GSU Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 Can anyone offer any advice? We are in the early stages of planning a motorhome holiday in Australia. We are hoping to go in August or September 2008, for up to 3 weeks. We have had a motorhome in UK for last 3 years and a caravan for 10 years prior to that, so have some experience, but the furthest we have travelled before in the motorhome is Spain. Has anyone an suggestions of routes, hire companies, places to visit? Any tips or ideas would be appreciated. Many thanks GSU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 First thing, decide which coast you want to visit, that time of year victoria may be a bit chilly. Just realised it's been 17years since my last trip, time I had another. We traveled from Townsville Qld. to Lakes Entrance Vic. this was basicly november and december and it was a bit hot (up to 45c) but shouldn't be when you are going. I think we hired throu Trailfinders, they where only people at time who would give one way hire on that route. If in Qld. visit the barrier reef, we went to outer reef via hamilton island, place to avoid Surfer's Paradise, unless you like a spanish costa syle vista of multistory hotels. Hire companies can restrict travel on gravel roads, so if you want to go to outback check conditions. When in UK I prefer rural areas and small sites, say cornwall out of season, somerset, norfolk or scotish islands, our trip whilst not the same fitted well into this type, not sure what else to say at moment, but any other questions fire away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel E Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 I agree with Colin. I've done several motorhome trips in Oz and there's a severe limit to what you can do in 3 weeks. Remember Oz is the size of the USA (actually a bit bigger!). You also need to decide whether you're happy to stay on 'hard top' roads or whether you want to veture onto what the Aussies call 'corrugateds' (i.e., dirt tracks with the usual corrugations on which you have to find the speed at which the vehicle is happy without shaking to bits - it's always faster than you think. Along the coasts, the hardtops are fine. If you want to see some of the red centre, you really need to do corrugateds. The problem is that that severely limits you to choice of hire company. Appollo Motorhomes (Google for details) is an Oz company that rents both types. Our best three week trip (I'd spent some time first flying gliders) was from Melbourne, vis the Murray Valley, up through northern South Australia to the Flinders ranges, down to Port Augusta, then Woomera (rocket testing), north along the Oodnadatta track (corrugated) alongside the original narrow gauge Ghan Line (named for the Afghan (ghan) camels that used to walk the trail and now roam wild), to William Creek (3 dwellings including a pub and camp site - an aircraft was taxying along main street as we arrived) to Coober Peedy (opal mines) then north to Alice Springs, calling in at Uluru, the Olgas, Kings Canyon, the Macdonnel ranges, Henbury meteorite craters, then notrh to Darwin for the flight home. (We didn't actually get there because the road was under 12 metres of flood water!). But you need an off-road camper van for that. But you really will see Australia. When you get there call at an RAC shop to get their hugely comprehensive campsite guide - costs next to nothing. If your hired camper is a member, they'll also give you loads of useful free maps. Mel E ==== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSU Posted May 20, 2007 Author Share Posted May 20, 2007 Thank you for your relpy. It all sounds very daunting, we think we will have to do lots more research before making any firm arrnagements. We are limited to 3 weeks due to work committments, and now realise for your replies that we will only be able to see a small part of Oz. But as it's a place we have wanted to visit for a number of years we want to get it right. Thanks for your help. GSU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemoss Posted May 20, 2007 Share Posted May 20, 2007 We spent a week (yes, just one week) in a hired Euro 6 de-luxe from Apollo, travelling from Sydney first to the Blue Mountains (cold, damp and misty in April) then over to Hunter Valley and back to Sydney along the coast via Nelson's Bay and Shoal Bay. Nowhere near long enough to get even a taste of Australia, but here are some general comments: Hiring a MH via the internet was easy. Just type 'motorhome hire Australia' (or something similar) into Google and you'll find the main companies. The other replies are absolutely correct about most companies requiring you to stick to proper roads (we intended to anyway in that short time). Costs were about the same as you'd expect to pay in the UK (ie our 6 berth cost us about £650 at the then-current rate of exchange). The motorhome itself was brand new, on latest Ford Transit 2.4, so fine to drive. We had a leaky luton (see, it's not only British vans that leak) and the general build quality was pretty patchy to be honest. But it was obviously designed and built for the hire market by a sister company to Apollo. Camp sites were generally more expensive than we'd expected, and the one in the Blue Mountains (at Katoomba) was pretty dire. Didn't fancy/try any wild camping, and always managed to fine a site pretty near to where we wanted to be. Wish we'd been able to stay for much longer, as in that short time there was too much travelling over relatively long distances to get to the next interesting bits. Interestingly, most Australians seem to favour caravans (which were very expensive compared to UK) with very, very few motorhomes in evidence other than those from the hire companies. We spotted a couple of send-hand motorhomes for sale at enormous prices, so some things in 'rip-off Britain' aren't so bad after all! We loved the food, wildlife and flowers. The Aussies were, by and large, friendly and helpful. Many of the towns were disappointingly basic and tatty - rather like those in the American mid-west - and if you're keen on gum trees you'll be in your element in some of the bits of NSW that we visited. Sydney worth a visit and I found the shops were wonderful - Mrs M couldn't find a thing she wanted to buy! We spent a week there before picking up the motorhome, and to be honest that was more than sufficient to get a feel of the place and see most of the main sights. Highlights for us were the Hunter Valley (beautiful scenery, kangaroos hopping in front of the 'van on the back roads, not to mention the wine tastings etc), the beaches around Shoal Bay. I'm a self-confessed real ale fan so I hated Aussie beer with a vengeance - but that's all down to personal preferences of course! Sure you'll have a great time, but be prepared for vast (and I mean vast) distances and changes in climate/temperature etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Madge Posted May 20, 2007 Share Posted May 20, 2007 GSU - 2007-05-19 12:16 PM Can anyone offer any advice? We are in the early stages of planning a motorhome holiday in Australia. We are hoping to go in August or September 2008, for up to 3 weeks. We have had a motorhome in UK for last 3 years and a caravan for 10 years prior to that, so have some experience, but the furthest we have travelled before in the motorhome is Spain. Has anyone an suggestions of routes, hire companies, places to visit? Any tips or ideas would be appreciated. Many thanks GSU We Spent six months in OZ in 2005. We decided against hiring as the vast driving distances involved without a cruise control would be beyond us. You will get plenty of info from http://www.caravanning-oz.com/ OZ has a good selection of vans on offer 8-) 8-) Regards Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted May 20, 2007 Share Posted May 20, 2007 GSU - 2007-05-20 5:20 PM Thank you for your relpy. It all sounds very daunting, we think we will have to do lots more research before making any firm arrnagements. We are limited to 3 weeks due to work committments, and now realise for your replies that we will only be able to see a small part of Oz. But as it's a place we have wanted to visit for a number of years we want to get it right. Thanks for your help. GSU If you've taken a motorhome to Spain, then Oz is no problem, they drive on the correct side of road (usualy :D ) and speak english (almost :D ), your main problem will be getting the right balence of things you can do in 3 weeks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Keats Posted May 20, 2007 Share Posted May 20, 2007 Ask yourself why are you going and what do you hope to see. Is it cities, towns or countryside? You'll only see a fraction in 3 weeks unless you want to drive all day and night. How many drivers are there? I went for 3 months and only did part of the East and part of the South. ie Brisbane-Melbourne-Adelade. (with only very minor diversions too.) I believe I'm right saying it takes 5 hrs flying time Perth to Brisbane ! On the East coast going south and driving, Brisbane to Canberra takes 18 hrs driving time. Canberra to Melbourne 10 hrs. (I could be corrected) I found the foliage and trees were almost the same in all directions but didn't go into the interior at all, that can be another world, it can be very sparse and maybe involve severe survival precautions. The country is geared up for travellers, have you thought of simple overnight stays and flying in between cities? If that's what you want to see. If you want to see the "countryside" choose a small area. JK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Keats Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 GSU Just had a further thought on distances around OZ. I went from Adelade to Perth across the Nullabor Plain. It took almost two whole days continous travelling (By train) and all around Perth its pretty sparse but people do it. I would suggest the east coast is the more suitable side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twooks Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Hey Don, like the first one - :D :D :D :D B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Brilliant piccies Don. If you have three weeks then perhaps book with Apollo Campers if you are going to hire. Its nearly half the price booking direct with them compared with booking via a UK travel agent. I know, I did it the wrong way round hiring a small Winnebago (VW LT46 based) in February. We hired from Perth via Basingstoke. We "did " both metalled and dirt roads. Fantastic country. Loverly people They speak English and drive on the left. Its NOT daunting, just plain tedius sitting on a plane for so long Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcarter7250 Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Another good hire company is Britz With a three week time limit have you considered Tasmania, easy to tour in 3 weeks but not as 'Australian' as other states. Only problem is will be cool in August We lived there for 38 years returned 2 years ago and love being home Brenda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 Welcome Brenda, We now have 9 relatives all living around Perth, but more here in the UK. Difficult aint it! Clive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcarter7250 Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 Thank you for the welcome Clive. Yes it is difficult we have our family spread out too. A son in Queensland, a daughter in Hong Kong and a daughter here. Still good to be home though :-D Brenda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 G'day! I'm Australian, Tasmanian in fact. All my following comments are based on a 3 week visit.Everything that everyone has said is correct. Australia is BIG. As with every country, she has her features, most of them jaw droppingly breathtaking, if I can say such a thing? But in-between the good bits are hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles of nothing. So, if you have only three weeks, and you want to mostly drive, you need to decide what you want to see and how you want to see them. The big-ticket places for the average Brit, mostly because it is easy for the travel agents, are Sydney and Perth. A terrible pity, because in neither of those places will you find Australia. Just like me coming to London for 3 weeks and saying that I understood something about England. Of course we all want to see Sydney harbour, and so you should, but after you've spent the day riding the Manly ferry, touring the opera house, drinking strong ale at the Rocks, crossing the coathanger (bridge) 3 times and drinking unwooded chardonnay looking over circular quay, there's nought all else to do in Sydney. At the end of that day, the locals then drive home to their boring house in the concrete suburbia. Perth is different, but a big city nonetheless. You could spend several days on the beach, but it is quicker and cheaper to do that in Spain or Italy or Greece. If you really want to discover Australia, or at least deal with life the way Australians do, then get in that van and keep driving till the white lines disappear. OK, clearly I'm getting carried away, here, as I doubt you'll have the time or the kit to explore desert fringes and the true outback, but how about this for an interesting low-priced itinerary...1. Land in Sydney. It will have been 23 hours flying, at minimum, so you might be a little jet lagged. Not as much as you think, though! The body sort of says "too confusing, let's start again"! Force yourself to immediately walk in the sun for several hours if it is daylight, and go to bed only when everyone else does. Take two Nytols (magic tablets over the counter from Boots etc) to get to sleep.2. Spend 2 nights in a common, basic and clean "motel". Stay in a more expensive hotel if you think you'll appreciate it more. Explore Sydney 2 days.3. Pick up the van, drive out to the Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains.4. Head for Canberra. Most boring place on earth, created literally out of the bush as Australia's capital because Melbourne and Sydney could not agree on the site of Parliament in 1901. HOWEVER, see the war memorial. Fantastic. And do a tour of Parliament House. You may need to stay overnight on route from Blue Mts, and again in Canberra.5. Drive from Canberra to Albury/Wodonga (twin citys on the Vic. NSW border), get your bearings then continue a little further off track to Rutherglen. Spend 2 days learning about Ned Kelly and winetasting the Rutherglen reds, muscats, tokays and vintage ports. BIG wines here. Dozens of wineries.6. Drive to cntral Victoria, to Bendigo and Ballarat. Two 1850's gold rush towns, about as historic as Aussie towns get. Visit underground mines, spend a day in Sovereign Hill panning for gold and experiencing Aussie life in the 1800s, go to the Eureka Stockade. Overnight somewhere in the region for a couple of nights.7. Drive down to the Victorian south coast, to Warnambool. Then spend at least 2 days traveling towards Melbourne on the Great Ocean Road. Truly one of the greatest things you will ever do and see. Spend time in Port Campbell, Apollo Bay, Lorne. 8. Melbourne. Two days visiting MCG, central Melbourne, Southbank (shops, casino, restaurants), docklands. Ride a tram, eat seafood till you look like it. Combine the two and book on the Tramcar Restaurant - a really romantic experience. Melbourne Zoo is one of the best in the world, Melbourne itself is one of the largest cities in the world geographically - it is a city of cities. Drive out to the Dandenong Ranges to see Melbourne from a high distance. Melbourne is about eating, drinking - the best food silly low prices. And most restaurants are BYO. The best coffee in the world, imho, is served in Melbourne cafes.9. Continue east from Melbourne to the Yarra Valley and winetaste and explore there, then spend several days slowly returning to Sydney via the Pacific Coast Highway.10. If you have time left, overshoot Sydney and head north to the sun for a few days. It doesn't matter where, in the time you have, it is all beautiful.Everything I have mentioned can be expanded upon in one web page or another, I'm sure. And I can't help much re campervan rental as I have never done so in Oz. But if you do the above, and if you engage every Aussie with a smile and a question, you will have dozens of new friends before you leave. We are friendly, happy and laid back. And in its original, non racist meaning, we call a spade a spade.If you wanted something different to NSW and Victoria, two great places to "experience" Australia are all over South Australia (especially for wine, food, scenery and the more outback places in the north), and Tasmania as mentioned earlier. Tassy is not typically Australian, but don't tell them that! Two weeks in Tasmania, though, would reward anyone. I could go on and on about Tassy, but only if you needed more info!Whatever you decide, spend as little time as you can in the big cities and get out there!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 Couple of years back some Tasmanian's called at gf's fathers house looking for their ancesters place, he showed them in and let them see letters that there greatgreat... had writen also photo's of them prior to getting free trip curtisy of HM government ;-) they where gobsmacked. Mom if you are related to any 'Cherry's' then these are your relatives Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tug Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 We also used Apollo to hire a motorhome for a week from Cairns about 4 years ago. We did a circular tour and dropped off at Cairns before going on a 7 day cruise of the reef with http://www.cairnsconnect.com/captaincookcruises/bookings.htm We throughly enjoyed the tour with the van and travelled on good roads to good sites, going North to 7 Mile Beach, Port Douglas, Mossman Gorge, Daintree River, then South, inland via Atherton Tablelands to Mission Beach and back up to Cairns. The route made for easy driving and time to spend at the attractions along the way with no rush + being able to take a swim at most of the waterfalls in the Atherton area and at Mossman Gorge with the van conveniently close by for a shower afterwards. You will be there in winter so it will not be too hot and sticky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Keats Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 The comments by Mom are about right for a short stay. You'll see all of Australia right there including two different cities, one where the river flows upside down! Between Canberra and Melbourne search out an "Ettamogah Pub" (cannot remember exactly where) its built around the trunk base of a very large tree and has a Ford truck on the roof. There are several of these pubs around the country but not all following the original design of Ken Maynard the Cartoonist, well worth a visit, perhaps Mom can pinpoint the exact place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 John Keats - 2007-05-28 4:26 PM ....... "Ettamogah Pub" ..... perhaps Mom can pinpoint the exact place. If memory serves me correct, about 15 minutes drive north of Albury on the Hume Hwy (the road from Melbourne to Sydney). If coming from Canberra, essentially it is just before the border as you leave NSW into Victoria, on the left. You can't and mustn't miss it! Thanks John, I'd fogotten about that pub!!Also, a hint when travelling across border states in Oz; you must never transfer fruit of any kind from one state to another. There will be plenty of signs to warn you, and they actually mean it. Same when landing at the airport... declare "all" food or discard it in the bins provided before entering customs. If you try to get food, wood or any organic item passed customs, they will treat it as a criminal offence. It's all for a good cause... many of our industries would be completely wiped out by a single fruit fly, or wood borer or infective agent. Declare it and you will be fine. Not meaning to scare you! If I wanted to do that, I'd talk about our spiders and snakes!!! ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Keats Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 There's also another Ettamogah Pub north of Brisbane and identical, but cannot remember where that is either. Mentioning insects etc my pal who now lives in Qld explained the Cane Toad fiasco when I was there ensuring he steers over them accurately. also the beetle that eats the interior of wood, so much that the supports of your house can collapse !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 Speaking of size! This is from a very useful book called "Western Australia's Beautiful South". Its FREE from most camp site shops etc. As you can see the books been well thumbed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcarter7250 Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 As usual Tasmania has been left off the map Brenda :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel E Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 But Cyprus looks almost the right shape and isn't too far out of position! What the map also shows is that a trip from Sydney or Melbourne to Darwin is not much further than a one-way trip from, say, Newcastle to Malaga. But, as Mom says, a key difference between Oz and Europe (and the USA as well) is that the 'must see' sights in Oz are much, much further apart. Mel E ==== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 Mel E - 2007-05-31 4:18 PM What the map also shows is that a trip from Sydney or Melbourne to Darwin is not much further than a one-way trip from, say, Newcastle to Malaga. Except that there are only two roads to take! Newcastle to Malaga - 1700 miles Melbourne to Darwin - 2300 miles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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