Road trip camping tips
As one of the largest countries in the world, Australia is riddled with routes ripe for family getaways. To help you on your way, jennifer ennion shares her road-trip camping tips.
The best road trip camping tips to help you on your way.
1There’s plenty to be said for being prepared on a family camping trip, but there’s also merit in travelling on the fly and discovering new campsites. The app Wikicamps ($7.95–$7.99, Android, IOS and Microsoft) is a fantastic companion as you’ll be able to read campground and attraction reviews from recent travellers to get an idea of cost before arriving.
2Phone reception and Wi-fi can be intermittent right around Australia, even if you’re with Telstra, so we definitely reccomend downloading detailed road maps before you depart on your trip. As a back-up, it’s a good idea to carry a paper map, too, just in case of ill-timed battery failures. Even if you don’t use the maps, they’re still fantastic educational tools for children.
3Mix up your style of camping. If you’ll soon be staying in a you-beaut holiday park, consider spending a few nights prior in a national park or free camp. This will help balance the budget and help you justify that pricey pub meal. Visitor information centres are a great place to stop for info on where to stay, as well as to collect paper maps and regional guides.
4Speaking of information centres, they’re generally top spots to fill up on drinking water. If you have a caravan, be sure to carry a food-grade hose and you can pick up a tap adaptor upwards of about $5 from Bunnings, meaning you can use any tap available. It’s wise to also have a chlorine in-line filter so you can ensure the water you’re putting in your caravan tank or jerry can is safe.
5Charge your devices while driving. It sounds simple enough, but I’m talking about doing more than plugging your phone into a standard USB port. Use the vehicle’s 12-volt socket (the cigarette lighter, for example) for smaller accessories, or buy an inverter so you can charge 240-volt equipment such as camera batteries, laptops (for digital nomads) and your new whizz-bang drone. This will mean you can opt for an unpowered campsite at the next caravan park and again save dollars.
6It’s easy to fall into bad snacking habits when road-tripping, especially on long driving days. This is when planning ahead is useful. Eat hearty breakfasts, such as porridge or eggs, so you don’t experience mid-morning cravings as you head to your next destination. Also have a ‘snack box’ in the car for when you do get the munchies, but instead of filling it with sugary treats that will make the kids hyperactive, stock it with your favourite fruit, nuts and healthy ‘van-made goodies such as date and cacao bliss balls (trust me, you can make them without a food processor). It’s also smart to buy your groceries from bigger towns as they’ll be cheaper than remote areas, or from roadside stalls if you pass any.
7Avoid driving from dusk till dawn, especially when you’re passing through rural areas or heading into a national park. These are peak times for wildlife to be roadside, and I’m talking about kangaroos, deer and brumbies, all large amimals that can do serious damage to your vehicle and you. If you get caught out travelling as the sun’s setting (and who hasn’t?) drop your plans and stay at a truck stop or the nearest holiday park. The risk of an accident is just too great.
8Lastly, we all know that some stretches of highway can be mind-numbing and you’ll need some boredom busters to ward off cries of “Are we there yet?” Have some family-friendly music on your phone or tablet ready for singalongs, along with top podcasts the whole family can enjoy (try Kinderling Kids Radio). I-spy is an old favourite and you can tweak the game to focus on colours not letters so toddlers can play, too. Colouring-in pencils, notepads and sticker books are also handy. If you have no qualms about using your ipad for entertainment, download a few educational apps (Mister Maker: Let’s Make It! is a good one for creativity), so your children are learning while you’re driving.