Hiring a campervan to explore Australia is really the best way to see this vast and amazing country. Choosing who you travel with, booking your campervan and deciding where you’d like to go are the first steps. The next step is deciding what do you take with you on the road. As travellers we get pretty darn good at our packing skills. You become pretty brutal, chucking away anything that isn’t necessary. With your personal luggage sorted, you’re going to need to pick up a few extra bits and bobs to ensure that your roadtrip is smooth sailing…
Food and drink
There’s nothing worse than a campervan full of hungry road trippers waiting until they pass the next servo. Make sure you stock up on plenty of water and non-perishable foods like chips, biscuits and nuts. This will help keep hunger pangs at bay and driver and passengers happy. If you’ve got a stove to cook on in your campervan, even better! You can save heaps of money by cooking in your camper. A lot of campervans have fridges in them too, keeping your food fresher for longer.
Check out our blog on Top 10 quick meals van and Cooking ideas in your campervan.
Camping gear – tables chairs etc.
Aussies do the whole camping thing really well, and you can’t blame them, seeing as their weather is pretty much camping friendly most of the year. Don’t stick out like a sore thumb at the campgrounds by turning up with no table and chairs. You can typically hire these from campervan rental companies, or you can even buy them from a store like k-mart. Don’t stay cooped inside your campervan, enjoy your dinner and drinks outside for breakfast or on a nice balmy evening. Don’t forget things like matches and torches – you never know when a power cut might hit the campground. Especially, don’t forget SUNSREEN! No matter what time of year it is always make you slap some on. Check out our blog on 10 must have items for first time campers.
Map or GPS
Unless you’re some kind of wizard, you’re going to need some help navigating your way around Australia. Be it old school maps, GPS, google maps, apple maps, a compass … make sure you don’t hit the road without some kind of idea of where you’re heading (note: getting out cities can be tricky – may cause one or two premature grey hairs). GPS navigation on your phone/ tablet is incredibly useful for things such as taking routes that avoid toll roads (trust us…these add up), locating your nearest petrol station and camp grounds. Download the Travellers Autobarn Road Trip App which has tons of features such as locating your nearest amenities, what to do in case of a break down, how to pay toll roads etc.
Music and Games
It’s not a road trip without chucking on the tunes and having a sing along. A great playlist is more than just a list of songs, a well-crafted playlist is a work of art! And hey, it’s not a road trip without a couple of games at the end of the day to enjoy with an ice cold beer. Pack a deck of cards and see if you can pick up any games from an op shop to keep yourselves entertained in the evening. This could also be a great way to make friends with your neighbours.
Is there anything you think we’ve missed? Go ahead and share your suggestions in the comments below.
Planning your Australian Road Trip – head over to the Travellers Autobarn website for rental and sales enquiries.
Whether you’re a first-time campervan traveller or a seasoned van lifer, check out our other handy Campervan Travel Tips before you start your Aussie adventure.
About the Author
Bastian Graf
Bastian is the Sales & Marketing Manager here at Travellers Autobarn. He holds a Master of Commerce in Marketing and International Business Management, and 20+ years experience in campervan hire, road trips and travel.