Spending quality time with your immediate family is what life is all about. Sure, there are quarrels and disagreements, and sometimes even arguments. But at the end of the day, there’s no one else you’d rather hug, share laughter with, and wake up to each morning.
And one of the best ways to connect with your family is by taking a road trip. In Australia, it’s almost a tradition during the holidays. You load up your car, whether that’s a Kia Sportage or another model, pack the snacks and head out for your favourite holiday destination. All this is great fun and super exciting, especially for the kiddies. But preparation is the name of the game when it comes to avoiding unexpected events during your Aussie road trip. That’s why we’ve prepared this helpful article – in it, we’ll be sharing our top tips for planning your next family adventure.
Book Accommodation in Advance
Unless you’re fortunate enough to own a caravan or camper trailer, you’ll need somewhere to sleep and make your home base. Popular holiday destination accommodation can fill up quickly, especially during the peak Christmas/New Years period. That’s why it pays to book your accommodation well in advance, sometimes even by several months to ensure you’re getting the best deals.
By doing this, you’re guaranteed a place where you and your family can retreat to after hours of daytime adventures, as well as helping yourself avoid having to settle for subpar digs during your road trip. Nothing spoils the fun quicker than a dodgy, dingy hotel or motel.
Even if it’s booking a campsite and packing the tent or a portable gazebo, make sure that you have your booking well and truly sorted before you embark on your journey.
Check Your Tyre Pressure and Wear
The next step is to inspect your car’s tyre pressure and wear. You can check the former at most service stations around Australia. The manufacturer will specify an ideal pressure to which your tyres should be inflated. This is usually in a panel found in the driver’s door frame, although for some makes, it can be elsewhere. Ensure that your tyres are pumped to match the indicated value.
Once you’ve done that, check your tyres for wear. There are usually some bars of rubber in between your tyre grooves. These should be level with the groove or not worn too far below it. Unfortunately, if these are worn down, you’ll need to replace the worn tyres. This is costly; yes, we won’t deny that. However, worn tyres can be hazardous to drive on and affect the performance of your vehicle. Invest in new tyres to ensure that you’ll have peace of mind that you and your family will be safe throughout the course of your getaway.
Check Your Car’s Lights
While you’re looking at the state of your car’s tyres, it’s also well worth checking your car’s headlights, brake lights, indicators and reversing lights too. Assessing all of these factors will also play a prominent role in ensuring that your family stays safe during your road trip. Malfunctioning or broken lights may also mean that your car is not roadworthy and can be hazardous to yourself and other drivers. Driving a car that isn’t technically roadworthy may result in you being slapped with a hefty fine if you’re stopped by highway patrol on the way to your destination.
It’s also worth noting that scheduling a tune up and an assessment of your car should also be done a good few weeks before you’re set to leave on your trip. The reason for this is simply because it may be tricky to find the parts required a few days before your trip, so catching any issues at the last minute may likely result in your family being forced to hire a rental car instead of bearing the risk of taking your family vehicle along for the journey.
Fuel Up In Town
This tip isn’t shared a lot, but it’s a good one. Fuel is often more expensive the further from the city you drive. This is because it costs money to transport fuel hundreds of kilometres away. Service stations in regional and rural areas will often charge a premium to recoup this cost. You can save yourself some serious money on your road trip by filling up in town the day before you head off; if you’re lucky, the whole tank may even last you there and back – depending on where your destination is.
Pack Snacks
What’s a road trip without a swag of snacks to fend off hunger and keep the kids from grumbling on particularly long drives? Now, junk food may be tempting here, and a little is definitely okay. But kids can get pent up and a bit ratty during a long car trip, and lots of salt and sugar may only compound that problem. If you insist on junk food, that’s fine, but balance it out with water, some nuts and dried fruit and other healthier options.
Get Roadside Assistance Coverage
If you don’t already have it, it may be worth taking out an emergency roadside assistance policy before leaving on the big day. This is essentially an insurance policy that means in the case of a breakdown, flat tyre, dead battery or other mechanical issues, the company will send out a contractor to get you moving again.
Pay attention to the policy details; it may have restrictions on the areas covered or no towing after a certain distance from your city. The last thing you want is to pay for the cover and find out it’s useless to you in a rural location.
A Car Trip Conclusion
These top tips for planning your next big Aussie road trip should ensure you are fully prepared and ready for the adventure. Don’t skip any of these, because if you do, you could wind up spending more time solving problems during your holiday than enjoying the sights and time with your family. Be prepared and ensure you have a stress free trip.
