Camping or hostels?

Shy Ted

Myself and the other half will be in Australia next month and would like to do a bit of travelling before we settle down to work. Just wondering what everyone's opinion is on camping or going to hostels. Last time we were there we mainly stayed at YHA hostels, but it was a short trip just holidaying on the east coast.

The campervan would probably provide a little bit more freedom, but we don't know what it'll be like for meeting others and socialising. Never done it before either, so we really don't know what to expect.
Rentals seem ridiculously expensive, however buying a camper and selling it afterwards would also be considered.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

catbear

It's a tough one but at least you got time to choose. Years ago my wife and I did the east coast with relocations. Sites like imoova are good for that but contacting the rental companies directly can be even cheaper. I met one kiwi who did the whole oz loop via relocations.

Alternatively if you're going to be here long term buy a wagon and camping gear and keep cheap and flexible.

Years ago in cairns our hostel had a few cars left behind my backpackers, the manager had all the paperwork and was offering them free to everyone!

Tigerandahalf

We rented a campervan. It gives you great freedom and you can come and go as you please. Only thing is you may need to charge up every 2nd night so you can cook etc. and thus need to book ahead at campsites. It depends on what your comfort level is. You could buy an old hatchback and sleep in the back of it and have your shower in the sea. We weren't pushed on the hostel scene. As a couple you want your own space anyway. Depends on what you want your experience to be.

Markcheese

Mix and match - there'll be times and places when you want to socialize - and use showers ,washing machine- there'll be times when you want to be staying in a hostel in the centre of town and go for a few drinks - there'll be other times when the flexibility of being able to just camp at the beach or in the middle of nowhere will suit -
A van or small camper would be ideal -easy enough to drive around in - anonymous enough to park and sleep anywhere in - and shouldn't break the bank -

catbear

Alternatively you could campervan in new zealand for a lot less, cheaper food and wine, excellently maintained campsites for $6-10nz (there's loads of free sites in towns if your camper has a self contained toilet) in fantastic scenery with much shorter driving distances than OZ.
I've done both and NZ is the runaway winner. Did a month there recently and even after you factor in the flights it's still better value than campervaning in oz.

Shy Ted

Thanks for all the responses. All very good advice and have given me a lot to think about.
I suppose one of our problems is that we still haven't decided where we want to settle.
But we thought having a camper would give us flexibility to see as much as we can without wiping out our savings.
I just don't know what the camping scene is like, or what to expect from it. i.e is it mainly families, retired couples, young back packers or a mix of all everything? We're both 30 so we're not really planning on going on the drink every night.

I looked at Imoova, unfortunately they need people to travel a long enough distance with little time to stop off in between. I'm not gonna rule them out. They might have a trip that would suit us at the time.

I looked at a couple rental companies. It was working out $50 per day for the camper & $30 for the insurance.
This was the first site I saw and granted there is probably a lot cheaper out there.

I would still consider buying my own camper and then trying to sell it off when we're done.

NZ wouldn't be on the cards in the near future, but we would like to visit the country at a later date.

Tigerandahalf

No matter what you choose it will be quite expensive. Even if you just camp out you will need at least to buy a car. If you plan on holding onto the car it may be a good option. But if you haven't camped before you won't know if the hassles of putting up and taking down a tent suits. Plus the weather may turn. If you have your own transport it gives you a lot more flexibility. Hostels in your 30s for a couple are not a great attraction unless you get a room to yourselves.
For us the camper rental from Britz was expensive enough but if it broke down they would come out to us. That was important for us, especially if you are in the middle of nowhere. Plus we could cook in it and had lights. It will be dark from around 7pm. We found the campsites great for chatting to people. We met a good few retired couples who were spending their retirement travelling around Oz in a super sized camper with the satellite dish, toilets and showers. You can have great chats. Plus the campsites will have barbecues, toilets and showers. For the busier ones you may need to book ahead. The rental company gave us a brochure with campsite details. Plus google is your friend.
Each day we would drive 2 - 4 hours. Don't underestimate the distances involved between towns etc. Normally we would get up and have a simple breakfast in the campervan, sometimes a fry! The fridge is very handy to store water and beers. Then we would set off and drive for an hr or so to some beach or other site, go for a stroll and then a coffee. We would then drive on to our next campsite, pitch up and explore the local area. It is a great opportunity to see a really beautiful country.

Markcheese

catbear wrote: »

Alternatively you could campervan in new zealand for a lot less, cheaper food and wine, excellently maintained campsites for $6-10nz (there's loads of free sites in towns if your camper has a self contained toilet) in fantastic scenery with much shorter driving distances than OZ.
I've done both and NZ is the runaway winner. Did a month there recently and even after you factor in the flights it's still better value than campervaning in oz.

But it's a different country - shure the op could stay here buy a cheap camper on DD,and tour round in the summer - won't be traveling round OZ though- !!!
I traveled in Australia and NewZealand ,loved them both but they're completely different experiences-landscapes -

Shy Ted

The last time we were in Oz we mainly stayed in a double room at the hostels. Except for the one occasion the double rooms were fully booked. Sharing a dorm with a group of lads that think nobody can hear them riding girls cos its the middle of the night is not pleasant. Its safe to say we didn't get a good nights sleep on that occasion.

I can vaguely remember the distances travelled from our last trip. We drove from Cairns to Sydney and it was good fun playing roulette passing filling stations without topping up the petrol tank. Don't think I'd chance it on the great ocean road though.

This may sound stupid but what do you do for wifi?
Do camp sites supply wifi or do you just stick with mobile data?

pete4130

I've got a 4wd LandCruiser camper van that I use for leisure when I'm not working. It's old but kitted out. Pop top roof, sleeping upstairs or/and downstairs, cooker, a fridge freezer in it, gas, water storage etc. It's big enough but also small when you are planning a long trip with 2 people and being totally self sufficient.

Buying a cheap van to use as a camper is a good option. The downside is you are buying an older, used vehicle and taking a chance on it. IF you are serious, spend the $100-$150 to get NRMA or RACQ (AA equivalent) to give it the once over before buying it. It could save money in repairs. Getting roadside assistance is a must too. It's only about $100-$150 for the year and gives peace of mind.
If its been kitted out/used as a camper van by backpackers before then you might get a good deal of camping gear with it.
If you have to buy the camping gear yourself, then thats an extra expense to factor in. You can buy cheap camping gear in the likes of Kmart but its a false economy. Their stuff is cheap and won't last. Their cheap tents are $15 but are horrible.
Best bet is to go to a camping store like Anaconda (always have deals and sales on, just become a club member for free and you get better deals on some stuff).
A decent tent is maybe $80, head torches are maybe $10, a stove, pots, pans, cooking stuff, a cooler box maybe $80, storage boxes, sleeping bags etc....it all adds up. It can be sold on at the end of your travels too though.

You an buy the most recents Camping guide book that lists all the free and paid sites all over Australia. It's about $60 I think

http://www.campsaustraliawide.com

I've gone up and down the east coast and the Great Ocean Road Xmas/New Year 2013/2014 for 2 weeks. It does give you great freedom that you can go anywhere you want to, stay anywhere. There are free camping spots with drop toilets and no showers that you can use that have basic amenities (maybe a BBQ that works if you are lucky). After a few days of being self sufficient you will want to/need to book into a cheap holiday caravan park just to use their showers and freshen up.

Caravan parks can vary for unpowered sites from $30-$35 upwards, depending on peak/off peak season. I just did 2 nights south of Sydney at the weekend with 4 people on a powered site and it was $176 for the 2 nights for all 4 of us (2 vehicles).

With Caravan parks you will tend to get a few backpacker travellers, a few grey nomads/retirees there in the off peak season. During Xmas/Peak season parks are fully booked and Aussie families will stay at a caravan park for 4-6 weeks in huge tents set up with proper fridges, TV's, beds etc.... because the kids are on school holidays and just use the pool/playground/facilities every day.

Some of the fancier more expensive parks may have wifi. Generally you can get a cheap pre pay phone or sim card and use that as personal wifi hotspot. Thats what I use.

Another option while on the road is the likes of AirBnB and even couch surfing to be options for free places to stay.

catbear

Shy Ted wrote: »

This may sound stupid but what do you do for wifi?
Do camp sites supply wifi or do you just stick with mobile data?

You buy a pay as go $2 sim for WiFi. I pay about 26$au for 45 days. I do have broadband at home but out and about I've only exceeded the data limit once in three years. They just need a passport and address (hotel did it for me).
Using it for Google maps will deplete the data fast though.
Otherwise I still think nz is much better bang for your buck but if you like extremely long drives in flat landscapes then oz wins.

massdebater

OP, I bought a campervan two years ago for camping/festivals and will be moving into a motorhome full time in a few weeks. I find it a lot cheaper than staying in a hostel. Loads of free camp sites across the country too. Campervans tend to hold their value too so you should be able to sell it easily, providing you finish off in one of the major cities.

Obvious problems would be showers but I either use showers at some of the free campsites (or walk into the pay campsites and just use theirs ) or else I walk into a hostel and use theirs. You can also pay a few $$ at a hostel/gym to use their showers.

The most expensive part is the fuel. If possible, try to get a duel fuel camper (runs off gas and petrol). This is infinitely cheaper than running off unleaded. Diesel is next cheapest with unleaded petrol being the most expensive.

I joined the CMCA (campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia). Membership is approx $50 for the year and gets you half price insurance with Ken Tame Insurance. Fully comp insurance for me was $500 for the year and covers the price of the vehicle plus $2000 worth of items (laptops etc) and has breakdown cover all across australia. You get monthly magazines too with camping info but I don't bother with them mostly.

Let me know if you have any other questions about campervans/camping and I'll do my best to answer them. These are all things I've researched a lot over the last couple of years.

Shy Ted

Thanks again for all the excellent advice guys, I greatly appreciate it.