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. 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.

== 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.I found the most likely truckies to pick up hitchhikers to be the less conservative Aussies and truckies who owned their own company..and of course the "crazy" ones- but they're more fun anyway, right..? I can't count the times I was told "I'd love to take you BUT"... In my own experiences it's much more likely NOT to be a trucky that takes you the longest distances

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 Feedbacks ===

:''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 trouble anywhere in the eastern states.''

:''Wait at petrol stations or truck stops for a ride. 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 toilet. Some service stations don't like hitchhikers hanging around, though so be careful they don't call the police on you.''

:''[[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 person can not stand on the roadway 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 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 offence." He also said that it is possible to stand on the footpath 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 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 go.''

== Australia Particular Advice ==Australia poses some interesting and unique challenges for hitchhikersWhen you are really stuck. 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.===== Personal Experience For a ride===''I have been stuck for up to 3 days in a number of places [[Train hopping]] is also still possible in Australia, (notably Coober Pedy and Ningin) whilst on the other hand I've been given the keys although this is an option to consider with extreme care.The three day journey from Mt Isa to the family holiday home and told to make myself at home when I get there (In Manjimup coast on the way from Perth to Albany)coal trains (pick up a Beanbag, or taken home for a week, nurtured tarp and spoiled rotten. Whatever a shade cloth from the circumstance you find yourself Op-shop intown, more than in other countries be prepared.''* 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 few things beat spending the night on a pile of town, to look like you're motivated, may leave you somewhere very isolatedcoal at 20km/h under the desert stars :)* Be very careful about not annoying your hostThe cargo train across the Nullarbor, I've been thrown out a trip of a truck by an irate driverlifetime, off his head on NoDoz, for some quite harmless comment, 200k from the nearest town..certainly one of those life-changing adventures.

== When youHowever, don're really stuck for a place to stay... ==You know you're t be stupid and jump off the tourist track when you get to a town without a backpackers. Most small towns have a town pub that offers pretty cheap accommodation and many have a free campground on the edge of town or a picnic spot beside a river* Schoolyards, normally there is somewhere discrete under cover, in most small towns there is green grass, and even toilets and drinking water, just set your alarm early and get out before 7:30ish when cleaning staff etc may start to arrive. (The primary school on the edge of Mt Isa has rescued me on more than one occasiontrains are moving too quickly.)* Non Returned soldiers areas at Cemeteries, clearly not for One hitchhiker had the superstitious, but these sites tend to have nice soft green grass, and often have free public toilets and fresh drinking water. The cemetery at the end of thee railway line in Hexham on your way north out terrible experience of Sydney is seeing a classic, if headed north through from Canberra or Melbourne, you can teenager jump the off a train in Campbelltown or Parramatta, ride it through to Central Station, change which came from Brisbane to the Newcastle line, then switch to the Hexham line, Sunshine Coast in Queensland and get off at the unnamed station for free, right next that did not end up well. That boy lost his life simply to save 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 cost of a comfortable night's sleep, as can late night train stations (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 in Coober Pedy)short trip.* Showgrounds on the edge of towns often have toilets, water and What a place undercoverwaste.

== When If you're really stuck for a ride ==Jumping railway cars is also still possible in Australia, (although do jump onto rail services just make sure 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 beat making love 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 adventuresuse some common sense.

''However===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, don't be stupid you can still survive ;)First stop moving to keep your energy and jump off when the trains are moving too quicklyrelax as much as you can. I have had the terrible experience of seeing Find a teenager jump off a train which came from Brisbane spot with shadow next to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland road and that did not end as soon as you hear a car coming from either direction stand up welland show you are here. That boy lost his life simply Destination doesn't matter, you just need to save reach the cost of a short tripfirst town. What You can even have a waste“help” sign and look as innocent/unarmed/helpless/etc as you can, but mostly cars will stop or at least slow down.

If 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 do jump onto rail services get to the edge of the towns, just make sure you use some common sensewhere the highways start or turn from a 70 into a 100 km/h zone, or similar.''- Author unknown

* ''I have been helped out when stuck hitched around 4,000km in a small town, by the Country Women's Association ("The C.W.A.")- best scones states of my lifeNSW, nothing beats hunger to increase the flavour of jam Victoria and creamSouth Australia.* I've eaten my share There are plenty of roadside fruits from passing orchards, long lay-by stop areas along most highways (including Pacific Highway) where cars can easily and cooked my share of roadkill, safely pull off the smell quickly gives away the freshness or lack thereofhighway to pick you up. The best introduction you'll ever have to roadkill delights is I found any highway (especially Pacific Highway) with a fresh kangaroo tail. Make sure the tail decent amount of traffic is still flexible very reliable with average waiting time of 15-20 minutes 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 soundsnever any longer than 30-40 minutes. Hack off the tail In more rural areas and backroads I often encountered as close the rump little as possible, do this by cutting all the way around the tail, through the fur, then levering 10 cars per hour and breaking the tail between two vertebraesometimes only 1-2 per hour, not as hard or messy as it sounds. I recommend dragging the 'roo off behind some bushes before but people living in rural areas are much more likely to pick you start this process up as mad hitchhikers wielding knives under they know they may be the full moon, does not do much only car for our reputationa while.<br/>To cook The Australians are very welcoming and hospitable, on many occasions the tail, first build driver would offer 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 place to stay for the tail, scraping it clean night with the back of a knife meal or a sharp rock, repeat this a few times 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 insist on giving me 20 dollars for cookingfood. Let your fire burn down till it has strong hot coals and the ground below has started to really heat up (30-40mins depending how much of a fire you made) scrape the fire off to one side and dig a hole When hitching in the sand where the fire was. Using a stickcities, bury the tail about 15-20cm below the surface (check, but this area should already be nice and hot by now) and return the fire pedestrians have sometimes come to above. Re-stoke the fire me and cook again insist upon giving me money for a train ticket further 40mins till the fire dies down. letting the fire die down slowly will allow the tail to really cook through nicelyroad. Scrap the fire out of the way and dig up the tail. You will know when it is doneI felt very at home hitching here, if the fat is sizzling and the skin is starting to split in places, if still not done, roll over and cook for a further 20-30 mins. The amount generosity 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 cookpeople being overwhelming.- Snake is also a great introduction to roadkill, 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 '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...Jools 2011

If really ''I have been stuck for up to 3 days in the middle a number of nowhere, and yes it does happen places in Australia (notably Coober Pedy and has happened to me! Remember to go into casual energy conservation modeNingin), wander down whilst on the other hand I've been given the road till you find a nice shady spot not too far from keys to the road's edge family holiday home and chill out, told to make myself at home when I get up when you can hear a car approaching there (In Manjimup on the way from either directionPerth to Albany), and stand beside the roador taken home for a week, looking clean, presentable, forlorn nurtured and lostspoiled rotten... a "help" sign helps, but even without, many people will slow down - look very innocent/unarmed/helpless/etc., remember Whatever the primary aim at this point is to get out of wherever circumstance you arefind yourself in, which direction simply does not mattermore than in other countries, just get to the nearest town. You can live for a month without food, but you will die without water in a few daysbe prepared.'' - Author unknown

Yes''I hitched from Perth to Uluru via the Great Eastern & Central Highways, then north and east via Stuart, "Bear Grylls"-wannabeBarkly, you can drink your own piss and Landbrough Highways to Brisbane. Journey took 10 days and 16 rides. Be ready to stay alive - no it's not pleasantgo by sunrise, as most traffic in the outback is in the mornings, not very effective and I donrarely any traffic in the afternoon. Daylight is your friend for getting rides. Hitch from the edge of towns, as inside towns you won't recommend itget rides. If Truckies will only give you are stuck on one of Australia's mad dirt "highways" like the Tanami or the Gunbarrelrides 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]] ([http[User talk://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_still Solar StillBalupton|talk]] is your best bet.) 4 June 2015 (CEST)

Australia has water legislation that makes it mandatory to share water if you have it''I hitchhiked up and down the Stuart Highway and Kakadu National Park and bits and pieces of New South Wales, makes Tasmania and almost regularly on the remote Tanami Highway. Generally I found it legal easier to enter private property get lifts in remote areas. Especially in the outback and close to access any permanent river Aboriginal settlements. There might be two or water sourcethree 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 (So long as craftsmen) are friendly quite often while tourists are certainly less likely to pick you obey up and Australia is a very individualistic country. Kakadu National Park was hard in the usual rules 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 land - if 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 use 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 gate, leave it great country for hitchhiking because a lot of people are open/closed as you found it, donand like to talk. You hear great stories on your way and can learn a lot. Hitchhiking can be truly adventurous here.''t mess with livestock/equipment/etc- Japanangka 14.09.)16

All 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 allbetween during wet season which took about 7 weeks, you will probably never need the above tips, but if you're including a day of not on the edge a single offer of your comfort zone, you're not trying - for me being stuck a ride up in the middle of nowhere a tiny town Northern Territory (after 12 hours and learning sunburn on my hitchhiking arm a local I'd chatted to chill while getting a flat white and a pie at 6 a.m passed me at 6 p.m and enjoytook me home fed me watered me gave me internet, is laundry and a lift to the true Zen 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

Some Hitchhikernick - I have visited nearly every nook and cranny of my most amazing experiences Australia. Pick up times have included a cold winter night wrapped varied from seconds to 3 days. The longest wait was in cardboard in an abandoned wheat silo sharing a humpy Kununurra heading towards Catherine where I waited 3 days with aboriginals in a town camp on my skis and had to follow the edge shade of Tennant Creek, waking up only to bashing my head on the underside speed sign at edge of a Dodge van I had crawled under to avoid the raintown in 35 centegrade heat, only to be offered a cuppa tea by the occupants digging my car thankfully there were hospitable locals who helped me out of a salt lake when we took until i finally got a wrong turn with two English backpackers as rain clouds loomedlift... This to me is the real Australia (Dave Hodgkin)

== Personal experiences ==:''I have hitched the entire coastline of saw stunning places that I never envisaged in 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 never had issues with cops anywhere except for Queensland where they do actually enforce the highways start or turn from a 70 into a 100 km/h zonelaw against hitching, or similarso you gotta be careful and discreet in that territory.'' (author unknown)

:''I hitched around 4Not had much luck with roadtrains,000km in the states of NSW, Victoria and South Australiamostly just private cars. There are plenty Never get on back of long lay-by stop areas along most highways (including Pacific Highway) where cars can easily and safely pull off the highway to pick vehicle if going through desert unless you up. I found any highway (especially Pacific Highway) with want 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 serious red dusting like 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 experienced when coming back to pick you up as they know they may be the only car for a whileHalls Creek from Wolfe Creek crater. The Australians are very welcoming and hospitable Easy peasy to camp, on many occasions the driver would offer just make sure you have a place tent to stay for stop the night with a meal or insist on giving me 20 dollars for foodcreepy crawlies and snakes getting you. When hitching in cities, pedestrians have sometimes come to me and again insist upon giving me money for a train ticket further down Surprisingly the road. kangaroos never jumped on or kicked/boxed my tent whilst I felt very at home hitching here, the generosity of the people being overwhelmingwas camping." (Jools 2011)