Australia Guide
Getting around
Australia's vastness makes the distances, and how you cover them, a major feature of any stay in the country. In general, public transport will take you only along the major highways to capital cities, the bigger towns between them, and popular tourist destinations; to get off the beaten track you'll have to consider driving, either by buying or renting your own vehicle.
If you're travelling by road, check out the route on a map first, as it's very easy to underestimate distances and conditions – you may well be letting yourself in for a three-day bus journey, or planning to drive 500km on bad roads. Bear in mind what the weather will be doing, too; you don't necessarily want to head into central Australia in a battered old car during the summer, or into the northern tropics in the wet season.