Deciding to go on your first big caravan trip around Australia is certainly an exciting prospect – visiting corners of a country even many of its inhabitants don’t see is a very rewarding experience, and one that you’ll treasure for the rest of your life. It’s an exceptionally big commitment, however, so during the planning stages you might quickly run into a few issues that you’d not yet considered. Worse yet, there’s always a chance you’ll embark on your big adventure and remember a very small (but nonetheless important!) detail after it’s too late. In this article we take a look at what goes into planning an itinerary for a big caravan trip across Australia.
Choosing the right caravan
When you start considering on road caravans for sale, there’s a very good chance you’re going to quickly become overwhelmed. There Are hundreds of caravans on the market, with many of them being fantastic, so at this stage it’s all about doing your homework. If you’re a complete newbie, we recommend attending a few caravan and camping Expos, as this will allow you to see these caravans in the flesh, in addition to the highly valuable opportunity to talk to fellow caravanners and caravan reps.Start considering things like the length, weight and manoeuvrability of the caravan you’re going to purchase, while also keeping in mind that you need a suitable vehicle to be able to tow it.Your budget will determine if you take a look for new and used caravans, but regardless of how old the caravan is, it’s important to make sure it has all of the necessities. These will include not only a toilet and a shower, but the capability to go off-road (if this is relevant to your plans). There will obviously be other necessities to consider, but these will depend entirely on your situation, so write a list of requirements down before you start caravan shopping.
Planning and packing
Developing a rock-solid itinerary is imperative to the success of your caravan trip. Looking over maps and online guides will help you work out where you’re going and suitably accommodate with relevant accessories and adjustments to the interior. As an example, any beach camping you might do will require certain things that regular outdoor camping won’t provide. Although you should pack to manage any kind of situation, it’s also important not to go overboard. You’ll only really need enough crockery, cutlery, cooking utensils and kitchenware for the number of people travelling, so if there’s only a couple of you, you won’t need much at all. This also extends to clothing – you won’t need to wear dozens of outfits on the road, particularly the outerwear you might be used to when going out. Ensure you have a change of linen and towels in the event you don’t have the ability to easily launder what you have and take an extra blanket for the chillier nights out on the road.
Enjoy your time exploring Australia
The point of all this preparation, while potentially stressful, is to ensure that you have the best time possible on the road. You’ll be able to sit back, relax and take it all as it comes, rather than needing to scramble to do certain things last minute. But at the end of the day, not everything needs to be planned – a little bit of spare space in your itinerary opens you up to adventure, after all!
