Im moving to oz i the next few months and am going to hit the road to see their beautiful country before i settle down.
Any suggestion as to what kind of vehicle i should buy when i get there!
a.woodrow,
Sep 20, 6:07am
Falcon, commodore, magna or camry are the cheaper options. If you're going to be doing a lot of driving you'll want a bigger car. try and find something with as much rego as possible. rego is expensive
mugenb20b,
Sep 20, 6:25am
A 4WD with air conditioning. 100 Series Toyota Landcruiser with front and rear diff locks would be my choice.
fordcrzy,
Sep 20, 6:29am
YES GET A CAR WITH A YEARS REGO. in australia the compulsory medical insurance goes with the car rego. for our XF falcon it was about $1000 a year to rego. jap cars like corollas and pulsars are stupidly expensive
phillip.weston,
Sep 20, 6:30am
^^ depends on the state and what car you have. In QLD rego for a 4cyl vehicle is around $300-350 for 6 months, BUT that includes compulsory 3rd party insurance. I purchased a car with no rego and put 6 months rego on and still have change from $400 which included me having to pay $29 for new plates and $29 for a change of ownership fee too.
In QLD a car must be put through a safety/roadworthy certificate (RWC) when ownership changes hands, however there is no requirement to have another RWC in your ownership until it comes time to sell the vehicle, or you could sell it 'as is' with no RWC and no plates attached.
In NSW a car must be put through a RWC every 12 months when new rego is issued. In SA I believe you don't have to have a RWC at all when you change ownership or when you have to renew the rego. I am unsure about VIC, WA, ACT, NT or Tasmania.
I have a Toyota Camry currently and I think it's a good starting car to have - it's reasonably comfortable to ride in, it has working air con, it's really economical and if it ever breaks down there's literally millions of other Camrys around so parts and maintenance would be cheap. Though as good as it is, I want to upgrade in the next few months to something a bit more enjoyable to drive as the Camry is a base model with no central locking, power windows or even a tacho!
What would your budget be! You may be a bit shocked at the prices of what some cars go for. Basically anything presentable and roadworthy from the 80s/90s starts from about $1500-2000 onwards. Late 90s/early 2000's Falcons and Commodores are cheap and seem to only be $500-1000 more than their early-mid 90s counterparts. I was considering an AU Falcon on LPG but even after doing the sums it wouldn't have been all too economical to run.
I would avoid a Magna unless it was 2000's era onwards. The 2.6s are lethargic dogs of an engine and the 3.0 V6 is powerful but still just as thirsty as the 2.6. Both engines are prone to smoking at higher milage too. The 97 onwards 2.4 would be economical but underpowered while the 2000 onwards 3.5 upper spec models would be my pick. But this all depends on your budget.
a.woodrow,
Sep 20, 6:38am
be aware that the compulsory insurance only covers you for your liability for injuries, not property damage, you still need to have other insurance
ryanm2,
Sep 20, 6:42am
shoot to some backpackers to see if there are cheap cars floating about - i purchased three this way whilst i was in aussie. The best and last being a 89 EA Falcon wagon, S pack thing, had all the bells and at least 1 whistle for $900 in adelaide.
NZTools,
Sep 20, 6:49am
Almost right Phil., Their compulsory third party insurance, is actualy medical insurance, incase you hurt someone in an accident you caused. It does not cover damage to cars.
fordcrzy,
Sep 20, 6:49am
yes thats why i tried to make it clear about the medical insurance.from memory our rego was bout $150. RWC was $50. third party insurance was about $450 and third party property maybe about $500 ish
phillip.weston,
Sep 20, 7:03am
yeah you are right the CTP is only for personal injury liability, but it's a part of your rego cost which you must pay - I guess it's very similar to our ACC content in NZ's rego costs. You will need to get insurance on top of rego too.
valleygirl16,
Sep 20, 7:34am
Thanx guys. Was also wondering if a 4x4 was a good idea as i'll end up living centralqueensland and will need one in the wet season.
Do i really need a big vehicle as its only me!
valleygirl16,
Sep 20, 7:36am
And should i spend a fair bit of money on one for travelling and keep using when my travels are over or get a cheaper one then a decent one when i settle!
trouser,
Sep 20, 7:39am
Do not pick up any hitch hikers or assist anyone broken down in the outback. Post your passport to your destination and don't have it with you in the car. People disappear all too easily in the outback and a New Zealand passport is worth a lot of money.
phillip.weston,
Sep 20, 7:40am
where in central QLD will you be living! I haven't been here long enough to comment but being in Brisbane and having travelled Brisbane to Sydney and back I would say you wouldn't have a need to have a 4WD if you're just travelling on the main highways. If you want to go off the beaten trail then a 4WD would definitely come in handy. There are lots of 4WDs to choose from here, but they aren't cheap. Expect to pay $5000-10000 for a basic setup.
Again, what is your budget to spend!
ringo2,
Sep 20, 7:43am
Driving SOLO around Oz is not a very wise thing to do!
taranaki63,
Sep 20, 8:17am
peter falconio springs to mind
valleygirl16,
Sep 20, 8:26am
Ill be living further up past mckay and when it rains.its rains. A 4x4 is a must unless i want to be stranded.
Travelling oz alone.im not silly, in fact im a very sensible and capable person who doesnt take risks. I wont be going off the beaten track, just travelling from town to town.
Budget.round 3-5grand if just for travelling but if i get a vehicle to keep then up to 10grand.
bob1088,
Sep 20, 8:34am
Best advice is get a 4X4 with as much in the way of survival gear as possible - lifted and with a winch and locking hubs a must - why some are advising Magnas and cars is beyond me - carry plenty of water and fuel - it`s a large desert after all!- some other advice such as posting passport ahead is probably good.Also best to get a co-pilot - please post picture of 4X4 and I may apply!(joke)
valleygirl16,
Sep 20, 8:41am
so whats a good 4x4!
tegeem,
Sep 20, 8:45am
keep us posted on here as to your progress. will be a good way to record your travels and an added safety net. Im doing it solo on a motorbike next year as a practice run for south america
tegeem,
Sep 20, 8:47am
landcruizer troupy and you cant go far wrong
bert37,
Sep 20, 8:49am
done a heap of aussie in the early 90s in an xc fairmont, do you know how big the place is , it is huge, plan carefully
whynot7,
Sep 20, 9:23am
see if you can something with twin fuel tanks . ive driven around aussie a few times some places are 400-500ks or more between fuel stops and carrying jerry cans is a pain.and make sure your door locks work. if your goin to be in qldbuy a car with qld plates its a pain to swap rego from other states. dont forget about stamp duty on your purchase and you need a qld address to register it cos if you dont answer letters from old transport they delicence your car.
chris_051,
Sep 20, 9:39am
Set up.
I too will be in the same situation as the original poster later on this year, travel around before landing a job. I will most likely end up with an AU or BA Falcon wagon. Never been let down by a coon, good economy and huge space. Land cruiser 100 series with twin diff locks lol, how far into the bush do you think one person in one vehicle will go!! a bit OTT.
fryan1962,
Sep 20, 9:53am
Valley girl just buy a van, I did it in an l300 mitz the roads for most of oz are fine,,,,,depending on how far outback you want to go and of course if you do you DONT GO ALONE ,,,,I am big enough and ugly enough that I never had problem you will be surprised how many ppl are doing the same thing, I did it for 6 months, if you get ex backpacker van you will get pots pan tent
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