13 years or so ago, I packed my bags and pissed off to Australia on some hippiesque backpacking adventure. I don’t really remember much about it, other than I remember coming too one morning in the outback somewhere, possibly Adelaide way, realising that I was hanging around with a bunch of **** I would never speak to back home, and it was time to go.

13 years on, I have decided it would be nice to take the missus and kid there for a few weeks in the summer, June/July time, possibly to travel by camper somewhere.

Hopefully appreciate it more, and in my mind, a 4 year old is easier to travel with than a 8 or 9 year old who has more opinions.

What is the best way to do it? I don’t want to bankrupt myself, but slumming it isn’t for me either.

flights are around a grand for us, thank you to Malaysian Air for making themselves more cost effective.

Hostels, hotels or campers or something else?

Is it worth it with a 4 year old, or am I just kidding myself and should go and get a poolside villa somewhere again for a month?

your 4 year old would appreciate it more when 14. 24hr flights are bad enough when you’re adult….

Its a fair way for a kiddie but doable. We hired a car and toured the east coast. There was a lot of driving involved. If I go again I would travel to different places by plane and car hire each area for exploring.

Middle of last year we took 6 months off work and traveled around Oz with our 2.5 year old.

In that time we did 11 flights, 27,620 air miles, drove 4,633 road miles, went through 13 timezones and visited 6 states. I cant recommend it highly enough, we had a ball, our daughter had a ball and we have some of the best memories of spending time as a family plus seeing your children experience new things for the first time, (jumping in the sea, messing about on endless deserted beaches, feeding a kangaroo etc etc etc).

If you have time, break up the long haul flights with a stopover. Just to give you all a break and sleep in a proper bed. We stopped over in Dubai for a night in both directions and it made a world of difference.

Internal flights are pretty cheap, car hire (out of school holidays) was very reasonable and there are always deals to be had on accommodation. We had as much fun in a one room bunkhouse in an amazing location as we did in a fancy hotel in a city. Driving is pretty stress free compared with the UK you just have to go a lot further to get anywhere!

Happy to give you any other hints you like (email in profile) but be a good to understand how long you are going for and where you want to go during that time?

We didn’t take a kid so probably not the same experience but it was fantastic. We hired a camper on the east coast and drove up, then flew to the south for bit, then flew to the west coast hired another camper and drove up that. All bits were excellent. The camper was great. Loads of fantastic places to stay, often free and often without another soul in sight. It was a lot driving with very little in between the stops but it wasn’t bad driving. Nothing like a long haul drive in the UK. It was about the same price to hire a camper as a car then you can add the massive savings on hotels. It was a pretty budget camper though.

For flying we went straight over, stopped for about 40 mins in Singapore airport. Didn’t actually feel that bad on arrival, in fact being out of sync helped a bit as we were up early, before any other tourists. On the way back we had a mini holiday in Thailand, about 6 days, which was great too. Would happily do either method again.

Above all it was great. Thoroughly recommended. Lots to see and do, just don’t underestimate the size of the place. Go for as long as you can. We had 10 weeks which was nowhere near enough. If we go back we’ll rent another camper. We did do a few hotels, motels and hostels but for us the best stuff was getting into the middle of nowhere and being there on our own.

13 years on, I have decided it would be nice to take the missus and kid there for a few weeks in the summer, June/July time, possibly to travel by camper somewhere.

summer in july it won’t be in Australia, young Jedi. It’ll be moderately cold and often wet in Southeast Australia. You need to pick your month for visiting the north too.

Good enough for me, we live in sub-tropics just now, so chillier weather is a pleasant change.

Hopefully less people there then as well.

Having spent last night reading up on the cost of campervans, it may be hotels/airbnb and trip advisor rooms,

From a reputable camper company, that doesn’t have a bad reputation 200AUD per day ish plus camp site fees.

Hotels it might just be then.

A month isn’t that long…
June/July bring your Ski gear for the South.

To get the most out of the time I’d suggest using internal flights as much as possible, you may hit good weather up north but I’m not an expert on that.

Next week I pick up a camper for a relocation and I’m doing Hobart to Sydney doing a heap of biking on the way, apart form that there is stuff to see but it’s a long road otherwise (flight is 90mins) So if you are going to do the camper thing pick and choose carefully the route and the stuff along it.

Australia – traveling around it

This is the point at which I bring out my usual Australia thread graphic….

Don’t underestimate the size of Australia or the distances involved! 😀

I’ve driven a lot in a Getz, very cheap with East Coast Car Hire. You could get the Aussie RAC to plan and book you a route of motels, caravans etc. Out of season places like Byron Bay improve but Victoria is chilly. I would stay north of Sydney if it’s to be July/August. Port Douglas is nicer than Cairns.

Some other quick pointers, allow at least half a day for any internal flights, make sure your travel insurance covers hire car excess as that can be a nasty sting in the tail.
In general accommodation can be much cheaper in the UK when you are on the road, petrol is about half the price and they finally seem to be getting more sensible efficient cars so the economy is good.
Pick your places for the weather
http://www.australiatravelsearch.com.au/trc/climate.html

I would wait until your kid is a bit older. And go in Feb/March.

Highlights for us were Port Douglas and Halls Gap. Oh, and getting a camper for the drive from Melbourne to Adelaide

It’s not very warm and takes 2 weeks to recover properly from jet lag.
I’d be more tempted with a Europe trip and take in the alps and French beaches. Or an American road trip up the West coast.

Cheers folks, I cannot remember how long it took traveling there last time, I had a camper van thing, and partied somewhat hard, memories and ideas of distance are faint.

We are only a couple of hours out on time difference, or possibly not at all, I can never remember.

Maybe the best option is to leave with family here and be that weird older backpacker that turns up at the hostels he stayed at 20 years ago and tells people there about how much it has changed.

June/July is perfect timing for the top end really, between Darwin, Lichfield and Kakadu there’s plenty for a mini road trip.

June/July is perfect timing for the top end really, between Darwin, Lichfield and Kakadu there’s plenty for a mini road trip.

Now there’s an excellent suggestion! Fly into Darwin and pick up a 4WD camper and spend four weeks exploring the top end. I would just add a multi-day canoeing/camping trip down the Katherine Gorge to ebygomm’s itinerary and I think you’ve got an adventure that’s and as far away from the sun/sand/sex backpacker trips of your youth as you can get 😆

The top end would be lovely at that time of year, also northern WA. Be aware that if your camping the desert gets mighty cold at night! Unfortunately further south you get weather might be more dubious, although what passes for winter here is tame at best ha.
Iv not been over to northern Queensland yet but informed winter is the time to go as the humidity drops and it’s still ruddy gorgeous. Also no cyclones!