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{{infobox Country
|country = of Australia
|map= <map lat='-2725' lng='133' zoom='45' view='0' float='right' height='400' width='450420' countryheight='Australia380'/>
|language = English (de facto)
|capital = [[Canberra]]
|map = <map lat='-25' lng='133' zoom='5' view='0' country='Australia' />
|pop = 21,468,700
|currency = Australian dollar (AUD)
|hitch = from {{average}} to {{good<rating country='au' />|BW = AU}}}}In '''the coastal and “high”-density areas of Australia''' hitching is okay as anywhere else in Western culture, as long as you´re between from about [[Adelaide]] and to [[Brisbane]]/[[Cairns]], hitching is much the same as anywhere else in Western culture. Road lanes are wide with very often large emergency stopping lanes, so finding a good stop is not very difficult. In the outback[http://nomadwiki.org/en/Outback_(Australia) Outback], though, you´ll you may get more empty beer cans thrown on at you than rides; some hitchhikers, however, wouldn't agree with that, stating, that even hitchhiking through the desert can be pretty OKgood, especially with the many trucks and 'road trains' that are usually going long distances. I looped the entire country in 2016 with just 1$ starting from Melbourne and including smaller towns passed Sydney ; Brisbane; Cairns; Darwin; Broome; Perth- a single ride from 254 km Perth side of Norseman (last town West before Nullambor) potentially to Sydney but I got dropped at the turn off for MelbourneBecause distances are so huge, people are used to driving several hundred kilometers and you will find drivers quite often offering to make huge detours to take you somewhere. ==Australia-Specific Advice== Australia poses some interesting and unique challenges for hitchhikers. Distances between populated areas can be vast, by far the majority of Australians live near the sea, with the majority of those living in the state capital cities. Temperatures can exceed 45 degrees Celsius in summer and go well below freezing in winter. In many ways Australia is an extreme environment, with some pretty extreme pests, people and weather; when it rains, it pours, when it blows up a gale, it howls. But in saying this when Australia or Australians smile upon you, the heavens open up from above and you can find yourself taken in, taken home, and for all practical purposes adopted for life. As long as you remain on the main axes or smaller tourist roads you don't have to worry more than in other countries and you can hitchhike as you usually do. Only remember to '''carry more water than you think you need''', temperatures and distances can greatly exceed your expectations. You might find it hard to stay at the road if the sun in hot and there is no shade.Also, if you walk too far from towns as it may leave you somewhere very isolated. A single walker in the middle of nowhere might have a better chance to get picked up because people are surprised or impressed. But make sure that you have a back up plan and enough water to walk back if you don't get a lift especially if the traffic isn't reliable. Another tip that makes a bit more sense than for [[Europe]] for example, is to be very careful about not annoying your host. You could be thrown out of the vehicle by the irate driver 200km from the nearest town.
==The Outback==
But the most unique aspect of hitching in Australia is the challenge of the Outback. There you can say that you are off the beaten track, which gives a great feeling of emptiness. However some basic survival rules have to be observed as you might get stuck for some reason.For some, hitchhiking throughout the outback is easy. The people can be friendly, especially the aboriginal folks who might have six people already jammed in a little car and still squeeze you in. When going to the outback go to truck stops and talk to them the “truckies” there, . It is a good option as they are driving huge distances at once in places where not many cars pass by. Make sure the town you're going to HAS a lot of truck companies don't allow anyone but the drivers stop, or you may be in their trucks but trouble if you talk are dropped in the middle of the outback, which is similar to the truckies at stops they are much more likely middle of nowhere. ===What to wave that rulebe careful with in the Outback=== It is written in its own name! The outback is far from everything and "cities" can be very far from each other. The only time truckies truly cannot give you What look to be a large town on the map can actually be a lift is when they are operating under village with a dangerous goods license and then, by law they dozen or fewer houses. Some parts of the outback are so remote that you do not allowed want to get stuck out there hitchhiking! Make absolutely sure you are carrying enough water AT ALL TIMES (3 liters per person/per day would be a minimum). It is very easy to have another passenger in get dehydrated under the vehicleAustralian sun. For example petrol tankersIf you can get decent water, all the better, transporting more than one trailer but don't bank on it. Most bores are quite brackish tasting and roadhouse taps are heavily chlorinated -- here's to a good liter of fresh rainwater on a sunny 45 degree day! Be aware that phone coverage has a high chance of gas, etcbeing nonexistent. Not all companies have rules against taking passengers(Telstra has the best chance of working by far. The truckies will take ) Letting someone know where you are heading and how long distances, till they should next expect to hear from [[Port Augusta]] all you can be a good idea. If you're in the way to [[Darwin]] or [[Perth]]tropics, be careful where you swim (crocodiles and deadly jellyfish) but don't worry too much about the other wildlife. Australia has dangerous wildlife in terms of spiders and snakes so keep it in mind but generally speaking, if you want leave it alone, it will leave you alone. Very very few people die each year so don't stress too much either! ===Personal experience=== ''I managed from Broome through to Kununurra, Katherine up to Darwin and down to Alice. The only time I had to get 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 way. Anyway, give it a go.'' (Amory Tarr) ''I have had some great lifts with road trains, Australia Post trucks etc etc, though they seem less and less common. In fact my first go at driving a roadtrain was on a hitch across the Nullabor Desert, then youa truly mad but memorable experience of driving 50 tonnes of rolling monster across the midnight plains.''ll have (Dave Hodgkin) ==Hitchhiking with “truckies”== Quite a few truck drivers give a first impression of being a bear, but are usually gentlemen in their own way. As roads are quite wide, it is not rare that they manage to wait awhile :)stop for you! With a truck of course not going as fast as a car, you can easily make more than 500 or 1000km at once given the distances between the cities.
All the following has been taken from [http:''Wait on gas stations or truck stops for a ride//www. This way you won't get into trouble with the police, can ask people for a lift and you're close to water, food and a toiletaustlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp/au/legis/cth/consol_reg/ntctlarrr2006947/sch1.html?stem=0&synonyms=0&query=hitchhike this website].''
==When your really stuck for a ride= Particular to Western Australia ===Jumping railway cars is also still possible in Australia, (although you did not hear it from me).-The three day journey from Mt Isa to the coast on the coal trains (pick up a Beanbag a tarp and a shade cloth from the Op-shop in town, few things bet making love on a pile of coal at 20km/h under the desert stars :)-The cargo train across the Nullabor, a trip of a lifetime, my mate Alex did it, certainly one of those life changing adventures
==When you are really stuck...=====For a ride===[[Train hopping]] is also still possible in Australia although this is an option to consider with extreme care.The three day journey from Mt Isa to the coast on the coal trains (pick up a Beanbag, a tarp and a shade cloth from the Op-shop in town, few things beat spending the night on a pile of coal at 20km/h under the desert stars :)The cargo train across the Nullarbor, a trip of a lifetime, certainly one of those life-changing adventures. However, don't be stupid and jump off when the trains are moving too quickly. One hitchhiker had the terrible experience of seeing a teenager jump off a train which came from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland and that did not end up well. That boy lost his life simply to save the cost of a short trip. What a waste. If you do jump onto rail services just make sure you use some common sense. ===For water===First, make sure you have enough water (3 liters/day/person). Remember that you can survive more than a month without food but that you will die without water in a few days. But if you get really stuck for water, you can still survive ;)First stop moving to keep your energy and relax as much as you can. Find a spot with shadow next to the road and as soon as you hear a car coming from either direction stand up and show you are here. Destination doesn't matter, you just need to reach the first town. You can even have a “help” sign and look as innocent/unarmed/helpless/etc as you can, but mostly cars will stop or at least slow down. Find more information on Nomadwiki on how to [http://nomadwiki.org/en/Outback_(Australia)#How_to_survive_in_the_Outback.3F find water] and to [http://nomadwiki.org/en/Purifying_water clean it]!===For a place to stay or for food===See [http://nomadwiki.org/en/Australia Nomadwiki] as it is more relevant for this website.== Personal experience ==''I have hitched the entire coastline of Australia, and although there are sometimes long waits 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 km/h zone, or similar.'' - Author unknown ''I hitched around 4,000km in the states of NSW, Victoria and South Australia. There are plenty of long lay-by stop areas along most highways (including Pacific Highway) where cars can easily and safely pull off the highway to pick you up. I found any highway (especially Pacific Highway) with a decent amount of traffic is very reliable with average waiting time of 15-20 minutes and never any longer than 30-40 minutes. In more rural areas and backroads I often encountered as little as 10 cars per hour and sometimes only 1-2 per hour, but people living in rural areas are much more likely to pick you up as they know they may be the only car for a while. The Australians are very welcoming and hospitable, on many occasions the driver would offer a place to stay for the night with a meal or insist on giving me 20 dollars for food. When hitching in cities, pedestrians have sometimes come to me and again insist upon giving me money for a train ticket further down the road. I felt very at home hitching here, the generosity of the people being overwhelming.'' - Jools 2011 ''I have been stuck for up to 3 days in a number of places in Australia (notably Coober Pedy and Ningin), whilst on the other hand I've been given the keys to the family holiday home and told to make myself at home when I get there (In Manjimup on the way from Perth to Albany), or taken home for a week, nurtured and spoiled rotten. Whatever the circumstance you find yourself in, more than in other countries, be prepared.'' - Author unknown ''I hitched from Perth to Uluru via the Great Eastern & Central Highways, then north and east via Stuart, Barkly, and Landbrough Highways to Brisbane. Journey took 10 days and 16 rides. Be ready to go by sunrise, as most traffic in the outback is in the mornings, and rarely any traffic in the afternoon. Daylight is your friend for getting rides. Hitch from the edge of towns, as inside towns you won't get rides. Truckies will only give you rides if you befriend them, they will never stop. Nomads (people with caravans) will never ever give a hitchhiker a ride due to their prejudices, so be fun with them to boost your morale. Times for rides were 2 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 2 hours, 3 hours, 3 days, 1 hour, night+morning, 1 hour, night+morning, 1 hour, 1 hour, night+morning, night+morning, night+morning.'' - [[User:Balupton|Balupton]] ([[User talk:Balupton|talk]]) 4 June 2015 (CEST) ''I hitchhiked up and down the Stuart Highway and Kakadu National Park and bits and pieces of New South Wales, Tasmania and almost regularly on the remote Tanami Highway. Generally I found it easier to get lifts in remote areas. Especially in the outback and close to Aboriginal settlements. There might be two or three cars per hour on some roads. But chances that they pick you up are very high. There is a great sense of caring. Some Australians are truly paranoid about hitchhikers due to some events in the past. Tradies (craftsmen) are friendly quite often while tourists are certainly less likely to pick you up and Australia is a very individualistic country. Kakadu National Park was hard in the beginning but turned out allright. I just don't like it when there are too many tourists vans driving by. At stages I picked up 10 litres of water and just walked along the road. It seemed to have quite an effect on some people who gave me a lift to find me standing next to the road far away from anything else. In Kakadu you are supposed to stick to campsites for camping though. All in all it is not a walker/hitchhiker friendly national park. All in all Australia is a great country for hitchhiking because a lot of people are open and like to talk. You hear great stories on your way and can learn a lot. Hitchhiking can be truly adventurous here.''- Japanangka 14.09.16 I hitchhiked around the entire country with $1 in 2016 starting and ending in Melbourne passing every major city and lots of small towns in between during wet season which took about 7 weeks, including a day of not a single offer of a ride up in a tiny town Northern Territory (after 12 hours and sunburn on my hitchhiking arm a local I'd chatted to while getting a flat white and a pie at 6 a.m passed me at 6 p.m and took me home fed me watered me gave me internet, laundry and a lift to the same spot next morning where after 30 minutes I got a ride) and a week of being invited into a local's home. Hitchhiking is my lifestyle, and in Australia especially it is respected as such, even though now, in 2023 most drivers I meet tell me they hardly see any hitchhikers anymore Hitchhikernick - I have visited nearly every nook and cranny of Australia over the course of several visits; in 2015-16 WHV, 2019 June-Aug and 2023 July-Sept. Pick up times have varied from seconds to 3 days. The longest wait was in Kununurra heading towards Catherine where I waited 3 days with my skis and had to follow the shade of the speed sign at edge of town in 35 centigrade heat, thankfully there were hospitable locals who helped me out until i finally got a lift. I managed to reach Cape York and climb Uluru (Ayres Rock), with my skis, in my 2019 visit 😁 I saw stunning places that I never envisaged in Australia. I never had issues with cops anywhere except for Queensland where they do actually enforce the law against hitching, so you gotta be careful and discreet in that territory. Not had much luck with roadtrains, mostly just private cars. Never get on back of vehicle if going through desert unless you want a serious red dusting like I experienced when coming back to Halls Creek from Wolfe Creek crater. Easy peasy to camp, just make sure you have a tent to stop the creepy crawlies and snakes getting you. Surprisingly the kangaroos never jumped on or kicked/boxed my tent whilst I was camping. ==Cities==
* [[Adelaide]]
* [[Brisbane]]
* [[Hobart]]
* [[Melbourne]]
* [[Murwillumbah]]
* [[Perth]]
* [[Sydney]]
==Highways==
* [[Bruce Highway]]
* [[Hume Highway]], from Sydney to Melbourne
* [[New England Highway]], from Sydney to Brisbane
* [[Pacific Highway (Australia)|Pacific Motorway]], from Sydney to Brisbane
* [[Princes Highway]], from Sydney to Melbourne
* [[Stuart Highway]], from Darwin to Adelaide
==Links==* [http://www.shareyourride.net/?country=Australia ShareYourRide.net (Australia)] - Find lifts in Australia* [http://maps.google.com Google Maps] supports finding routes in Australia
[https://visa-worldwide.com/ Visa to Australia]
== Nomadwiki & Trashwiki ==
{{nomadwiki}}
{{States Australia}}
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[[Category:Australia]]
[[Category:Oceania]]
[[Categoryde:Australia| ]][[Category:Oceania]]__NOTOC__{{IsIn|Earth}}[[trash:Australia]][[wikipedia:AustraliaAustralien]]
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