Travelling around Australia by Car
The smallest continent and biggest island in the world is Australia. In terms of size, it is almost as big as the 48 contiguous United States. There are about 20.4 million people and they are generally concentrated in th eastern and southeastern coastal urban regions. This means that there are wide open spaces to explore in the rest of the country, and this can be best done by car. Beautiful coast lines, inland mountainous regions and verdant tropical forests with exotic plants and wild life are there for the traveller to experience.
You can easily arrange for a car rental at the airport or hotel with an international drivers licence or a valid American or European drivers license. There are heaps of car hire companies providing various kinds of vehicles, from diverse makes and sizes of cars and SUVs to minivans, camper vans and RVs, minibuses, and 4WDs. No matter what your needs and requirements are, there will always be a vehicle to suit you. Just to exemplify, those who enjoy camping can get campervans that will sleep up to 6 people, and come outfitted with a microwave, gas stove, griller and refrigerator. Some even have double beds, toilet and shower in addition to the mini-kitchen. There are four-wheel-drives that would be suitable for more rugged terrain. For the budget minded, there are economy compact cars and economy campers. There are also convertibles and luxury large cars.
If you are visiting Australia from another country, you should be knowledgeable with the driving conditions: driving on the left side of the road, observing the different speed limits (in kilometres) and regulations in the States to be visited, checking weather and road conditions before travel, letting police know of travel plans if driving in rural areas, making way for the road trains (a semi-truck hauling 3 large trailers), etc. Expect the car rental company to provide thorough information on driving rules and regulations, supplies to take (most importantly, plenty of water), procedures in case of emergency, potential dangers such as wildlife and driving at night, as well as accommodations, routes and resources on the road. Study and preparation beforehand will insure a successful and pleasurable car vacation in Australia.