My husband and I are planning a trip around Australia leaving from Melbourne April next year. does any one have any suggestions of places to visit etc. is there an IPad app where I can plan the whole trip like on google maps?
milo said
06:47 PM Aug 26, 2013
hi , welcome to the site Rocknroll, there is a great app called Wiki camps for ipad etc
I love seing some of the little bush towns, they have lots of history
ie Kimba in South Australia for one , (my mum grew up there!)
and wiki camps has the caravan parks and free camping sites too
good luck and enjoy it!!
Rocknroll said
08:27 PM Aug 26, 2013
I downloaded the Wiki camps app, which looks good, however it does not give you the ability to plan the whole trip, showing all the stops on a map and the route. Ideally I would like also to be able to add comments and places of interest to see in the area And track distances between each stop.
werkin said
09:12 PM Aug 26, 2013
Hi Rocknroll, we are starting our trip in September and have invested in 2 things that we have found invaluable( we are just travelling by car and staying wherever till we pick up our van in September) that is a Hemanavigator that has the off road tracks as well as lots of other information and the camps 7 book that you can also buy as an app but I like looking at books must admit we are set up to totally freecamp and this will be our permanent home so not sure of your intentions .hope this helps a bit also NRMA/ RACT/ racv whatever one has trip planners that I found to be quite good,we started a spreadsheet on the puter ages ago and whenever we hear of somewhere for the bucket list we add it we have all sorts of heading from toilets to pets, views,water etc and coordinates and have divided it up into states,works for us happy travelling and maybe catch up for happy hour somewhere along the way.
Cheers
Di aka werkin
buffy61 said
12:10 AM Aug 27, 2013
Plan?? What is this thing you speak of???
You have all you need...plan as you go!!! Much more fun!!!
Gerty Dancer said
12:41 AM Aug 27, 2013
Plan? You will have a bit of a list to start with, but really its best to make it up as you go along. Unless you have a deadline to return home or something.
The first thing you do when you get to a town is go to the visitor information centre. Suddenly you will have so much information about things to do, plus they often have info about towns further on, and from all this you make a loose plan.
jules47 said
12:55 AM Aug 27, 2013
PLAN????????!!!!! is this a new four letter word!!!!???????
jbell6660 said
02:16 AM Aug 27, 2013
Just love those replies re "PLAN" peoples!!!
werkin said
02:34 AM Aug 27, 2013
Don't fret I realise that all the "plans" we have made will change at a whim we haven't even picked up the van yet and our " plans" have changed too many times to count but we are loving it
cheers
werkin
pambaz said
03:51 AM Aug 27, 2013
Lucky people!
You know you really can't plan it, too many distractions to put the plans out.
Just work out which direction you want to go ,research towns and areas you are heading into, take a day at a time and just relax and have fun.
Looking at forums is a huge help, that's how we did our first trip and listen to other travellers you will learn heaps.
There are so many places to see its impossible to make a list.
All we have is a laptop, IPad , Garmin and camps 6. You really don't need anything else. We have done over 50,000 klms with these and it works well for us.
Once you are on the road you will know what I mean.
Keep safe and have a ball.
Pam
herbie said
05:54 AM Aug 27, 2013
All I can give you as a starting point is follow the seasons.( or the sun ) as nothing worse than hitting an area at the wrong time of the year.
In saying that it sure as hell would not be much fun say hitting N/T in their wet season as a lot of the n/parks are closed also a lot of roads get cut off for weeks at a time. This also goes for FNQ.
werkin said
08:54 AM Aug 27, 2013
gee the cemetery seems a different but is very central being right in the dead center of town close to everything
-- Edited by werkin on Tuesday 27th of August 2013 08:55:35 AM
tezza said
02:54 PM Aug 27, 2013
We find that op shops are great scources of information in smaller centres. They are usually staffed by ladies who have been in the district all their lives and who love a chat and a chance to tell visitors all the things they should see and the things that are not worth the trouble, Will also help with info on free camping in the area. We find cemeteries are good places to camp if you don't want a fire. They are usually on level ground and have water, sometimes have toilets and the neighbours are quiet.
Dougwe said
03:50 PM Aug 27, 2013
Welcome from me too Rocknroll, enjoy here and out in the playground.
Gerty Dancer said
04:11 PM Aug 27, 2013
Yeah we've stayed beside but not in a couple of cemeteries. Also useful to stop for a picnic cuppa when theres no parking in some places.
spida said
06:16 PM Aug 27, 2013
My 'plan' has a start date and finish destination for the leg I am on atm, and probable date. So wonderful to be side-tracked if you have time! I dont book ahead for caravan parks - but then avoid busy places like Broome, and now I am enjoying camping so much I can stay anywhere for how ever long I want to so a CP is not so important other than to do the washing etc.
Rocknroll said
08:41 PM Aug 27, 2013
OMG! This is a new concept of thinking. We have recently come back from a 10 week European trip, where my husband planned and booked everything including tours, train travel, hotels, car hire almost to the minute!
I guess a general plan as far as which direction, the main route etc is o.k.?
Gerty Dancer said
10:04 PM Aug 27, 2013
Hubby might get a bit nervous with no plan at all! You need to decide which way to travel to arrive in nice weather, that's a start. We pre-book some tours or places that need to be booked ahead and it gives you a bit of structure.
Its such a great feeling, if you like a place, to decide to stay longer, or go if you didn't like it.
wendyv said
10:20 PM Aug 27, 2013
When we started out - with an open-ended time frame - I copied a map of Australia and roughly circled regions with season and approx times. Thus, Cape York area was circled with winter '98; southern Qld and northern NSW with summer '98-99; the Melbourne area with March '99 (family wedding); Central Australia and the Simpson Desert with winter '99; Tasmania with spring-summer-autumn '99-2000; the Kimberley with winter 2000; SW WA with summer-autumn 2000-01, and so on.
Then I linked the areas roughly with intersting looking routes and detours.
I also use a spreadsheet I made up that enables more detailed planning - by week/month - and to which I can add recommended places to stay, sights to see and the like. That provides a framework that is able to be varied - and it always is! I think the most important travel rule is to be prepared to change and adapt plans to what you find, hear about, etc.
beiffe said
03:37 PM Aug 28, 2013
I don't plan as I always stuff it up.
I decide every morning IF i will move and then go from there.
Never be frightened to reverse over tracks you have already done if you find something that interests you not far from where you are.
I always stay in one place for 3 days minimum EVERY week and then the new week starts as soon as the motor starts so I might have two long stays separated by a short drive as both sites interest me.
Make a realistic distance that you can travel in a day (mine is 300Kms) and once that day is done you don't try and catch up on any kilometers lost on that day.
I never book ahead ( I normally freedom camp so not a problem) and I never accept others description of a camp site unless I have heard it many times, best to check yourself if you are going past the area and then you know. Also lets you know if your desires match the other persons desires as we are all different in what we want.
Try all sorts of camping which includes caravan parks and free camps (or what ever name you wish to call them) and then either combine the ones you like or stick to one, but don't give any style up until you have given them a couple of goes.
Also understand we are all different in everything we do such as where we camp, how we travel, what we eat and what we did for a living as you will meet many types out there and many you meet will be very interesting in their life stories and many will be very humble in their achievements but also be aware of the person who has the only vehicle that should be on the road and who claims he has more money and more real estate than you have.
The most important thing you have to achieve is to enjoy yourself, your partner if you have one, the people you meet as well as the country that you will travel through.
Ensure whilst you enjoy your travels you do your best to ensure that you always leave the country better for you visit and you reward the towns with some custom if you free camp in their shire.
Spend time with the locals as you travel (hotel, fishing shop, coffee shop etc) as these are the places to find the LOCAL hideaways that you will enjoy and also lets the locals know that they are getting custom from the traveling nomads and it is not all one way where they see their rates going into the rest stops and getting nothing back.
Buy your fuel and supplies in the areas where you stop if free camping and let them know that your enjoyed your stay and that you are trying to return some money to their area.
If you have time on your hands try some voluntary work as you travel as this will give you lots of satisfaction for your self but also give you a greater insight into the area and be advised lots of sites to visit and see. Often you will be driven around the area and see things that the normal travelers never see.
Enjoy the journey.
Regards
Brian
Gerty Dancer said
04:08 PM Aug 28, 2013
Very well said Beiffe.
The dog lady said
04:19 PM Aug 28, 2013
jules47 wrote:
PLAN????????!!!!! is this a new four letter word!!!!???????
Hmm, not a new word I think, doesn't it refer to what you're doing when you say "I'm heading north" Oh, I remember, it's what you had to do when you were still working. Plan & Work, definitely 4 letter words.
Rocknroll said
06:20 PM Aug 28, 2013
Thanks everyone for all your very helpful hints. They have been enlightening and we have enjoyed reading everyone's comments. The concept of just heading off without a plan is daunting. I understand that you do not need to pre book sites etc, but as far as heading north to Darwin from Melbourne, can anyone suggest whether we should go up the Mitchell, Leichhardt Highway, or the one in the middle?
wendyv said
03:47 AM Aug 29, 2013
Maybe go up the centre, because April and May would be a good time to explore Central Australia, on the way. You could take your time and still arrive in Darwin before the super-busy season.
In many places across the north, if you want to use caravan parks, from about mid-June to late August, it is advisable to book ahead, even if it is only the day before you plan to travel. Somewhere like Darwin or Broome, I'd be booking a few weeks in advance, at that time of the year.
From Melbourne, a pleasant way to go towards central Aust, is via Bendigo, Mildura, Renmark, Morgan, Burra, Peterborough, to Port Augusta. Make sure you are not caught out by the fruit and veg quarantine rules along the Murray, and going into SA.
Evie n Rhys said
05:31 AM Aug 29, 2013
Make sure you know when the school holidays are in each state you are visiting and AVOID THEM LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!!
Tess
My husband and I are planning a trip around Australia leaving from Melbourne April next year. does any one have any suggestions of places to visit etc. is there an IPad app where I can plan the whole trip like on google maps?
hi , welcome to the site Rocknroll, there is a great app called Wiki camps for ipad etc
check out this http://www.wikicamps.com.au/
I love seing some of the little bush towns, they have lots of history
ie Kimba in South Australia for one ,
(my mum grew up there!)
and wiki camps has the caravan parks and free camping sites too
good luck and enjoy it!!
I downloaded the Wiki camps app, which looks good, however it does not give you the ability to plan the whole trip, showing all the stops on a map and the route. Ideally I would like also to be able to add comments and places of interest to see in the area And track distances between each stop.
Hi Rocknroll, we are starting our trip in September and have invested in 2 things that we have found invaluable( we are just travelling by car and staying wherever till we pick up our van in September) that is a Hemanavigator that has the off road tracks as well as lots of other information and the camps 7 book that you can also buy as an app but I like looking at books must admit we are set up to totally freecamp and this will be our permanent home so not sure of your intentions .hope this helps a bit also NRMA/ RACT/ racv whatever one has trip planners that I found to be quite good,we started a spreadsheet on the puter ages ago and whenever we hear of somewhere for the bucket list we add it we have all sorts of heading from toilets to pets, views,water etc and coordinates and have divided it up into states,works for us happy travelling and maybe catch up for happy hour somewhere along the way.
Cheers
Di aka werkin
You have all you need...plan as you go!!! Much more fun!!!
The first thing you do when you get to a town is go to the visitor information centre. Suddenly you will have so much information about things to do, plus they often have info about towns further on, and from all this you make a loose plan.
Don't fret I realise that all the "plans" we have made will change at a whim we haven't even picked up the van yet and our " plans" have changed too many times to count but we are loving it
cheers
werkin
You know you really can't plan it, too many distractions to put the plans out.
Just work out which direction you want to go ,research towns and areas you are heading into, take a day at a time and just relax and have fun.
Looking at forums is a huge help, that's how we did our first trip and listen to other travellers you will learn heaps.
There are so many places to see its impossible to make a list.
All we have is a laptop, IPad , Garmin and camps 6. You really don't need anything else. We have done over 50,000 klms with these and it works well for us.
Once you are on the road you will know what I mean.
Keep safe and have a ball.
Pam
All I can give you as a starting point is follow the seasons.( or the sun ) as nothing worse than hitting an area at the wrong time of the year.
In saying that it sure as hell would not be much fun say hitting N/T in their wet season as a lot of the n/parks are closed also a lot of roads get cut off for weeks at a time. This also goes for FNQ.
gee the cemetery seems a different but is very central being right in the dead center of town close to everything
-- Edited by werkin on Tuesday 27th of August 2013 08:55:35 AM
OMG! This is a new concept of thinking. We have recently come back from a 10 week European trip, where my husband planned and booked everything including tours, train travel, hotels, car hire almost to the minute!
I guess a general plan as far as which direction, the main route etc is o.k.?
Its such a great feeling, if you like a place, to decide to stay longer, or go if you didn't like it.
Then I linked the areas roughly with intersting looking routes and detours.
I also use a spreadsheet I made up that enables more detailed planning - by week/month - and to which I can add recommended places to stay, sights to see and the like. That provides a framework that is able to be varied - and it always is! I think the most important travel rule is to be prepared to change and adapt plans to what you find, hear about, etc.
I decide every morning IF i will move and then go from there.
Never be frightened to reverse over tracks you have already done if you find something that interests you not far from where you are.
I always stay in one place for 3 days minimum EVERY week and then the new week starts as soon as the motor starts so I might have two long stays separated by a short drive as both sites interest me.
Make a realistic distance that you can travel in a day (mine is 300Kms) and once that day is done you don't try and catch up on any kilometers lost on that day.
I never book ahead ( I normally freedom camp so not a problem) and I never accept others description of a camp site unless I have heard it many times, best to check yourself if you are going past the area and then you know. Also lets you know if your desires match the other persons desires as we are all different in what we want.
Try all sorts of camping which includes caravan parks and free camps (or what ever name you wish to call them) and then either combine the ones you like or stick to one, but don't give any style up until you have given them a couple of goes.
Also understand we are all different in everything we do such as where we camp, how we travel, what we eat and what we did for a living as you will meet many types out there and many you meet will be very interesting in their life stories and many will be very humble in their achievements but also be aware of the person who has the only vehicle that should be on the road and who claims he has more money and more real estate than you have.
The most important thing you have to achieve is to enjoy yourself, your partner if you have one, the people you meet as well as the country that you will travel through.
Ensure whilst you enjoy your travels you do your best to ensure that you always leave the country better for you visit and you reward the towns with some custom if you free camp in their shire.
Spend time with the locals as you travel (hotel, fishing shop, coffee shop etc) as these are the places to find the LOCAL hideaways that you will enjoy and also lets the locals know that they are getting custom from the traveling nomads and it is not all one way where they see their rates going into the rest stops and getting nothing back.
Buy your fuel and supplies in the areas where you stop if free camping and let them know that your enjoyed your stay and that you are trying to return some money to their area.
If you have time on your hands try some voluntary work as you travel as this will give you lots of satisfaction for your self but also give you a greater insight into the area and be advised lots of sites to visit and see. Often you will be driven around the area and see things that the normal travelers never see.
Enjoy the journey.
Regards
Brian
Hmm, not a new word I think, doesn't it refer to what you're doing when you say "I'm heading north"
Oh, I remember, it's what you had to do when you were still working. Plan & Work, definitely 4 letter words.
In many places across the north, if you want to use caravan parks, from about mid-June to late August, it is advisable to book ahead, even if it is only the day before you plan to travel. Somewhere like Darwin or Broome, I'd be booking a few weeks in advance, at that time of the year.
From Melbourne, a pleasant way to go towards central Aust, is via Bendigo, Mildura, Renmark, Morgan, Burra, Peterborough, to Port Augusta. Make sure you are not caught out by the fruit and veg quarantine rules along the Murray, and going into SA.
Tess