Australian Campervan Road Trip! Suggestions please.

[missjackson]

We would like to rent a campervan/ motorhome from Brisbane and drive slowly down to Melbourne in Dec/ Jan. DS will be 22 months and I will be 26 weeks pregnant so we are not too ambitious about how much we can do, but really just want a relaxing fun trip.

All tips appreciated but some specific issues:

We have 6 weeks but ideally I'd like to spend the last 2 weeks in one spot, some nice little cabin by a beach near Melbourne?

Any good recommendations for hire companies?

What sort of van should we hire given that DS will need his own bed and his own seat during the day? Is a VW big enough. Can you find good showering facilities at campsites?

Any campsites not to be missed? National Parks? Sights?

Anything we should take from the UK or can we get pretty much everything there?

Any blogs from anyone who has done something similar?

And on a slightly different note, is it easy enough to get a check up when I'm out there - obviously would have to pay - I will have my 20 week scan before I go, but will need a doctors note before I fly back at 32 weeks.

Many thanks for anything you can add!

www.australianexplorer.com/driving_distances.htm

www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g255100-i278-k2422402-Driving_Brisbane_to_Melbourne_and_back-Melbourne_Victoria.html

wikitravel.org/en/Driving_in_Australia

www.travellerspoint.com/forum.cfm?thread=27192

Also look at the RACQ, RACV and NRMA websites (like the AA but with touristy stuff too)

Wow, thanks

I read a fab book once on someone who travelled across Australia, they hitch hiked though. But it may give you some ideas of places to visit. Think it was called Thumbs Up Across Australia.

Personally I think you are doing the wrong side of the country. The West is so much nicer. But also a lots less populated and so your idea is far more sensible when heavily pregnant :)

Otherwise do lots and lots of reading up, the roads can be a lot more dangerous than here with big distances between fuel stops, lots of flat tyres etc.

I would take it easy, take a copy of the Rough Guide or something with you but mostly just talk to over travellers, you will probably find the nicest places that way.

You will need ot check out medicare for teh Dr. There is an agreement between the UK and Australia so will have to pay to see a Dr but with a medicare card you can get most of the money reimbursed.

You absolutely have to do Byron Bay or 'Gods backyard' as the natives call it

You can everything you need in Oz except for Marmite, but you can probably live without it.

I dont envy you flying all that way at 32 weeks, you will have to get a doctors note before you fly I presume. Check with the airline what their rules are, some only allow 28 weeks.
You can see a doc out there easily enough, I went into hospital twice and didnt cost anything, I think they use medicare or medi-aid or something.

You might want to get a larger motorhome, the smaller ones often only have room for the baby booster seats in the back which might be a bit of a pain on long journeys (passing drinks, dropped toys etc.).

Also you might want to look at booking NOW! December is main summer hols in Oz and motorhomes are not cheap. You'll probably need to do a bit of research and book your sites during the school holidays and certainly over Xmas and new year. There is a book of free camp sites you can buy (sorry can't remember the exact name) but these are obvious first come first served and the facilitites vary (book tells you what they have).

I loved my campervan trip but the one drawback I would mention is that you arrive somewhere, unpack and have lunch etc and if you want to go somewhere else to visit that day you have to stow everything away again and off you go. So lots of unpacking and packing up. You do get it downpat but we did find ourselves slightly envious of the caravanners whose nice little home is all set up for them whilst they go off sightseeing in the car.

Considering distances etc it is probably best not to go too budget with your van. You don't want something on it's last legs. I was looking into this recently and I found this company campertravel.com.au seemed to supply ex Britz vans so I think that means they would be in reasonably good nick as Britz update their fleet regularly.

There are so many amazing nationl parks around melbourne as you will see www.parkweb.vic.gov.au. You could go for the sapphire coast, wilson's prom, Great Ocean Road. You'll definitely be able to find somewhere lovely to stay, you just need to think what you are after: beaches, rainforest, alpine, wine country etc etc.

I generally found with campsites you got what you paid for with cheaper ones more basic but I can't remember any of them having bad facilities. Some of the big chains might feel a little souless (like big4) as they can be quite large but tend to have more activities/facilities. You can get ensuite sites sometimes so you have your own shower if you feel like splashing out but I can honestly say I found communal shower blocks to be clean and working everywhere we went.

I think you will be fine to go to the docs. I went once for a prescription and it was very easy. Probably worth trying to establish roughly where you might be and check out where they are.

Please feel free to ask any more questions!

Also meant to say check what the weather is like in BrisVegas at that time of year as it does get very hot and humid in the summer. In you do go and like steak I can absolutely recommend the Cha Cha Cha steak restaurant.

We did a similar trip in Jan with a 16mo and I was 25 week pg it was amazing! Our favorite places were Wilsons Prom Nature reserve, we stayed in a holiday cabin just outside the reserve called Black cockatoo cottages, it is an amazing place, and Kangaroo Valley

We are already planning our next trip giong from Melboure to Perth.

oopsandbabycoconuts little hijack but do you have any tips for Wilson's prom? Think we will be there for a few days. Did you go to penguin island? Was wondering if it is worthwhile?

No, we didn't do Phillip Island (closer to Melbourne) as we passed by in the middle of the day and all the penguins would have been out, also it was very hot and we had heard reports that lots of the babies had died due to heat and non returning parents so didn't want to introduce DD to penguins like that. Not sure about penguins from Wilsons.

Wilsons prom is amazing, make sure you visit squeaky beach, it made DD giggle like a mad thing when she made the sand squeak also great for paddling. If you are only visiting for the day, take a picnic there is a shop but it is very basic and the takeaway isn't that great. We picked up supplies in Foster, which has a fab bakery (great pies!) and a couple of supermarkets - it is the last place before Wilsons to get food, petrol, beach stuff.

Thanks!

No tips.

Just

Have a great time!

Make sure you register with Medicare on arrival so you have reciprocal cover should you need it.

As someone else has said, Dec/Jan is absolute peak season here as it our Summer school holidays. Think of it as trying to plan a holiday in August in the UK. You need to pre-book everything and expect to pay peak rate prices.

If it is at all possible to bring your trip forward a bit you will save a fortune. We usually go away the first week of the holidays as private schools break up a week earlier in December, we save around 50% on accommodation.

Hi, sounds like a great trip, remember the water as it's going to be hot. As it's during the holidays try to avoid the Pacific Highway. I would start from Brisbane and travel down to Coffs Harbour (checkout the Big Bananana) and then drive west through Bellingen and to Dorrigo and see the amazing national parks. So many great places to see, whatever way you go take care and enjoy.

Lucky You. We had a year in Aus when DS was 7, DS2 was 5, DD was 2.5 and I had no. 4 (planned, I arrived 12wks pg, left Aus with a 5 month old). We went all round the South East on our first trip,then up to Queensland (different van) and then to the red Centre.

Don't be put off by anyone, the roads were much quieter than here except around the cities and it was best to just follow our noses. Head for the national parks as they have wonderful campsites. Generally the facilities are excellent though sometimes a trip to the loo at night is a bit like a lesson in the local natural history as the lights attract all manner of insects! our children loved it. We got through lots of story tapes on the long journeys, but generally the children just got used to being in the campervan and enjoyed the sights.

It will be very hot and humid around Brisbane in December so you may want to head South quite soon, depending on how you all cope with the heat. We loved the Blue Mountains area and went to the Snowy Mountains, which did have some snow, high up.

Have a great time.

Thanks for all these tips - leaving on Monday. Trip is paid for by working in Nov out there, so can't move it at all!