If you’re doing a fly and drive, or just fancy and upgrade for your roadtrip, you need to be prepared.  With just over a week to go, make sure you get your car booked now.

————————

So it’s Easter weekend and we head south from Sydney, meandering some might say.  Booked accommodation a necessity we had not brought.  Kiama and the famous blowhole was a loose destination.  So we stopped and lunched at the stupendous sight…and it is pretty impressive.

The lure of some hope of a bed enticed the onward journey and we continued south and stumbled across a backpackers of sorts.  The bearded fella greeted us with the news that he had a four bed dorm but that his daughter needed one of the beds.  We needed two.  Problem solved.  We checked out the room, mentally allocated ourselves a bed each.  Said daughter was expected later than night.

Pool and beer beckoned in the nearby common room and so we set upon showing up the locals with our superb city slicker pool skills.  You know how that went!  Before last orders were called, we sidled out following the demise of our pool prowess and headed for bed.

Now it’s important to mention that despite how laissez-faire this may all sound, to the average Joe we really fall into the ‘normal average couple’ department.  Remember the pre-allocated, albeit mentally, beds – well my other half (the male one) climbs into his previous mentally allocated bed, only to find it lumpy and less receptive that it had been earlier, owing to the fact that owner’s daughter had allocated herself said bed and was sleeping there!

The next day we made a quick exit before any explanations were requested.  But we had a blast.

•  CHECK THE CAR – Have the car checked out in time to have any minor jobs done before your trip
• WEATHER CHECK Check ahead for stormy weather – this gives you an opportunity to be ahead of any bad spells of weather that may be forecast
• PLAN YOUR JOURNEY – factor in a Plan B (pit stops, extra food/water) – in case of unexpected delays
• RAIN, RAIN AND MORE RAIN – we all KNOW it rains at Easter just as sure as the Easter Bunny brings eggs! – check out what indoor activities can keep you and the kids occupied on soggy days – THINK museums, galleries, libraries, indoor play areas, leisure centres – many have extra things scheduled for school holidays.
• PACK SENSIBLY – bring enough but don’t be too weighed down – kids scooters are a great way to keep them on the move (in any weather) without the bulk of bicycles.

You can find salt water crocs in the north, surfing in the south, fishing in the middle and siteseeing everywhere.

Queensland has a Sea World, Wet N Wild, Bird Sanctury (Currumbin), Australia Zoo and a massive world heritage site called the great barrier reef.

It is normal for people to go south in the summer and head north in the winter as the summer can get very hot and humid. The very temperate north can be extremely appealing in winter.

Queensland also hosts many spectacular thunderstorms in the summer. It also host a magnificent and very unique cloud formation in the month of August.

Brisbane is the capital city of Queensland and it’s hard to believe it was a big country town a very short time ago. It’s now a very vibrant and multi-cultured city where you will find gourmet eateries and pubs a plenty.

Queensland (like most of Australia) has become quite expensive. Accommodation  in particular can be highly expensive, especially during peak season so it’s always best to compare cheap hotels.

It is an unwritten rule that a driver must take a break every two hours. The powers that be have carefully selected strategic locations along many of the major highways where you can grab a free drink to encourage road safety.

The drinks are pretty ordinary to be honest but at least you don’t have to spend a fortune on a latte.

We found most of the staff at these locations very friendly and they normally operate the locations out the goodness of their hearts, so say g’day!

If you’d like to know more then have a look at their website. All the locations are listed.

http://www.driverreviver.com.au/

Driving at Christmas can be a drag, especially during the busy times, but there are ways to avoid the traffic and arrive safe and sound.

1. Check google maps where you can even get a live traffic report. (If it’s green it’s go where red is very slow)
2. Stop every 2 hours for a free cuppa by the side of the road
3. Take it in turns to drive (sleep when you can)
4. Take plenty of water (remember it gets hot outside)
5. Check your tyres are pumped up (even a hire car)
6. Bring plenty to keep children occupied (a relaxed car is a safe car)
7. Watch your speed, the police will be out in force and they want your money!
8. Be comfortable (hire a luxury car if you can, or make sure your air con is serviced if you can’t)

Australia’s major cities are a long way apart and even Brisbane to the Gold coast can take a long time during peak times, so be prepared.

Good luck and remember a barbe shared is a memory made

Simon Mitchell – CEO

Rockhampton is located on the tropic of Capricorn. The coral sea is a short drive from the CBD and Great Keppel island is a short trip on a boat away. Yeppoon is to the north, Gladstone is an hour and half to the south and Emerald is three hours to the West.

Rockhampton is very hot in the summer. Summer storms are frequent as the town lies on the tropics however winter can be absolutely idyllic.

Great Keppel island used to be a youngsters paradise but these days it’s a little tamer. It has beautiful beaches whilst having tropic fish as it lies in the Coral sea. You can also do a wide range of water sports.

Rocky may well be famous for beef but to be honest it’ s so much more than that.

Getting around is easy with our hire cars. We offer great choice and rates and recommend an air conditioned vehicle even in winter as it gets very hot.

A few years ago you would have had to pay $3 to every £1. As of today each Euro will cost just $1.27 which means everything is very cheap.

Carhire is no exception. Carhire in Europe is easy. All you need is your Australian license and a credit card. You can easily book your car through our search engine as we offer the best rates in the market.

One of the best things about self driving in Europe is the close proximity of countries. It is thrilling driving from Spain into Andorra then onto France. Or from Frankfurt into Lichtenstein and Italy.

Many Australians have their heritage from one of the many European countries so it’s a fantastic time to take that trip and retrace your history.

We have a  travel writer based in France so we can answer any question you have about European travel. Just use the contact us page and we will get straight back to you.

Over the past few years Redspot have started to grow into a major provider of carhire at many locations in Australia. They aren’t everywhere yet but where they are they have kept the rates honest and provide great value for money.

Like many smaller providers, Redspot have had to keep their inventory to a set type of car. This helps them get the best deals and therefore they are able to pass on the savings to their customers.

We have done some initial tests and they appear to be 10-15% cheaper than the other brands.

Redspot can be found at the arrivals hall along with the majors.

As we type this post, the overnight temperatures have hit -4 at Perisha Blue which means it’s nearly time for skiing!

If you are looking for a car to take you up the mountain then you can make your reservation here. You will have to pay extra for the snow pack and insurance which we will confirm shortly here. However we recommend booking your car early as you can always add these to your rental when you collect the car.

More to follow….