There are quite a few ways to get around. You can travel by plane, train,
car, coach, campervan, hitch-hiking, well there are probably a lot more
ways to go around...
I will tell by my own experience about the different 'tools' to travel around.
PLANE
Of course you have to take a plane to get into Australia or you have to go by boot or maybe even a yacht or something. But that is not what I mean. You can catch a plane in Australia itself. The big adventage is that you save a lot of time. Probably it's a good idea to go from the Westcoast to the Eastcoast or the other way around. Of course it cost quite a bit of money and you may miss out on a few things you don not see travelling this way...TRAIN
The only time I went on a train was when I was in Sydey and went to the Blue Mountains and back again. The thing about that which remind me the most is that I found it very cheap. Maybe because back here in Holland it is very expensive. We only paid a few dollars for about a 5 hours ride! You can compare it with a busride I think. You can look out of the window but you can't stop where you want...
CAR
/ VAN
I think that this is the best way to travel around. Probably the best thing
about it is that you are very flexible. You're the boss and you can go and
stop wherever you are. But there is more. You can save a lot of money by having
the right gear in your car. Get yourself some pans and pots for cooking, a
tent to sleep in, some chairs, ... Petrol is not so expensive in Australia.
Especially compared to Holland. As I remember you pay like $0,60 a liter and
about $1,00 a liter in the Outback...
If you're alone it may be more expensive than a coach, but if you are with
about 3 or 4 it may be even cheaper! If you sleep along the road you may not
meet a lot of people. Than you have to sleep in a hostel or a campsite, but
of course that won't be for free...
COACH (BUS)
This kind of transport can get you to a lot of places. You pay about $50, 00 to go from Sydney to Melbourne and it is about the same for Sydney to Brisbane. It takes you about 11 hours. If you travel by night it will save you accommodation for the night. The first weeks I travelled a lot by train to get around, but I felt like missing out on a few things along the way. So if you know exactly where to go, it will be the way forward. There are actually tours like the OZ-experience which are especially for backpackers and take you to the nice places...CAMPERVAN
This comes most to travelling by car. I didn't travel this way but I did in in New Zealand. You're quite flexible as you can stop wherever you want. You also have your own kitchen and stay for the night. You don't need electricity, but if you like to use it you can stay at a campsite. Again you probably do not meet a lot of people this way if you stay for the night along the road...HITCH-HIKING
This is also a way to get around. There are people who say that it's dangerous. I think it ain't. I didn't do it myself, but I heard stories from other people. You just have to be carefull I think, that's all...
As
I said there are more ways to get around. For example by motorbike or bicycle.
It's a nice way to do the Stuart Highway that way (road between Darwin and
Adelaide).
Or just go walking like this English lad; he walked for about 40 kilometers
as he couldn't get an hitch-hike...
