You have travelled to Australia with your Work & Holiday visa and have completed the first organisational to-dos such as getting an Australian mobile phone number, applying for a TFN, opening an Australian bank account, etc. BOXIO's Adventure Down Under| Jesko's Guide for the perfect start ? Congratulations, you've come a long way! Maybe you've already asked yourself the question and thought a little about whether you want an off-road vehicle or a spacious Van... or maybe no car at all and a coach instead? Today I would like to discuss with you the advantages of the various options and tell you a little about my own experiences.
So, as already mentioned briefly, you basically have three different options to choose from. A van, an off-road vehicle (called a four-wheel drive in Australia) or you can buy a ticket for the Greyhound or Premier coach . In addition to a van or off-road vehicle, you can of course also buy any other (small) vehicle, but today we want to look at the two options that are more suitable for camping.
Travel option 1: The coach
Maybe you know in advance that you'll only be in Australia for a few weeks or you just want to see what you like about the country and the people and you don't think buying a car is worth it? No problem, because you can travel from place to place in a relaxed manner with the Greyhound or Premier Bus.
You can either buy a package ticket for a certain period of time or buy a new ticket for each individual trip. If, for example, you know that you definitely want to travel a large part of the east coast, a package ticket is definitely worth it. It may seem like an impossibly large sum at the beginning, but it is worth it in the end if you really make a lot of stops and compare it with the individual tickets.
The Greyhound bus, for example, which travels the largest route network in Australia, stops at more than 180 different locations in almost every state in Australia
(Image source: Screenshot from https://www.greyhound.com.au/company/network-map#network-map ).
A huge advantage of traveling by bus is that you don't have to worry about your car suddenly breaking down or having other unexpected high costs. Basically, you don't have to worry about anything except choosing places that you can reach by coach. And then of course booking, which is quick and easy to do online.
One of the biggest disadvantages for me, however, is that you are completely dependent on the bus, meaning you can't just turn left or right, but can "only" get to the places that Greyhound goes to. That may or may not be exactly right for you, it all depends on your personal plans and wishes. But for me it was always important to be independent so that I could get to the remote places.
Travel option 2: The van
Driving around Australia in a van... who doesn't dream of that? A lot of work & holiday travelers decide to buy a van and live and travel in it. That's exactly what I did on my first trip to Australia in 2020. At the time, my girlfriend and I decided that we wanted to see as much of the country as possible and be as independent as possible. You can of course also rent a van, but in my opinion that's only worth it if you're traveling for a few weeks, as the rental price is very high. When you buy it, it's obviously more money in one go, but you have to remember that you usually get a large part of the price back when you sell it.
OK, so you've decided to buy a van. Very good! But where do I start, is the question?
First of all, the biggest advantages of a van. As already mentioned, you can live very relaxed in a van full-time, either alone or as a couple. Of course, this takes some getting used to if you've never done it before, but if you can enjoy the simple camping life, it's an absolute dream. Theoretically, you can stop and sleep anywhere, you have a lot of space for all your luggage and, with a little planning and little effort, you can make the van really comfortable.
The biggest disadvantage should not be ignored. You should know that most vans do not have four-wheel drive, which means you cannot get everywhere. For example, driving on the beach is usually not possible or permitted, and as soon as the roads become worse than gravel, it becomes difficult for two-wheel drive. That's just to say, and it doesn't have to be a disadvantage if you want to stay on the roads more anyway.
Basically, I can name three reputable and popular sites where you can find good used cars. These are Gumtree , Facebook Marketplace and Carsales . Of course, you can also go to all the car dealers. We did that back then, but it was rather disappointing for us, as the vans were either completely worn out or far too expensive. When buying from a car dealer, you have to remember that they also want to do business and therefore the prices are usually a bit higher than if you buy privately.
OK, now you know where to look, but what exactly are you looking for? Any van or a specific brand...? Again, that depends on your own preference. But if you talk to an Aussie about vans, I promise you, it won't be long before the model name "Toyota Hiace" comes up. Why? Aussies love their Toyotas and the Hiace is easily the most popular van in Australia. Again, why? Toyotas tend to be durable and it's very easy to get spare parts. The box may look like a pile of scrap metal from the outside, but the engine is really hard to break. I've seen many Hiaces that have well over 500,000 kilometers on the clock.
At the time, we had a (red) VW T4. It was an absolute dream! Until it came to getting spare parts. They aren't available for an older German car like the VW T4. So the air intake hose simply had to be repaired with adhesive tape and cable ties. It worked.
As you may notice, I am not a mechanic, but my general knowledge can tell you the following. When buying, make sure that...
- The car has run as few kilometres as possible (although kilometres are not the deciding factor, as the distances in Australia tend to be long and this is less damaging to the engine compared to daily stop-and-go driving in city traffic).
- The car is a diesel. Why? Diesel engines are generally more durable and use less fuel.
- The car was regularly serviced (inspected).
- The car is not too badly affected by rust.
- The car has a RWC (Roadworthy Certificate (basically TÜV)) (you need this for registration/re-registration).
Assuming you have found a van that you like and that meets all of the above criteria, I can give you another very useful tip. Before you buy it, you can have the car checked by a mechanic who will then give you a detailed report on the car and inform you of any possible defects or risks. I did this with both car purchases in Australia and it has always proven helpful and useful. You can simply book an appointment online with the RACQ (Royal Automobile Club of Queensland) and the mechanic will come to where the car is without you having to be there. In general, I highly recommend that you become a member of the RACQ because if your car breaks down, you can be towed anywhere.
BOXIO - WASH PLUS - Washbasin starter set
Is everything OK? Bought a van? Well then, congratulations and let's go! Now all you have to do is go to the nearest Center of Transport (vehicle registration office) with the purchase contract and the RWC (if you don't have one yet, you can have it made by any workshop) and have your car registered in your name.
From this moment on, the house on wheels officially belongs to you and you can now get creative. Simply throw a mattress in it, build your own bed and storage space construction or maybe the van is already converted. We were lucky that the previous owner had already converted our T4 and so we only had to put our things in. So that you can get an idea of what our place looked like back then, I've included a few photos.
Whatever you decide, there is definitely room for the “ BOXIO-Toilet , - Cook , - Wash or - Cool ”. I currently have the “ Toilet and Wash ” and both items are really worth their weight in gold. Thanks to the Eurobox format, they are super easy to store and look stylish too.
IMPORTANT: For many national parks where you are allowed to camp, you must have your own toilet.
Travel option 3: The off-road vehicle
Are you into off-roading? Do you want to go to places where no one else is? Does driving along endless beaches right by the water's edge sound just right for you? Then you should look for a spacious off-road vehicle. The Aussies also call this “four-wheel drive”.
You can almost imagine the advantages, right? Number one is, of course, off-road capability. When I decided that I would return to Australia at the end of 2023, I knew that I wanted the off-road freedom this time. And when I went beach camping for the first time, I knew that for me it was worth every "disadvantage" such as less space and comfort than in a van. Space and comfort don't have to be a disadvantage. I would rather say that you can get to know Australia from a completely different side. Waking up right on the beach, in the middle of the desert or surrounded by mountains is not so easy in a van. But you have to think about how and where you want to sleep. Either fold down the seats and put in a mattress or spend a little more money and buy a roof tent. I was lucky (and it's not that uncommon for it to happen to you too) that the Mitsubishi Pajero I bought at the end of last year came with the roof tent and all the camping equipment. The disadvantage of the roof tent, however, is that wild camping, which is heavily punished in Australia, is virtually impossible.
Generally speaking, a solid off-road vehicle is more expensive than a van and also costs more to maintain. You should just be aware of that.
When buying, the criteria you should pay attention to are definitely those mentioned above, but they can also be expanded to include a few more.
- Check the underbody for rust and whether any parts are about to rust through
- Also test the four-wheel drive function and whether the drive and gearshift work well (if, like me, you have no idea about this, don't panic! Just book the RACQ mechanic directly for help)
In addition to the roof tent, I built a structure in the interior where I can store all my things in boxes, but at the same time I can easily reach all the important things. Here, too, I'm happy to include a few photos for inspiration.
I hope this post can give you a rough idea of the advantages and disadvantages of each travel option. As I said, in the end it all depends on your personal taste as to which option suits you best. Either way, you will definitely have an unforgettable time and create unique memories for life.
See you next time!
Your Jesko
Leave a comment
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.