The Big Lap - Road Tripping around Australia tips
Posted by: TaylorCS
15th Mar 2021 10:30am
For many Aussies, road tripping around Australia or doing 'The Big Lap' is a dream! And because Covid-19 has now greatly limited Aussie's travel options for the foreseeable future, many are making it a reality!
But HOW do people make it a reality?
Do we have any Caféstudy members who have done it before or are planning this trip? What are your best tips on how to save, plan and execute a trip or lifestyle change (if you're doing it for long enough) of this magnitude?
What direction should you go? What vehicle did you take? Any spots that are a "cannot miss"?! or any that you can safely drive by?
But HOW do people make it a reality?
Do we have any Caféstudy members who have done it before or are planning this trip? What are your best tips on how to save, plan and execute a trip or lifestyle change (if you're doing it for long enough) of this magnitude?
What direction should you go? What vehicle did you take? Any spots that are a "cannot miss"?! or any that you can safely drive by?
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Comments 18
relsforum
Sold up and travelling full time by caravan the past 12 years. A lot of people are nervous doing this but why pay for a house, mortgage/rent and utilities when you can stop and start and travel. You meet so many people and see so many places, kids are home-schooling and are great kids we are meeting on the road. I want to see all of Australia. I have been overseas to various places and it's not the same. So much to see and do here in Australia - such a beautiful place we live.
Covid definitely stopped for a lot of people but hopefully now we can bring tourism back into these small towns and make them survive again because they rely on tourists to run places.
While you are young and able take advantage of the travel because when you get older, you sometimes get sick and need to be metropolitan areas for hospitals, medical. Camping in the bush / desert is fantastic - Canning Stock Route, Simpson Desert which we are looking forward in doing.
Arden32092364
People can “make it reality” by exploring places near them that they have never seen
shylady
I Admin a Facebook group of over 24,000 members that have done, are in the process, or are planning to do this. Some have been on the road for years, it is their lifestyle. Some stop to work on their way, to top up their finances, others save up what they estimate they will need for the trip. Many post their budgets, and actual expenses on the road. Some have sold their homes to finance their trip. Everyone is different, and we all travel at different speeds and stop to see different things. Of course having a deadline is much different than living on the road indefinitely. Fuel is one of the biggest expenses, so if you'don't stop for several days at a time it costs more. And where you camp for the night can be expensive in caravan parks, compared to free and cheap camping areas. I recommend such groups, to see how others have done it or are doing it. Many have blogs and Facebook pages where you can follow their travel. Winters in the north and summers in the south suit many people, but everyone is different. Just do it! Safe travels.
shylady
See you there!
TaylorCS
That's amazing! I will join myself, would love some inspo and tips :)
shylady
Hi TaylorCS!
The group is called "Families on the Road- Travelling Australia"
We have over 100 new members every week, so many want to travel Australia :)
TaylorCS
That's fabulous! What's the Facebook group called shylady? :)
Lynne32008350
Staying within my state of Queensland, "Emporium" great stay and great location, finding things to explore in your own location.
Sim1here
We recently took the 6hr trip to visit family in the country. We had a pretty direct route apart from stopping in at Bathurst for something to eat and another CD for the kids.
Lilibet
A driving trip around Oz is a must for anyone who can find the motivation and time to do it. Driving in an anticlockwise lap will give you the good economy in your fuel use as you’re travelling with the prevailing weather rather than against it. The wet season the in north is best avoided when travelling by road as storms and flooding will restrict your movements. However it is magical to fly over this area when the wetlands and waterfalls are if full flood.
My family did this trip in a campervan with an added extra of a small tent to give the children a bit more room when we stopped for more than a night. There are far too many places to list as must dos, and many that could be bypassed if you are not into doing some walking and rock hopping. The wildflower season from September to December in Western Australia is a fabulous time to travel through from the north to the south. Magnificent thunderstorms are plentiful on the Nullarbor if travelling in the summer months. A trip into the Picaninny Caves is something very different from usual sightseeing.
Don’t forget to travel to both the Eyre and Yorke Peninsulars in SA. Drive the Ocean Rd with detours into national parks and forests in both SA and Vic. Take your time, allowing at least two weeks to explore Tasmania while feasting on local seafoods, fresh produce and wines. Late summer is the most settled in terms of Tassie weather. Inland or ocean side travels from Victoria to Qld have many varied landscapes to travel through. Perhaps include some of the wonderful Silo Art which is dotted thought out our great land. Hit the road and enjoy the lifestyle of travel.
MellieJC
Did the around Oz trip with my family at 16. About to redo it with my own kids in June! So excited. We are getting a campervan from Adelaide and will drive up through the centre over a month, then spend a week in Darwin before flying back.
Must see spots are: Crocodile Harry's Underground Nest in Cooper Pedy, Uluru (of course!), Kings Canyon, Standley Chasm, Mataranka Hot Springs, and Kakadu.
margaretjulia
We have travelled much of Australia in segments. Our last trip was Adelaide, Alice Springs and onto Darwin and then turned to outback Queensland and headed home to Adelaide via Boorooloola, Mt Isa Cloncurry Boulia Windorah, Quilpie Longreach Bourke Hillston to just name a few places. It was great to see so many different regional areas. All friendly and met so many interesting people on the way through. We used a caravan for all of our long trips over the last 40 odd years.
heeleen
We have not done it but have always dreamed of doing so, my sister and I are in our 60s , the kids have grown, husbands gone, work finished , we wanted to buy a van and just set off. Unfortunately like many a dream , life has interfered , my sister has been diagnosed with lung cancer, so that dream is on hold maybe, we are doing short weekend and four day trips when we can manage it. We have such a beautiful country and so much to see, it is good that many Australians are now realising that. Why would you go overseas.
BarbiS
We took advantage, just before Christmas, when the borders were opened to head for St George and next day QLD into NSW just above Lightening Ridge, & a day later NSW into South Australia from Broken Hill, and in our little Honda Jazz we explored South Australia [staying with relatives in the Adelaide Hills. We didn't go quite as far south as Mt Gambier. On 21st January we headed north [unfortunately SA/Victoria border was closed so we had to head back to Broken Hill, then across NSW to a place just south of Ngyngan before heading North up the Highway to cross back into Queensland just below Goondiwindi - then home to the Sunshine Coast. 6,502 miles in "Jazzy" and reasonable motels there and back. A fantastic trip for a pair of octogenarians!
Patrick32023355
I've never gone the whole way around, but I have gone from just south of Sydney to Adelaide. The roads along the south coast of Australia are amazing and I stopped for a helicopter flight over the 12 apostles which was an awesome experience.
Shazza62
I travelled around the coast to the northern part of WA in 2012. Highly recommended. Going from south to north you get to experience vastly different climates and terrains. A highlight was snorkelling on Ningaloo reef, and camping out at places in the south like Esperance and Albany in my campervan
Ms_Boobear
I would have to say I would drive up the east coast of Australia. Why? Because that's where a lot of friends & family are now. Beautiful areas with beautiful people.
I would get a 4WD or SUV & tow a caravan. Because that way I'm living out of the biggest suitcase available & always have my bed with me.
Angusgong
Best thing we ever did. If you want to make it happen you can. We did 4 months but saw heaps. Everyone can manage different amounts of time. We did a half lap. Outback nsw there in south Australia up to the Territory across to WA. Then SA and back through to Sydney. Karinjini national Park an absolute not to miss...amazing gorges.....