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Cool Camping Australia: East Coast

Camping Around Northern Territory

1000 Great Places Travel with Kids in Australia

Back Roads Australia (DK Eyewitness Travel Back Roads)

Travel Australia

Explore Australia by Caravan and Motorhome

West Coast Australia Footprint Handbook (Footprint Handbooks)

Pet Accommodation on Australia’s East Coast

Explore Australia 2012

To the Top End: Our Trip Across Australia

Complete Caravan Chef

Holiday in South Australia

Holiday in Western Australia: Free and Low-cost Stops

Great Gift Ideas For Anyone Who Loves Camping and Travelling Australia

There is no reason why you can’t have a great holiday when working with a limited budget. You may wish to stay in a 5-star hotel but in reality you will probably be staying in a tent, cabin, motel, backpackers, homestead, which my family has done plenty of times and we had many wonderful holidays.

Plan your holiday within your budget so it can be relaxing and you are not stressing about what you are spending. You can still get out and see all the sights, enjoy being with family and friends and meet new people. There are many free activities that you can enjoy. Don’t forget to take plenty of photos or videos so you can create memories to look back on in the years ahead.

Depending on your budget, it may be possible to treat yourselves to something special that you have always wanted to do. This could be hot air ballooning, abseiling, swimming with dolphins, scuba diving, playing golf, visiting gardens or art galleries, seeing the whales, going on a flight, seeing Uluru (Ayers Rock), or experiencing one of thousands of other things you can do.

Remember that the little extras can quickly add up. Consider taxi fares, restaurant meals, takeaway food, drinks, fuel for your vehicle or car rental, tips, entry prices for attractions, souvenirs and any medications you may need. Allow for all these things in your budget. Plan ahead, budget and you will have a great holiday.

If you are planning your holiday months or even a year ahead, be smart and start saving now. Put away as much as you can into a separate account or somewhere else so you won’t be tempted to spend it.

Even if you are on a budget you can have a great time and holiday, there are many activities you can do for free.

Look out for them, sometimes they can be the highlight of your holiday. Happy Travelling!

Online campervan and car hire company DriveNow™ introduces their up-to-the-minute campervan and motorhome rental website to all travellers across Australia and New Zealand, comparing the lowest prices and guaranteeing the best option at the highest quality.

DriveNow.com.au partners with reputable campervan brands including Apollo, Backpacker Rentals, Britz, KEA Campers and Maui to provide road-trippers with all the best models under one roof. This means that those planning a trip away can choose from a great range of self-drive campervan rental vehicles at substantially discounted drive-away prices, on one easy to use website.

Vehicle pick-up is available from all major Australian cities and airports including Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, Cairns, Adelaide, Alice Springs, Hobart, Darwin and Sydney. With a great choice of vehicles, from luxury motorhomes to budget and 4WD campervans, DriveNow prices start from only $25 a day depending on the chosen vehicle and size of your family or group. 

Managing Director of DriveNow™, Russell Matters says that with different campervans and motorhomes available in the market, the selection of vehicles provided ensures that all travellers’ needs and budgets can be met.

“Motorhomes offer state of the art facilities to make your holiday a safe and comfortable one within a real ‘live-in’ environment, whereas campervans still offer comfort, but are smaller and have more basic  facilities,” explains Matters.

“Depending on your budget and requirements, you can book and pick up at any location, a 2 Berth campervan, complete with linen and cutlery, for as little as $35 a day. Alternatively, a high quality six berth motorhome that accommodates six people and comes fitted with double beds, a gas cooker, air conditioning, a shower and TV and DVD players can be hired for $90 a day.” he says

Offering convenience and comfort, DriveNow prides itself on the quality of its campervans so travellers can rest assured that they are cruising in the most reliable fleets available. There is no better way to see the Australian landscape than on the road in a trustworthy campervan and being in control of your own itinerary.

What better way to spend time with the family, than to hire a campervan and take the kids on a road trip. Hire a 4 Berth Campervan, for two adults and two kids for just under $750 for a whole week, or for a larger family, a 6 Berth Campervan for as little as $769 for a seven day period.  There’s no need to pack bedding or cooking utensils as these are all provided.  Other family benefits include baby booster seats for as little as $5.50 per day.

DriveNow.com.au donates $5 from each baby and child restraint booked through the site to Children’s Hospital Foundations Australia (CHFA), helping to make a real difference to sick and injured children nationally. These funds will be used for research, services and equipment within the main Children’s hospital in each state. DriveNow also offer their customers the option to make an additional contribution upon payment.

DriveNow also offers a “Double the Difference” lowest Price Guarantee. They will match any genuine price for an Australian and New Zealand based business and website. Not only that, you will get a bonus discount equal to DOUBLE the difference between the prices you have been quoted.

Making a booking at DriveNow.com.au is quick and easy online with instant confirmation. Alternatively, call 1300 547 214 to get helpful advice to secure your next Campervan Holiday.

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Start planning your road trip adventure.

www.travel-australia-planning-guide.com/road-trip-planner.html

This was an amazing adventure, one of our favourite towns was Birdsville. Birsville is a small outback town with a population of about 120 residents and is ready for the many travellers that pass through this very unique town regularly.

The Birdsville Hotel is a very famous outback pub, that is a must visit when you go to Birdsville. The have several motel rooms for accommodation, great meals and of course beer.

The edge the Simpson Desert is near Birdsville. Another must see is ‘Big Red’ the first and highest sand dune of the Simpson Desert, which is a challenge to conquer. Which we did and view is amazing.

The Birdsville Working Museum is well worth a look, it displays an amazing collection of all things old and Australian. From household products, toys, farming, coins, stamps just about everying and anything you can think of is there.

The Birdsville Races are held annually and thousands of people flock to these famous unique races. for more information about the races and Birdsville have a look at this website www.birdsvilleraces.com

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Start planning your road trip adventure.

www.travel-australia-planning-guide.com/road-trip-planner.html

Lake Mckenzie on Fraser Island is a very popular and special place to visit, beautiful white sand and clear blue water.

This photo is a great example of the outback, bright blue sky, a bit of green vegetation and red dirt road. Our 3 cars are on the way to the Kimberley and an incredible adventure.

This photo was taken on a joy flight over the Bucaneer Archipelago near Derby. We were staying at Cape Leveque north of Broome and saw some great scenery including the Horizontal Falls.

We had a holiday on a houseboat several years ago and we cruised on the Murray River and had a great relaxing time. This beautiful phot was taken at sunrise making the gum trees glow and create a great reflection.

We have camped many times on the banks of the Murray River, as you can see these kids (Pigs in mud! and 3 of them are mine!) had a great time.

We were camping on the banks of Lake Kununurra and this sea plane was getting ready for take off and i raced for the camera and was lucky enough to get one shot.

This is the Gibb River Road in the Kimberley, which is only suitable for 4WDriving. I like the soft colouring in this image mainly due to dust being blown around by the vehicle in front.

Old Mornington Station is in the Kimberley we camped at the base of this amazing cliff complete with boab trees and a very bright blue sky.

This is Arnos Wall in Winton behind the North Gregory Hotel which we stayed in. Arnos wall is very unique and was created by a local, anything and everything has been added to the wall like motorbikes, microwaves, wheels, car parts and much more!

Birdsville is a great town in Central Australia, we visted here when we toured Eastern Central Australia. Birsville was out favourite town and this is the famous Birdsville Hotel.

Next time you go on a holiday remember to take your camera and take some stunning Aussie holiday photos and upload them to your computer to show everyone how stunning Australia is.

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Start planning your road trip adventure.

www.travel-australia-planning-guide.com/road-trip-planner.html

Add a special holiday photo and add a caption starting with 

There’s nothing like………

In 25 words or less and you could win an Aussie holiday worth $25,000.

eg. There’s nothing like swimming with 30,000 freshwater crocs in Lake Argyle.

Add your own photos and caption and help promote Australia to the world as there is nothing like an Aussie holiday.

Driving Around Australia is the dream of many travellers, these tips will help you plan your Aussie adventure.

Start with planning your itinerary. Put a map in front of you and mark or write down where you are interested in going.

When you are starting to plan your initial itinerary, you need to have worked out how many months you have to travel

When you are planning to drive around Australia the suggested time is about 6 months or more, while some travel for more than a year, I have heard of someone travelling for 4 years and still not had seen all of Australia

Australia has an amazing range of destinations, activities and experiences, which give you many options when you are planning your itinerary

Keep researching your destinations so you know as much as possible about each location.

If you are 4WDriving take extra care when travelling in a location that is completely new to you

The value of a good map cannot be stressed enough it is worth getting the detailed maps that are available for 4WDriving

To travel around Australia and through the centre is about 20,000 to 25,000 kilometres and that is for a basic trip

Many travellers travel and work around Australia for a year or more and just keep going as they love the lifestyle so much.

Travelling inAustralia can be done any time of the year, but it is best to travel north to the ‘Centre’ and ‘Top End’ during the months of May to September to avoid the extreme tropical weather conditions of the rains, heat and humidity.

It’s best to avoid driving early in the morning and during or after dusk. The wildlife is generally more active at these times and can often wander onto the road

For your own safety and the safety of other travellers, always keep to the speed limits. Getting to your destination a few minutes earlier is not worth the risk

Plan your holiday within your budget so it can be relaxing and you don’t go home to a large credit card bill

You can still get out and see all the sights, enjoy being with family and friends and meet new people. There are many free activities that you can enjoy

Plan your trip with the ability of your vehicle in mind. If you are driving a conventional car or station wagon, stay mostly on bitumen roads. If you drive a 4WD, then you will be able to be a bit more adventurous and travel on the more remote and rougher roads

Driving around Australia you will discover Australia’s natural beauty in many ways. Plan your trip as best you can, read tips, other travellers experiences, research maps & books etc. Then have your Great Aussie Adventure Holiday!

Alice Springs is surrounded by the MacDonnell Ranges, this photo shows us driving between the MacDonnell Ranges at the entrance to Alice Springs. There is plenty to do and discover like the aboriginal art, culture and history, Alice Springs Desert Park, Flying Doctors, School of The Air. Alice Springs is famous for the boat race on the Todd River and the annual Camel races.

Uluru – Ayers Rock and the Olgas are spectacular, driving towards Uluru is absolutely just mesmerising, the view from the top is incredible and so is the walk around the base.

The Olgas are quite different as it is a cluster of domes that you can walk amongst.

Kings Canyon is a massive chasm that is in Watarrka National Park. You can walk around the top edge and also through the valley that has permanent waterholes and lush vegetation. This very spectacular 270 metre deep chasm is worth visiting.

Palm Valley is in Finke Gorge National Park and accessible from the Mereenie Loop (4WD vehicles only) and about 2 hours drive from Alice Springs. This photo was take 5 minutes walk from the campground, you need to drive to the valley and then you can have a beautiful walk for several hours exploring Palm Valley.

Ormiston Gorge is about 135 kilometres west of Alice Springs on the Larapinta trail. Another spectacular place to visit, this photos shows where you walk in and then you can walk around the corner, sit on the rocks and be amazed.

Chambers Pillar is about 160 kilometres south of Alice Springs, this photo was taken from the campground, a very unusual sight. The pillar is about 50 metres high and originally was surrounded by soft stone which has been washed away over hundereds of years.

Everywhere in the Red Centre is spectacular with so much to see, you could easily spend a couple of months touring the Outback in Northern Territory.

The following websites are samples of what is available.

Adventure Tours for all types of travellers Adventure Tours

Tours for adventure and nature lovers Wayward Bus Tours

Travel with experienced guides 4WD Tagalong Tours

These companies have a wide range of tours travelling all over Australia, these are an example of the many companies that organise tours for anyone wishing to travel to many destinations.

Greyhound Bus Tours

Australia4Tours

Many tour companies specialise in a particular type of tour like nature tours, here is an example of several that cater for nature’s wonders.

Get back to nature with these Touring Companies

Backroads Touring  

Nature Bound Tours

Australian Eco Adventures

Rather than taking a bus there are other unique ways to tour Australia, here are a few examples.

Bike Tours

Train Journeys  

Camel Tours

Cruising and Sailing

There are many options for you to have an easy tour of Australia, let someone do all the hard work and you will enjoy the amazing experience. Booked tours are available to suit everyone and to go anywhere.

Going camping on Fraser Island in Queensland is a very exciting experience, 4 wheel drive vehicles are required as most driving is on sand or rough tracks.

Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world and is located about 300 kilometres north of Brisbane. A permit must be obtained from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Office prior to arriving on the island.

Fraser Island Map

My family have been to Fraser island 3 times now and every time is a great adventure. The first and third time we camped alongside the beach, which was great just a short walk and we were on the beach.

When camping in these areas there are no amenities so it the same as bush camping. There are several types of campsites and many have basic amenities. The second time we went we stayed at Dundabara Campground which had amenities but was further from the beach so we had to drive to the beach. Campfires are not permitted in most areas check with authorities first.

Driving on Fraser Island is interesting, the Seventy Five Mile beach is the highway so normal road rules apply and the general speed is about 80 km/ph. So anyone walking on the beach must be well aware of vehicles when walking to the waters edge. Occasionally we could come across people who seemed to have no idea vehicles can travel on the beach, even had to dodge a sunbaker, who soon moved. There is also plenty of driving tracks inland that are mostly narrow and meeting other vehicles can be a squeeze to get passed. Driving on the beach is only accessible when the tides are low, so care needs to be taken as to when you drive on the beach as many vehicles have been washed out to sea as the tide rises.

There are many sights to see and many places to visit, the shipwreck ‘Maheno’ is on the beach so it is easy to see.

Inland there is Lake Mckenzie a big favourite for every visitor, it has the whitest sand and beautiful blue water.

There is also Eli Creek which is near the beach, also very popular. It is a shallow creek that you can walk up, then float back and is surrounded by forest, also has a board walk and bridges.

At the top end of Fraser Island there is also many stunning places to visit like Indian Head, Champagne Pools, Cathedral Beach, Orchid Pools, Waddy Point and much more.

If you are not so keen on camping and 4 wheel driving, Fraser Island has several resorts and tours can be arranged, so everyone can get to see and explore it’s stunning scenery.

For more information about camping and exploring Fraser island check this QLD Gov. website Fraser Island Camping Information