QUOTE(stellios2 @ Apr 2 2010, 06:21 AM)
We are a family of 2 adults and 4 children weighing up the pros and cons of hiring a campervan vs a car- the latter coming in at around £600 cheaper. We are travelling for 5 1/2 weeks this July/Aug with a view to possible emmigration so are keen to check out as many locations as possible. We have a rental for the first week In Tamborine Mountain and a house swap in Mossman that we will use for a week or so later on. I feel that the camper would offer ultimate flexibility or would we find cheap accomodation easily for a family group this size? Any advice much appreciated.
G'day Stellos
I have had a quick look at costings for camper van V 4wd hire car reason for this is that in Australia a car has maximum 5 person per vehicle hence the need for a 7 seater 4 wheel drive the costings for roughly 5 weeks were the 4wd was about $6,000 an the car was about $4,000 both require fuel on top of rental the down side to the camper is it has only double beds so depending on the ages of the kids they would have to share a bed un less u hired extra camp beds an they could sleep out side july /August can be quite cold at night with night temps down as low as 0c in some place even in Queensland.
Accommodation can be found cheaply if u are prepared to look around if u have an idea of places you will be then may i suggest u use one of the search engines for discounted rooms from sites such as last minute or one i use a fair bit and have no problems with is wotif.com both sites have a range of accommodation you put in the dates u are looking for the location and it will come up with a motel hotel with its deal i then ring the hotel direct and say is this deal available and if not whats their best price usually they will offer you a good deal.
The average price per night is usually between about $100-$150 in some of the smaller towns. in the larger touristy places cost are slightly higher.
Another factor too is when u get here buy a cheap GPS they can be bought for as little as $120 and will be a major argument stopper when u are in the middle of the city or in the bush trying to read a map and have no idea where u are. Hiring one from the rental people is quite expensive as they usually charge $10 a day.
Hope this bit of advise help in your decision making and you enjoy your time and stay in Australia.
Cheers Stewart
Campervan or hire car Brisbane-Port Douglas/Mossman?
Apr 2 2010, 06:21 AM
