
Katherine, Darwin, Mt. Isa, Cairns,
and the whole east coast down to Sydney.
The pass is valid for 6 months and
costs A$1,106 (US$719). You can start
at any point along any of the pass
routes, in which case the pass may be
cheaper. In the case of the Reef and
Rock pass, that means you could start
farther up the track at Brisbane (in
which case the pass costs A$1,022/
US$664), or Cairns (A$682/US$443).