The Big Trip: Planning Out Your Big Lap

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on email

When you’re planning a big lap around Australia, you want to see the best that each state and territory has to offer. While you can never predict the weather, there are many seasonal variations that are worth taking into account.

Like most people we don’t enjoy the cold, so we wanted to chase the sunshine as much as possible. Besides, who wants to be stuck inside because it’s constantly raining?

We chose to travel clockwise from Melbourne after considering the following seasonal information for each state and territory.

South Australia

The average temperature in summer in South Australia is 28 degrees, perfect for coastal sightseeing, camping in national parks and visiting wineries.

Western Australia

Crossing the Nullarbor into the west during early autumn means the weather is still pleasant enough to explore the beaches south of Perth and the Coral Coast.

The popular Gibb River Road 4WD track in the Kimberley region opens late May or early June, and closes from October when the wet season kicks in, so we’re planning to drive the road at the beginning of winter.

From June the wildflowers are in full bloom in the north of WA, sweeping down the state to finish on the south coast in November. Hopefully we’ll catch a glimpse before heading to the Northern Territory.

Northern Territory

The dry season begins in April and ends in October. Skies are generally cloud free, with daily temperatures in the low 30s. Because of this, we plan to explore this region around July. It can still get chilly in the evenings (below 10 degrees), but that’s not a problem for us Melburnians!

Far North Queensland

The dry season (May to October) appears to be the best time to visit, with fresh tropical breezes and an average temperature of 27 degrees. We plan to 4WD Cape York around August, as the roads should be open around then and we should have a smaller chance of getting caught in heavy rainfall.

New South Wales

The east coast is beautiful for most of the year, but passing through in spring will hopefully let us enjoy the coast and the gorgeous Blue Mountains without too much humidity.

When you’re planning a big trip, also think about any special events you want to see during your travels. We hope that our research and careful planning stands us in good stead for an enjoyable journey!

Drew and Court are a Melbourne couple who are travelling around Australia for the next 10 months. They’ll be writing about their experiences for Without a Hitch, giving us the real story of life on the road.

Make sure you Sign Up to the Without A Hitch newsletter to keep up to date with Drew & Court on their travels or join the conversation on the Without A Hitch Facebook Page.

In their next article, Drew & Court discuss the little things that make their van a “home away from home”.

RECENT ARTICLES

ebook library

ebook - Upgrade Your Caravan

Our collection of eBooks are a valuable resource for any novice or experienced caravan holiday-maker.

JOIN US

To receive regular towing hints, tips sign up to our newsletter today! Without A Hitch is the place you can turn to for up-do-date information.

For access to our collection of eBooks, simply sign up to Without a Hitch and we will send you access to our online library;

ALREADY SIGNED UP? ENTER YOUR EMAIL & WE'LL SEND YOU ACCESS TO OUR eBOOK LIBRARY

NEW TO WITHOUT A HITCH - JOIN US

To receive access to our eBook library, regular towing hints, tips sign up to our newsletter today! Without A Hitch is the place you can turn to for up-do-date information.