Road Trip Tasmania - How to Tackle the Island State

Tasmania is Australia's smallest state, it packs a punch and has loads to offer. Historic towns, World Heritage Listed Wilderness areas, pristine beaches, rugged coastline, gorgeous mountains, hiking, wildlife,  and a terrific food and wine industry will make your taste buds EXPLODE.

You can take a Campervan Rental Hobart and drive around Tasmania and enjoy every bit of it and above that doing a road trip is the best way to explore the island. Even though it is a small state it does take longer to drive around than you would anticipate, so don't rush, but slow down and take more in. There are some interesting places to visit in Tasmania which are described as follows.

• Hobart

Hobart is charming, inviting, walk-able, and one of Australia's oldest cities with lots to do in and around the area. The history is still alive with its 19th Century sandstone warehouses that now serve as cafes, restaurants, and artist' studios. Quaint cottages and colonial mansions are all over the small city. And there is the backdrop of Mount Wellington rising above the city and the River Derwent racing through its heart. Get a dash of history by wandering around the historic harbor, Battery Point, and Salamanca. Also, there is the incredible MONA museum.

• Richmond

 

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Historic Richmond is a lovely small town within easy reach of Hobart to spend a few hours exploring the historic sites. Richmond is home to Australia's oldest bridge built in 1825 and Australia's oldest Roman Catholic church, St. John's. You can also check out the Richmond Gaol and just wander around the town looking at the numerous heritage buildings.

• Port Arthur

You can find history, drama, beauty, and sadness in spades in Port Arthur. It has a violent and troubled history as a penal colony for some of Australia's hardened convicts. It is one of the best things you can do in Tasmania and if you are based in Hobart it is accessible via a day trip.

• Bruny Island

It is a beautiful Island beautifully rugged with towering sea cliffs and deep sea caves, fur seals, fairy penguins, an abundance of bird life, and if you are visiting the right season, you get the opportunity to see migrating whales. Bruny Island is an easy day trip from Hobart, and the best way to experience Bruny if you only have half a day is with local legend Rob Pennicott from Pennicott Wilderness and Journeys.

• Coles Bay

 

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Coles Bay is set in a spectacular location with uninterrupted views of the red and pink granite peaks known as The Hazards. It is a small town with a few shops and cafes. The Tombolo Restaurant and coffee bar is famous for its great coffee and wooden fired pizzas, so don't miss it. The town is mostly known as the gateway to Freycinet National Park.

• Freycinet National Park

Freycinet is spectacular, peninsular pink granite mountains, pure white beaches, coastal dues and dry eucalyptus forest. Within this peninsular is the famous Wineglass Bay, a beach consistently rated as one of the world's best. Three pink granite peaks- the Hazard mountains-rise dramatically, protecting the bay from the infiltration of humanity. The Hazards beach is pure, remote, desolate, peaceful, and breathtaking.

• Bay of Fires

 

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Bay of Fires on the northeast coast of Tasmania is a region of pristine white beaches, blue water, and these incredible rock formations in which the color is produced by a lichen. It is wildly regarded as one of the most beautiful places in Tasmania. It is a two and a half hours drive from Launceston.

• Bilong Bay

It is a small coastal town situated at the southern end of the Bay of Fires. It has got a beautiful beach and also there is a famous Binalong Bay Cafe that serves a great coffee and delicious desserts which you can enjoy with an awesome view of the beach.

• Bicheno

Bicheno is a wonderful beach and offers the coastal walk around to the rocky headland overlooking the bay. The town is primarily a fishing port popular with holiday makers and retirees for its mild climate and sunny weather. Also, it is well-known for seeing fairy penguins.

Thus, Tasmania is filled with so many thrilling and historical places that give you a life-changing experience.

Explore Western Australia- 5 Tips For Self-Drive Road Trips

Nothing can be more interesting and fun than a self-drive campervan road trip, which fills you with remarkable emotions and excitement as you drive yourself on adventurous roads and cross the scenic landscapes of unexplored places. And as a traveler, it quickly doubles your excitement and enthusiasm when you hear that your traveling destination is somewhere in Australia. Right? Absolutely right!

 

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Western Australia, is one of the best places when it comes to carrying out a self-drive road trip as it offers amazing routes as far as traveling from one place to another is concerned. Mostly all the international, as well as local travelers, choose Perth as the starting point for their road trips. Considering the fact that Perth is the capital of Western Australia and it plays a host to both domestic and international airports, it is known for welcoming the travelers flying from other countries or rest of the Australian states at the first place. And since both local and international travelers land up in Perth at the first place when it comes to Western Australia, it eventually remains the starting point for the self-drive road trips carried out by them.

You will find a plenty of beaches, parklands, historical sites, art galleries and museums etc., in Western Australia, probably that’s the reason this part of the country keeps on attracting more and more travelers every year.

Mentioned below are some of the tips for self-drive road trip in Western Australia-

1. Hire a campervan

Since you will be starting your road trip from Perth, try to find out about some of the most reliable campervan rental providers and figure out which company if offering better deals on hiring campervan in perth. Don’t book your vehicle until and unless you are sure that you are getting the best facilities in cost-effective rates.

2. Refer maps and Global Positioning System (GPS)

 

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Whenever you hit the roads in Western Australia or anywhere in the world for that matter, you must not forget to refer maps if you want to save your money as well as money. That means until and unless you are sure about the routes, don’t hit the roads blindly as it can end up in the wastage of fuel as well as time. Instead of that, you should give some break to your journey and meanwhile figure out all the details about the routes. In addition to that, you can also use the Global Positioning System (GPS) while carrying out a self-drive road trip, as it can easily take you straight to your destination.

3. Pack the right kind of food for your journey

You must be really concerned about the kind of food that you eat during the road trip, because if do not eat healthy food, there are huge chances of you falling sick. And that can prove to be a real obstacle for you as far as enjoying the trip is concerned. Hence, all the intelligent travelers prefer to pack healthy food, whenever they go ahead with a road trip.

4. Keep a track of the fuel use

 

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Another important thing that you should always remember during a self-drive road trip is to measure the fuel uses. If you keep a track of the fuel use, you will never run short of it as you can easily fill the fuel tank before it actually gets over. However, if you do not keep a track of fuel uses, you may fail to refill it at the right time, which can eventually create lots of problems for you as far as running your vehicle is concerned.

5. Take Breaks Frequently

 

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One of the most important part of driving safely during your trip is to take breaks frequently, as it helps in reducing the tiredness faced by drivers due to continues driving. Apart from that make it sure to avoid over speeding, as that can result in fatal accidents.

5 Useful Tips Before Taking Your Baby to Motorhome Camping

Camping is always considered one of the best activities to do along with your friends and family members. This is one such outdoor activity that can be enjoyed in various ways. If you have a penchant for hardcore adventure, then you can surely opt for wild camping. There are many regions in Australia, where wild camping can be amazingly adventurous. However, wild and adventure filled camping is not always possible, particularly when you have a baby to look after.

Well, if you have a baby, then it does not mean that no camping is more possible. Though it becomes a bit difficult to take care of a baby during camping, but with the advancement of Motorhome rental, now it is possible to take even your baby to camping. For those who do not know, a motor home is a kind of caravan which is used particularly for camping purpose. You can get this kind of vehicle either on rent, or you can purchase it. Nevertheless, there are certain tips that you need to remember when it comes to camping with a baby, particularly on this kind of caravan.

 

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Tips regarding camping with baby

Since handling a baby requires great care, therefore one need to be very sure about the things that matter in this regard. Some of them are:

#1. Sleeping

Inside the camping caravan, you should get a travel cot or a Moses basket for your baby. The selection certainly depends on how old your baby is.

No doubt, a travel cot can serve as a good as well as a protected playpen for your baby. Since the temperature can fall significantly during the nights, therefore you must make sure that your Motorhome has enough blankets inside it. A sleeping bag or a grow bag can provide the more amount of comfort to your baby, particularly if the weather outside is too cold.

#2. Sterilizing

In case your baby is too small then in that case it is highly recommended that all the bottles should be sterilized. In order to do this, you can dip the bottles into boiled water. You can also utilize a steam sterilizer. So, before leaving your home, sterilize the bottles your baby use.

#3. Formula or Milk

It is quite normal to have stove inside a camping caravan, and the same stove can be used for preparing formula. You can also boil the milk and let it cool down before pouring the same into the bottle. Cartons of formula can be purchased can stored inside the Motorhome, and this will surely take your worries away.

#4. Clothes

Babies feel more comfortable when they are wrapped with soft clothes, particularly when the environment is cold. So, before going out on a camping, it would be better to take some extra pieces of clothes, so that they can be placed around your baby. Covering more amount of area with soft clothes will allow your baby to crawl and sit easily.

#5. Accessories

Babies want to play, and therefore you must carry some accessories for your baby. Even though it is not necessary to carry too many accessories or baby toys, but carrying the most favourite ones will surely keep your baby happy. In addition, you should also carry travelling items like pushchair, car seat, etc. During the summer season, you can also consider carrying a paddling pool. So, there are numbers of ways you can make your Motorhome well equipped.

Apart from the above mentioned tips, you can find many more in the web world. When renting a caravan for camping, it would be better to tell your requirements to the service provider, so that the best model can be provided to you.

5 Safety Tips for Making Your Family Road Trip in 4WD More Memorable

Family road trips in Australia are among the fun filled activities, and this is the reason why a lot of caravans are booked during the peak seasons. However, if you are looking for some more fun, then in that case you need to look at something different from a simple caravan. This is where a 4WD can really impress you. 

 

In case you do not know about it, a 4WD is a kind of drive train that comes with the capability of rendering power to all four wheel ends, on both the axles simultaneously. So, it becomes possible to explore even the tough and treacherous terrains.

 

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But, before heading towards trip with your family, on a 4WD, there are certain points that can add more fun and good experience to the same. If you do not have much experience in driving this kind of campervan, or you have not been to many road trips then it is better to keep some tips handy. This will save you from the hassles that might come in your way.

Tips that can help you a lot

#1. Understand 4WD

Before you take a 4WD to the real terrain with your family, it would be better to understand the driving conditions of this vehicle. Even though you may have good amount of experience in driving this kind of heavy vehicle, but the accessories can be different. You need to understand how to drive this vehicle on sand, snow, or gravel. In addition, you also have to understand the aspects of driving in a very hot weather condition. So, before going on a road trip with your family, it would be better to undergo a driving course related to 4WD.

#2. Carry the survival kit of 4WD

The survival kit of 4WD is absolutely necessary, as it may save you from situations that can prove to be dangerous. Bringing two spare tyres along with a spar wheel can really help a lot. In addition, wheel bearing kits as well as recovery tools can also bring you out from treacherous situations.

#3. Air compression

One of the most important tips is that you should not forget to carry an air compressor for any kind of campervan. In the case of 4WD, you would definitely need a heavy duty air compressor, which can help you inflate the replaced tyres, or even inflate the ones with low air pressure. In addition, you can use the same air compressor for other purposes as well, such as for inflating airbed.

#4. Thorough inspection

Before your 4WD hits the actual road, get it thoroughly inspected by the experts. In most parts of Australia, you would find 4WD experts who can provide you the current health of your 4WD, which in turn will help you fine, tune the performance of the vehicle. The brakes and the level of engine’s fluid must be checked very carefully. The oil tank also should be checked. After all, you would never want to take a 4WD or any campervan which is in a bad health condition to a family road trip.

#5. Don’t carry too much

Yes, you need to understand that your 4WD is a kind of vehicle meant just for fun and adventure, like any other campervan. For this reason, you should not carry too many people in your 4WD. It will not only imbalance the vehicle, but will also put other’s life at risk. Hence, try to keep the weight within the right bracket, and avoid any kind of unwanted incident. This will surely make your family road trip more enjoyable and memorable for sure.

Enjoy a Budget Friendly Holiday by Hiring a Campervan

Campervans are typically utility-sized vans that are outfitted with the basic essentials for you to be self-sufficient: beds, sinks, crockery, cooking facilities, and a fridge. Depending on the size of the vehicle, you may also find toilet and shower facilities, but these are often reserved for larger motor homes.

What to Get?

Exploring the Brisbane in a motor home is a great form of escapism. You can sleep in comfort in places so remote that there are no hotels for miles around. You can wake up at dawn, pull up the blinds and watch the morning sun hoist its way up the cliffs and pinnacles of Monument Valley or pull into a picnic spot and cook a slap-up meal as the evening sun warms the grey granite of Yosemite into a rose gold. Camping never felt so good. This all can be achieved through Campervan Rental.

How to Get?

Australia has an incredible network of basic but beautiful state park and national park campsites. Facilities vary hugely: some have shower blocks and full electric hookups for motor home; the more remote just offer pit lavatories. Some don't allow reservations, but the most popular sites do and they can get booked up months ahead.

Important Things

• Be prepared to drive standard; most Campervan has a manual transmission.

• You drive on the left-hand side of the road from Brisbane.

• Our usually have to be at least 21 years old to rent a Campervan.

• Although it is common to pick up and drop off your vehicle in different locations, check with your

• Rental Company to ensure they have a drop off location at your desired final stop and confirm if

• There are any extra fees to do this.

• Insurance charges vary from company to company; some have mandatory charges while others do not.

• Advise the rental company regarding your desired itinerary.

• Rental companies like Aussie Campervans will not allow you to travel on, including unpaved or remote roads. At other times of year, some roads are impassable or require a special vehicle snorkel.

• The rental company should fit you with a vehicle that is appropriate for your planned route and time of year.

• Equipment and conveniences included with the Campervan vary. Make sure you have everything you want. Be prepared to supplement along the way with creature comforts like extra blankets for the cold climes, or a coffee pot for your morning cup.

• There are stretches of road in Australia so remote that rusted out broken-down cars are simply abandoned at the side of the road, eerily making you wonder what happened to the owner. Make sure your vehicle is solid (especially if you buy it), so yours doesn’t become one of the rusty

Reasonable Rental for Campervans

The expense of camping surprised me. I figured that with a Campervan, I had free accommodation at my fingertips. But you cannot camp inside city limits, or at the side of the road, and sometimes even rest areas are off-limits for overnight stays. So unless you do some “renegade camping”, you will often have to pay to park your wheels for the night.

The widespread popularity of campervan rental caravan parks is unmatched and that is why people prefer it. Powered Campervan sites will cost you up to $40/night, and un-powered sites can cost up to $25/night.

Brisbane is best seen from the road, which explains the popularity of Aussie road trips among both travelers and locals. And with proper planning and budgeting, your own Campervan holiday in Australia can be incredibly fulfilling without emptying your wallet.

8 Significant Tips for Australia Motorhome Rentals

Exploring different corners of Australia, that too in a self-driven 4WD motorhome can turn out to be one of the best travel experiences you can ever have in your life. Traveling through Australian outbacks (in a self-driven motorhome) which covers a large part of the country including the Northern Territory, is certainly a lifetime experience. The country offers countless stunning tourist destinations and other beautiful things such dense mountain ranges and forests, alluring beaches, magnificent islands and rich wildlife.

However, in order to make your holiday trip successful, you need to take care of lots of things, which you might not think are important for you. Mentioned below are 5 important tips, which you must follow at any cost.

#1. Knowledge of driving rules and regulations is a must

The thumb rule of driving in Australia is that in addition to having a valid driving license, you must stick to the left side of the road. Yes, that is right, Australian driving rules say that you should drive the only side of the road.

In addition to that either you hire a 4WD motorhome or any other self-driven rental vehicle, the companies renting the Vehicle prefer the driver to be above 21-years, in order to easily get the rental insurance. However, if the driver is below that age limit, they find it quite expensive to get the rental insurance for the driver in question.

#2. Maintain reasonable speed while driving a 4WD motorhome

Considering the fact that most of the accidents occur due to rash driving, Australia has some of the most strict rules in the world, when it comes preventing the drivers from over speeding the vehicles. However, if you are driving on the highways or freeways you can go up to 100km/h, but while driving in cities, small towns or suburbs you cannot exceed the speed of your vehicle beyond 80 km/h. In fact the idle speed to maintain in the cities and towns would be somewhere between 50 to 70 km/h.

If in case you go beyond the predefined speed limit, you will be charged with a speeding ticket, which is basically generated by a speeding camera. Once a speeding ticket is generated against your speed, you will have to pay the fine at any cost.

However, if we talk specifically about Northern Territory there are lots of tracks for which speed limit has not been defined yet, but that doesn't mean you can go up to any extent in terms of speeding your vehicle.

#3. Never talk over the phone while driving in Australia

If you are not an Australian, then you must be aware of the fact that while driving you cannot talk over the phone as it is illegal. If it is really urgent to make a call you should stop the car at the first place and then perform the required activity.

#4. Don’t drive continuously for a long time

While driving on Australian roads, you really need to pull over the vehicle every 2 to 3 hours in order to reduce fatigue. It is really important for drivers to drive with a fresh mind. You can never enjoy the journey to the fullest if you are really tired. In fact, you shouldn’t be driving more than 200 to 250 kilometers a day.

#5. Do a good research about the companies that provide self-driven vehicles

Before booking a 2WD or 4WD vehicle, you must research the company in details. That means you should be able to find a company that provides self-driven cars on reasonable rates.

#6. Book a right vehicle that can fulfill your requirements

You should always select your vehicle depending upon where you are traveling. For example, if you are traveling to an outback region, it’s good to have a 4WD motorhome. However, if you are headed towards a city in a highway you can even hire a 2WD vehicle.

#7. Plan your trip in the right season

If you are really interested in exploring Australia, you must plan your trip in the right season, considering the fact that seasons are reversed here due to its geographical location in the southern hemisphere. If you want to visit Southern Australia, you should plan your trip somewhere between September to April.

#8. Carry right travel equipment and accessories

Since the motor home that you hire come with all most everything, you only need to take a select few things such as torchlight, scissors, and first aid box etc.

If the above-mentioned points are effectively followed, you can really enjoy your Australian trip.

Technology on a Mission to Keep the Roads Safe

The traffic on normal roads is increasing day after day and will do so as the time passes, the road network has become an integral part of our civilization to move from one place to another. Goods are carried by trucks or huge trailers from one place to another and thanks to the increasing number of car owners, the highways and normal city roads are jam packed with hired 4wd vehicles. Now, maintaining this traffic and also with so many vehicles around, there is a lot of risk of road accidents which are very common and can be deadly to the safety of people. This is a problem and it is very difficult to maintain order on the roads.

Now, technology is being developed to ensure that the task of traffic control is made a lot simpler with the introduction of technology which will help the police to monitor the roads and also catch the culprits who violate basic traffic laws.

Use of technology for road safety

• Speed detectors and its use

It has been proved that most of the numbers of road accidents which take place are due to rash driving, and people tend to ignore the speed limits for different roads and tend to speed at will if they find the roads empty. So, now at every major crossing or a traffic signal there is a patrol car, these policemen have a speed detector in their possession and if they see the car is speeding; then they will either chase it or with the help of the camera attached to the hood of their car, they will issue a speeding ticket with the speeding car’s registration on it.

Thanks to technology now catching people who speed over the speed limits are being caught easily. Due to this there has been a considerable fall in the number of accidents caused due to speeding cars.

• CCTV cameras to stop traffic rule breakers

There are traffic cameras installed at traffic signals, this is to ensure that traffic signals are made to be followed and respected by the drivers. The cameras are very quick, if a car speeds past a signal when it is a red light, then the camera clicks innumerable pictures of the number plate of the car so as to issue a speeding ticket.

The traffic police have taken such steps to install cameras at traffic signals because the number of horrible accidents on roads is due to the fact that people do not respect the traffic signals, once when people are issued speeding tickets for not following traffic rules then the discipline to follow rules will automatically be followed by the people. Regular offenders will have their driving licenses suspended for at least six months.

Due to this innovation, the traffic police have confirmed that there has been a steady decrease in the number of road accidents caused due to breaking of traffic signals. Though there have been a lot of people whose licenses have been suspended, but this will only ensure safety of the road.

• Steps taken to curtail drinking and driving

A lion’s share of the number of accidents taking place on the road involves the practice of consuming alcohol and driving. The police also reported that there is an increase in road accidents on weekends as people tend to drink and drive. The invention and use of breath detectors and blood testers which show the alcohol the driver has consumed helps the policemen charge them a fine or suspend their license.

These are the ways how technology has helped the roads a safer place to drive and also ensure that the job of the policemen is made a lot easier.

For more you can read this PDF from Monash university.