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.
- 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.
The Outback
I don't know about others, but hitchhiking throughout the outback was easy. The people were friendly, especially the aboriginal folks who would have six people already jammed in a little car and still squeeze you in. I managed from Broome through to Kununurra, Katherine up to Darwin and down to Alice. The only time I had to wait more than a half-hour was when I was dropped off on the turn off to Batchelor, which while on the main highway, is a real bad spot with nothing and no one for a long ways. Anyway, give it a go. Watch where you swim and don't worry about the snakes. I never seen a single snake in three months of bush living and wwoofing in remote places. Definitely fill up a few litres of water when you have the chance. It is very easy to get dehydrated. If you can get decent water, all the better. Most bores were quite brackish tasting and all roadhouse taps were heavily chlorinated -- here's to a good litre of fresh rainwater on a sunny 45 degree day! (Amory Tarr)
Police
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.
- 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.
- It's illegal to hitch in no-pedestrian zones like freeways but other places it seems to vary state to state. I don't think it's against the law at all in most places and I've never had any troubles anywhere in the eastern states.
Outback
<map lat='-27' lng='133' zoom='4' view='0' float='right' height='400' width='450' country='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. The only time truckies truly cannot give you a lift is when they are operating under a dangerous goods license and then, by law they are not allowed to have another passenger in the vehicle. For example petrol tankers, transporting more than one trailer of gas, etc. Not all companies have rules against taking passengers. 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 :)
Cities
Highways
- Bruce Highway
- Princes Highway, from Sydney to Melbourne
- Hume Highway, from Sydney to Melbourne
- Pacific Motorway, from Sydney to Brisbane
- New England Highway, from Sydney to Brisbane
Links
Google Maps supports finding routes in Australia.
States: New South Wales • Queensland • South Australia • Tasmania • Victoria • Western Australia
Territories: Australian Capital Territory • Jervis Bay Territory • Northern Territory
