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 but before you go on this kind of road trip, make sure that you know and understand everything there is to know and understand about going on an Aussie driving experience.
First thing you need to remember that distances and speed reflected on the road signs will be using the metric system. For distances it will either be in kilometers or meters and as for speed, it will in kph or kilometers per hour. Aussies drive at the left and not at the right side. Second, most vehicles will have their steering wheels at the right side and about seventy percent of the vehicles are on AT or automatic transmission. If you will be renting a car and you are on a limited budget, the rental company will most likely just offer you a stick shift car, one that runs in MT or manual transmission. When using cars like these, the MT will need to be operated using the left hand. You do not need to worry about car pedals since the arrangement is standard worldwide. For the most part, the stalk for the turn signal is on the steering wheel’s right side while the stalk for the windscreen wiper will be on its left.
When talking about driving conditions, these will vary. One big advantage for road trippers is the condition of the roads. Whether it’s between towns, sealed area or cities, roads are well maintained and paved. The same is true for the main highways. However, there are also setbacks. For one, not all rest areas located on major highways have toilets and if you are travelling far, plan where you are going to stop for food and fuel because you may travel hundreds of kilometer without encountering any areas to refuel, buy refreshments & food or use toilets. You also need to check the weather beforehand because some roads are not passable in certain weather conditions or seasons.
Preparation is the key when it comes to driving in Australia, especially if your destination is somewhere remote or away from any major town. Cellphone coverage will be zero in these areas so you might want to seriously consider getting a satellite phone because you never know what might happen. If you are travelling to Aboriginal communities, check whether a permit is required or not. 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.
Aside from the things mentioned above, you might also want to check with the car rental shops for other rules related to riving in Australia.