Guide to Driving in Australia

Outside of its cities, Australia has vast stretches of wild country commonly known as the "Outback". This is fantastic to drive through, although it is so vast and has enormous empty distances where you can drive for half a day and not pass through a single town. This is why it is extremely important that you plan your itinerary thoroughly and plan regular breaks in your journey.

Cattle and kangaroos are a major hazard on country roads, collisions with these and oncoming vehicles when swerving to avoid them are common. Wildlife is most active at dawn and dusk, so to avoid the risk, try not to drive at these times.

If you are planning on having a big holiday, you might want to consider hiring a car in separate areas and taking internal flights between them. Some places on a map of Australia may look like they are quite close to each other, however huge distances separate points of interest and the main cities, so always do some research prior to your trip, to ensure that you leave sufficient time for your journey.

Find out more about skiing in Australia, or read our Australia travel guide. You may also like to view information about destinations in Australia.

Essential Driving Information

• The give way to the right rule applies. In built-up areas, priorities are usually clearly marked.
• Traffic drives on the left here.
• Always park in the direction of traffic flow. There are parking meters in cities.
• Trams in Melbourne should only be overtaken on the left and you should stop behind at halts to allow passengers on and off. You should make sure that you obey road markings at right turns to avoid obstructing trams.
• The minimum driving age is 17yrs.
• Seat belts are compulsory in front and rear seats.
• The blood alcohol limit is 50mg alcohol per 100ml blood. For drivers under the age of 25 and have held a licence for less than 3 years, it's 20mg per 100ml of blood.

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