Use code: N016300
Australia is one of the best countries in the World to have a great driving experience that will take you across this vast expansive continent immersing you in a variety of features that include the pristine beaches, cliff tops, dense forests complemented by long winding roads that take you through this great country down under.
Hire a car in Australia and drive along one of the most iconic routes - The Great Ocean Road running parallel to the Southern Ocean meandering with the long coastline of Australia. It takes you the most stunning Australian coastal drives, shipwrecks, sunburnt cliffs and the famous Twelve Apostles.
Avis car rentals are present across all the major Australian cities and airports giving you the best connectivity and comfort across all cities.
The Australian continent welcomes its visitors all year round with the roads that take you through the pristine beaches to remote deserts, to the stunning beauty of untouched rainforests with all the countryside that lets you explore the vast expanse of this country. Take your time in exploring this vast country as you travel through some of its major cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Perth or the Gold Coast. You can also enjoy the world’s greatest diving experience in one of the Natural Wonders of the World – The Great Barrier Reef. You don’t have to be a professional diver to enjoy the treasures that lie within this underwater marvel.
The best way to traverse Australia is by hiring a car.
This iconic Australian Route along the Southern coast from Torquay to Allansford near Warrnambool has mystified travellers since decades.
This 250 kms long stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia is listed as an Australian National Heritage that was built by returning soldiers in memory of their comrades killed during World War 1 making it the World’s Largest War Memorial. The road travels via Anglesea, Lorne, Apollo Bay and the natural limestone & sandstone foundations of The London Arch, The Grotto, The Loch Ard Gorge and The Twelve Apostles in Port Campbell. The road twist and turns along the coastline with tall, vertical cliffs tha fall into the Southern Ocean. Go whale watching in Warrnambool, wildlife hunting in the massive Great Otway National Park or swim with Dolphins and Australian Fur Seals Queenscliff Boat Harbour, the Great Ocean Road is perfect for nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts.
The grand Pacific Drive is a 140 kms drive that runs along the South-Eastern Coast of Australia taking you through dense rainforests, over the Seal Cliff Bridge and through the cities of Wollongong, Shell Harbour, Shoalhaven and Kiama. The drive first takes you to the Royal National Park in New south Wales having Lagoon areas in Wattamolla, Oceanside Sea Cliff bridge, Garie Beach and diverse rock formations like the figure 8 polls, wedding cake rocks, Bald hill. The Bald Hill is popular among the tourists for the views that it provides and is also a perfect location for the hand gliding. The last stop in the Grand Pacific Drive is just as breath-taking & picturesque featuring a wide variety of flora, fauna, the cascading waterfalls and the streams of Minnamurra Forest are must see features. You can hire a car rental in Sydney to start your Grand Pacific Drive.
Located in the south of Australia this high-altitude alpine route takes you from Wangaratta in Northern Victoria across the Australian Alps to Bairnsdale, which is the gateway to the lakes in the East. You can enjoy the pleasures of Wine tasting in the King’s Valley, uncover the Pine Ash trees of the Victorian High Country while exploring the old towns of Omeo, Bright and Beechworth.
This drive takes around 3-4 days to fully complete whilst seeing all the wonders that this road has to offer as you travel in your rental car through the long winding mountain roads. The Great Alpine Road also takes you to the Mount Buffalo National Park which is nature lover’s paradise with long walking tracks, hiking trails, waterfalls, wildflowers, Pine forests and rich wildlife. You can also go for Skiing in the Hotham Heights and Dinner Plain which have more than 35 kms of Ski trails. You can hire an Avis car rental in Wangaratta and drive this usually overlooked yet stunning great drive.
The Gibbs River Road drive is a true Australian outback adventure which you surely would not want to miss if you are an adventure freak. Also known as the ‘Last Real Adventure in Australia’ it is a 660 kms long road that was originally built to transport cattle but now has become synonymous with 4 WD adventures.
Starting off in Derby it takes you to some of the most remote areas of Western Australia, to the Windjana Gorge, Mount Hart, El Questro Wilderness Park and all the way to the canyons of Wyndham. It is a 10-12 days trip that is famed for its 4x4 adventure tracks that sometimes becomes too difficult to cross and may bring some of the hardcore off-road enthusiasts to their knees. The best time to have a go at this all terrain escapade is in the month of June, July and August as the temperatures outside are manageable with the temperatures hovering around 29-30’ C. Never visit this drive in the months of January and February as they are the cyclone months with high risk of floods. Make sure to hire a 4WD car rental in Australia when you go for this drive.
This great drive starts in Australia’s largest and most famous city - Sydney. The first stop in this journey is Glenbrook, a town just 80 kms from Sydney, then Wentworth Waterfalls leading to the pretty town of Leura, then Katoomba, Blackheath and finally ending in Lithgow. Katoomba has a lot of tourist attractions that include the steepest passenger railway in the world having a 52-degree incline at the Scenic Railway, cable cars, skywalks and the famous 3 Sisters Rock formations. You can also go for some wine tasting in the nearby wine regions and enjoy the local wines. It also has vast swathes of mountains that are covered in eucalyptus forests that are give these mountains their trademark ‘Blue Haze’ thus giving them the name ‘Blue Mountains’. Tourists can also go for the walk tours in these mountains that take you through the indigenous heritage and culture of the region. The Blue Mountains Drive is a stunning road trip that takes you through valleys, sandstone cliffs, huge rock formations and dense forests of Blue Mountains.
Which Side of the Road?
In Australia, drive on the LEFT side of the road.
Unique Country Driving Laws
● Do not use a mobile phone to call or text while driving.
● Always Carry a valid international driving permit with your origin country’s driving license with you.
● Driver and all the passengers must wear seat belts.
● Watch out for Wildlife.
● Follow the speed limits mentioned on various sections of the route.
● Do not overtake school buses.
● If pulled over by Police, do not exit your vehicle. Turn the ignition off and sit patiently with your hands visible.
● Lookout for Hook Turns in Melbourne. A Hook Turn is a right hand turn from a left lane, to allow the operation of trams
Speed Limits
There are different speed limits for different route in Australia and speed limits are mentioned in Kilometres. Below are the speed limits in different parts of the country:
● Country Roads and highways: 80-110 km/hr or 49-68 m/hr
● Cities and Towns: 40-60km/hr or 24-37 m/hr
● School Zones: 40 km/hr
Please be aware of changing speeds indicated by road signs. Lookout for mobile speed cameras that are found across the country usually in unmarked cars.
Child Safety / Seat Belt Laws
All the people seating inside the vehicle must wear seats belts.
● Child safety seats are mandatory and are available for Avis Australia locations – subject to availability.
