That's what a road trip around Australia is called, "The Big Lap," and more and more people are doing it.
I've not done the "lap" in one single trip, that would take 12-18 months were I to spend the right sort of time to see the good stuff - I'm not into rushing it - and places are different across the seasons so one almost has to go back to each place (some of them) twice or more, I've seen much of the country on many trips though. I'm planning my big lap although it'll not be a one way lap, I'll go this way and that depending on the season and the commitments I have back home and elsewhere although when I do the big lap I'll no longer be working so I should be able to stay away for extended periods of time so with no really timeframe issues it's sure to be pretty awesome.
With the Big Lap comes big cost and that's what I'm working on at the moment; I think many people think it's as easy as getting into the truck and buggering off, but nope, it's not. I thought I'd share some of my numbers - all numbers are in Australian dollars.
The below figures assume a person has a truck already set up for off-roading and touring (these are generally two very different set-ups but a balance can be found between the two) like my truck and also a caravan or camper trailer like or similar to mine (both are above) plus all the bits and pieces one needs to comfortably and safely do the lap. Combined, these run up to (conservatively) $200,000 in cost but like I always say, fun isn't cheap. So, the rig is all sorted, let's look at what the ongoing costs are going to be. It's also based on two people over twelve months.
Fuel
These numbers are based on between $2.00 - $2.50/L average price for fuel and on fuel consumption of around 20L/100km (towing a caravan). I use 19-22L/100 in my truck depending on speed and terrain. I'm also only basing it on 10,000km of travel per year which would be what I would call a slow traveller. If a person was to stay at each place for shorter periods (doing more kilometres between) it would ramp up the fuel as they'd travel father.
Just so you know, if a person was to stick to Highway 1 and associated connector roads it's about 14,500km to circumnavigate Australia by road however it's highly likely there would be detours so it's probably much more than that; then one would want to drive here and there to see other things along the way as well so the kilometres would rack up...10,000 is conservative.
- Cost: About $7,500-$8,000 or so
Obviously this number depends on how a person drives, what they drive, type of tyres, the terrain, weight/aerodynamics of the caravan and other factors. My numbers are a little more than than the above due to the type of vehicle I have and I've factored $11,000 of fuel for my year.
Accommodation
I've based this on a combination of "free" camping that can range from $0 - $20/night, caravan parks at $40 - $60/night and luxury holiday/resort parks at $70 - $80/night. I'm going to do three figures based on the three different options:
- 70% free camping cost $175/month = $2,100/year
- 50/50 mix of free and caravan parks $950/month = $11,400/year
- Only caravan parks and powered sites $1,600/month = $19,200/year
I'm set up for "off-grid" which means I'll be able to take advantage of more of the free camps and very low-cost options like National Parks and smalltown showgrounds which offer up to 3 days of camping for next to nothing, or totally nothing, (with facilities) and other options as well like beaches and such places I'm able to get to because I have a 4x4. Using caravan parks and powered sites is the most costly way to do it.
Food and groceries
Again there's options here. Cooking for oneself in or at the caravan/campsite, cooking for oneself with a mix of dining out or dining out often. So I'll put in three figures again.
- Cooking for oneself $200/week = $10,400
- Cooking for oneself with 3-4 meals out $375/week = $19,500/year
- Dining out mostly $550/week = $28,600
This is a difficult one to calculate as an average because everyone eats differently but I've based it on myself. If I was dining out for lunches and dinner seven days a week (two people) I think I'd struggle to work with $550/week ($78.50/day) however there's places where that would be possible now and then. I'm more of a home-cooker usually so would probably prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner myself around 85% of the time with only the occasional meal out. It's still a lot of money though.
Vehicle/caravan maintenance
A service costs me $1,200 on my truck and then there's tyres and other consumable parts like filters to replace on top of that. One also needs to add in unexpected repairs and maintenance as well. On this item I tend to over-budget because without my vehicle in top shape I'm going nowhere.
- Basic truck/caravan maintenance $3,500/year
- Unexpected maintenance budget $3,500/year
- Total vehicle maintenance cost $7,000/year
This may sound like a lot but considering the tyres I use on my truck are $550 each, the air filter I use is $350 and a service on my caravan is $650 plus most parts being right up there in cost (and that I like to keep my shit wired tight) it's about right for me. If I get home and I've not spent the budget then fine but I'd be pissed off if I didn't budget enough and got stuck. An older vehicle may be much more, or could even be less due to being easier to work on (lack of computers etc.) I carry basic spares and am a national member for roadside assistance, not that it'll help me when I'm remote but it may save some cost, plus I know how to do a thing or two mechanically.
Communications
This is a critically important aspect for obvious reasons in a country where one may not see another soul for days. I have my mobile phone and a SAT phone also, plus UHF radio (car-mounted and hand held) and a GPS emergency beacon/locator. I'm not really into having Starlink internet but that's something most will do so I'll price up the lot.
- Mobile service $80/month = $960/year
- UHF radios $1200 (once off)
- Sat phone $2,300 (Iridium) + plan $99/month = $3,488/year
- Emergency beacon $400 (one-time use only)
- Starlink "roam" internet Kit $550 = plan $80/month = $1,510/year
It's important to remember that Starlink needs to be powered, which would happen from my caravan but not everyone is adequately set up to do that so there'd be additional cost. I'd just go without the internet though as I'd be moving and would just use data from my mobile phone plan when I had phone service in and around civilisation. There's also some really cool options for off-grid communications such as the
Zoleo system.
Activities and entertainment
This is very difficult to calculate so I worked it out based on what I've done in the past. I'm not a budget traveller, I want to see and do stuff, but I'm not exactly a luxury traveller either, so somewhere in between those two is where I sit and leaning closer to mid-range is where I reckon I am.
- Budget $400/month = $4,800/year
- Mid-range $1,250/month = $15,000/year
- Premium $1,600/month $19,200/year
I think I'd probably spend less than that but I'm not the sort of person who goes somewhere and doesn't pay to get into what I want to see or do just because it's too costly - life is too short for that shit.
So where does that leave my year of travelling around Australia from a cost perspective?
Keep in mind that these are not my exact figures and they don't cover every single aspect of the trip. I have a spreadsheet which is far more accurate but I've only sort of averaged things out here and based it on different types of travelling people may do.
So how much?
I've broken it down and for me feel confident I'm in the middle bracket, but I know many people that do this way cheaper and also way more costly than I would.
Low: $37,848 - Middle: $66,948 - Premium: $89,558
These are big numbers and considering these are based on only $10,000km of travel and the more kilometres travelled the more fuel, maintenance, entertainment/activities and pretty much more of everything...well, the numbers go upwards. If a person was to throw on the cost of getting the vehicle/set up and the caravan, say $200,000 in all...doing the Big Lap comes at a big cost.
Fortunately for me I've got the right set up, I've been doing this stuff for decades and I know a thing or two, a few tricks...plus I love remote places so would pay less for accommodation as it's generally free...but even so these are huge numbers especially considering that one may not have an income at the time, or may be paying for their house back home still, insurances and other expense and all (none of which I've added to the numbers.)
Anyway, that's a little glimpse into what it takes to do a lap of this country in a road trip.
