Driving in Australia

Australia is huge and ideal for exploring by car or camper van during a road trip. The first time I traveled, I spent 3 months going between Adelaide - Perth - Broome - Darwin - Alice Springs - Adelaide. During the trip, I tested all vehicle models from 2WD to 4WD to campervan. Recently, I traveled in Queensland with a nearly 26-foot long camper van.

I drove on sealed roads, gravel paths, and sandy trails. Overall, the roads were excellently built. Generally, highways are two-lane. However, most of the roads I traveled in Queensland, South, and Western Australia as well as in the Northern Territory were single-lane. Therefore, you should be very cautious when overtaking road trains. By the way, overtaking is done on the right!

You can find all other travel reports and tips for your Australia trip here.

Here are some tips I've summarized for driving in Australia.

Before my trip, I often heard: "Don't underestimate the distances; it's really exhausting to cover these long stretches." I always thought, "Yeah, yeah, I've driven a lot around the world. Whether in Uganda (on terrible washboard roads), Botswana (with deep sandy paths), or in Canada or the USA.

In general, we could estimate how long it would take us quite well, as there is usually no traffic, and Google Maps provides a good and accurate prediction of driving times. This is understood purely as driving time.

On the drive along the Explorer's Way from Darwin to Adelaide, we generally needed at least an hour longer. Distances were very long, we filled up completely everywhere (more on that later), and we punctually switched drivers and took breaks, as the road leading straight ahead was exhausting quickly.

Although this wasn't the case for us, I still got headaches because I had to focus very hard. Particularly, emus would always run across the road in an uncoordinated manner, suddenly appearing out of nowhere.

We often stopped for photos here as well, which, of course, took longer.

... and overtaking on the right. Driving in Australia is very relaxed. Unless you are on the densely populated East Coast, you will hardly find busy roads. No one is impatient or honks when you take a few extra seconds at an intersection. Australians are really laid-back. Even in cities like Adelaide, Perth, or Darwin, there's rarely a 'rush hour.' I only experienced this in Perth or Brisbane; otherwise, no such thing.

If you're initially unsure about driving on the left, I recommend following the car in front of you. This way, there's little risk of driving on the wrong side of the road. Often, you have the roads entirely to yourself once you leave the larger cities. Driving on the left side then becomes totally easy (in my opinion).

Oh yes, a mistake everyone makes at the beginning: confusing the windshield wipers with the turn signal. A proper running gag on our road trips. We started betting on who would do it first.

Otherwise, many rules apply just like at home. If you come to an intersection without traffic lights, the rule in Australia is still 'right before left'! So everything is like home.

There are often roundabouts, which you navigate clockwise. You indicate when entering and keep your indicator on until you exit.

Especially in national parks, you may find yourself on unpaved roads. This includes not just sandy tracks but also gravel roads or simply unpaved paths made of dirt and, in the worst case, mud.

You should preferably tackle these only with a four-wheel-drive vehicle (4x4). Sometimes, you can't avoid driving on these roads even with rental cars or campervans.

Make sure to ask how many kilometers you can drive to campsites or in national parks if you do not have a 4WD (ask your rental company how far you can drive on unpaved roads to the nearest campsite). Many people still just drive there because the roads are manageable outside of the rainy season. However, if you damage the vehicle, you will be fully responsible for it.

And: Many rental companies now equip their vehicles with GPS trackers. On Magnetic Island in Queensland, we were informed of this immediately. Driving on 4x4 roads (even if it would have been feasible) was therefore impossible.

In the south, we often had to divert to unpaved roads due to construction work. Preceding road trains would whip up a lot of dust on the red sandy paths, meaning we couldn't see anything until the big road train suddenly appeared in front of us (I'll check if I can find that video on my phone).

If you've never driven on gravel roads or unpaved paths before, here are a few tips for you:

Pay attention to the condition of the roads. Ask at the national park (Visitor Center) about the current conditions. In the Kakadu National Park and Litchfield National Park, we received detailed information on printed paper. Signs are everywhere in Australia indicating which roads are open and which are closed.

This is especially true in the northern regions of Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and Queensland. Because here in the tropical north, it often and especially rains a lot during the wet season.

If you have a 4WD, you also need to make sure that it is activated. Ask about how the car and the 4WD function upon vehicle pickup. So far, almost all my cars have been different in terms of operation.

Drive carefully and prefer to go slowly rather than too fast. Never exceed the indicated speed limit as you can quickly lose traction. The braking distance is also longer than on a paved road.

Be cautious of potholes! Here especially, you can easily miss deep potholes or only notice them shortly before you reach them. This can lead to a hasty reflex action and thus an accident.

Watch out for animals and oncoming traffic, as dust clouds (which are often red) make it impossible to see anything.

Don't go too fast around corners. The signs are there for a reason, and curves on unpaved roads are often underestimated.

Especially in Western Australia, Queensland, and the Northern Territory, many roads and paths are closed during and after the rainy season. Flooding is often the reason. Therefore, there are signs everywhere indicating the blocked roads.

However, these signs are not always up to date. In the Kakadu National Park, some roads were still marked as 'closed,' which according to our driver had been open for over 2 weeks during a tour to Arnhem Land.

The reason: The people responsible for the signs are based in Darwin - not in the Kakadu National Park and do not come here daily. Therefore, always ask locally which roads are passable and which are closed.

By the way, this is the road that was marked as 'still closed.' For Australians, 30 cm of water is nothing.

In general, we received maps at the entrances of national parks indicating which highlights and paths were closed or open. It all worked super well.

Many tourists report that after their road trips in Australia, they hardly saw a live kangaroo. This may be true if you're only traveling the West Coast or especially the East Coast. Along the East Coast, there are wallabies, cassowaries (Mission Beach and Daintree Rainforest), as well as emus.

We saw many kangaroos in the south and west and almost had an accident once.

So my tip is:

Never drive after dusk. Twice we couldn't avoid it, and it actually happened once that a kangaroo nearly jumped into our car (near Bremer Bay in Western Australia). These animals appear suddenly and are incredibly fast! On the second occasion in Queensland, despite warning signs, we were very lucky.

Cows or other smaller animals can also suddenly appear on the road. Be mindful of that.

Especially on the road through the Nullarbor Desert between Ceduna and Eucla, there were many large dead kangaroos on the roadway. It's always said that you rarely meet a vehicle on this road, but my experience was different.

Especially with a suddenly appearing roadkill (that's what dead animals often hit by road trains are called) and an oncoming road train, you can neither comfortably switch to the other side of the road nor brake. This can quickly become dangerous.

In Australia, there are very long trucks everywhere, often over 50 meters long. These 'Road Trains' can quickly become dangerous for you if you're not careful. Note: We didn't see a single one in Queensland.

On dusty and sandy paths (often bypass routes during constructions), they trail along a kilometer-long red sand plume behind them. Visibility is completely gone until suddenly a big black shadow appears in front of you. If you get too close, you might get hit by the kicked-up stones and have your windshield damaged. Keep a safe distance!

When overtaking, pay close attention to whether there is oncoming traffic. Either wait for the overtaking lanes that come at regular intervals or take a break. Better safe than sorry.

Driving through sparsely populated areas? Fill up at every gas station - really at every one!

Generally, in Australia, people primarily use petrol (unleaded) or diesel. The prices at the pump can be cheaper compared to Germany depending on where you are. Still, you fill up fairly often due to the vast distances.

The further you get from a town, the rarer gas stations become. Especially in South Australia, Western Australia, or the Northern Territory. Therefore, you should always fill up completely, no matter how much the gas costs. The next gas station might just be out of order and the next one too far away. Even if your tank is still half full, you should refuel anyway. In the Kakadu National Park, one planned gas station was out of order, and we were really sweating whether we would make it to the next one.

In remote areas, gas stations are integrated into so-called roadhouses. This is often the only way to refuel, for instance, in the Nullarbor. I could write a separate article about roadhouses. They are all 'special' and somehow unique. Whether it's the Nullarbor Plains or the Stuart Highway. Plus, there are always toilets and simple restaurants where you can always get something to eat and drink (and cheesy souvenirs).

In and around cities like Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney, there are toll roads. Unfortunately, these are often the roads that get you through the cities the fastest. Everything here operates electronically, and cash is not accepted.

It's best to ask your rental car provider how the system works and where you should sign up. This is the fastest and simplest option. We bypassed the toll road in Brisbane by setting Google Maps to 'avoid toll roads.'

Here is an article on how to save Google Maps for offline use. In Australia, mobile reception is still practically non-existent outside of towns. Therefore, it really makes sense.

For the three months, it wouldn't have been worth it for us to buy a car. Since the Great River Road was still closed, we had to fly from Broome to Darwin. Thus, we would have had to sell the car after half the three months and either buy another car in Darwin or rent a vehicle again.

It is said that it only makes sense to buy a car if you are traveling in Australia for more than three months. In general, you should consider whether you want to travel around Australia by car or camper van.

I think that the best way to see Australia is by motorhome. The big advantage is that you can cook for yourself. Because culinary options are unfortunately limited outside of the larger cities in Australia. Everything is fried, and the food is often not healthy. If you value quality food, you will cook for yourself.

The one-way rental is sometimes more expensive than the fee for the rental car itself. In our case, the one-way rental from Adelaide to Perth was costly. My experience with this booking is: The bigger the car (meaning category), the cheaper the one-way rental tends to be. Unfortunately, all the larger vehicles were booked out, so we had the smallest category and a relatively expensive one-way rental.

The rental cost for the car itself was quite cheap for nearly three weeks.

LOOKING FOR A CAR RENTAL?

For searching for a rental car, we recommend the platform check24 or Billiger Mietwagen. I also compare prices with Sunny Cars. -> You can find tips for renting a car here. -> Don't have a credit card? Then read here how you can rent a car without a credit card.

Rental car for 798 euros for 19 days. Cost for the one-way rental: about 800 euros.

However, the one-way fee is waived for certain routes when a vehicle needs to be transported from A to B. This happened to us on the route from Darwin to Adelaide. The one-way fee was waived for our camper.

We booked this rental car through Sunny Cars before the trip. The car was nearly new, and everything was great! I regularly trust Sunny Cars for my travels as I sign a German contract and can communicate in German in case of emergency.

Adelaide - Perth:

We drove the route from Adelaide to Perth with a rental car. In Adelaide, Port Lincoln, and through the Nullarbor, it is enjoyable to drive with a car. There are roadhouses, motels, or even nice hotels and bed & breakfast accommodations in the cities where you can stay well.

Since it was autumn during my trip and the nights were quite chilly, we were glad we didn't have to stay in a camper.

Perth - Broome:

We also drove the 2,424 miles from Perth to Broome with a rental car (SUV). A 4x4 would have sometimes been desirable, but all rental vehicles were long booked out. It was Easter, and we had to take what was left.

The SUV was completely sufficient, as we could go wherever we wanted. For the Francois Peron National Park, we chose a tour. Thus, we got to all the places we wanted to visit on challenging sandy paths as part of the tour. Perfect.

Explorer's Way from Darwin to Adelaide:

From Darwin to Adelaide, we had the coolest vehicle: a converted camper van Sprinter. Sometimes a 4x4 would have been desired, but since the rainy season had just ended shortly before my visit, many of the 4x4 roads were still closed.

The camper was almost perfect. It had a small kitchen with a gas stove, sink, and exhaust hood. Plus, a small sitting area and a shower with a toilet. The latter we never used since all the campsites were in very good condition and clean.

Only after Alice Springs did winter arrive, and it got cold. Very cold, with -2° Celsius and a non-insulated camper without a duvet and heater. I have truly never been so cold in my life as on those nights. Therefore, I would wish for next time to travel at a different time or rent a motorhome. The accommodations I booked in the Flinders Ranges for quite expensive prices didn't save us from the cold either, just like our camper van did.

Queensland: Cairns to Darwin by motorhome

For the route from Cairns to Darwin, we had a motorhome. As we booked this trip quite last minute (and over Easter), we had to take what was available. This resulted in a 7.9-meter long RV from Star RV. Unfortunately, we got an old unit that we had to clean thoroughly first. Additionally, we had to replace burnt fuses. The support was unfortunately not very good. Still, the route is excellent with such a long RV.

Depending on the season, you should expect at least €130 per day for a campervan. Always check if Cairns to Brisbane or vice versa is cheaper.

Area - Speed limit

In towns - 31 mph (often 25 mph in school zones)

On country roads - 62 mph

Highways (e.g., M1) - 68 mph

Northern Territory (partially) - up to 81 mph

Important: Speeding is strictly penalized - even minimally. Many roads are equipped with speed cameras (stationary and mobile). We always drove with cruise control. You are warned about mobile speed cameras on Google Maps.

Especially around large cities like Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne, there are toll roads and bridges.

What you should know:

The toll is electronic - there are no cash payment locations.

You need an electronic toll system in your rental car, which is usually included automatically. For safety, ask about this when renting (for us, it was not included in the camper and we were not informed during the Cairns - Brisbane road trip).

Alternatively, you can buy a pass (e.g., Linkt Pass, e-TAG) online or pay later (within 3 days).

Popular toll routes include:

Sydney Harbour Bridge / Tunnel

WestConnex, Eastern Distributor (Sydney)

CityLink (Melbourne)

Gateway Motorway (Brisbane)

All information about tolls and electronic passes at Linkt. Tip: Enter in Google Maps that you want to avoid toll roads.

From the start, I was drilled into understanding that speeding in Australia can get really expensive. Figures in excess of €100 were mentioned if you exceed the allowed speed by just a few km/h. So stick to the speed limits, even if locals zoom past you.

There is, of course, also a seatbelt requirement. If you're caught driving without a seatbelt, it can also be very costly and could even lead to losing your German driver's license.

If you find yourself bored, you can read the Australian Road Rules here: Australian Road Rules.

To rent a car or campervan, you need an International Driver's License. The German or EU card driver's license is rarely accepted by the police. There is also an issue because our driver's license does not have an expiration date. Only newer ones do (I don't have one yet).

For rental car companies, often the German driver's license suffices, but we had to have one with an expiration date when renting a car on Magnetic Island. The International Driver's License sufficed then. Without it, we wouldn't have received a rental vehicle. Therefore, I always carry my International Driver's License with me as it contains an official translation into English. Still, you should always have your German driver's license with you.

What's your favorite route in Australia?

Do you have more tips for driving in Australia? I'd love to hear from you in the comments!

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