142 – Australia road trip, Vantastic Tasmania
February 12, 2010 in Australia
Catherine and Dara have recently completed a six-week roadtrip in Tasmania, Australia as part of the WorldNomads Vantastic programme. We wanted to speak to them about that part of Australia that seems even further away than the rest of it.
To listen to our interview, please play or subscribe for free in iTunes.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
The two American expats have now set up home in Melbourne, but they’ve had one heck of a moving in period! You can read more about their journey through Tasmania or check out their application video:
And compare that with their final video documentary:
All Vantastic applicants finish their stint with such a documentary and, after the last crew has finished, the videos are judged fro the change to win an additional AUD$10,000 … which is a lot of beer and petrol money. There’s one stage still available, so if you want to get flown down to tour Western Australia, apply now.
Sponsor: Travellers’ Auto Barn
Having worked with vehicle rentals and sales for travellers for over 16 years, Travellers’ Auto Barn know a thing or two about Australian conditions. Here are their top 10 tips for travelling safely.
- 1. Don’t drive at night in areas where there’s more dead kangaroos than live kangaroos.
- 2. Campervans have a high centre of gravity and Falcon Wagons are rear wheel drive with lots of grunt. Be extremely careful if you are not familiar with these vehicles. It’s easy to roll a van and easy to lose control of a Falcon if you’re inexperienced.
- 3. Give dirt roads / unsealed roads more respect, even 40km/h can be too fast if you’re not careful.
- 4. Don’t hitchhike–not all people who hitchhike meet axe murderers, but some do.
- 5. Check the inside edge of your front tyres regularly: poor wheel alignment causes tyres to scrub out quickly and a front tyre blow out is very scary.
- 6. Always wear your seatbelt.
- 7. If driving on left for the first time, leave the music off for a while and ask the person in the left seat to act as lookout.
- 8. Don’t leave valuables visible inside your car when parking at popular tourist destinations.
- 9. Do everything humanly possible to avoid overheating your car. If your temp gauge moves away from normal stop and call roadside assistance. Do not drive on.
- 10. Beware of retirees, offering cups of tea at outback roadside rest stops–.it could be hours before you manage to get away again without being rude.
This article was written by Craig and Linda
Craig and Linda Martin have been living on the road since February 2006. Both born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand they are ... somewhere in the world! Craig and Linda host the Indie Travel Podcast - you can get in touch with them here.
Since November 2006 the Indie Travel Podcast has evolved into an independent travel hub with regular audio and video podcasts along with articles by travellers from all over the world. 
Hosts Craig and Linda Martin started travelling in February 2006 and have been to over 50 countries. They were 
Mark said on October 28, 2010
Tasmania is a world apart from many countries. I am not talking about the wilderness, the wonderful culture, or the fact that it is a quick flight or boat trip from the mainland. I am talking about the weather. If you are positioned in a location such as Burnie, you are facing North. Did you know that the temperature may be recorded as 13 degrees and Melbourne 20 degrees, yet 13 degrees in Burnie is in fact very mild. Believe me this state of Australia is an absolute perfect location for all your travel needs.