TRAVEL
Take a road trip in Australia and New Zealand, two of the most beautiful countries in the world I call home. Try GetaboutOz.com.au, a roadtrips agency specialising in campervans and motorhomes.
$$$aving Tips for booking a campervan/motorhome in Aus/NZ:
- Depots are open normally between 9am and 4pm. So if your flights are outside of these hours (allowing an hour or so for the customs), let your agency know.
- Book way in advance - the earlier you book, the better deal you are likely to get
- Get insurance - does your credit card company cover for your rental? does your travel insurance? does the rental company offer enough coverage? are there any exclusions? For the most of you, you'll be driving on the opposite side of the road than you are used to. In a strange country where wild animals like to jump out of nowhere from time to time. Where breath taking scenery may tempt you to stray your eyes from the road. It's worth doing your research.
- As I said, beware of the wild animals, especially the kangaroos in Australia at night.
- Diesel in NZ is cheaper than petrol at fuel stations, except there's also Road Usage Tax for diesel vehicles, so they actually even out. The tax is payable with the rental company at the end of your trip, based on the km's you have travelled.
- Go the opposite way - Everyone wants to go from Sydney to Cairns. Everyone wants to go from Auckland to Christchurch. Why not go the opposite way? It's likely to be cheaper.
- But not out of the way - You want to start out from Broome (AU) or Blenheim (NZ)? It may be possible, but at a price. Rental companies charge fees for remote locations, as high as $490 for each pick up/drop off. Frankly, I'd rather spend those $$$ elsewhere.
- NZ ferry crossings - the two main companies are Interislander and Bluebridge. I have always travelled with Interislander, for some reason (I think it's the larger company), but Bluebridge is often a bit cheaper.
***
