Australia

In Australia hitching is okay as anywhere else in Western culture, as long as you´re between Adelaide and Brisbane. But in the outback you´ll get more empty beer cans thrown on you than rides.

Most police officers won't harass you, but some cops might tell you that it's illegal to hitchhike in Australia. Don't show your thumb when you see a cop car, and if they stop, just tell them that you're waiting for a ride share that should've showed up a lot earlier.

Re police: it is illegal but I've had police stop twice, once to tell me go back to town and catch a bus (but left me alone besides telling to do that) and the second time the cop gave me a lift about 40 or 50km to the border of Victoria/South Australia. When going to the outback go to truck stops and talk to them there, a lot of truck companies don't allow anyone but the drivers in their trucks but if you talk to the truckies at stops they are much more likely to wave that rule. And not all companies have that. The truckies will take you long distances, from Port Augusta all the way to Darwin or Perth, but if you want to get off the main road...then you'll have to wait awhile :)

States

• New South Wales
• Northern Territory
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Victoria (Australia)
• Western Australia

Cities

• Adelaide
• Brisbane
• Melbourne
• Perth
• Sydney
• Hobart

Highways

• Princes Highway, from Sydney to Melbourne

Maps

Google Maps supports finding routes in Australia.

I have hitched the entire coast line of Australia, and although there are sometimes a long wait between rides, I have met some of the most generous and welcoming people, make sure you get to the edge of the towns, just where the highways start or turn from a 70 into a 100, or similar.