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

68
CHAPTER 2 . PLANNING AN AFFORDABLE TRIP TO AUSTRALIA
McCafferty’s does not serve Western
Australia, so if you want a pass that
covers the whole country, go for Greyhound
Pioneer’s All Australian Pass for
A$2,403 (US$1,561); it’s valid for a
year.
The Aussie Kilometre Pass allows
unlimited stops in any direction within
the mileage you buy. Passes are available
in increments of 1,000km (620 miles).
Prices range from A$321 (US$209) for
2,000km (1,240 miles)—enough to get
you from Cairns to Brisbane—to
A$2,258 (US$1,467) for a whopping
20,000km (12,400 miles).
BY CAR
Australia’s roads sometimes leave a bit to
be desired. The taxes of 19 million people
get spread pretty thin when it comes
to maintaining roads across a continent.
Most highways are two-lane affairs with
the occasional rut and pothole, often no
outside line markings, and sometimes
no shoulders to speak of.
When you are poring over the map
of Australia, remember that what
looks like a road may be an unsealed
(unpaved) track suitable for 4WD
vehicles only. Many roads in the Top
End are passable only in the Dry Season
(about Apr–Nov). If you plan
long-distance driving, get a road map
(see below for sources) that marks
paved and unpaved roads.
You cannot drive across the middle
of the country (except along the
north-south Stuart Hwy. linking Adelaide
and Darwin) because most of it
is desert. In most places you must
travel around the edge on Highway 1.
The map inside the back cover of this
book marks the major highways.
You can use your current driver’s
license or an international driver’s permit
in every state of Australia. By law
you must carry your license with you
when driving. The minimum driving
age is 16 or 17, depending on which
state you visit, but some car-rental
companies require you to be 21, or
sometimes 26, if you want to rent a
4WD.
CAR RENTALS
Think twice about renting a car in
tourist hot spots such as Cairns. In
these areas most tour operators pick
you up and drop you back at your
hotel door, so having a car may not be
worth the expense.
The “big four” car-rental companies
all have networks across Australia:
• Avis (& 13 63 33 in Australia,
www.avis.com.au; 800/230-4898
in the U.S., www.avis.com; 800/
272-5871 in Canada; 0870/606-
0100 in the U.K., www.avis.co.
uk; 21/281 111 in Ireland; 0800/
655-111 in New Zealand, www.
avis.co.nz)
• Budget (& 1300/362 848 in Australia,
www.budget.com.au; 800/
527-0700 in the U.S., www.
budget.com; 800/268-8900 in
Canada, www.budget.ca; 0035/
9032-7711 in the U.K., www.
budget-uk.com; 903/ 27711 in Ireland,
www.budget-ireland.com;
0800/652 227 in New Zealand,
www.budget.co.nz)
• Hertz (& 13 30 39 in Australia,
www.hertz.com.au; 800/654-3131
in the U.S., www.hertz.com; 800/
263-0600 in English, 800/263-
0678 in French in Canada, or 416/
620-9620 in Toronto, www.hertz.
ca; 020/7026-0077 in the U.K.,
www.hertz.co.uk; 1/676 7476 in
Ireland; 0800/654 321 in New
Zealand)
• Thrifty (& 1300/367 227 in Australia,
www.thrifty.com.au; 800/
THRIFTY [847-4389] in the U.S.
and Canada, www.thrifty.com;
01494/751600 in the U.K., www.
thrifty.co.uk; 1800/51 5800 in
Ireland, www.thrifty.ie; 0800/
73 7070 in New Zealand, www.
thrifty.co.nz)