Since “How to sleep cheap in America” was so incredibly popular, I figured why not write about some of our awesome driving experiences here in Australia!
I find the best way to travel around Australia is to drive. Hands down. You have the choice to stop at super cool places you never thought existed like Crocodile Harry’s – and since you’re driving you’ve got the flexiablty to stay as long or as little as you want! (That’s what happened to us – we fell in love with Port Lincoln, South Australia with Tuna, Shark diving and camping around Coffin Bay! – Highly recommend!)
Driving has it’s perks – and if you’ve hired a campervan, you’re driving in luxury! Your home travels wherever you go – if you want to take a snooze on the way to Coober Pedy – go for it. No one is going to stop you! A few companies worth checking out are Mighty, Maui and Britz.
We normally take our car. That can be a bit of a hassle because every night we need to pitch a tent. Sure, you get incredible views like this…
But, you’re also finding a safe place to camp every night instead of just pulling over on the side of the road.
What every driver needs to realise is (and I can’t stress this enough for those coming from overseas) Australia is much different than America and Europe when it comes to both accommodation and landscape – both, I find are equally important while traveling cheap. Reason being, you need to plan a bit more ahead in Australia because there’s less towns, bigger open roads and a heck of a lot less water than the good old U-S of A!
Always carry two days worth of water (and maybe a little extra). Remember, there’s nothing worse than being stranded for a couple of days in the outback without water – you could be on a road that only gets one or two cars a day! And make sure that your vehicle has enough petrol to carry you to the next town – and then some…
If you want to get really serious, go for a satellite phone – it may give you peace of mind. Reception for normal phones isn’t that great when you’re in the middle of nowhere – and well, civilisation might be 200-300k away! I didn’t really respect the outback until I ‘met’ the outback. It’s the driest dirt I’ve ever felt in my life and it blows my mind how it can sustain life with such little water but these plants and animals that live out there are adapted to it. Sadly, we’re not.
Be vigilant on the roads. It’s big and open out there not to mention a bit hazardous out there. There’s livestock, kangaroos and camels that can do some serious damage to your car meaning, these critters can TOTAL it… and when you’re in the outback, it might be a few days until someone passes you. 
If you’ve got a car that isn’t dirt worthy, don’t be an idiot. Take it off the dirt. Like I’ve said before, it’s incredibly hot and dry and lonely. So, if you come across a questionable road out there in the outback, think twice before heading that way for an adventure because it might not be the one you’re after – just sayin’.
But if you’re out there and feeling a bit tired, it’s absolutely okay to pull over to a safe side of the road or rest stop and have a snooze. Your family and fellow drivers on the road will thank you – because you’re much less likely to be putting them and yourself in danger.
