There are 2,165 miles of road between Cairns and Melbourne if you drive along the coast. This is useless information unless you, like me, happen to be planning an epic road trip along the eastern coast of Australia. Nevertheless, what is not completely useless is the cautionary wisdom I am about to impart to you about planning memorable road trips.
The easiest part of your road trip should be visualizing it. Establish one or several (depending on the length of your road trip) major destinations to keep you on track so that you may configure sub-destinations within the surrounding areas into your core road trip plan. Also, when deciding on your major destinations, be aware of how long you will be sitting in a car between each location. I’ve found that traveling for more than six hours can be really hard on your body, so keeping the length from one destination to another in mind will help alleviate physical and mental stress.
Another important factor is the time of year. Here in California we are spoiled rotten with incredibly predictable weather, but if you’re going somewhere a bit more tropical you should give weather possibilities a bit more forethought. With regards to my upcoming trip, I’m aware that monsoon season begins in mid-December in the north-east of Australia, which is why I plan not to be there at that time. This is not to say monsoon season can’t come earlier this year, but weather predictions are based on averages that can be very useful when exploring an area with an extreme climate.
The climate may not be new, but the culture could be. When in a foreign country, you should understand the basics of the language and culture of the area, or you may opt to focus your trip around tourist-heavy destinations. A couple years ago, I took a road trip along the Croatian coastline with a native speaker, and because he knew the language and customs, we were able to do many things that foreigners typically would not be exposed to. Recently, my friend chose to travel to Croatia alone and had asked me for advice, but I could not soundly recommend my experiences because she would’ve ended up lost or potentially in danger. Sticking to highly trafficked areas is typically a safe bet as there will be English-speakers and more lenience on non-native behaviors (if any).
Regardless of whatever safety precautions you take, be aware that bad things can happen. Do not be afraid, but do not go about your trip blindly. Make choices based on your well-being, don’t put yourself in situations you’re not comfortable with, and always have a Plan B. Sadly, women traveling by themselves or with other women need to take further precautions to ensure safety.
Lastly, ditch the romantic ideas of road trips. Expecting too much of a good thing will ruin your experience. Although there is planning and forethought that will have gone into this trip, you must be comfortable scratching any of it to see where the wind takes you. My best travel memories are from taking the road less traveled by (sometimes with a kind local who I couldn’t really understand).
This is a journey, and not all journeys are going to be picture-perfect — in fact, I don’t think any are. Take this road trip for what it is: a time for self-discovery, a new adventure, learning about the world around you, finding new friends you were destined to meet, or strengthening existing friendships. Make your road trip your own, and take every travel writer’s advice with a grain of salt.
None of the images used belong to Her Campus UC Davis.