Planning a trip to Australia?

If you are thinking of hiring a campervan and travelling to Australia, then this blog will help you to plan when and where is best to go depending on what time of year it is.

When is the best time to travel Australia?

As a rule of thumb in the summer months, the further north you go, the hotter and stickier it’ll be. The seasons either side of spring or autumn tend to be the best for most travel throughout the country, but it can depend greatly on what it is you want to do.

You will find that most visitors arrive during the summer months (December to February) when the south eastern city hubs of Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne are warm and sunny. With long balmy evenings, beaches swarm and outside cafe tables overflow. That goes to say that when everyone else is here too, you’ll be facing peak season and unavoidable queues, hiked accommodation prices and crammed public transport. So for those of you looking at hiring a campervan, you’ll only be dealing with the peak season volume of tourists!

For those of you looking to hire a campervan, planning a camper holiday in Australia can be daunting so we have put together this online video as a great starting point to help you. Grab yourself a cuppa, sit back and enjoy.

Getting started for a camper holiday in Australia

Due to the size of the country, Australia experiences a diversity of climates with temperatures ranging from extreme heat in the northwest of Australia to below zero in the Snowy Mountains in southern Australia. Because of the country’s vastness, there is no-one single seasonal calendar.

There are 6 climatic zones throughout the continent which translates as two main seasonal patterns.

Image Source: Bureau of Meteorology

In the Temperate, Desert and Grassland zones there is spring, summer, autumn and winter seasons and in the equatorial, tropical and sub-tropical zones they essentially experience a wet and dry season. Therefore, depending upon where you are, the climatic conditions will be dependent on which climatic zone you are in i.e. temperate or tropical.

Seasons in the temperate zones

The blue areas on the map of Australia highlight the Temperate zone. The temperate zone seasons are referred to as spring, summer, autumn and winter but are referred to in the following sequence:

• Summer: December to February
• Autumn: March to May
• Winter: June to August
• Spring: September to November

These seasons also affect the Grasslands (pale yellow areas) and Desert zones too (pale red areas).

Seasons in the tropical zones

The three climatic zones in the tropical areas of Australia are Equatorial (shown by the brown area) Tropical (dark green areas) and Sub-tropical (pale green areas).

These three tropical regions in the north of the country have high temperatures and high humidity and two distinct seasons:

• Wet Season – also referred to as monsoon season, runs for six months between November and March. This season is hotter than the dry season with high humidity.
• Dry Season – this runs for the remaining six months usually between April and October. It is generally dryer with clearer skies with lower humidity levels.

Getting around Australia in a campervan

The great Australian road trip awaits you. Drive along ocean roads and explore the beaches and towns along the way or meander along through central Australia and witness the expansive scenery and visit breath taking scenery at many of Australia’s national parks – you’ll be spoiled for choice!

If you’ve decided what time of year you want to go, we have provided below a list of travel routes, best time of year to go and how long you should allow for the tour.

Click here to download the travel route suggestions we have provided below.

Travel Route Suggestions

Other things to consider for your camper holiday

Plan your trip! Driving around Australia is easy on most routes but you’ll need to be prepared for the distances, road rules, 4WD tracks and outback roads you might travel. Make sure you are well prepared for your road trip to Australia.

If you’re interested in reading more information including top tips for motorhomes for hire, have a read of other articles on our blog. If you are travelling on a budget you might also be interested in this article regarding a hire camper van. Find out more when you hire a campervan and getting information while on the road at the information centres.

There’s also information regarding bringing luggage with your camper rental Australia. There’s also more information on Campervan Hiring – what is the right sized vehicle. Have a look at this post if you’d like to find out more about minimum hire periods with campervan rentals.

If you’d like an idea of cost and vehicle options for your planned route with a campervan in Australia – please get in touch and ask for a Camper Hire Quote.