Plan your Trip.
Seriously. We get it man, when you’re in a campervan you shouldn’t be stuck to someone else’s itinerary. But unless you’re roaming the highways for life, you’re going to need to plan a little bit or potentially risk missing the best spots…
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Roughly Map your Trip:
With the beauty of modern technology, you can jump onto the old Google Maps and plan out your trip to the nearest km – in like, seconds. So do it! Draw up a km budget for the distances you’re planning on travelling each day – and try to keep it under 300kms per day. There’s no point even going on a roadtrip if all you’re gonna see is the highway at 110kms/hr.
Most Campervan Hire companies in Australia are very strict on minimum hire periods – for instance if you think you’ll be able to hire a campervan in Perth and return in Sydney 3 days later – you’re dreamin’ hombre. Be realistic – for the welfare of the campervan and yourself. Fatigue and wildlife kill many travellers in Australia and New Zealand every year – don’t die for a deadline.
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Consider your Travel Buddies:
This is a big one. We’ve seen many friendships (and relationships) crumble on the road. The ‘Van Life’ ain’t all rainbows and unicorns – it can get cramped, wet, smelly, noisy (snorers!) and just plain uncomfortable at times. Some people just ain’t cut out for life on the road – don’t take those people with you!
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Supplies:
Be adequately prepared for your roadtrip. If hiring a campervan, check what’s included when you pick it up. Most campervan & motorhome hire companies will provide you with the essentials – linen, blankets, pillows, cutlery, pots & pans etc, but they might miss a few things here or there. You can’t live on dog food without a can opener – so before you head out into the vast yonder, check what you’ve got, check again and hit the road. If you need some extra stuff, here’s a rough guide to getting supplies in Australia:
- Linen, Pillows & Blankets: Cheapest options are K-Mart, Target, Big W.
- Food Cooler (Esky), basic camping supplies & cheap fishing equipment: K-Mart
- Outdoor Equipment (Camp Chairs, Tables etc): K-Mart
- Food: Cheapest option is Aldi. Coles and Woolworths for water and food.
- Beer & Alcohol: Cheapest option is Dan Murphy’s, First Choice Liquor.
- Cigarettes: Cheap nowhere baby, this is Australia…
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Research Camp Sites before hitting the road:
Check government regulations in the country you plan to travel in. For instance – in New Zealand, ‘freedom camping’ as they call it, is illegal if your campervan or motorhome doesn’t include a toilet & shower (it must be fully self-contained). This simply means that you cannot pull up anywhere you like and camp for the night – you either need to stay in a Caravan Park or one of 100 Conservation areas dotted around the country. These Conservation areas aren’t too expensive (a 7-Day pass is $25 per person), but they are another cost that you need to factor into your roadtrip budget.
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