Sashay your way into the Land Down Under – Australia. Australia is such a big country and although it has a thriving metropolis, there are still some rural roads where driving is quite an experience and something that needs to be savored. If you go on a road trip to the outskirts of the city, you get to see wide open spaces as well as some magical natural scenery. Australia has a lot of destinations that is best experienced by driving a car & one rule of thumb is if you are staying for 3 weeks or less in Australia, you can just rent a car but if staying in the country for 3 months or more, it might be more economical to buy a car.
A lot of tips when you consider buying or renting a car when you are in Australia is just pretty much the same as in any other country but you have to take note of the following special considerations. First, you should check on the vehicle’s registration renewal date as well as the state where it was registered. Why? It’s because different states also have different requirements & fees for vehicle renewal or registration & it may prove difficult for you to renew its registration of your vehicle if out of state. There would actually be a need to register your vehicle in the state where you are a “resident”. You would also be facing the same difficulty if you are planning to purchase a vehicle which is registered to a different state. So what you can do is not renew your car’s registration if you are just buying the car & planning to resell it within a year’s time. Another tip for the car buyer is if your itinerary mostly consists of outback driving, it is better if you purchase a car with a simple, more common model so that it will be easier to obtain spare parts when needed & also easier to repair. If you choose to buy a vehicle that is not so common, expect delays during repairs because your mechanic may not have spare parts to fix it. One useful tip which you need to do before purchasing the car is to complete a Register of Encumbered Vehicle Service or REVS check to the car you are planning to buy. This is just to ensure that you will not be getting any debt from the old owner. It costs $30 and can be requested online. Spot clocks and identification of stolen cars can also be done through REVS checks.
Another tip is that in order to be able to drive I Australia, you would also be required to get a driving license. If you are just a tourist and planning to rent a car, foreign license printed in English can be considered as valid in Australia for a period of three months. If you are planning to move to Australia and you are from countries such a Austria, the UK, Belgium, Canada, etc., this last tip can help you- you can choose to convert your foreign license to an Australian driving license by just paying a small administrative fee.
Requirements to own or rent a vehicle in Australia are not very stringent. What is important is you just submit all required documentation and follow all road rules and drive safely.