I can't think of anything more important than going with the climate in planning a successful Australia Trip. The Aussie grey nomads (local retirees) have done this for years ! Overseas campers may not be aware how divers and extreme the weather in Australia is. 

No1 #AustraliaTravelTips  

GO WITH THE CLIMATE !!!


​#1a It will make your vacation more comfortable and enjoyable (heat exposure)
#1b It will make a huge difference to your travel costs
#1c It will prevent a lot of mozzie bites (mosquitos, midges insects, Stechfliegen)

Question:
​Are there any Maps of Australia that discriminate between bitumen roads and unsealed roads (i.e. dust roads, gravel roads, dirt roads & 4WD tracks) ?

Answer: YES
For example the free tourist maps available at the many tourist information centres and online at cartoscope. Find the sample on the left here. 

Australia is a vast continent and the climate that presents us with many travel options. During the winter months you can either ski or swim in the ocean. All you have to do is travel some 1000 to 2000 km's during to cover a temperature range from -5 to plus 25 degrees. Having said that in Summer its usually too hot in the North and in Winter too could in the South. It is important to bring attire for could nights when you plan your trip. 

The Do's

#1 Pick the best season (Australian Winter, Spring or Autumn)
#2 Tailor your travel distance (Legs) to the climate and available time 
#3 Set up a travel profile and pick the best Aussie travel info sites - Click here 
#4 Consider the climate
#5 Beware of pests and dangerous creatures - Midges (Sand flies)
#6 Pick a good mobile phone service provider (I use Aldi pre-paid)
#7 Upload useful apps, such as WikiCamps, BOM ...
#8 Travelling with a Campervan or Motorhome ? Click here (tbd)

​Click more for the don'ts

1- buy two Sim Cards, I have used Telstra and Optus and carried 2 phones
2- install the app WikiCamps to find the best spots and save money. Camping ranges from free to 90 $ a night
3- do stops at ipoints and/or install tourist apps
4- buy mossies and sun protection
5- carry blindfolds and noise stop plugs
6- Pick the right season.

The European spring, summer and autumn are the best times to travel Oz. The European Winter is the peak of the Aussie summer and it gets very hot in Oz.

In Australia we have three leading ISP's Telstra, Optus and Vodafone, but you can buy tons of special Simcards from other retail sources with great deals. Retailers such as Supermarkets Aldi Coles and Woolworth run on the big networks, BUT one way or the other they come with some sort of restrictions as preferential treatment is usually given to primary customers even if 4G is now more often passed on. Everybody tells me that Telstra is the way to go. So I have hit the road with two phones, a Telstra original service and an Optus second class service (iinet SIM card) and I am blogging from Airlie Beach right now during the Melbourne winter. To my utter shock Telstra is almost useless in this place, cause the speed is between 1 and 4 Mbps. Optus third party gives me 15 to 40 Mbps. My point is if you travel together in a group or have two devices buy SIM cards running on more than one network.

I'm here in Airlie right now because June/July are the coldest months and my preferred months for the Whitsundays. Why ? Pleasant temperatures, not the wet season, no marine stingers and virtually no mozzies or midgies. That changes when it gets warmer. Currently we have around 25 degrees air and 22 degrees water.

#greynomads like Gwydir Carapark & Thermal Pools

MOREE is a fantastic place to be during the Australian winter (European Summer).

​This brand new hot mineral water pool is part of the camping ground facilities in Moree, which is about 12 hours away from Melbourne and on the way to the Gold Coast. Costs $29 per night unpowered site, $33 for powered (RV).

The Gwydir Carapark and Thermal Pools has been operating since 1979 and is enjoying a strong growth with the increasing number of travellers.  2 round Artesian Thermal Pools and a 25m Cool pool on site are bringing the total number of pools to 5.  The pool area operates from 7am to 10pm. 1 and 2 bedroom motel units , Cabins, 1 and 2 bedroom Villas, and Caravan powered sites.

#thedish #thestars #hotspringsaustralia Mineral baths Hot springs Thermal Pools Australia

Moree is surely a great Australian winter destination for Melbournians. With a 12 hours drive it's a bit more than half way to surfers paradise. Hot springs, mountain hiking and education for the kids. No sweat, temps from 15 to 20 degrees in July (day max). The sun is strong. I got a bit sun burned. Well, most Aussies know the movie the Dish. It can be seen in Parkes and has a great visitors centre showing amazing movies. Camping in this region gives you a sleeping under the stars experience like never before. And did you know there is a whole array of dishes (on rails) about 80 mins from Moree ? Great little visitor centre. Visit it in action, look at displays, Watch movies - all for free.

And at the end of the day its back to the hot pools at the caravan Park. As a matter of fact you can do a tour to various mineral bath locations in the area. Fees range from $5 to $33 to camp at a mineral bath site. Ask me for more info.