Travel Australia on a Budget

Monthly Archives: October 2014

Travel NSW in Style and on a Budget

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New South Wales

Travel NSW in Style

New South Wales offers a variety of splendid landscapes, good climate, roads and ease of travel to the many cities, towns and resort areas make it ideal of touring in your campervan. This beautiful state is divided into 9 distinct regions; Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the South Coast, the West and Riverina, and the Outback regions.

The greater Sydney region includes the Broken Bay and Hawkesbury River area, a beautiful estuary and waterway 45 kilometres north of Sydney. The area offers countless inlets, bush-clad shorelines, sheltered bays, nature trails and spectacular scenic views. There are many tour package you can enjoy in this region. Choose from a number of travel deals they offer on the internet.

The Blue Mountains are a popular destination for day trips from Sydney by road, where you will find some of the most magnificent scenery that New South Wales has to offer. The mountains are a spur of the Eastern Highlands. The central area, and adjacent Kanangra and Colong Caves Reserve, have vast area of virgin forests within sight of such towns as Katoomba.

The Hunter Valley region, 208 kilometres north of Sydney, is one of Australia’s great wine-producing areas. North-west of Cessnock are the Lower Hunter vineyards, the landscape consisting of rolling country highlighted by magnificent mountains of the Brokenback Range. To the east is the resort town of Nelson Bay where you can enjoy your campervan holiday with fishing, sailing, swimming and diving.

The North Coast region is dotted with resort towns right up to the Queensland border. The Princess Highway leads to beautiful sub-tropical centres such as Port Macquarie, Nambucca Heads, Coffs Harbour, Grafton, Lismore, Ballina, Byron Bay and Tweed Heads. There are year-round playgrounds with sparkling Pacific Ocean beaches, beautiful mountain ranges and hidden valleys providing scenic splendours. You can enjoy all these experiences when you drive around on our campervan.

The Snowy Mountains region is the winter playground for many travellers when on a campervan holiday. The gateway to extensive snowfields is Cooma, with Thredbo Smiggin Holes and other locations providing the best ski runs. It would be an amazing to go around in a 4×4 hire while visiting these places. It gives you more options going on to dirt roads.

The south Coast region has many coastal towns. The major city is Wollongong, a thriving industrial centre and seaport. The region continues south until meets the Victoria border, is renowned for its natural beauty. The grandeur of the coastline, mountains, rives and rual scenery will leave a lasting impression. The mild climate and good roads make your self drive campervan holiday a pleasure one.

The West and Riverina region, west of the Blue Mountains, has vast rural areas. The towns reflect the best of country life, and many have fascinating places of historical interest going back to the gold rush days. What could be better than cruising the road at your own pace to discover these great towns than on our campervans? You get the flexibility and leisure experience while driving on the road.

Sydney

Sydney is the most popular city in Australia. It is exciting and dynamic and has many memorable features. Among these are: the spectacular Sydney Harbour, one the finest harbours in the world; the Opera House, recognised as an architectural masterpiece; and nearby ocean beaches renowned for their sweeping beauty.
While you are in Sydney, you can drive your way on your campervan to the Rocks. It has many history buildings that still remain which are now used as arts and craft shops, pubs and galleries. The scenic attractions of Sydney include the northern and southern beaches. The northern beaches extend from Manly in the south to Palm Beach and Barrenjoey Peninsula in the north. Manly is the oldest established resort in Australia, and its ocean beach offers on of the best surfing spots in the world. The southern beaches extend from Ben Buckler at Bondi to Shelly Beach at Cronulla. These beaches offer magnificent seascapes and excellent board and body surfing conditions.

Other places to visit on your campervan holiday from Sydney:

  • Batemans Bay
  • Billabong Craft Centre
  • Blue Mountains
  • Brown Mountain
  • Burning Mountain
  • Byron Bay: Situated on Cape Byron, the most easterly point on mainland Australia.
  • Historic Lighthouse
  • Kangaroo Valley
  • Coffs Harbour

Planning to visit Australia?

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Travel Australia

Holiday in the Outback

Australia has a diverse and unique natural environment with some the last undeveloped wilderness areas left in the world. The contrast of the landscape varies from immense desert regions to impressive alpine mountain snowfields; from rainforests dominated by huge trees to the numerous tropical islands and coral reefs of the Great Barrier Reef. Surrounding this great land is vast coastline, stretching for some 36735 kilometres and made up of sandstone cliffs which resemble gothic grottoes, the fingerprints of storm and wind, and golden beaches that stretch for many miles at a time.

The Australian inland features magnificent deserts and red sand hills, rugged mountain ranges and grassy plains, strange rock formations and spectacular gorges, and shimmering inland lakes and thermal spring pools. It’s very vastness is difficult to comprehend, and one can travel for days at a time without encountering another human soul.

Motoring is a delightful way to see Australia and there are many formalities to impede the progress of travel other than fruit fly and tick checkpoints at some State borders. One can travel as one pleases and explore places near and far. The vast network of highways and roads link the great cities, towns and country areas and range from broad freeways to well-worn dusty tracks across the great Australian inland. For the more adventurous traveller there are also enormous tracts of frontier which can only be explored by campervan, 4wd hire or 4×4 rentalvehicles. Most visitors are drawn to the beauty and excitement of the great Australian ‘Outback’. And many travel on their own self drive campervans to destinations off the beaten track.

Discovering Australia through glossy picture books, or watching authoritative documentaries, is no substitute for exploring this great continent first-hand and on the road. Such an odyssey allows the traveller to plan a trip to take in their particular interests, and to operate on a schedule suited to individual needs.

You should always start your journey by researching and preparing an itinerary. In this way the traveller can properly plan a tour to take into account budget, mode of transport stop-over points and places to visit. Now this is where we come in, our campervan rental can take you places, stop-over points and will save you money on your trip and accommodation. When you travel on our campervan rental, you will be served with an all in one accommodation and mode of transport you require for your self drive holiday. And touring this vast and great continent, it is best to discover it on the road. All you need to prepare is your itinerary and detailed maps of your intended route.

7 Days Trip New South Wales

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7 Day Trip Planner NSW

Picking up a Wicked Camper in Sydney? Sick! Go explore the beaches and dope hinterland of the Central Coast, get mashed up in the wineries of the Hunter Valley or enjoy the picturesque views of Port Stephens. Avid golf player I hear you say? That’s random. But hey, why not work on your swing in a rainforest golf course on the Coffs Coast, or head up to Byron Bay and chill along the beach with a big fat one. Want to get wet? Yeah dive right in baby, dive right in at the Solitary Islands Marine Park, there’s loads of fish…and they’re colorful. If all that sounds a bit boring and you want to get on it, then head up to the bright lights of the Gold Coast. It’s not for everyone’s taste, but hey if plastic is your thing then check it out. Don’t so I didn’t warn you. But seriously, there’s some beautiful parts to check out.

Campervan Rental Australia

Campervan Rental Australia

This road trip planner takes you from Sydney to Brisbane, offering rad beaches, chilled villages, cool rainforests, adventure and good vibes along the way. Enjoy our wicked breakdown below (no puns intended).

Day 1 – Sydney to Central Coast
Take a drive out of Sydney’s northern suburbs to the Central Coast, where you can take a bushwalk in Bouddi National Park, surf it up in Avoca and fish from the beach in Terrigal. Then check out the Coast Walking Track through pretty Bateau Bay and explore the protected beaches and wildlife of Toowoon Bay.

Heading further north, fish and feed pelicans – yep, pelicans. Who doesn’t like pelican’s man, you’ll find ‘em from the ocean beaches of the Entrance. If activities are your thing, there’s plenty of canoeing, waterskiing, sailing, rowing and sailboarding on offer on the Tuggerah Lake.

Heading inland, you can take a ferry or chartered yacht to Brisbane Water National Park, where the bushwalks lead you past some dope Aboriginal art and trippy wildflowers. Trippy wildflowers man.

Day 2 – Central Coast to Hunter Valley
Drive through Newcastle and stop to surf at Nobby’s Beach, take a swim at Bar Beach, get high and go hang-gliding (at the same time) at Dixon Park or scuba dive the many wrecks near Newcastle Harbour. Chill and have lunch at a café along the boardwalk or go check out at Queens Wharf, before heading for a piss up at the vines of the Hunter Valley.

Plenty of top piss here mate. Buy straight from cellar doors in the rolling hills of Lovedale and taste handcrafted-wines in Broke, a glorious, just glorious village surrounded by olive groves and yellow rock.

I just love yellow rock. Or if all this sounds lame, head for the sky with a tandem skydiving experience in Cessnock, whhhooooo extreme man.

Day 3 – Hunter Valley to Port Stephens
Take a drive up to the Nelson Head Lighthouse and have a coffee with panoramic views over the bay. From Nelson Bay, you can kayak or cruise next to bottle-nosed dolphins (ahh they’re so cute maaaan) and dive or snorkel with other marine life at Fly Point.

Back on the other side of the bay, walk to the top of Tomaree Headland in Tomaree National Park and roll about it the sand dunes of Stockton Beach. Sand can be a bitch though, be careful where it ends up dudes.

Day 4 – Port Stephens to Coffs Harbour
Drive out of Port Stephens and through historic Raymond Terrace on the Hunter River. It’s one hell of a drive man. Continuing up the coast, you can fish and scuba dive from Seal Rocks and walk the beautiful beaches of Forster. Alternatively, head inland to the World Heritage-listed wilderness of Barrington Tops. Take a bushwalk or white water raft through the rainforest and past extinct volcanic peaks. Visit Taree and the dramatic Ellenborough Falls and ride a camel along Lighthouse Beach in Port Macquarie. A little further north, you can dive, snorkel or deep sea fish from South West Rocks and chill out on the white beaches of Nambucca Heads. At the end of the day, rest up in Coffs Harbour, a scenic town surrounded by forests and national parks.

Day 5 – Coffs Harbour to Byron Bay
Start your day off with a big brekkie on the beach, take a photo with the famous Big Banana, before checking the larger adventure playground of the Coffs Coast. Kayak through Bongil Bongil National Park or simply hop on a gentle, soothing whitewater raft on the Nymboida River, lol. Alternatively, turn south west for the hippy village of Bellingen and explore the waterfalls and Gondwanan rainforest in Dorrigo National Park. Further north, stop for a coffee in the charming, just charming city of Grafton, ride the dolphins in the Clarence River and take a heritage steam train across the mountains in Glenreagh. Head to Nymboida for whitewater rafting, abseiling and rock-climbing and see the largest platypus colony in the region. Platypus!! You gotta see these sexy bastards. Then rejoin the Pacific Highway and head through the bustling riverfront town of Ballina before arriving in Byron Bay for the night.

Day 6 – Byron Bay to Gold Coast
Early bird catches the worm right? Take a sunrise stroll along the Cape Byron Walking Track and see the first rays of light turn the Byron Bay lighthouse pink. It’s so mystical man…woahhh mystical. Watch out for whales making their annual migration movements between May and November, snorkel with humpbacks, sea turtles and dolphins in Cape Byron Marine Park. Indulge in a big breakfast in one of Byron’s many thriving cafes, then swim or kayak with dolphins off Main Beach or hit the popular surf break of The Pass. Get high (in both senses) and hang glide over the lighthouse, horse ride in the Bangalow or join a four wheel drive tour through the rainbow-fractured waterfalls and rainforest of Byron’s hinterland. This beach paradise is also the place to get a tarot card reading, get all zen at a rainforest retreat or browse the work of local artists at the Saturday markets. Once your zen has been restored, jump in the car for a scenic 90-minute drive to the Gold Coast. You can make a detour through the national parks around Murwillumbah and climb Mount Warning, an ancient eroded volcano. Volcanoes’ are cool.

Day 7 – Gold Coast to Brisbane
Spend the day on the beach, just watch out for bodybuilders and barbie girls (remember, plastic is the word), go spend your dollars on some ice cream and soak up the views along the Gold Coast. Ride the world-class waves of Broadbeach, Kirra and Main Beach. Or lie on the golden sand of Surfers Paradise, where afterwards you can trawl the shops, cafes and restaurants of lively Cavill Avenue. Snorkel or dive the wreck of the Scottish Prince off Main Beach or explore the artificial reef just off Narrow Neck. Head inland and you can explore the waterfalls, rock pools and lush sub-tropical rainforest of Tamborine Mountain National Park, Springbrook National Park and Lamington National Park. There’s also a massive theme park not far away called Sea World, it’s sick! Next door you can watch movies being made at Movie World and survive the mother of all tidal waves at Dreamworld. Once all the fun and games are over, do the hour drive to the gorgeous city of Brissy aka Brisvegas aka Brisbane.

Discover Northern Queensland on a Budget

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Travel on a Budget in Australia

A Start To Your Great Great Barrier Reef Holiday

Queensland, the ‘Sunshine State’, is situated in the subtropical and tropical belt of north-east Australia and offers a wide variety of attractions. These include the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef, the delightful resort towns and islands along the coast, tropical rainforests, striking outback landscapes, gemfields, Aboriginal cave and rock paintings, huge sheep and cattle stations, immense mining fields and unique river, estuary and open-water fishing grounds.

Cairns Roadtrip

Cairns Roadtrip


Located on the far north Queensland coast, Cairns is one of the state’s largest tourist centres. The city is situated close to the Great Barrier Reef, the Atherton Tableland, Cape York and the gulf country. Between September and December the town becomes focus for the annual black marlin season, attracting fishermen from around the world. The offshore reefs and islands include Lizard Island, rich in wildlife and an excellent fishing ground, and Green Island, a coral cay with an underwater observatory. Onshore attractions include Reef World, which is a giant aquarium of fish, turtles and other marine life; the botanic gardens, which have more than two hundreds species of palms and over ten thousand varieties of plants; the Big Boomerang, which displays Aboriginal and Pacific Island artefacts; crystal-clear streams, sparking waterfalls, lush tropical rainforest and mysterious lake craters.
Cairns Roadtrip

Cairns Roadtrip


The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s most extensive coral reef, extending for some 2000 kilometres along the Queensland coastline. On the sheltered side of the reef there are numerous tropical islands, most of them being the peaks of submerged mountains. Many others are simply coral cays rising only a few metres above the sea. The islands are unspoilt, have fringing coral reefs, and are classified in many instances as national parks.

Discover Northern Queensland

North Queensland is diverse region, offering tropical islands, reefs, rainforests, mountains and wide open plains. The major centre is Townsville, a provincial city with an international airport. Attractions may include Breakwater Casino and Magnetic Island. Townsville is also a major point of departure for the Great Barrier Reef, an attractive tropical city surrounded by splendid tourist attractions. To the north are the secluded beaches of the Marlin Coast and Port Douglas. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the world’s most remarkable regions. It is a vast collection of underwater shoals, reefs and coral cays extending from the tip of Cape York Peninsula in the north to Gladstone in the south. The Capricornia section incorporates the Whitsunday-Cumberland Islands, which attract thousands of visitors each year. This has been one of the most campervan holiday destinations in years.

Although weather conditions vary from one region to another, its abundant sunshine makes the State ideal for touring on a campervan. The diverse and spectacular landscape varies from a rich, narrow coastal plain to a vast dry inland plain. The two regions are separated by rugged and erratic sprawl of the Great Dividing Range. The state can be divided into five distinct regions – Darling Downs, the Central Coast, Northern Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef.

A campervan hire can take you on the most popular roadtrip in Australia – the stunning East-Coast roadtrip from Cairns to Sydney/Melbourne (or vice versa). One of the best parts about taking a Cairns campervan hire is that you don’t need to lug your gear with you. You can simply use the storage in the campervan underneath your bedding. A camper has everything – pots, pans, cutlery, a water container, a gas cooker and the kitchen sink. You can also self-drive wherever you want, whenever you want – no more waiting or cleaning up after the other people in your tour group. Cheap campervan hire don’t break the bank account and leave you more cash to spend on the important things – like skydiving, late-night phone calls and cartons of beer!

Road Trip – Brisbane to Melbourne!

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DAY 1

Brisbane to Surfers Paradise (78km, 1h 15m)

Surfers Paradise located south of Brisbane on Queensland’s Gold Coast is a very popular place with backpackers. It is surrounded by trendy bars and pubs with some great places to eat, not to mention sandy white beaches and two huge theme parks in the near vicinity. Surfers Paradise invites exploration. Whether it’s through the winding streets lined with alfresco dining restaurants or the art galleries that showcase local artists’ works and Aboriginal exhibitions. There’s the unending shopping options from top-end designers to outlet bargains and nighttime beachfront markets. Surfers Paradise is enticing in every way imaginable. Surfers Paradise invites exploration. Whether it’s through the winding streets lined with alfresco dining restaurants or the art galleries that showcase local artists’ works and Aboriginal exhibitions. There’s the unending shopping options from top-end designers to outlet bargains and nighttime beachfront markets. Surfers Paradise is enticing in every way imaginable. Camp overnight in Surfers.

DAY 2

Surfers Paradise to Nimbin (105km, 1h 55m)

Slightly off the beaten track today, you will head to Nimbin, 70km west of Byron Bay. Nimbin is dubbed as the capital of alternative living. Nimbin, heart of the Rainbow Region is the most alternative town in Australia. Situated on its colourful doorstep is World Heritage listed rainforest Nightcap National Park. For some reason Nimbin is (in)famous amongst backpacker but Wicked has no idea why. Camp overnight in Nimbin.

DAY 3

Nimbin to Coffs Harbour (235km, 3h 25m)

Coffs is known for it’s golden beaches you won’t be able to resist the waves at popular beaches like Gallows, Park Beach, Diggers, Sapphire, Emerald, Sawtell and more. Catch your own dinner, take one of our professional reef and deep sea fishing charters or go whale watching in season, all our water based tours operate from the Coffs Harbour Marina. Arts, crafts and markets, attractions and walking trails. Tempting multi-cultural restaurants and cafes and a wonderful range of sporting facilities. Camp overnight in Coffs Harbour.

DAY 4

Coffs Harbour to Port Macquarie (160km, 2h 20m)

Ideally situated at the mouth of the Hastings River and the blue Pacific Ocean, Port Macquarie is a water lover’s paradise. 15 pristine beaches, most of them patrolled, line the coast from Port Macquarie south to the Camden Haven. Enjoy the coastal walks, surfing, sail boarding, swimming, fishing, whale watching, and even camel rides. Many beaches feature barbecue facilities and playgrounds. Camp overnight in Port Macquarie.

DAY 5

Port Macquarie to Newcastle (245km, 3h 10m)

Built around a large working harbour, Newcastle boasts a famous university, ten magnificent beaches and picturesque parks offering ample recreational opportunities including surfing, beach fishing and swimming in the fabled Ocean Baths. Newcastle has many attractions even when you can’t visit the major beaches. Camp overnight in Newcastle.

DAY 6

Newcastle to Sydney (160km, 2h 10m)

Sydney is a cosmopolitan world city surrounded by the iconic beaches, lush Hinterland, world heritage sites and acclaimed New South Wales wineries and Sydney I ranked first in the Asia Pacific region for quality of life! Sydney hosts many different festivals and some of Australia’s largest social and cultural events and if you’re lucky, you might just catch one of them. Camp overnight in Sydney.

DAY 7

Spend a full day in Sydney

DAY 8

Spend a full day in Sydney

DAY 9

Sydney to Canberra, ACT (285km, 3h 40m)
With over 300 restaurants, cafes and pubs, the dining scene just gets better and better. A vibrant and young city, Canberra has a thriving entertainment scene. From nightlife to licensed clubs, theatre, festivals and live music, there’s something to appeal to everyone. Tucked away in the city and surrounding suburbs are lots of stylish cocktail lounges, pumping clubs, and traditional pubs offering live music, beer gardens
and live sporting telecasts.
Many of Canberra’s best cocktail bars, clubs and pubs can be found around Garema
Place and nearby City Walk and in the historic Sydney and Melbourne Buildings.
There are plenty of bars in the fashionable inner city suburbs of Kingston and
Manuka, and in Dickson’s Chinatown area. Camp overnight in Canberra.
DAY 10

Canberra, ACT to Albury (345km, 4h 20m)
The Albury Wodonga region is situated on the River Murray in the foothills of Australia’s Great Dividing Range, almost midway between Sydney and Melbourne. The area is populated above the river flats of the Murray River about 160 metres (539 feet) above sea level. The region surrounding Albury Wodonga provides a wide variety of tourist attractions, including the Rutherglen wineries, the historic goldfields towns of Beechworth and Yackandandah, the Hume Weir, boating and fishing on the many rivers and lakes, the forests of the Great Dividing Range and is within driving distance of many of Australia’s snowfields. A paddle steamer runs tours along the Murray during the summer, and the city’s War Memorial, Monument Hill, provides a good view of Albury. Camp overnight in Albury.

DAY 11

Albury to Shepparton (175km, 2h 10m)
Shepparton lies in the Goulburn Valley, a major agricultural and food processing region termed the “food bowl of Australia”. On the banks of the Goulburn River, Shepparton offers great weather, great food and wine, and many recreational and entertainment facilities. Camp overnight in Shepparton.

DAY 12

Shepparton to Melbourne (190km, 2h 20m)
Enjoy the last day of your roadtrip and relax and take your time cruising from Shepparton to Melbourne. Please ensure that you have returned your van to our Wicked Melbourne depot by 2.30pm. Have a safe and above all, Wicked, onward journey!