THE BEST WAY TO TRAVEL IN OZ

The pro's and con's of buying your own car in Australia!

Before our trip to Australia myself and Peter hadn't quite decided on how we were going to travel. Would we use public transport, hire a camper van or take the leap and buy our own car. We deliberated for quite a long time when we arrived in the Sunshine Coast but came to the conclusion that buying our own car suited us more. We liked the idea of being able to pack up and set off whenever we liked and also being able to stay in certain places for however long we wished. Hiring a camper van meant we would have to travel to places under a time limit. Don't get me wrong, if your only in Australia for a few months or weeks then hiring a camper van is probably the best way to go, but for us being here for a year we felt like buying a car was an investment. 

We were lucky enough to get in contact with a family friend who hooked us up a 1998 Subaru Liberty. It's probably the oldest car myself and Peter have ever drove and it was our very first time driving an automatic. Peter took to the automatic car like a duck to water. It took me a little longer to grasp the power and size of this car. I'm a FIAT 500 kinda girl, so I'm used to a smaller engine and a little pod that can fit into almost any space. For me, I might as well have been driving a truck. 

We did have a few problems with the car at the start but the family friend that we bought it off, sorted out all the problems with the car and touch wood, it has been running like a dream ever since. 

After getting the car I was still undecided on whether I thought it was a good investment. After all, we had just landed in Australia and here we were using a whole heap of our savings already. However after waking up every morning and being able to travel to places at our own leisure it turned out to be a great decision.

So far we have travelled around the Sunshine Coast and from the Sunshine Coast to Sydney and it was the most fun and enjoyable experience I have ever had. Having the car meant that we were able to camp out at some places on the Sydney road trip due to being able to transport camping equipment easily. We haven't used the car much since arriving in Sydney 2 months ago, but I would recommend using public transport here as it's cheaper and so much more efficient. However we have had the most amazing days outside of Sydney and having a car allowed us to visit some absolute gems such as the Royal National Park and the Blue Mountains. We can pack up a picnic and set off for the day, any day and for as long as we want. Definitely a big plus of having a car in my opinion.

PROS

CONS

• You have to consider car insurance
• Fuel costs can vary depending on what area you are in
• Camper vans usually come with road side assistance, your own car does not unless you want to pay extra
• If something goes wrong it can cost a lot more to fix 
• Paying for parking in various locations
• Finding hostels with car parking can be difficult
• The hassle of tolls and remembering to pay them