Travel Info

Driving in Australia

Australia is a large country, as indicated by the comparison maps below. In order to enjoy your holiday, we recommend that you research your intended travelling route thoroughly, particularly your travelling distances. It is far better to travel at a leisurely pace, exploring the many attractions of Australia, rather than spend each day driving long distances. Aim to cover 150 - 250 kilometres per day and you will experience Australia in comfort.

Australia - Europe		Australia - USA

 

Adelaide
1542 km 958 mi	Alice Springs
2063 km 1282 mi	3012 km 1871 mi	Brisbane
4288 km 2664 mi	2746 km 1706 mi	4560 km 2833 mi	Broome
3143 km 1953 mi	2324 km 1444 mi	1717 km 1067 mi	3962 km 2461 mi	Cairns
3053 km 1897 mi	1511 km 934 mi	3415 km 2122 mi	1865 km 1159 mi	2727 km 1694 mi	Darwin
728 km 452 mi	2270 km 1411 mi	1674 km 1040 mi	5016 km 3117 mi	3054 km 1898 mi	3781 km 2349 mi	Melbourne
2724 km 1693 mi	3630 km 2256 mi	4384 km 2724 mi	2250 km 1398 mi	5954 km 3700 mi	4045 km 2513 mi	3452 km 2145 mi	Perth
1420 km 882 mi	2644 km 1642 mi	996 km 619 mi	5234 km 3252 mi	2546 km 1582 mi	4000 km 2485 mi	868 km 539 mi	4144 km 2575 mi	Sydney

Driving Matrix (kilometres / miles)

Safe Driving In Australia

When driving in Australia, you must always drive on the left hand side of the road, obey all traffic signals and signage, and wear a seatbelt whilst in a vehicle. The driver must have their licence with them at all times when driving. It is recommended that familiarise yourself with the Australian road rules before driving in Australia to ensure you have a safe and trouble free holiday.

*Please note you will be charged for any traffic infringement, speeding or parking fines or road toll fines that you incur.

Travel Restrictions

To ensure your safety, AwayWeGo Rentals has some travel restrictions for certain vehicles. Two Wheel Drive vehicles can only be driven on sealed/bitumen roads or well maintained access roads less than 500 metres long to recognised campgrounds.

Four Wheel Drive vehicles can be driven on recognised unsealed tracks but may only travel to the following remote areas with the express written permission of AwayWeGo: Any Islands (excluding Tasmania), Simpson Desert, Gunbarrel Highway, Cape York (North of Daintree River), Oodnadatta Track, Birdsville Track, Tanami Track, Gibb River Road, Kalumburu Road, Warburton Road, Strzelecki Track, Cape Leveque, Bungle Bungles and any other remote area. No vehicle is permitted on the last 2 kilometres of the Lennard River Gorge Road , the Canning Stock-route, The Lost City in Litchfield Park and the Telegraph Road section of the road to Cape York.

Breakdown & Accident Assistance

All AwayWeGo vehicles are serviced and maintained to the highest industry standard. In the event you run into mechanical difficulties on your holiday, AwayWeGo offers 24hour roadside assistance for your peace of mind. If you require assistance, please call AwayWeGo on 0438 355 509 and we will help to get you back on the road as soon as possible.

Australian toll roads

Please be on the look-out for toll roads as you tour Australia. You will likely pass through toll roads if you are driving your campervan through metropolitan Queensland, New South Wales or Victoria.

When driving a rental vehicle in Australia, you are responsible for paying toll fees, so it is important to be aware of these roads before you travel. Refer to the table below for an overview of Australian toll roads and how to pay*. Fees and charges to travel via toll roads vary by state.

Toll Road	How to pay
Queensland
Gateway Bridge, Gateway Extension and Logan Motorway	Call 1300 046 842
New South Wales	Register for an e-PASS for travelling in New South Wales on www.roam.com.au
Cross City Tunnel	Call (02) 9033 3999
Eastern Distributor	Call (02) 8356 2200
M2	Cannot be paid after passing through an "E" lane. The fine will be sent to AwayWeGo.
Lane Cove Tunnel and Falcon Street Gateway	Call 133 111 if travelled less than 7 days.
M4 ? Western Motorway	Can pay by cash or visitors e-PASS, otherwise the fine will be sent to AwayWeGo.
M5 - South West Motorway	Call 1300 658 652
Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour Tunnel	Call 131 865
M7 - Westlink	Call 13 8655
Victoria
Western and Southern CityLink	You can purchase a CityLink pass prior to travel or by midnight on the third day after your nominated day of travel by calling 13 26 29, or at participating Australia Post Offices and the Melbourne Airport Carpark.
East Link Toll - Breeze	You can buy a trip pass before or up to 3 days after your trip on EastLink online www.breeze.com.au, by calling 13 54 65, or at participating Australia Post Offices. If you have a valid CityLink account, it works on EastLink and you shouldn't need to buy a trip pass.

*Please note: The table above has been compiled in good faith and was correct when published. AwayWeGo is not liable should the information above be incorrect or incomplete.

Featured Australian Touring Routes

The Great Southern Touring Route

Start & End: Melbourne, Victoria
Distance: 807 kilometres

This amazing self-drive touring route offers the very best of Victoria’s attractions, coastal scenery, cities and towns, history and heritage all in a flexible, compact, touring package. Starting from Melbourne, the city that prides itself on being a great city, the route can be traversed clockwise or anti-clockwise, and provides unlimited opportunities to journey off the official path at any point to explore even more of the region’s extraordinary attractions.

The Great Ocean Road:
Geelong, less than an hour from Melbourne, is beautifully nestled on the shores of Corio Bay. The city’s new waterfront is a popular highlight. You can take a pleasant detour to the seaside village of Queenscliff. Then drive the spectacular Great Ocean Road from Torquay, Australia’s surf capital, through the Mediterranean-style resort of Lorne to Apollo Bay, paradise by the sea, and the Great Otway National Park.

As the Great Ocean Road continues into the rugged Shipwreck Coast region, where scores of ships have been wrecked in the treacherous coastal waters, the majesty of the Port Campbell National Park, home of the famous Twelve Apostles, begins to unfold. Blowholes roar while the sea boils around towering rock stacks.

The Grampians:
The Great Southern Touring Route leaves the coast near Port Fairy and heads north toward the Grampians National Park. Character-packed towns along the way provide a glimpse of Australian rural life. Nearing the Grampians, the enormity of the ranges becomes apparent as they begin to dominate the horizon.

Ballarat Gold fields and spa Country:
Following the Western Highway into the major regional city of Ballarat. The city is at the centre of a region filled with a fascinating and sometimes rowdy golden past, and gateway to the sparkling attractions of Spa Country. Gold was first discovered in the 1850s, leaving a lasting legacy of beautiful streetscapes in the region’s cities and towns.

Melbourne Adelaide Touring Route

Route: Melbourne Adelaide
Distance: 1,073 kilometres (coast) 1,018 kilometres (inland)
Suggested Time: 4 Days

From Melbourne, travel along the Great Ocean Road through the coastal towns of Lorne, Apollo Bay, Port Campbell and Warrnambool. The drive reveals dramatic coastal scenery, especially near Port Campbell where the famous Twelve Apostles are located.

Continue to Mount Gambier, surrounded by ancient volcanic sinkholes and crater lakes, including the spectacular Blue Lake. From Mount Gambier, choose to travel along the coast or venture inland.

Coast
Visit small fishing ports of Port MacDonnell, Beachport and Robe, centres for lobster-fishing fleets. Follow the road beside the Coorong National Park, a haven for bird-life, and on the way stop to learn about the local Aboriginal culture. Continue through Meningie to Wellington where you cross the Murray River and travel to Strathalbyn.

Inland
Travel north to the historic town of Penola and the world-famous Coonawarra wine district, renowned for its red wine varieties. Visit the impressive Naracoorte Caves World Heritage Fossil Site, to see the latest Australian mega fauna unearthed in this active fossil site. Continue onto Tailem Bend to cross the Murray River and travel to Strathalbyn.

From Strathalbyn travel to Goolwa and join a river cruise that takes you to the mouth of the Murray River and into the Coorong. Visit the popular seaside town of Victor Harbor and catch the Horse Drawn Tram to Granite Island, renowned for its Little Penguin colony. Continue onto Adelaide, via McLaren Vale with plenty of opportunities to sample local produce and wine, or travel to Kangaroo Island via the ferry which departs from Cape Jervis.

Grand Pacific Drive

Sydney to Wollongong and Beyond
Start: Royal National Park (Sydney)
End: Bomaderry/Nowra
Distance: 140 Kilometers

Grand Pacific Drive is the award winning coastal drive encompassing 140km of some of the most spectacular scenery and coastline in NSW. From the Royal National Park (world’s second oldest) to Wollongong and onto Shellharbour, Kiama and the Shoalhaven, the route traverses through dramatic coastal scenery, quaint villages, over the iconic Sea Cliff Bridge and through the bustling city of Wollongong. Experience Grand Pacific Drive’s ‘beyond’ into the Southern Highlands, Canberra and the South Coast.

Must See & Do:

• Drive through the spectacular Royal National Park
• Stop at the magnificent ‘Bald Hill’ lookout
• Park and walk over the Sea Cliff Bridge
• Enjoy Wollongong’s beaches and thriving restaurant/cafes precincts
• Visit Nan Tien Temple – the largest Buddhist temple in the Southern Hemisphere
• Visit Kiama Blowhole or try some local wine at nearby wineries
• Visit the spectacular Seven Mile Beach
• Enjoy some side trips to Mt Keira, Minnamurra Rainforest or Lake Illawarra

The Great Alpine Road

Route: Bairnsdale to Wangaratta
Distance: 308 kilometres

Experience the Great Alpine Road, one of the great touring routes of Australia.
For more than 300 kilometres, discover the splendour of valleys, mountains, forests, rivers and ocean; one of the finest and most diverse combinations of scenery imaginable in the country. It’s adventure… it’s stylish… it’s fascinating… above all, it’s one of the great touring experiences.

Highlights:

• Touring Routes: Six touring routes on sealed roads reveal many sights and experiences which are often just a short drive from the main road. History, regional food and wine, mountain vistas, adventure activities, little-known back country roads and the southern hemisphere’s biggest network of inland waterways just waiting to be discovered.
• Summer in the High Country: Victoria’s alpine areas are the height of adventure in summer, with activities ranging from downhill thrills on mountain bikes to mastering the art of fly fishing in alpine streams.
• Explore the National Parks: The Alpine National Park is the high point of your Great Alpine Road journey which peaks at 1825m over Mt Hotham. Just 30 minutes from the Great Alpine Road, the Mt Buffalo National Park is one of Australia’s oldest.
• Ride or Walk the Rail Trails: The Murray to Mountains and East Gippsland Rail Trails promise spectacular rural scenery, superb local produce and a living history easily accessible from the Great Alpine Road.

More Australian Touring Routes

The Matilda Highway
Start: Sydney, New South Wales,
End: Karumba, Gulf of Carpentaria
Distance: 2,725 kilometres

The Matilda Highway is a place of colourful characters, remarkable history and a landscape endless in time and space. This is a place where dinosaurs left their footprints, ancient culture was recorded on rock faces and people will say g'day and share a yarn.

4WD Adventures - The Savannah Way
Start: Cairns, Tropical North Qld,
End: Broome, Western Aust.
Distance: 3,609 kilometres

The Savannah Way is one of Australia's ultimate adventure drives, linking Cairns in Tropical North Queensland with the historic pearling town of Broome in Western Australia, via the natural wonders of Katherine in the Northern Territory.

4WD Adventures - Cairns to Cape York
Start: Cairns, Tropical North Qld
End: Cape York
Distance: 921 kilometres

If you love bushwalking, four wheel driving, wildlife, fishing, birdwatching or camping then Cape York is the place for you. The Cape York region is one of the largest wilderness areas in the world that remains relatively untouched, maintaining its original beauty and a variety of sights.

Pacific Coast Touring route
Start: Port Douglas, Tropical North Qld
End: Gold Coast, South East Qld
Distance: 1,928 kilometres

From swaying palm trees to sandy white beaches, the Pacific Coast Touring Route is a drive that will put you in touch with Australia's love affair with the ocean. Learn to dive, snorkel with turtles, watch humpback whales, try white water rafting or even sail a yacht. On the Pacific Coast Touring Route the journey truly is the destination!

The Great Murray & Outback Touring Route
Start: Melbourne, Victoria,
End: Broken Hill, Outback New South Wales
Distance: 768 kilometres

Mildura & Murray Outback will overwhelm your senses. From the outback city of Broken Hill stretching south through the ancient deserts to Mildura and Swan Hill on the shores of the Murray River, this region has so much to offer.

The Overlander's Way
Start: Townsville, North Queensland,
End: Tennant Creek, Central Australia
Distance: 1,563 kilometres (2,071 kms to Alice Springs)

Linking the Great Barrier Reef to Outback Queensland, The Overlander's Way will give you a unique insight into Australia's proud pioneering history and culture that gives Australia its charm. The fully sealed highway travels into the heart of Northern Territory, offering adverture seekers an unforgettable journey from the reef all the way to the 'rock' (Uluru), in the centre of Australia.

The Great Inland Way
Start: Sydney, New South Wales
End: Cairns, Tropical North Qld
Distance: 2,653 kilometres

The only way to really appreciate the size and history of this big country is to head inland. Travel from Sydney to Dubbo in central New South Wales all the way to Cairns in Tropical North Queensland. The Great Inland Way will show you sprawling rural homesteads, outback country pubs, gold mining towns, craggy volcanic peaks and ancient rock art.