Advice

Hi!

I’m planning on coming over to Australia around may 2023 (for 1 year) as a solo traveller. This will be my first time travelling alone (nervous but excited!).

I’m planning on landing in Cairns and working my way down the east coast to eventually hit Adelaide where I will take the long drive over to Perth.

I’m just wondering if anybody can give me some general advice about my plan, travelling Australia, travelling alone, buying a mini van, hostels etc

Apologies for such a broad question but I want to gather as much information as possible!

Thanks in advance!

When travelling alone hostels are a good idea as an easy way to mix with people. A mini van, on the other hand, could be isolating compared to buses, particularly if your plan is to sleep in it.

A year - have you sorted out a visa for that long? Blank profile = no clue to your nationality and eligibility for visas.

Quoting AndyF

When travelling alone hostels are a good idea as an easy way to mix with people. A mini van, on the other hand, could be isolating compared to buses, particularly if your plan is to sleep in it.

A year - have you sorted out a visa for that long? Blank profile = no clue to your nationality and eligibility for visas.

sorry mate fresh account I’ve updated all my info now. I was planning to get a mini van purely for travelling but stay in Hostels along the way. Would this be a good idea?

I’ve got my 417visa for the year

Minivan sounds an expensive/thirsty option compared to a small car or bus pass. If you were saying Tasmania or NZ I'd understand because those are hiking places where a bus doesn't get you to the trailhead. Mainland Aus is more cities, no? More hassles with parking and fewer days moving on to the next place.

This is the kind of advice I’m seeking my friend. So you’d say a small car would be more practical?

>So you’d say a small car would be more practical?

If you're a visitor to a foreign country (including the UK) buying, registering and insuring a vehicle isn't straightforward and is often impossible.

Have you investigated whether it's actually possible to register & insure any kind of vehicle in Australia without being resident in the relevant state?

You're landing in Cairns so check Queensland's requirements below. You need evidence of residency in the state to register a vehicle (imo a short stay in a hotel or hostel is unlikely to count as 'residency'):

https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/licensing/driver-licensing/identity#address

[ Edit: Edited on 6 Nov 2022, 14:13 GMT by leics2 ]

So how do people get about around Australia then if they can’t buy cars?

Buying cars and selling them on when leaving the country is a very common thing for backpackers in Australia to do. I never did it myself, so I'm hazy on the details, but there's at least one state which makes it super easy to transfer ownership and take care of insurance and so on (search for "rego"). 20 years ago, the exact details could be found in any lonely planet - I'm assuming this is still the case, and undoubtedly there'll be endless online sources spelling out the details as well.

That said, on mainland Australia it's also super easy - and generally more economically and environmentally friendly - to travel around by public transport, particularly to the bigger cities. There are daily busses to most destinations where you'd care to go to, from Greyhound with its huge route network and cheap travel passes, to lots of smaller regional competitors, with cheaper prices for just using them occassionally. (Plus there are backpacker-oriented tour busses with their own network, for people who prefer getting drunk and/or feel they need extra handholding. (No, I'm not a fan, hence the negative phrasing.))
And then if you want to really get off the beaten track for a week or two, you can always rent a car locally for that short time.

[ Edit: Edited on 6 Nov 2022, 14:12 GMT by Sander ]

>how do people get about around Australia then if they can’t buy cars?

Exactly the same way as people get around in any foreign country they're visiting. There are planes, trains, buses (long-distance as well as local) and rental cars in Australia. Hitch-hiking is also possible.

If people have relatives/friends in a foreign country they sometimes use that address for registering a vehicle but legally-required insurance can still be a stumbling block.

[ Edit: Edited on 6 Nov 2022, 14:12 GMT by leics2 ]

If it was me, I'd start out using buses and see how that worked out. You could always buy a vehicle later, if public transport is proving too restricting.

When you said minivan I figured you had some sort of specific plan.

Maybe it depends where you're going to spend your time. My limited experience of Australian cities is that a car would be a pain in the CBD. But if you're going to spend much of your time in smaller towns maybe it becomes less hassle and more useful.

Cost-wise I think buses will win, unless you're a group who were sharing the costs.