Is there anyone out there that can give us a bit of advice please
We hopefully will get our visa in the very near future and when we do we've thought about going on a bit of a trek so we want to land in Sydney buy a camper van then take around 3 months (give or take) and drive the coastal route over to Perth. There is only the two of us so we don't have to worry about little ones.

First question - we have heard about a market in Sydney where back packers/ travellers sell camper vans prior to returning home - anyone had any experience of buying from there and where is it?

Second question - what are the "must see" places on route which we definitely shouldn't miss out on?

Third question - anything else we should be aware / careful of ?


Thanking you all in anticipation for your wonderful suggestions and answers.

You must be either

A) Bonkers

...

There is no B!




Seriously though, I can offer no advice whatsoever having never attempted it, but good luck, stay safe and I look forward to you posting the photo's...... in 6 months.

I'd be more inclined to hire a sedan and spend the nights in local motels unless you can find camping grounds along the way at reasonably regular intervals. I'd also ensure I had a mobile phone with very good coverage just incase you brokedown or that and a list of breakdown services in each state (maybe check with the car lease place). Also if you are crossing the nullabor, I'd take a decent amount of water and a couple of full petrol containers and a funnel. If by chance the fan belt breaks (shoudln't happen) you can use pantyhose in its place so you can drive to local garage.

Can't think offhand of many places that are must see apart from the 'great ocean road' and the 'disciples' (rocks along the same road in victoria). If possible let someone you know in OZ have updates of your progress.

Best suggestion for planning a trip like thisiscuss your intentions and get advice from the AA or equivalent here. Also get advice from police maybe. You don't want to breakdown somewhere in the middle of nowhere and not be able to get help.

There's nutters out there, eg Peter Falconio case, Ivan Milat so don't think you're being 'silly' by getting good advice first. Police are pretty willing to help advise travellers rather than see them end up a statistic. Sorry mate, but has to be said. It's a huge country with a hell of a lot of space/nowhere between some settlements that people actually live in

I definitely wouldn't try driving over the top end of Australia unless there is more than one vehicle full of you going (preferably with at least one experienced one who's done it before in the party).

Too many have tried it and come to grief in what at times can be well over 50c heat in the middle of nowhere

Just re-read you post. 3 months trip?

Never heard of anyone doing that before. Sicking to coastal roads sounds good plan. Check with AA on camping grounds etc that you can stay at along the way.

Hope you have a great time

We did perth, the south west corner, broom, darwin, ayres rock up to cairns and then down to sydney in a ford falcon panel van. We camped all the way round. You will always find others on route doing the same thing, no need to worry as long as you are prepared properly for the trip. Id maybe stay away from the travelleres car market due to backpackers doing loads of miles and little maintenance on their vehicles and buy private somewhere. Give the vehicle a full service join the AA and off you go.

We are planning the same trip when we arrive hopefully in january, buy a camper and drive over to Perth taking our time ie a few months. Then settle in Perth

One bit of advice, if you do break down never leave your vehicle, wait for someone to come past.

if i can help with anything give me a shout

Good luck

Anthony

Hi there Private Benjamin,

We are doing a similar thing. Arriving Perth on May 21 and then flying to Melbourne at the end of May to pick up our car.

Bearing in mind it is the start of winter we dont want to do the (quick) southern route so we are going up the east coast and over the top.

June to September are the best months for the tropics. Will be going Melbourne>Canberra>Sydney>Brisbane>Cairns>Darwin>P erth over 2 1/2 months. We hope to buy a caravan to tow in Sydney and will be detail checking with my cousin who is an experienced Oz traveller and has confirmed that there are no serious issues with the route.

When are you likely to arrive in Oz, if its summer time then the top is not advisable.... go Nullabor. If its by July then the top may well be good for you.

Feel free to PM if you want.

Regards,

Jon

heres a start.....
http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=e...cr%3DcountryAU
Dont worry about the travel there,s hundreds doing it every day.......... mm

Hi

We did this trip many years ago (1990), we travelled from Sydney to Adelaide staying their for a week or so and then across the Nullabor onto Perth.

I honestly cant remember most of the places we stopped at now, but some of the sights and experiences are absolutely amazing. We slept overnight in our car and it was bloody freezing so remember to take warm blankets for your camper. Just get a good map mark it out and off you go!!

There are plenty of roadhouses on the way for fuel, food etc, also fresh water tanks to fill up your 5 litre water container (essential). Its also a myth that you wont see anyone for days (if you stick to main roads) there is plenty of vehicles passing you, just in case the unfortunate should happen.

Oh yeah and I remember having to get rid of my fresh fruit at the border patrol into WA, being in the same country and having to adjust your watch seemed weird too

An experience we dont regret for one minute, you'll have a ball.

Good luck

Always makes me laugh whenever someone suggests driving across the Nullarbor and people (who have clearly never done it) start going on about advising the cops, taking gallons of extra fuel and water, driving in convoys etc. FFS it’s not the bloody Sahara!

It’s a relatively busy road, with buses, trucks and cars galore on it at any one time. There are roadhouses with petrol, restaurants, motel rooms and campsites at regular intervals. If you got into strife you’d only be stopped for about 5 minutes and someone will come by.

Thank you all so much for your advice we' re getting really excited - we are both ex territorial army (have already bought the sleeping bags and gortex), during his time in hubby became a class 1 vehicle mechanic and I'm pretty good at reading a map although for this advanture were just going to try and keep the ocean on the left!!!

On our last visit we hired a camper van and travelled from Syndey up the Gold Coast - Brisbane and Cairns into Port Douglas which was just wonderful and we met some fab people and the camp site were brill. So that is the reason we thought we'd do the other way and see more of the country (albeit prehaps some parts more sandy than others!).

Anyway thanks again for the enouragement and hopefully when we get their we might be able to have a beer or two in person with some of you. :

i have done that trip a few times and always carry sat phone ,epirb,uhf radio and a decent revolver just for ivan milat

i agree it aint the bloody sahara ,but i would still be a bit careful of my personal safety .I remember coming down from broome and pulling up perth side of nunatarra roadhouse ,we were just about to get a good nights kip in what was a secluded spot and a bloody car pulled up with its full beams on to us ,jesus i shit myself

All I can say is good luck mate. As part of the ''must see'' question I would recommend watching the film Wolf Creek

can't wait to hear how you get on with this one!!

me, OH and a couple of friends are doing broom to brisbane in september... or so i've been told!

keep us posted!