| Touring Australia by car offers a unique | | | | being well-marked. |
| freedom and more and more people choose to | | | | |
| traverse this beautiful land on their own | | | | The motorways are classified as 'A' routes. |
| four wheels. For New South Wales and the | | | | Their speed limits are between 60 and 68mph |
| Queensland coast, no special considerations | | | | (100 and 110kph). 'B' routes are smaller |
| need to be taken into account when renting a | | | | highways, usually having two lanes, but are |
| car. Just make sure the seats are nice and | | | | equally well-maintained. You can comfortably |
| soft, as you'll be in the car for long | | | | travel at 60mph (100kph). When you get into |
| periods. | | | | suburban areas or city driving, this will be |
| | | | considered a 'C' route and your speed should |
| If you're heading for the hinterlands of | | | | not exceed 30 to 35mph (50 to 60kph). |
| central Australia, it's a different matter | | | | |
| altogether. A four-wheel drive vehicle is a | | | | If you're heading to the outback, regular |
| must, and you'll need to bring your own food | | | | highway rules apply, except on the Northern |
| and water supplies as well as extra fuel. | | | | Territory's remote roads. These roads are |
| | | | long, narrow and straight. For the most part, |
| It is generally a hassle-free experience to | | | | these routes are hassle-free, but be prepared |
| rent a car in Australia. As long as you are | | | | for a few potholes and adverse weather |
| staying for less than 6 months, you can drive | | | | conditions. A dust storm will reduce your |
| anywhere with your driving licence from home. | | | | speed to a crawl. |
| Australia recognises foreign licences and you | | | | |
| are not required to use an international | | | | Service stations are spread roughly between |
| permit. | | | | 60 and 200 miles (100 and 300kms) along |
| | | | motorways, many of them open 24 hours, making |
| The road rules are fairly straightforward and | | | | it easy to travel continually. A few hours is |
| common sense should prevail. Everyone in the | | | | all you should undertake in one driving |
| car must be strapped in with a seat belt, | | | | session before stopping to rest. The best way |
| while 0.5mg/ml is the legal alcohol limit. | | | | to travel is to plan ahead to stop somewhere |
| The police conduct random stops in all | | | | overnight. Having more than one driver will |
| states. Australians drive on the left-hand | | | | also help the long journeys to pass more |
| side of the road. | | | | easily. |
| | | | |
| The driving age is 16 to 18 years old, | | | | In the outback, it's not so cut and dry. The |
| depending on the state. Expect to part with | | | | operating hours of service station are |
| anywhere from A$0.90 to A$1 per litre at the | | | | erratic, and you may not find it as easy to |
| pump. You may notice prices are higher in the | | | | use your overseas credit card. As with |
| outback compared to those on a highway near | | | | everything in the outback, it's always better |
| Sydney. | | | | to plan ahead as there are many more chances |
| | | | to be stranded in this massive desert. One |
| In developed areas, Australia's motorways are | | | | precaution could be to join an auto club. In |
| excellent. They are all paved, wide and | | | | case of emergency, dial: 13 11 11 for |
| uncongested outside of the big cities. They | | | | roadside assistance. |
| are also simple to navigate with all signs | | | | |