NSW on a Campervan

[lunn89]

Good that you have a mutual ustding with your friends on similar interests, to avoid conflict of interests.

Like i said in the NZ thread, it;s not healthy to just carcamp and eat in all the way. Indulge a little into adventures and tourist places to refresh monotality of sightseeing and car-camping, without having to splurge. Eatout and check in every few days, for a taste of diffferent travel lifestyles.

For a start, I suggest you guys make a short trip out to Malaysia first on a windowed van, eg Cameroun, Endau Rompin, Mt Ophir, Kinabaru first:
1) to gain xp on foreign driving
2) to check mutual interests and living habits
3) to realise what camp/outdoor stuffs you really need.

Thou with limited car-camping comfort in local vans, and (hot weather), just equipped yoruselves with camping gear/tents/table/chairs, which you will still need later on, anyway.

On the contrary, while NZ is more tourist-friendly and chop, OZ is better for car-camping first timers, as the land is flatter and road conditions are just as good. NZ is mountainous and thus more windy uphill/downhill roads. Moreover, it may be scenic-ly too overwhelming for 1st timers, like you stop every 20 mins of driving, instead of ever 45-mins in OZ. Thus going for your OZ trips in future, with too high expectations.

Moreover, NZ is smaller, so more driving tourists and thus stricter and more control on car-camping. So ulu spots may be harder to find or fenced up, or rather 'trunked up'. Though $3k is sufficient for NZ 20 days. Save the dough for last, with the best in NZ, when you have more car-camping experience.

Sydney (and north)-Melbourne-Adelaide is pretty good for 20-30 days.
Attractions include Oxley-Dorigo (on new england and waterfall highways, oops. which I was supposed to cover here), Grampians, Mt Buffalo, Mt. Baker, Philip Island, Great Ocean Route, etc. and if you can push to a short section into Olangatta Track (where the orange desert in the horizon meets the sky, 360 around, deafingly silent and dark, that you really can see shooting stars every 15 mins at night)...

Like I said, with party of 3 & good chef in budget camper in OZ, you prolly spend only $1.5-2k with airfare for 1 month (save half for NZ following year)..I trust your company has ladies? Check their ruggedness, culinary and survivability without good shopping, be it oz or nz.

hello! thanks for your reply!

Firstly, haha because we are vegetarians therefore i believe our food expenses will be much lower than average tourist. We would be eating breads potatoes, fruits and of course vegs!

short trip to Msia would be rather hard for us as we do not have a van and time.. most of us still studying uni, working + PT uni and stuff.

The purpose why i prefer a 6berth instead of 2 X 3/4 berth is because we only have 2 drivers, my friend have lorry experience, whereas I myself is not an experience driver as my family do not own a car.

you made OZ sounds like a much better choice both budget & condition now! haha.

wow, its really doable for 1month for 1.5-2k each?? BTW it would be winter, would there be any special condition if we were to go OZ?

Other than (Sydney - Melbourne - Adelaide) would you have other recommendation (north? west?)

Yes we have be having a very very very good chef around

 

[touchme]

hello! thanks for your reply!

Firstly, haha because we are vegetarians therefore i believe our food expenses will be much lower than average tourist. We would be eating breads potatoes, fruits and of course vegs!

short trip to Msia would be rather hard for us as we do not have a van and time.. most of us still studying uni, working + PT uni and stuff.

The purpose why i prefer a 6berth instead of 2 X 3/4 berth is because we only have 2 drivers, my friend have lorry experience, whereas I myself is not an experience driver as my family do not own a car.

you made OZ sounds like a much better choice both budget & condition now! haha.

wow, its really doable for 1month for 1.5-2k each?? BTW it would be winter, would there be any special condition if we were to go OZ?

Other than (Sydney - Melbourne - Adelaide) would you have other recommendation (north? west?)

Yes we have be having a very very very good chef around

Little disappointed with your excuses, for not having time to practise in m'sia, and thus yr choice of 6-berth. I hv already explained enough disadvantages of 6 berths. And the buddy system of 2 campers is safer.
Frankly, if you have no xp in msia, dun jump into OZ self-driving.

A trial short trip also puts your personalities to a test. True colors shows up during a trip. Too late if you discover it when the gang breaks out during a long trip. Good that you will love the veges in australa, much fresher and nicer flavor than ours.

Given a month, I would suggest you do Gold Coast/Brisbane as well, to add some civilised adventures and thrill to your trip. Which also will cover this thread's (orginally intended) trip itinenary (btwn, coffs and sydney).

Either start or end here, as the journey back inland wil be 3 days long and boring of nothingness. (since most likely you wont take the same coastal road back), incurring about $300 one-way fee per 3-berth only. Alternatively you can hopover to Tasmania for a week (camper-on-ferry), which is also quite awesome.

June winter in east coast oz, shd be not big issue, since most of the time you'll be coastal. Inland, high-ground, may catch some snow. I doubt you guys will venture too deep/high up off track either. $1.5-2K enuff based on your intended travel style.

Be sure to buy some camp gear over there. Renting them cost as much as buying at the right place. I got my OZ-trail chairs for AUD15 only, quality tents and heater blanket for AUD30 each, be it thru ebay AU (self-pickup) or megastores there. YOu can get quality walkie-talkies and 12v car powerpack from Amazon US, about US$40, inc free shipping to sg. Buy me a kopi, after u done yr trial msian trip and before you plan oz trip, and I'll share more with you.

 

[alpha_navy]

hi ts, saw that you quoted 30AUD/day for apollo hi top. tried different dates combination on their website but cheapest i get is only 66AUD/day. May I know how did you get the rate? Isit through a promo code or something?

 

[touchme]

hi ts, saw that you quoted 30AUD/day for apollo hi top. tried different dates combination on their website but cheapest
i get is only 66AUD/day. May I know how did you get the rate? Is it through a promo code or something?

Mine is during offpeak..if you go site direct, it's higher. Usually thru agent (tonnes of them online) less, inc. agent fee 18-20%..which they put as lump sum/transparent to customer, (eg. 13days x $30 + $70= $470).

If you have previously rented from say britz or apollo, call them to ask for agent price, that's how i got mine. Promo codes are quite measly or for special one-way offers only.

 

[alpha_navy]

Mine is during offpeak..if you go site direct, it's higher. Usually thru agent (tonnes of them online) less, inc. agent fee 18-20%..which they put as lump sum/transparent to customer, (eg. 13days x $30 + $70= $470).

If you have previously rented from say britz or apollo, call them to ask for agent price, that's how i got mine. Promo codes are quite measly or for special one-way offers only.

hey thanks for the info!

any agent u recommend? i only found vroomvroomvroom.au so far.

btw, do u think june is a good time to go? in terms of weather as well as travel period (peak or non peak)

 

[touchme]

hey thanks for the info!

any agent u recommend? i only found vroomvroomvroom.au so far.

btw, do u think june is a good time to go? in terms of weather as well as travel period (peak or non peak)

try campervan australia, think their commission lower than most others, but be sure to compare with others. Ideally ask for Britz not APollo...though each carry some different variants. The former ones slightly newer and better maintained.

Be sure to ask for insulated ceilings on the backcabin. Condensation occurs in winter, causing drips from ceiling wat night. Lesson learnt on last trip. For this config:

Better to shift the top bed to the rear, directly above and inline with the bottom bed. So that cooking maggi at night or coffee prep in morning, or getting out of van, no hassle to stoop low. (silly config above).

Note: Top deck for not more than 60kg, serves as good mass storage if travelling in two only.

Right now, there is a new Hi-top range, that comes with 30 litres watertank, and 20l waste water, Avoid them. The older ones is 50 litres tank, just nice for few days use, dispensing waste slowly beneath van, in forest. No point wasting fuel carrying waste water, and headache over hoe to dispense wastewater.

Where available, always use public toilet facilities for washing.

 

[touchme]

Choosing a Parking Site in the Open

1. with Nice View (usually beachside, hi-ground, hill-top, next to stream, not river*)
2. Near or next to Toilet (nature calls, washing, water topups. No need to wash or polish van hor...)
3. Horizontal for better sleep**. Worse case, back slightly higher.
4, Avoid trees if possible. Gusty winds can be nasty on branches.
5. Within marked lines, if in a scenic lookout car park.

(no worries about morning sun or wind direction, all round curtains, plus usually cold and windy)

6. In free campsites, next to firepit or free electric bbq pit. Choose the firepit nearest to free firewood storage, you'll need to carry a lot over if campfire thru till you sleep.

Be sure to drive around the campsite, recee for good spot. Most good spots taken by regulars by 4pm.

*once we parked overnight alongside a low bank river off kakadu NP, in the night pouring, next thing realised water flooded our first step..luckily van not washed away..(heard of those flashfloods?). Seems it rose 8ft in 3 hours of downpour.

**on topic of sleep, despite heater on, pad the sides with towels/bags, the cold can penetrate the sides. Sleeping next to bare metal sides, can feel the cold stings in sub-5C conditions..Buy extra pillows from megamarts/ (AUD10 for 2 pcs, not bad feather quality, from The Reject Shop chainstores)

 

[dilphinus]

Am planning a family trip, 4 adults, 6 days. Any recommended itinerary. Think my dad and bro wouldn't mind a camping and/or campervan kinda trip!

 

[touchme]

Am planning a family trip, 4 adults, 6 days. Any recommended itinerary. Think my dad and bro wouldn't mind a camping and/or campervan kinda trip!

I remembered you telling me your bro and dad very adventurous type, but you beat you all with your solo scooter trip. Will be a cup of nice tea for them, and great family bonding over campfire.

Where you intend to go? Which part of OZ? I saw scoot having $99 all in one way to Sydney. And what they go for, hiking? Waterfalls? Beaches or snow?

 

[dilphinus]

I remembered you telling me your bro and dad very adventurous type, but you beat you all with your solo scooter trip. Will be a cup of nice tea for them, and great family bonding over campfire.

Where you intend to go? Which part of OZ? I saw scoot having $99 all in one way to Sydney. And what they go for, hiking? Waterfalls? Beaches or snow?

Sydney. I've been in Sydney before. Nothing really that I wanna do. Thinking of something easy and simple (no need hardcore driving).

Maybe a bit out of Sydney ... Nothing's really planned.

I've lived in Australia before so this trip is more for my family to experience Australia.
Ask me, I also don't know where to bring them.

 

[touchme]

Think for 6 days, do Perth and south to Albany and back, just about enough. At least have a balance of shopping, wine country, sightseeing (beaches, pinnacles, cliffs, tree climb) and casino for family.

Flight also cheaper and shorter. The itinerary is quite standard for this route. Basically 5 slow days south, coastal and thru Margaret River, and last day back inland, 400km (no attractions inland). Western Australia is more tourist and family friendly, with good public amenities.

For this, suggest you go 4-berth van (those minibus size type) will do, not truck.

 

[dilphinus]

Think for 6 days, do Perth and south to Albany and back, just about enough. At least have a balance of shopping, wine country, sightseeing (beaches, pinnacles, cliffs, tree climb) and casino for family.

Flight also cheaper and shorter. The itinerary is quite standard for this route. Basically 5 slow days south, coastal and thru Margaret River, and last day back inland, 400km (no attractions inland). Western Australia is more tourist and family friendly, with good public amenities.

For this, suggest you go 4-berth van (those minibus size type) will do, not truck.

Bought tics for SYDNEY. Will probably not be venturing out of NSW.

 

[touchme]

Bought tics for SYDNEY. Will probably not be venturing out of NSW.

Certainly you don't have time and energy to drive out of NSW (700km) each way.
Then you should know around Sydney itinerary for 6 days, Blue Mountains in the west, and the Royal National Park in the south. But I must tell you, Newcastle/Charlotte is actually quite charming, its beach and surf parks

 

[vaxvms]

very nice thread

 

[touchme]

very nice thread

Turned out to be a 'About Campervan' thread.
No time to share itinerary..lol

 

[vaxvms]

Turned out to be a 'About Campervan' thread.
No time to share itinerary..lol

i nvr try Campervan b4 as scare cannot handle big vehicle
but next trip i am game for it so do search happen to see this great thread

btw park at power-site mean nothing much we can do at nite?
stay in campervan ?
i read drivin charged 12 hr , second battery can last for 1 nite without goin power-site? so mean we can just go camping site and koon?

 

[touchme]

i nvr try Campervan b4 as scare cannot handle big vehicle
but next trip i am game for it so do search happen to see this great thread

btw park at power-site mean nothing much we can do at nite?
stay in campervan ?
i read drivin charged 12 hr , second battery can last for 1 nite without goin power-site? so mean we can just go camping site and koon?

You are not reading the whole thread.
No need campsite, not rcmded.
Many restrictions.

3-berth are small, vans only, with high ceiling.
More important is driving country roads. Go practise in Malaysia.

 

[vaxvms]

You are not reading the whole thread.
No need campsite, not rcmded.
Many restrictions.

3-berth are small, vans only, with high ceiling.
More important is driving country roads. Go practise in Malaysia.

NS highway done many time

tot 3 berth can sleep 2 to 3?

 

[touchme]

NS highway done many time

tot 3 berth can sleep 2 to 3?

Not the highway, at least johor inside towns roads, genting old way or best cameronhighlands.

the Toyota hitop, can sleep 2 adults + 2 toddlers max.
But 1 kid takes cover if all seated in front when spotting TP. Drills practised..lol

 

[vaxvms]

Not the highway, at least johor inside towns roads, genting old way or best cameronhighlands.

the Toyota hitop, can sleep 2 adults + 2 toddlers max.
But 1 kid takes cover if all seated in front. Drills practised..lol

Jb small road ok lah...saloon car or SUV I'm fine

plan to rent jucy condo for 2 A 1 C ...