Australia Eguide - Travel Guides

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cover a stretch of 200 kilometres without replenishing supplies and then you can
probably see Australia by bicycle.
Driving
Renting a car is easy in Australia and one of the best ideas. Distances are long and is
possible to fly cheaply between the major destinations and then pick up a car at the
airport. Most areas a normal car is fine but there are places such as Fraser Island and
Cape York where a four wheel drive will be needed. To book a car do compare rates
between the car hire firms. The Eguide car hire system operated for us by Vroom Vroom
is great. You can compare the prices and then book and you only pay when you take the
car. Do click the link below to see the best car hire rates.
Distances are vast in Australia, so fuel is going to be costly. Outside the cities, traffic is
not too much of a problem, but the roads themselves have hazards with which you may
not be familiar, so always expect the unexpected. The passenger in the front seat should
always regard himself or herself as on duty as a spotter. Kangaroos are a hazard. If you
see a kangaroo anywhere near the road, slow down. They are unpredictable - and big. A
collision may not be very good for the kangaroo, but it will be almost as bad for you.
Buffalo and cattle are even larger hazards, although their movements are less susceptible
to sudden changes of direction. Then there is the question of road surface. Although
Australian roads are improving, always be on the lookout for anything which appears odd
in the road surface ahead, and slow down. If it looks odd, it probably is.
Once one leaves bitumen roads and starts driving on dirt, there are all sorts of additional
hazards. The most obvious are the dust thrown up by other vehicles andthe stones which
fly off the road surface as another vehicle passes, and which can easily crack or break a
windscreen. Then there are the corrugations in the surfaces of well used roads, which will
shake your vehicle to pieces, and also lessen your control over it, since the wheels are
touching the road for only part of the time. There may be washaways where streams cross
the road, so always slow down for dips. Realise in advance that driving on a dirt road is
going to reduce your average speed and increase your fuel consumption, so plan for this,
rather than feeling pressure to reach a pre-determined destination on time.
Travelling at night is particularly not recommended. At dusk and dawn the kangaroos
come out in force. They stand in the road and are mesmerised by the lights of ncoming
vehicles. They appear to hop away and then, at the last moment, change their minds and
hop back in front of your vehicle. Have a look at the front armour of the long-distance
buses and trucks which are obliged to drive through the night. If you have something
similar on the front of your vehicle, then drive at night with extreme caution. If not, then
do not consider driving at night at all.
The remote areas of Australia are really worth seeing, for they are unique, but bear in
mind that they can also be dangerous. Travelling by public transport will allow you to see
plenty of remote places. However, if you choose to use private transport, remember that
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