SURVIVING AUSTRALIA’S OUTBACK

redback_webI was trawling the web looking for articles I thought our Transfercar drivers would be interested in and found this little beauty. Not only does it contain invaluable advise about travelling in the outback of Australia,  it’s a really good read!

SURVIVING AUSTRALIA’S OUTBACK

About three o’clock in the morning something woke me, and I lay listening. A strange rumbling came from somewhere out in the night. “Are you awake?” Cristi whispered softly. I whispered back that I was. “There’s something outside,” she said.
The northern Australia night was stifling. Beneath our flimsy tent we had gone to sleep in the coolest possible costumes – nothing at all. Now I got to my feet and tiptoed to the entrance to the tent. Gently I pulled open the flaps an inch apart and peered out. It was pitch black, and I could see nothing. I parted the tent flaps a bit more. There, not twenty feet from the tent, was a large crocodile.


By now Cristi was up and standing next to me. We stood there, stone-like, with nothing but a thin sheet of canvas between us and a twenty-foot crocodile.


The rumbling continued. It came from the crocodile’s stomach. It was tearing up the food we had left away from the campsite. It was a lesson of the Outback that I was happy to have learned: don’t store your food near your campsite.
Slowly it worked its way through the food, ripping apart a barbecued chicken with uncomfortable ease. Then it scurried away, toward the Herbert River, silhouetted against the horizon, immense, its red eyes gleaming in the moonlight. Finally it left, and as we went back to bed, I recalled a sign we had seen along the roadside earlier in the day. It warned travelers succinctly: “Beware of Crocodiles.”

Read the full story thanks to hackwriters.com.

What’s the right Australian visa for me?

sample_australia_visa_600x336If you’re planning on travelling to Australia this summer, and taking our free transfercars and campervans for a drive, one of the first things you need to sort out is your visa. There are so many different types, so it’s important you find the right one for you.  The best, and safest way of gaining the correct information is visiting the Australian Department of Government and Immigration‘s website. It’s accurate and easy to use, so be smart and make use of it and have a great and hassle free trip in one of the most spectacular places in the world.

Tourism NZ tells Aussies “what’s ours is yours”

aereoinsilouette“What’s ours is yours” is the latest advertising campaign currently running across the ditch in a bid to entice Australian holiday makers.

It is a joint campaign between Tourism New Zealand and Pacific Blue will see Australians offered discounted airfares and travel packages through television and print advertising.

Read the full story: TV3 News

NZers can cope with new turning law – instructor

Something interesting for Transfercar drivers!!!

Written By Rachel Morton

The right hand rule is something New Zealanders have lived with for more than 30 years and while it’s entrenched in our driving habits one driving instructor says we’ll cope just fine.

“There will be times in the initial part where they will need to concentrate, so it’s always, if in doubt hang about and think it out,” says Passrite Driving Academy instructor Fred Bardon.

Nobody’s more relieved by the changes than rental car companies who hire cars and camper vans to visitors from overseas who aren’t familiar with New Zealand’s unique rule.

Read the full article care of TV3 News….

How to get a relocation vehicle?

My name is Brian and I am one of the founders of Transfercar. I have written this article series to help people who are thinking of relocating a car, camper van or motorhome for the first time via Transfercar.

How to get a relocation vehicle – preparation and planning

transfercar-frontpageThe first thing is to find a relocation car at www.transfercar.co.nz that suits your travel requirements. The table of available relocation cars on the front pages gives a good overview of what is available. Pay attention to the free extras column that tells you what is included in the relocation deal. The more things included the better for you as a relocation driver. Normally the rental car companies include ferry and standard insurance with the relocation car. From time to time the rental companies also add petrol vouchers or a free tank of petrol. Often this applies to urgent relocations. The available column tells you the earliest pick-up date and latest drop off date. It does not mean you can have the vehicle during the whole period. The number of days you can have the car for free is specified in the details that can be viewed by clicking anywhere on the row of the relocation you are interested it. Most rental car companies allow between 4-7 days for a relocation between Christchurch and Auckland.

To request a relocation car click the Drive it free!-button. Your request is send directly to the rental car company and they will accept or reject your request within 12-48 hours. Sometimes they receive several requests for the same relocation. So if your request is not accepted, don’t despair – just request another one! Until you get accepted the whole booking is a ‘blind process’. You will not be told who the rental car company behind the relocation is until you have been accepted by the rental company.

I requested the motorhome approximately 7 days prior to the date we preferred to pick it up. Our request was accepted within 12 hours and we received a confirmation email from Transfercar and later on we also got an email from the rental car company – In this case it was Jucy Rentals. I called up Jucy to organize the exact pick-up time and drop-time. The rental car company also schedule the ferry crossing for us. In our case Jucy covered the cost of the ferry for the motorhome and we had to pay for passengers – $50 per person when booking through the rental car company (otherwise it is $58 with Interislander)

After having organized the relocation, we booked flight tickets with Jetstar – $39 (without luggage) and $49 (20k allowance) per person. Alternatively try Grabaseat or virginblue – you just gotta love love the competition 🙂