Changes

In '''the coastal and “high”-density areas of Australia''', from about [[Adelaide]] to [[Brisbane]]/[[Cairns]], hitching is much the same as anywhere else in Western culture if you're between [[Adelaide]] and [[Brisbane]]. 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 may get more empty beer cans thrown at you than rides; some hitchhikers, however, wouldn't agree with that, stating that even hitchhiking through the desert can be pretty good, especially with the many trucks and 'road trains' that are usually going long distances. Because 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.

== The Outback Australia-Specific Advice==For some hitchhiking throughout the outback is easy. The people can be friendly, especially the aboriginal folks who would have six people already jammed in a little car and still squeeze you in.

When going to As long as you remain on the outback go main axes or smaller tourist roads you don't have to truck stops worry more than in other countries and talk you can hitchhike as you usually do. Only remember to the truckies there (make sure the town '''carry more water than you think youneed're going '', temperatures and distances can greatly exceed your expectations. You might find it hard to HAS a truck stopstay at the road if the sun in hot and there is no shade.Also, or if you walk too far from towns as it may be leave you somewhere very isolated. A single walker in trouble: see Kununurra on the map!), a lot middle of truck companies (but not all) nowhere might have rules against drivers carrying passengers in their trucks but if you talk a better chance to the truckies at stops they get picked up because people are much more likely to ignore surprised or impressed. But make sure that rule. The only time truckies truly cannot give you have a lift is when they are operating under a dangerous goods license back up plan and then, by law they are not allowed enough water to have another passenger in the vehicle. Truckies will often take walk back if you long distances, don't get a lift especially if you are willing to stay awake, and help the driver pass the time through conversation. Routes such as [[Adelaide]] or [[Perth]] to [[Darwin]], [[Port Augusta]] to [[Perth]], [[Darwin]] to [[Townsville]], are frequented by trucks, but if you want to get off the main road, be prepared to wait awhiletraffic isn't reliable.

In the eastern states (QLD, NSW, VIC, SA) Another tip that makes a bit more sense than the west (WA & NT), recent changes to for [[insuranceEurope]] costs throughout the western world, have meant that trucks face stricter and stricter insurance limitationsfor example, one of which is that they are commonly not allowed to have any unlisted passengers in their vehicles. These rules are normally enforced by larger companies, where all riders sign in at the depot prior to the trucks' departure. If you personally know a driver it is often possible for them to sign you in and take you along to help keep them awake. These rules don't really apply to owner/operators, unless on long term contract to a particular company. Unfortunately it's hard for you to know which trucks it will or won't apply to, though you can be confident that the big name trucks like Australia Post, Woolworths etc this is absolutely the case. All of this does very careful about not mean you can't get a ride in a truckannoying your host. What it does mean is that our global fear You could be thrown out of strangers has gone up here as much as elsewhere, and the amount of trucks picking up 'strangers' is greatly diminished.===What to be careful with in vehicle by the outback===It is written in its own name! The outback is far irate driver 200km from eveything and "cities" can be very far from each other. What look to be a big the nearest town on the map can actually be a village with a dozen of houses. Some parts of the outback are so remote that you do not want to be stuck there by hitchhiking!

Be aware But the most unique aspect of hitching in Australia is the challenge of the Outback. There you can say that phone coverage has you are off the beaten track, which gives a high chance great feeling of being nonexistentemptiness. 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.

If When going to the outback go to truck stops and talk to 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 in the tropicsgoing to HAS a truck stop, or you may be careful where in trouble if you swim (crocodiles) but don't worry too much about are dropped in the middle of the other wildlife. Generally speakingoutback, if you leave it alone, it will leave you alone but Australia has a dangerous wildlife in terms which is similar to the middle of spiders and snakes so keep it in mind (very very few people die every year so don't stress too much either!)nowhere.

===Personal experiencesWhat to be careful with in the Outback==='':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 way. Anyway, give it a go. (Amory Tarr)

:It is written in its own name! The outback is far from everything and "cities" can be very far from each other. What look to be a large town on the map can actually be a village with a dozen or fewer houses. Some parts of the outback are so remote that you do not 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 get dehydrated under the Australian sun. If you can get decent water, all the better, 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 being nonexistent. (Telstra has the best chance of working by far.) Letting someone know where you are heading and how long till they should next expect to hear from you can be a good idea. If you're in the 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 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 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 road train was on a hitch across the Nullabor Desert, a truly mad but memorable experience of driving 50 tonnes of rolling monster across the midnight plains. '' (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 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. A lot of truck companies (but not all) have rules against drivers carrying passengers in their trucks. If you talk to the truckies at stops they are much more likely to ignore 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. Truckies will often take you long distances, especially if you are willing to stay awake, and help the driver pass the time through conversation. Routes such as [[Adelaide]]/[[Perth]] to [[Darwin]], [[Port Augusta]] to Perth, Darwin to [[Townsville]], are frequented by trucks, but if you want to get off the main road, be prepared to wait awhile. In the eastern states (QLD, NSW, VIC, SA) more than the west (WA & NT), recent changes to insurance costs throughout the western world, have meant that trucks face stricter and stricter insurance limitations, one of which is that they are commonly not allowed to have any unlisted passengers in their vehicles. These rules are normally enforced by larger companies, where all riders sign in at the depot prior to the trucks'departure. If you personally know a driver it is often possible for them to sign you in and take you along to help keep them awake. These rules don't really apply to owner/operators, unless on long term contract to a particular company. Unfortunately it's hard for you to know which trucks it will or won't apply to, though you can be confident that with trucks for the big name companies like Australia Post, Woolworths etc this is absolutely the case. All of this does not mean you can't get a ride in a truck. What it does mean is that our global fear of strangers has gone up here as much as elsewhere, and the amount of trucks picking up 'strangers' is greatly diminished.

Searching in the [http://www.austlii.edu.au Australian law database], hitchwiki Hitchwiki contributors have been able to find two distinct law texts. The first one features in the Australian Road Rules and has come up in searches for Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales and Northern Territory, the second one concerns Western Australia only. In theory, the laws say that in most places you're not allowed to hitchhike from a shoulder, in practice however police rarely carecares.

'''As a conclusion: ''' It is very clearly regulated where you can stand as a hitchhiker and where you cannot. You can't stand on a shoulder, but you can stand on most other kinds of surface next to the road.

=== Particular to Western Australia ===

In conclusion: in WA, it's illegal to stand on the shoulder of the highway; however you may hitchhike from a footpath or off the shoulder. A law enforcement officer might not be aware of this, though. The source is to be found in [http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp/au/legis/wa/consol_reg/rtc2000113/s259.html?query=hitch%20hike thiswebsite] website.

In practice, Australian police are fairly relaxed about hitchhikers. [[User:Zenit|Zenit]] has hitchhiked some 13000 kilometers 13000km in all states except WA and Tasmania and has never been bothered; he has heard stories about police in WA being more touchy, however. Keep in mind that it is also illegal to incite a vehicle to stop in a non stopping zone. Such zones include bridges and 30 odd meters either side, road edges with an unbroken white or yellow line, spots within 30 meters of an intersection, etc. In any event choose your hitching site carefully so not to place yourself or others in danger; as always look for somewhere well lit, with plenty of room for approaching vehicles to see you well in advance and room for them to pull on to the shoulder without blocking traffic. It should be noted that most freeways and motorways (as opposed to highways) have limited-access rules barring pedestrians or bicycles from entering them. === Experiences === :''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.''

:''Wait at petrol stations or truck stops for a ride. This way you wonIt is illegal but I't get into trouble with the ve had policestop twice, can ask people for once to tell me go back to town and catch a lift and you're close bus (but left me alone besides telling to water, food do that) and the second time the cop gave me a toilet. Some service stations don't like hitchhikers hanging around, though so be careful they don't call lift about 40 or 50km to the police on youborder of Victoria/South Australia.''

:''[[User:Bernhard|Bernhard]] had a chat with a crime prevention officer from the Queensland police and the officer said the following: "The It's illegal to hitch hiking legislation in Queensland says that a person can not stand on the roadway no-pedestrian zones like freeways but other places it seems to solicit a ride. Meaning that if they stand on the footpath or away from the roadway they are not comitting an offence. One of the main reasons we do stop people standing on the road hitching a ride is for their own safety and the safety of the motorists driving. So some roads are very busy and its an offence vary state to stand on the roadway and solicit a ride and it is a 40 dollar fine if the policeman chooses to give you a infringement notice for that offencestate." He also said that I don't think it is possible to stand on 's against the footpath law at all in most places and hitch a ride, when there is enough space for a car to pull over. Police may stop a hitchhiker and ask for an ID, mostly to check on his records and WHY he is hitching a ride (is he running away from a crime? Is he I've never had any trouble anywhere in trouble? Does he need help?). Police officers want to know who is going through their area, so if a hitchhiker is on the footpath and not soliciting a ride at a dangerous spot, they will question him about his story but then let him goeastern states.''

== Australia Particular Advice ==Australia poses some interesting and unique challenges ''Wait at petrol stations or truck stops for hitchhikersa ride. Distances between populated areas can be vast, by far This way you won't get into trouble with the majority of Australians live near the seapolice, 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, ask people and weather, when it rains it pours, when it blows up for a gale, it howls. But in saying this when Australia or Australians smile upon you, the heavens open up from above lift and you can find yourself taken in, taken home, and for all practical purposes adopted for life.=== Personal Experience ===''I have been stuck for up re close to 3 days in a number of places in Australiawater, (notably Coober Pedy and Ningin) whilst on the other hand I've been given the keys to the family holiday home food 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 preparedtoilet.Some service stations don''* Let someone know where you are heading and how long till they should next expect to hear from you* Carry more water than you think you need* Walking out of town, to look t like you're motivatedhitchhikers hanging around, may leave you somewhere very isolated* Be very though so be careful about not annoying your host, Ithey don've been thrown out of a truck by an irate driver, off his head t call the police on NoDoz, for some quite harmless comment, 200k from the nearest town..you.''

== When you're really stuck for '[[User:Bernhard|Bernhard]] had a chat with a crime prevention officer from the Queensland police and the officer said the following: "The hitch hiking legislation in Queensland says that a place to stay... ==You know you're off person can not stand on the tourist track when you get roadway to solicit a town without a backpackersride. Most small towns have a town pub Meaning that offers pretty cheap accommodation and many have a free campground if they stand on the edge footpath or away from the roadway they are not comitting an offence. One of town or the main reasons we do stop people standing on the road hitching a picnic spot beside a river* Schoolyards, normally there ride is somewhere discrete under cover, in most small towns there is green grass, for their own safety and even toilets the safety of the motorists driving. So some roads are very busy and drinking water, just set your alarm early and get out before 7:30ish when cleaning staff etc may start its an offence to arrive. (The primary school stand on the edge of Mt Isa has rescued me on more than one occasion.)* Non Returned soldiers areas at Cemeteries, clearly not for the superstitious, but these sites tend to have nice soft green grass, roadway and often have free public toilets solicit a ride and fresh drinking water. The cemetery at the end of thee railway line in Hexham on your way north out of Sydney it is a classic, 40 dollar fine if headed north through from Canberra or Melbourne, the policeman chooses to give you can jump the train in Campbelltown or Parramatta, ride a infringement notice for that offence." He also said that it through to Central Station, change is possible to stand on the Newcastle linefootpath and hitch a ride, then switch when there is enough space for a car to the Hexham line, pull over. Police may stop a hitchhiker and get off at the unnamed station ask for freean ID, right next mostly to the best cemetery I have ever slept in, right next to The Prince's Highway.* Many remote areas have shade structures as bus shelters, these can provide quite check on his records and WHY he is hitching a comfortable night's sleep, as can late night train stations ride (spent my time on the floor of the girls' toilet at Nyngan railway station) Church Foyers (3 nights in the foyer of the underground church is he running away from a crime? Is he in Coober Pedytrouble? Does he need help?).* Showgrounds Police officers want to know who is going through their area, so if a hitchhiker is on the edge of towns often have toilets, water footpath and not soliciting a ride at a place undercoverdangerous spot, they will question him about his story but then let him go.''

== When you're are really stuck for ...=====For a ride ===Jumping railway cars [[Train hopping]] is also still possible in Australia, (although you did not hear it from me)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 making love 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, my mate Alex did it, certainly one of those life-changing adventures.

''However, don't be stupid and jump off when the trains are moving too quickly. I have 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.''

== When =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 foodwater, 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. ==

* I have been helped out when stuck in a small town, by the Country Women's Association Find more information on Nomadwiki on how to [http://nomadwiki.org/en/Outback_("The C.W.A."Australia)- best scones of my life, nothing beats hunger to increase the flavour of jam and cream#How_to_survive_in_the_Outback.* I've eaten my share of roadside fruits from passing orchards, 3F find water] and cooked my share of roadkill, the smell quickly gives away the freshness or lack thereofto [http://nomadwiki. org/en/Purifying_water clean it]!The best introduction you'll ever have ===For a place to roadkill delights is a fresh kangaroo tail. Make sure the tail is still flexible and the smell is only of dirty fur, not the smell of old meat, Kangaroos are hit by trucks every day, so this is not as uncommon as it sounds. Hack off the tail as close the rump as possible, do this by cutting all the way around the tail, through the fur, then levering and breaking the tail between two vertebrae, not as hard stay or messy as it sounds. I recommend dragging the 'roo off behind some bushes before you start this process as mad hitchhikers wielding knives under the full moon, does not do much for our reputationfood===See [http://nomadwiki.<brorg/en/>To cook the tail, first build a large fire over some clean ground, preferably riverside sand, though well above the water table, when the fire is at full blaze, singe all the fur off the tail, scraping it clean with the back of a knife or a sharp rock, repeat this a few times Australia Nomadwiki] as it takes a while to sear off all the fur, being careful not to over cook or burst the skin as this is the wrapping material more relevant for cookingthis website. Let your fire burn down till it has strong hot coals and == Personal experience ==''I have hitched the ground below has started to really heat up (30-40mins depending how much entire coastline of a fire you made) scrape the fire off to one side Australia, and dig a hole in the sand where the fire was. Using a stickalthough there are sometimes long waits between rides, bury the tail about 15-20cm below I have met some of the surface (check, but this area should already be nice most generous and hot by now) and return the fire to abovewelcoming people. Re-stoke the fire and cook for a further 40mins till the fire dies down. letting the fire die down slowly will allow the tail Make sure you get to really cook through nicely. Scrap the fire out edge of the way and dig up the tail. You will know when it is donetowns, if just where the fat is sizzling and the skin is starting to split in places, if still not done, roll over and cook for highways start or turn from a further 20-30 mins. The amount of fat and gristle in the tail ensures that this is one of the few parts of the 'roo that it's hard to actually over cook.- Snake is also 70 into a great introduction to roadkill100 km/h zone, choose a fresh wet-smelling snake, chop off the head and squashed bits, cut open along the belly and de-gut, sew the stomach back together with thin twigs and cook as per instructions for or similar.'roo tail above. Be sure that the snake is completely dead before approaching - there's a reason Australians have the expression "Like a cut snake". The head of snakes can also display reflexes after being severed from the body - enough that you could still be bitten and have problems.Nothing beats the total delight of fresh billy tea boiled in a discarded coke can, fresh damper and road kill under a full moon beside the road...Author unknown

If really stuck ''I hitched around 4,000km in the middle states of nowhereNSW, Victoria and yes it does happen South Australia. There are plenty of long lay-by stop areas along most highways (including Pacific Highway) where cars can easily and has happened to me! Remember safely pull off the highway to go into casual energy conservation mode, wander down the road till pick you find up. I found any highway (especially Pacific Highway) with a nice shady spot not too far from the road's edge decent amount of traffic is very reliable with average waiting time of 15-20 minutes and chill out, get up when you can hear a car approaching from either direction, never any longer than 30-40 minutes. In more rural areas and stand beside the road, looking clean, presentable, forlorn backroads I often encountered as little as 10 cars per hour and lost... a "help" sign helpssometimes only 1-2 per hour, but even without, many people will slow down - look very innocent/unarmed/helpless/etc., remember the primary aim at this point is living in rural areas are much more likely to get out of wherever pick you up as they know they may be the only car for a while. The Australians arevery welcoming and hospitable, which direction simply does not matter, just get on many occasions the driver would offer a place to stay for the nearest townnight with a meal or insist on giving me 20 dollars for food. You can live When hitching in cities, pedestrians have sometimes come to me and again insist upon giving me money for a month without foodtrain ticket further down the road. I felt very at home hitching here, but you will die without water in a few daysthe generosity of the people being overwhelming.'' - Jools 2011

Yes, "Bear Grylls"-wannabe, you can drink your own piss to stay alive - no it's not pleasant, not very effective and 'I don't recommend it. If you are have been stuck on one for up to 3 days in a number of places in Australia(notably Coober Pedy and Ningin), whilst on the other hand I's mad dirt "highways" like ve been given the Tanami or keys to the family holiday home and told to make myself at home when I get there (In Manjimup on the Gunbarrelway from Perth to Albany), or taken home for a [http://enweek, nurtured and spoiled rotten.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_still Solar Still] is your best betWhatever the circumstance you find yourself in, more than in other countries, be prepared.'' - Author unknown

Australia has water legislation that makes it mandatory ''I hitched from Perth to share water if you have itUluru via the Great Eastern & Central Highways, then north and east via Stuart, Barkly, makes it legal and Landbrough Highways to enter private property Brisbane. Journey took 10 days and 16 rides. Be ready to access go by sunrise, as most traffic in the outback is in the mornings, and rarely any permanent river or water sourcetraffic in the afternoon. (So long as you obey Daylight is your friend for getting rides. Hitch from the usual rules edge of land - if you use a gatetowns, leave it open/closed as inside towns you found it, donwon't mess 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 livestock/equipment/etcthem 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)

Some of my most amazing experiences have included a cold winter night wrapped in cardboard in an abandoned wheat silo sharing a humpy with aboriginals in a town camp on ''I hitchhiked up and down the edge Stuart Highway and Kakadu National Park and bits and pieces of Tennant CreekNew South Wales, waking up only to bashing my head Tasmania and almost regularly on the underside of a Dodge van remote Tanami Highway. Generally I had crawled under found it easier to avoid get lifts in remote areas. Especially in the rain, only outback and close to Aboriginal settlements. There might be offered a cuppa tea by the occupants digging my car out of a salt lake when we took a wrong turn with two English backpackers as rain clouds loomedor three cars per hour on some roads.But chances that they pick you up are very high.There is a great sense of caring. This Some Australians are truly paranoid about hitchhikers due to me is some events in the real Australia past. Tradies (Dave Hodgkincraftsmen) == Personal experiences ==:''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 friendly quite often while tourists are certainly less likely to pick you up and welcoming people. Make sure you get to the edge of the towns, just where the highways start or turn from Australia is a 70 into a 100 km/h zone, or similarvery individualistic country.'' (author unknown) :''I hitched around 4,000km Kakadu National Park was hard in the states of NSW, Victoria and South Australiabeginning but turned out allright. There I just don't like it when there are plenty of long lay-too many tourists vans driving by stop areas along most highways (including Pacific Highway) where cars can easily and safely pull off the highway to pick you up. At stages I found any highway (especially Pacific Highway) with a decent amount of traffic is very reliable with average waiting time picked up 10 litres of 15-20 minutes water and never any longer than 30-40 minutesjust walked along the road. In more rural areas and backroads I often encountered as little as 10 cars per hour and sometimes only 1-2 per hour, but It seemed to have quite an effect on some people living in rural areas are much more likely who gave me a lift to find me standing next to pick you up as they know they may be the only car for a whileroad far away from anything else. The Australians In Kakadu you are very welcoming and hospitable, on many occasions the driver would offer a place supposed to stick to stay campsites for the night with camping though. All in all it is not a meal or insist on giving me 20 dollars for foodwalker/hitchhiker friendly national park. When hitching All in cities, pedestrians have sometimes come all Australia is a great country for hitchhiking because a lot of people are open and like to me talk. You hear great stories on your way and again insist upon giving me money for can learn a train ticket further down the roadlot. I felt very at home hitching Hitchhiking can be truly adventurous here, the generosity of the people being overwhelming." (Jools 2011)''- Japanangka 14.09.16

* [httphttps://maps.googlevisa-worldwide.com Google Maps/ Visa to Australia] supports finding routes in Australia  == Nomadwiki & Trashwiki == {{nomadwiki}}