10 Things I learnt about Roadtripping in Australia

Over the course of about two weeks, we drove over 3,000Km from Perth all the way up to Exmouth and back, via a few of the key stopovers. The distances in WA are just so vast that it was the best way to see what we wanted in a relatively short amount of time.

Our SUV at the Pinnacles Desert 

We rented an SUV, borrowed an eski, filled it with food (and beer), and hit the road Northbound, with a skeleton of a plan but plenty of flexibility for new ideas along the way. I'd never driven those kinds of distances before, let alone in Australia, and learnt a few things along the way...

1. Don't drive at night, dusk or dawn. This is when kangaroos, wallabies, feral goats (yes, that is a real thing here) and other animals come out to play and they often graze on the grass in the verges of the highways. If they panic and bounce into you, your car could see some serious damage.

2. Check the fine-print of your rental contract before going ahead. Loads of the roads to campsites, to lookouts and through national parks are unsealed (gravel or earth) and most of them don't allow you to drive on them. We rented through Avis, who seemed to allow it. 

3. Consider upping your game and renting a 4WD. There are huge swathes of National Parks which sound amazing and are only accessible to the right kind of vehicles.

4. Buy a WA National Parks Holiday Pass. Most of the parks charge about $13 entry per vehicle per day whereas the $47 pass will give you unlimited access to any park for a month.

5. Bring your own drinking water, and depending on where you're heading, some spare petrol. Water can be hard to come by and many of the basic campsites don't have any drinking water available.

A typical petrol station 

6. Look into petrol prices and plan accordingly. The Fuel Watch App is super helpful and can save you loads. If you plan on doing a big food shop, Woolworths gives you a voucher for 4c off the litre.

7. Shower whenever you get the chance! Many of the cheaper or free campsites don't any facilities so it's a luxury you should enjoy when you can. 

8. Useful apps include WikiCamps, Camper Mate to find good campsites, showers and facilities.

9. If you have the budget, it's worth staying at the Station houses along the way. These tend to be well-laid out, family run places, in the heart of rural farmland. We stayed at Bullara, an hour or so South of Exmouth and loved it. 

A friendly pony at Bullara Station House 

10. Don't assume you'll be able to get, phone, internet, WiFi, or radio signal; download some podcasts and playlists before you set off!