Everything you need to know for an Australian road trip

Whether you're planning a 1 week or 1 year road trip, here are some of my most asked questions and the best tips to ensure you have an amazing trip

4WD or 2WD

This is a common misconception about travelling Australia. You definitely don’t need a 4WD to experience the majority of attractions. Everything I’ve listed in my Australia travel map (with the exception of a few) is 2WD friendly. Having a 4WD will definitely allow you to see more off the beaten path locations such as some campsites in NT and WA. We did our first lap of Australia in a 2WD van and didn’t have any issues.

Best time to visit

The answer depends on where you plan on visiting, since half of Australia can be beautiful warm weather while the other half can be experiencing rain and cyclones in the exact same season.

To put it simply, the top half of Australia is best seen during the cooler months (May - September), while the southern half of Australia is best during the warmer months (September - May).

I have a full guide on navigating the seasons in Australia here.

Roadside assistance

Breakdowns can quickly become stressful and expensive when the next town is hundreds of kilometres away. Roadside assistance gives you peace of mind, saving you from huge towing costs and the risk of being stranded without help.

You pay an annual membership with a provider (We're with NRMA), and if you break down you simply call their hotline. They’ll send help to fix minor issues on the spot (flat batteries, tyre changes, fuel delivery), or arrange a tow to the nearest mechanic.

Essential Apps

Wikicamps is a MUST for your trip! It has every campsite which you can also filter by paid and free. You can also see places to shower, bathrooms, and even places of interest. You do have to pay for the app but I couldn't have travelled Australia without it. Some more popular camping apps are Campermate and HipCamp. Another more obvious app you'll need is Google Maps, but make sure you download the maps offline when you plan on going into the outback.

Best phone provider 

Telstra is the most popular provider in Australia and has the most coverage across the country. 

Safety tips

• Distances between some locations are huge. Some drives, especially in WA and NT, can be 500–1000 km between towns. Make sure you're resting every 2-3 hours.

• Avoid driving in the early morning and late at night. These are prime times of day when kangaroos are out on the roads. We always did limited driving at night, although if you can't avoid it, make sure you're not driving a far distance and going slower than the speed limit.

• While you won't always need it, it's important to have a little medical kit on you. You can buy these from supermarkets and chemists. It doesn't need to be anything fancy, but you never know if you might need some band-aids or bandages.

Have a loose itinerary

If you have the ability to, keep your travel plans flexible. It’s best to know the key spots you want to visit but leave space for detours and hidden gems.

1080 Bait

If you're travelling with your four-legged friend, you need to watch out for 1080 baits! 1080 bait is a poison used to control the population of feral foxes, but sadly it’s also highly toxic to dogs. These baits are often laid in national parks, reserves, and even some roadside areas, and they can remain active for months. There are usually signs when baits have been laid in the area, but we also found it useful to check bait maps like this one so that we knew when we were entering a high risk area.

Visiting National Parks

If you plan on visiting a lot of National Parks on your trip, some states have an 'All Parks' pass which will give you access to every national park in that state for 12 months. This can be more beneficial as it saves you money in the long run.

I hope these tips help you plan the most amazing trip!