Great driving holidays – DriveNow is king of the road for campervan hire

WE took advantage of the great deals offered through this super website for last minute campervan hire and did a test drive.

After an easy online booking process, and super deal thanks to the DriveNow gang, we and took one of Maui’s Jayco Conquest campervans for a spin to Adelaide. Peter and I have come to the conclusion www.drivenow.com.au offers the best way to test drive a motorhome (or campervan) without going all out and buying one up front. You know what? it’s actually better than hiring a car and staying in motels and I will even go a stretch further to say it’s tonnes better!

In the Maui you can cruise along and stop wherever you want, thanks to the fact the vehicle comes complete with full bathroom, so there’s no need to be hang on until you get to the next town! It’s such a breeze and so much more comfortable.

One afternoon, after a late night, I decided I needed a nap in the afternoon, so we pulled off just before Bordertown in South Australia and took a nap in the rest area. And a comfy one at that! All snuggled up in bed. You really can’t beat that.

Sheree sat out under the awning with a book and a cup of coffee and took in the views for an hour or so while our son Boston and I slept. In that sense it’s an even safer option than hiring a car and choosing to stay in hotels/motels. The best aspect for me and Sheree, as parents, is the fact you have a fully operational bathroom. On two of the nights we were very late getting into our stop, so we had a dinner stop and showered Boston and got him ready for bed and he fell asleep in his car seat. When we arrived, we simply just popped him into his bed. So quick and so very easy!

The Maui motorhomes are really easy to drive, too. You only need a normal car licence and, honestly, they are incredibly user friendly. Don’t be put off by their size because when you are on the road, you don’t feel any different. The Maui campervans are easy to reverse as they have full reversing cameras so even first-timers will think its a breeze! Better still, they are automatic too.

I’ve decided we would not travel any other way, especially on long trips and travelling with the kids! So don’t do car and motel – do a campervan and give DriveNow a spin to experience it first before you buy!

PETER “SPIDA” EVERITT
The Great Australian Doorstep Series 3 is now on Channel 7TWO.

Driving holidays – Adelaide to Warrnambool (SA)

On the road in South Australia

When leaving Adelaide behind, we headed off to our first morning tea stop in Harndorf. It’s such an awesome little town, and it’s world famous for its apple strudel. You simply cannot afford to miss this place. Harndorf is only a 90-minute drive from Adelaide. Watch the big hill heading out of Adelaide, however, as it’s a killer!

With full tummies, we cruised our way down to Robe for the night.  We stayed at the Big 4 park which is across the road from the beach –  and a great little swimming beach at that. The park has absolutely everything, including an indoor heated pool; way too spoilt for a caravan park!

We went out to some local farms to check out the dairy industry, comparing it with what we do in New Zealand. Most of it went straight over my head as I am still learning, but my wife Sheree talked for hours and was very impressed by the sheer size of some of the dairy units in and around Robe.  In the afternoon I hit the ship for a spot of fishing and gathered local seafood delicacies (see photo with a prized catch above!). Needless to say, that night’s dinner was the best we had had in many, many weeks.

Next day we headed off from Robe to Warrnambool, to see the sights of beautiful Great Ocean Road, one of Australia’s best routes to drive.  Beautiful farmland one side, the glistening ocean on the other. Don’t forget your camera when in this part of the world because there are great photo opportunities. As a highlight, we even saw whales in the distance.

PETER “SPIDA” EVERITT

Driving holidays – Port Augusta to Adelaide (SA)

From Port Augusta to Adelaide on the banks of the beautiful Spencer Gulf, it’s just gorgeous. It’s only a leisurely two-hour drive and all easy going, big open roads.

Port Augusta has some  unique attractions including the “spook hill” or Gravity Hill, near the Flinders Ranges where you face your car up this hill and put it in neutral and you somehow get pulled up the hill! It’s all true and is a fairdinkum optical illusion and very much worth the drive out there.

We enjoyed the the Champagne Cruise out onto the Spencer Gulf itself and went diving for the rare Razor fish (see picture). The water here has 7% more salt in it and you float really easily, but it makes it tougher to dive down for the Razor fish. This really is a place where the Outback meets the ocean and you won’t find a more photogenic place.

Also take in a visit to the Wadlata Outback Centre, another attraction that is second to none. Heaps of time and effort has been put in and you will easily spend three or four hours here.  We stayed in the Big 4 in Port Augusta and they have the best pool … especially after spending six long days on the Nullarbor.

After cruising down through Port Pirie (not much here, but still worth dropping into for morning tea) we reached Adelaide. Don’t fret about driving around the city with your rig as Adelaide is very easy to get around and navigate and its roads are really tow-friendly if you happen to have a caravan or vehicle attached to the back of your camper. Just be careful of the enormous hill when leaving Adelaide and be prepared for a long struggle!

PETER “SPIDA” EVERITT