General
Travel & Breakdown Information - Australia
RECOMMENDED
MINIMUM DAYS TRAVEL
To
avoid having to spend too many hours driving and too little time relaxing we recommend
you plan the length of your campervan holiday.
Australia is a large country
and cannot be driven around in a month. We suggest visitors choose a specific
region of interest to concentrate their holiday. An alternative is to rent in
selected locations and fly between them, enabling renters to see a greater variety
of Australia's diverse scenery.
ROAD
RESTRICTIONS
2WD
Campervans can only be driven on sealed/bitumen roads. The only exceptions to
this are the roads into Wildman River Wilderness Lodge (Northern Territory) and
the roads on Kangaroo Island (South Australia) 4WD Campervans and cars can also
be driven on recognised tracks. 4WD vehicles may only travel to the following
areas with written permission Simpson Desert, Strzelecki Track, Gunbarrel Highway,
Cape York, Oodnadatta Track, Birdsville Track, Tanami Track and Gibb River Road.
Our vehicles are not permitted on the Canning Stock Route, the Lost City in Litchfield
Park and the Telegraph Road section of the road to Cape York. The renter is responsible
for damage if travelling on these roads as there is no protection cover.
SAFE
DRIVING IN AUSTRALIA
GENERAL:
Keep to the left at all times. Obey all traffic signs and signals and indicate
your intention to turn or change lanes. All drivers and passengers must wear seat
belts at all times. Be sure to carry your drivers license when driving. It is
recommended that you do your driving in the morning when you are fresh and alert,
and leave walking, sightseeing and other energetic activities to the afternoon.
Please
take great care when entering a service station or caravan park because hitting
the overhead awnings will cause damage to the vehicle. When
reversing in the large vehicles it is recommended that someone guides you to avoid
hitting posts in caravan parks and parking areas.
As
well as the tips outlined on this page, clients can also check the following information
provided on arrival at all branches:
o
Detailed leaflet on Safe Driving in Australia
o Safe Driving Video playing
in all branches
o 4WD and Isolated Areas leaflet
SPEED
LIMITS AND WET CONDITIONS:
Speed limits are fixed by law and tell you the
maximum speed you are allowed to drive - not how fast you have to drive. Please
note the maximum speed limit in suburban areas is 50km/h. you must not drive at
a speed or in a manner which is dangerous to the public or yourselves. Please
adjust your driving and speed to the changing conditions of the road and weather.
It takes longer for a vehicle to stop on wet roads as there will be a loss of
traction.
NIGHT
DRIVING:
Between sunset and sunrise you must drive with your headlights and
rear lights on. During days with conditions of poor visibility, i.e. fog, you
must also drive with your lights on. In suburban areas you must use low beam.
when using high beam on the open road, dip your headlights when an approaching
vehicle is within 200m or as soon as the other vehicle's lights are dipped.
WILDLIFE:
Kangaroos, cattle and other animals are major traffic hazards. When travelling
outside major cities beware of animal activity, particularly at dawn and dusk,
and slow down. Animals walk onto roads without warning and tend to sleep on the
road's warm surface. Please be aware of this.
ALCOHOL:
Avoid drinking alcohol before driving. Alcohol contributes to fatigue and even
the smallest amount can affect your judgement. The legal blood alcohol concentration
limit is 0.05, however the safest level is zero.
ABORIGINAL
LAND:
A permit is required when travelling on roads over Aboriginal land.
Please contact your local branch for more information on these locations.
TRAFFIC
INFRINGEMENTS
We
reserve the right to charge the hirer for any traffic infringements, fines or
tolls, associated administration costs and/or accidents including third party
property damage, not reported on return of the vehicle. These costs will be charged
directly to the customer's account or credit card.
CITYLINK
TOLL POINTS IN MELBOURNE
Tolls apply to sections along the main access roads
into and out of Melbourne. If clients will be travelling on any of these roads
where tolls apply (see map below) they MUST purchase a CityLink pass. A CityLink
pass allows the vehicle to be used on CityLink roads for 24 hours from the time
of purchase. Purchase in advance or until midnight on the day after their first
day of travel.
Should
the client travel on a CityLink toll road without purchasing a CityLink pass,
the infringement fine will sent to them and a $60.00 administration fee will be
charged to their credit card.
Clients
can purchase a CityLink pass by calling CityLink from anywhere in Australia on
13 26 29, quoting license plate number, make & model, vehicle class (ie. Car
or LCV), day of travel and credit card number (Bankcard, Mastercard or Visa).
A CityLink brochure
is included in the customer's Travel Wallet where necessary.
BREAKDOWNS
AND ACCIDENT ASSISTANCE
All
vehicles are fully maintained, serviced and detailed between rentals by our experienced
staff. However, minor problems can occur. If advice or assistance for breakdown
is required, support is available to every renter throughout Australia by telephoning
freecall number, 1800 331 454, or calling into any of our branches. Accidents
must be reported within 24 hours. The renter must not admit liability to other
parties or make any offer of settlement.
PROBLEMS
WITH VEHICLE
Any
problems associated with the vehicle, including equipment failure, must be reported
as soon as possible and within 24 hours in order to allow the opportunity to rectify
the problem during the rental. We do not accept liability for any claims submitted
after this period.
Repairs up to AUD$100 may be effected without authorisation
and will be reimbursed. For amounts over AUD$100, you will need to contact freecall
number, 1800 331 454 for instructions and authorisatio
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