Hi there!
Hi Kat,
Western Australia is an amazing place, but you're right it would be better with a 4wd vehicle. Have you tried wicked campers? I've had no experience with them, but was thinking of flying Sydney-Perth and hiring a 4wd to do the same trip you're planning and they were the cheapest. They hire a 4x4 Mitsubishi Delica vans and now I think they hire out normal 4wds like Range Rovers.
In the end I decided if I ever do this trip I'd buy a 4wd in Perth and sell it again when I got back and it would end up cheaper. The risk you have is you might have issues with reliability or not being able to sell it again, my planned trip was for 4 weeks and hiring a 4wd camper would have cost $2500+ which I could have taken off the asking price of my vehicle.
Anyway, have you decided on the route you'll take? I've travelled south of Perth, the area around Broome and central Australia if you need any more info.
Tim
Hi Tim,
Thanks for replying! I know of the Wicked Campers. I camped in one for a short while, going from Airlie Beach down to Brisbane. It was ok, but a bit ghetto..and a few times it just stopped working in the middle of the highway. It was a bit scary, one time there were a bunch of lorries behind us. My boyfriend also camped in one on his own (we met in Australia, so have different experiences). His didn't break down, but was also old (like ours was) and ..well, ghetto. We've been looking around, and I think compared to the Wicked Campers, the Hippie Campers are a tad better. You should check out their website...or at least quality-wise. The price is about the same. They also look newer and aren't too offensive..I heard that some of the Wicked campers don't get allowed in some campsites, because of the stuff they have on the side of them.
I thought about buying one, but we're there only for a month..to us it doesn't totally add up in the end. We did find some that are just under $2000 Aussie dollars, but our budget doesn't allow for a lot! I saw the 4x4 you talked about at the Wicked site, but it doesn't have an option for Perth (only Broome and Alice Springs)..maybe that would change later..? We basically searched the poo out of ourselves..my last desperate attempt was to email the people at Peter Pan's to ask if they have any quotes or suggestions for us (they had a few good deals out the last time I was in Australia, so I figured I'd give them a shot). It's too bad most rental companies don't have that naked deal. If you come naked to pick up your wicked rental in Cairns, you get five days free or something like that. !!
We wanna go from Perth north towards Broome and back. We've only got a month in Australia (he's got school and we've both got work), so we would be campervaning it for about three weeks. Basically, we figured to leave and see how far we get. I'd love to get to Broome..a friend of mine is from Perth and the last time he went up there round Broome with some friends he sent some photos (and wonderfully detailed descriptions ) - it sounded really awesome. I also want to go south of Perth..I saw some photos of the beaches and the stones they have there. Not that I'm that into rocks or anything, but it really caught my eye. I'd like to see it for real! I'm into photography, so I'd like to try to catch the image as it is, too.
When abouts are you heading over?
Kat
Hey Kat,
I've seen some *interesting* wicked vans around but never seen inside so thanks for the info
Do you remember the cheapest rentals you found for the trip? The cheapest 4x4s I found were a Wicked 4x4 van at $2500, but it's probably ghetto An Apollo 4x4 adventure camper was about $3200 and a Britz bushcamper was about $4500! You might be able to get a deal for a 3-4 week hire but to be honest I've only ever hired a small car for a couple of days.
I've never done Perth to Broome, but have had a look at what's on the way. The best parts looked like the most western point of the Australian mainland - I've been to the most northern, eastern and southern so might as well see western. The Ningaloo Reef looked like a highlight and Karajini NP and Kalbarri NP look great for photography - I checked your gallery pics and they're good! While you're in Perth are you going to visit Rottnest Island? Broome itself is an amazing place but very expensive!
If you're only going to head up the coast as far as Broome you might not need a 4x4, the road is sealed to most locations and if it isn't it's usually a fairly good dirt road. You'll just need to avoid camping on the beach, I've tried in a 2wd car and you get stuck pretty quick! The dirt roads will be ok as long as you take it easy and give the van a good clean when you get back to Perth so the hire company is blissfully unaware.
I was supposed to head over that way in August-September this year but work decided not to give me time off, so I've taken December off and will travel in South Australia instead. Maybe Perth to Broome or Darwin will be next year
Tim
Hey,
Yeah, look them up..or read up on it, anyway. I'm all up for the backpacking adventure, but this time round..a more stable campervan would do the trick
My boyfriend has been researching most of the campervan stuff. I think the cheapest I saw was about 2000$ AUD. I don't remember the company off the top of my head, though. I'll ask him and write back in a bit. And that was for a three week hire.
You've been in all directions! I've only been along the east coast (from Airlie Beach), and a bit inland Katoomba (Blue Mountains, very awesome!), this small town called Dubbo that no one seems to have heard of), and down to Adelaide. So places in between those points. I wanted to see Uluru last time, but didn't have time (long story). This time we won't have time, either..so west coast it is. But thanks! I tried to put up the nice ones I haven't thought of Rottnest Island, yet. But I'll give it a sneak peak and see. It all depends on time and gas for us, so we'll see how far we get in the end!
That's good to hear about the roads..I was hoping some are like that. I'm originally from Serbia (born there, moved when 7). There are a bunch of roads there which are pretty crappy and normal cars go through them..like dirt roads, or really rocky ones, things like that..I think sometimes people in richer countries think that roads that aren't so bad are actually really horrible..We can't afford so much for a 4wd, so I think we'll see when we get there...I think there will be roads that will be ok. Sandy ones..ok, no. But otherwise. Will see. With intensive cleaning, of course
December is a good time to Travel South Australia. If you're a hosteler, I suggest the My Place Backpackers one..we stayed there for Christmas and New Years two years ago now. It was pretty awesome But I may be biased, we met there, too. Still. Hostelworld tells all!
[ 03-Nov-2010, at 04:43 by Latarina ]
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