My sister is going for a 'year out' there in July, mainly travelling and hopefully a bit of work when the mood takes her.
She asked me the other day if she could drive on her UK license and I honestly couldnt say - anyone know the rules and regs on the use of UK licenses?
Also if she does take to the road, anything significant to be aware of in comparison to UK roads?
Any other general Aus tips for the traveller Im sure will be appreciated, she currently has no plan on what to do and where to go, just 'everywhere' apparently!
Thanks in advance :)
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There's certainly no problem for tourists hiring cars on a UK licence. How long you are allowed to drive on a UK licence before having to exchange it for an Aussie one is another matter though.
It used to be the case that if you were going to be there for some time it was cheaper to buy a car and sell it when you leave than to hire whenever required. The advice was to buy a Ford Falcon or Holden Commodore as any outback blacksmith can repair them. They are both Omega/Granada size but petrol is still significantly cheaper than here. Second hand cars seem to hold their prices better there than here so although the initial cost may be a bit higher she should get a good percentage back when selling.
Driving in built-up areas is pretty much the same as in the UK. Rural driving can be a bit different. For example, my Aussie mate advised against driving in rural areas after dark due to the likelihood of hitting kangaroos - which are large and solid and can do a lot of damage!
Driving around NSW and Vic doesn't involve huge distances away from civilisation but certainly in other States she should keep an eye on fuel levels as you can be a *long* way from the next fuel stop.
Once away from the cities (with a few exceptions) there aren't many dual carriageways. This means that a journey of 200 miles could take longer than you think if you get stuck behind something slow that you can't overtake.
If she intends doing a long haul like Adelaide to Alice Springs carry plenty of drinking water in case she breaks down. It gets hot and dehydration is the biggest danger.
Be aware of the seasons and weather partiularly in Qld and NT. If it's the wet season a lot of rain can fall very quickly and it is easy to become stranded. I got out of Cairns about 12 hours before a storm struck. If I hadn't moved when I did I'd have been stuck in a flooded area for 3 days.
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I second all the above, it's good advice.
We bought a cheap Holden estate which got us around. Watch the fuel levels, especially when in the country as said above, stations can be few and VERY far between.
And be careful overtaking road trains -- they can be longer than you think :)
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I was out there 12 years ago. At that time a UK licence was OK, I hired several cars.
Many hire companies will charge more or not cover the car for un-metalled roads, of which there are many once you get off the main roads and are the equivalent of our A roads. We tried but was very difficult to deny we'd been on the dust roads as even with all windows closed the inside had a fine red dust all over it, not to mention the state of the outside.
Beware of the road trains, once they get going they don't stop easily and if you must pass them you must appreciate that they are VERY long.
It is easy to underestimate the distances you can travel and some of the roads become very boring, so driver fatigue could become a problem.
The road from Darwin southwards and I expect many more in the remote areas has (or had) no speed limit due to the difficulty in policing, so beware of occasional very fast traffic, drunk, bored or tired drivers and kangaroos, especially at night. Roos can be quite large and make a mess of a car if hit.
Apart from all this it is a wonderful place, just take care and enjoy!
Sorry, took me a long time to finish the reply so many points already covered.
Edited by ohsoslow on 22/05/2009 at 17:52
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On the Eastern seaboard, driving is so similar to driving here, mimsers and all, that there's nothing much to say about it.
On single carriageway main roads - again in NSW/Queensland, don't know about more remote parts - overtaking places are marked on the road with single and dotted white lines, much as they are in some places here: first for traffic going one way, then for traffic going the other, and so on. They are signalled in advance with signs too, which is just as well because they are often quite short. You have to be ready for them and really go for it. Even then, though, you will often be baulked by idiots who want to overtake cars without exceeding the posted limit on their speedometers. This means they use the whole overtaking place sometimes just to get past one car. What a pain. Just like here.
Never saw a kangaroo on the road in a month or so over Christmas, just a couple of wallabies. But Aussies are very scared of running into them. If you disturb deer, for example, on the road verge they will usually flee away from the road. But Australians insist that kangaroos don't think like deer but more like aggressive chess players, and may easily jump into the road as a sort of double bluff.
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Never saw a kangaroo on the road in a month or so over Christmas just a couple of wallabies. But Aussies are very scared of running into them. If you disturb deer for example on the road verge they will usually flee away from the road. But Australians insist that kangaroos don't think like deer but more like aggressive chess players and may easily jump into the road as a sort of double bluff.
You were on the wrong side of the Island Lud. You meet a big red over on the west side and you will double take. 5 foot tall, heavy, they have a habit of jumping as you hit them and going through the screen...
I have driven in Western Australia, South Australia, NSW, Victoria and Queensland, In cities its just like being at home, driving on our side of the road, but with US style road signs. The old bill strictly enforces speed limits and drink driving blitzes are frequent with random road blocks
In the bush its a whole new ball game. Its a BIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGG place. roads frequently just turn from tarmac ( a blacktop ) to a dirt road (in WA called redtops due to the red dirt) or sometimes a half and half. Thin single lane tarmac with dirt sides you use when someone is coming the other way. Fabo place.
Edited by Altea Ego on 22/05/2009 at 20:51
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Even grey kangaroos are fair-sized animals AE. Saw a few off the road but no live ones on it (one or two corpses). But the Aussies insist you never know which way they're going to go. The only thing to do if you see them by the road is to slow right down.
I'm sure you are right about the remote bush. Partial to deserts myself.
Edited by Lud on 22/05/2009 at 20:58
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Another thing to remember in Oz is speed cameras. They are everywhere, even hidden in wheelie bins. IIRC there is zero tolerance to being over the limit, so even 1km/h over will catch you out.
Also, they are in the habit of setting up roadblocks to catch drink drivers, so over and above common sense anyway, don't risk it...
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Speed checks by aircraft too...
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I must reinforce the warnings about kangaroos, particularly at dusk when difficult to see. No road sense, often with a death wish, and well camouflaged. A rabbit will smash a fog light, a roo will demolish the front of your car, and at mid bounce they can be at windscreen height. (Western australia). The police enforce traffic laws to the letter, and there are lots of them, (police).
Edited by Old Navy on 22/05/2009 at 21:01
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Thanks folks, interesting reading., I shall have to give her stearn words on speeding as she is much the opposite of me on that and has the tickets and points to show for it :-)
On the subject of buying a car, what are the legalities of buying a car, ie paperwork and also is insurance easy as a non-resident?
She asked if they have any motoring laws that would be unusual to a naive Brit?
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The only unusual thing that I can think of is that in Melbourne if you are turning right beside a tram (which is on your right) you have to go to the left of the tram to start the turn. While this may sound bizarre, it is actually quite obvious from the road layout (especially if you are prepared for it).
Apart from that, the laws are as you would expect here and a female with a pommy accent acting innocent and apologising for any mistakes is likely to get away with a bit more than a hairy-bottomed guy with an attitude.
No idea about the legalities of buying a car but I suggest a Google along the lines of "backpacker" "buying car" "insurance". I'm sure that it was a Lonely Planet guide or similar where I read that buying a car was a cheaper option than renting if you'll be there for a while.
Edit - just to add that while I didn't see any live kangaroos while driving, I did see a lot of dead ones by the side of the road. A 'roo does a lot of damage to a car, but a road train or a coach with large scaffolding poles on the front always wins!
Edited by douglasb on 23/05/2009 at 00:53
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Aus is actually a series of different countries in a federal system, so there are quirks, so local enquiries are desirable, especially if buying a vehicle. In NSW, for example, there is [ or was a few years ago when I lived in Aus] an annual MOT, but in Victoria there was none unless selling. You had to sell a roadworthy vehicle. However, the constabulary in Victoria were quite strict in inspecting the roadworthiness if they stopped you for anything at all. If they found something, they put a yellow sticker on the windscreen just stating " Unroadworthy vehicle". That was a blank cheque to the garage, as the fault was never stated.
Local driving customs must be rapidly learnt, and they vary from place to place. e.g., in Melbourne, where I lived for 5 years, the traffic Tsars decided that, to combat the accidents caused by red-light running, all intersections would have a 4-second phase of all-reds before allowing the next flow to commence. I arrived as a newbie, and stopped on amber. Bad mistake. All the local drivers banked on that all-red phase to rocket through the intersection. Somehow, the taxi behind me managed to stop, although his tyres protested vigorously. Behind him, there was a triple-peal of nose-to-tails. After that, I never again stopped for an amber light. Too dangerous. WATCH HOW THE LOCALS DRIVE.
As for roos, one of my favourite photographs is of a Big Red bounding along in front of my Ford Falcon on a back road. He wasn't going to give way, and I had time to get my camera aligned one-handed. He was doing a respectable 40 km/hr for about a hundred yards, then went off into the bush. [ Off topic - properly cooked Kangaroo meat is very nice.]
For outback driving, I found the big rear-wheel-drive Ford comfortable and reliable, although the dust made regular air-filter replacement advisable. [ I enjoyed the dirt-road driving.]
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If you drive between Syney and Brisbane do consider the inland route rather than the coast road. It is SO quiet.
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I've booked a rental car for a 4-week one-way trip next month. Got a very good price from Europcar, much cheaper than other companies and no one-way surcharge. Seems to be a better bet to me than buying and later re-selling an old Holden!
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Hi! Sorry...this is going to be a bit rambling but I hope it helps!
*Motoring bit*
Lots of good points mentioned above. A small note about parking....always park the car in the direction of travel. If you spot a space on the other side of the road you have to do a U-turn before parking there (the time spent turning around normally means you lose the spot but at least you won't get hit with a parking fine!). Traffic wardens (or Rangers as they're known here) generally patrol in pairs and won't take pink fluffy dice from anyone!
Definitely make sure she is aware of how much distance there may be in between towns, especially in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. A lot of visitors, myself included, found it very hard to comprehend the distances! 5 hours of driving with nothing as far as the eye can see can be very daunting. In these regions (esp. NT) always make sure you have lots (and I mean lots) of water and if you break down NEVER leave the car. It may be the only shelter from the sun that you have.
In the cities be very careful of taxis and buses! Driving in Sydney is sometimes not for the faint hearted! Nobody seems to use their mirrors and people generally don't like letting you in! Apparently you have to give way to buses....if you don't they'll barge their way in regardless (bit scary when it's a bendy bus!) Red lights don't generally mean stop! As a pedestrian ALWAYS check that the traffic has stopped when the little red man turns green. Many a time a bus/taxi etc has come speeding through a red light and nearly taken out a pedestrian right in front of me! If you are turning left you have to give way to the pedestrians if the little man is green!
As said earlier the police are everywhere! RBT (random breath tests) are set up all over the place and at any time of the day. They can also do random drug tests if you seem off your face! On long weekends double demerits applies....i.e. for an offence you'd normally get 3 points for, on a long weekend you'll get 6 and risk losing your licence.
During school term there are 40kmh zones where, between certain times in the morning and afternoon, you can't go over 40kmh. You'll generally know where these are thanks to the large signs and people all slamming their brakes on!
Dawn and dusk are the times when the 'roos are at their kamikazi best! Watch out for the Emus and Wombats too....both will do serious damage to your car. The number one rule over here is that you NEVER swerve for an animal. So many people have crashed and died trying to avoid killing a furry beast when, if they'd just gritted their teeth and hit it head on they may only have had to deal with the problem of some serious dents and/or the remains of a native animal sticking out of their front grill.
*Travel bit*
I've spent the last 3 years here. 1 year's worth of travelling and 2 of studying in Sydney. I've only got one last bit to see then i've pretty much done it all! This is what I'd suggest:
As she'll be arriving in July I reccomend she flies into Perth (only 5 hours from Singapore). The weather won't be particularly warm at that time of year down south but it's a perfect time to head up the west coast. Wildflowers were out, everything was green and healthy and it got warmer and warmer the further north I travelled. There's heaps to see, my favourite being the Monkey Mia where they have regular visits from wild dolphins and Ningaloo Reef near Exmouth - at Turquoise Bay you can literally walk off the beach and within a couple of metres you are surrounded by tropical reef fish and amazing coral! (It takes about an hour or so to reach the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns.) I'd recommend getting one of those waterproof digital cameras for her travels...the disposable ones are rubbish and you do tend to find yourself snorkelling a lot here!
Spend a few days in Broome before heading to Darwin. If she buys a 4x4 for her travels then the Gibbs River Road which runs from Derby to Kununurra through the Kimberley region is a must (there is a tarmac road that circumnavigates this area)! 'Winter' is the only time of year that it is manageable by the inexperienced! There will be plenty of other backpackers that will be keen to car share.
From Darwin she can either drive down through the centre, visiting Alice Springs/Uluru/Kata Tjuta etc and continuing south to Adelaide or she can drive to Cairns and head down the East Coast. I wouldn't recommend doing the 'red centre' any later than October/November. I was there in September and it was already starting to heat up quite seriously. In the height of the summer the flies and heat would be unbearable! She could always head to Alice from Darwin and then make her way over to Cairns on the East Coast (other than Coober Pedy, there isn't much between Alice and Adelaide!). Late September in Cairns was perfect. Heading down the coast as summer arrives means you arrive in Sydney around November/December in time for Christmas and New Year. Nothing quite beats watching the NY fireworks over the harbour although I don't recommend being close to the action....you lose the effect of the many pontoons of fireworks spread throughout the harbour. Heading to South Heads (near Watsons Bay) will give you an amazing view of the harbour!
After Sydney carry on South to Melbourne either via the coast road or through the Snowy Mountains. Do Canberra just to say she's been there but avoid staying too long! Probably the most boring city I've ever been to!! Tasmania is awesome and overlooked by many! You can take the ferry over from Melbourne and it's v.easy to drive around! From Melbourne head along the Great Ocean Road via the Grampians National Park to Adelaide. Visit Kangaroo Island and the wine regions before heading across the Nullabor Plain back to Perth. Don't forget to head down to the south west to see some pretty amazing trees! (not as boring as it sounds!)
A very useful travel forum can be found here: www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forum.jspa?forumID=...3 and if she's planning on staying in hostels then this website is pretty helpful when looking for a decent one! www.hostelz.com
Phew!! I think i'm done!! Hope this helps!
She's going to have a ball!
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 25/05/2009 at 13:30
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