{"id":33537,"date":"2019-03-18T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-17T21:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=33537&preview=true&preview_id=33537"},"modified":"2025-03-25T01:27:59","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T14:27:59","slug":"travel-australia-on-a-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/travel-australia-on-a-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"Heading Down Under? Here’s how to see Australia on a budget"},"content":{"rendered":"

If your only experience of Australia<\/a> is an old Simpsons <\/em>episode and Fosters beer commercials, here\u2019s a couple of things you need to know.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For one thing, Australia is big. Extremely large, in fact. A lazy 7.6 million square kilometres, which isn\u2019t too much smaller than the continental USA. Here\u2019s another one: we\u2019ve got one of the highest costs of living in the world, which we tend to measure by coffee inflation (AUD $4 a cup\u2026 and counting). Combine distance with dollars and you could be looking at a pretty expensive vacation, even factoring in some sweet currency conversion.<\/p>\n

\"A

A group tour can take you to places you wouldn’t find on your own.<\/p><\/div>\n

So how do you do Australia on the cheap? Here\u2019s our ultimate guide.<\/p>\n

1. Do a group tour<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Two

Getting around is even easier when someone else takes care of the driving.<\/p><\/div>\n

You may not think of yourself as the \u2018group tour\u2019 sort of person, but it\u2019s a very cost-effective way to see certain parts of the country. For one thing, you get transport, accommodation, some meals and petrol included. And trust me, on long road trips (and all<\/em> Australian road trips are long) petrol costs can balloon out of control. This country chews<\/em> through petrol. So being able to sit back on an air-conditioned minibus and watch the road roll out ahead of you is certainly a nice perk.<\/p>\n

\"A

Firing up the barbecue.<\/p><\/div>\n

More than that though, you\u2019re getting a proper local guide who can show you the best pubs, the best swimming holes, and the local stories you won\u2019t get on a solo trip.<\/p>\n

EXPLORE AUSTRALIA ON A SMALL GROUP ADVENTURE NOW – CHECK OUT OUR TRIPS HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

2. Make use of camp sites<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"A

It’s camping, but not as you know it.<\/p><\/div>\n

Intrepid’s Australia tours usually include a mix of farmstays, dorm accommodation and camping, with the latter obviously being the cheapest option. Australia has literally thousands of national parks and conservation reserves, and most of them (especially the larger, well-established ones) have dedicated camp grounds. Generally you can get an unpowered site for around AUD $20 a night (for power, allow around AUD $60). Most small towns around the country will also have a camp ground or caravan park as well, especially along well-travelled costal routes like The Great Ocean Road<\/a>, Margaret River<\/a> or around Head Of Bight<\/a>.<\/p>\n

WATCH THE SUN RISE OVER ULURU ON OUR 17-DAY DARWIN TO MELBOURNE ADVENTURE – DETAILS HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

3. Don\u2019t forget the swag<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Travellers

Swaggy.<\/p><\/div>\n

If you really want to rough it (and we\u2019re talking sandpaper rough), consider getting a swag and trying a little spontaneous camping. A swag, if you weren\u2019t aware, is like a tiny tent for one. Imagine a sleeping bag with architecture. They\u2019re cheap, portable and can be chucked down almost anywhere. Facilities: zero. Adventure: maximum. You have to be a bit careful though: roadside camping is usually prohibited in national parks and conservation zones, and you can\u2019t do it on private property. It\u2019s best to check local council and government websites, because each State has different laws around where you can and cannot sleep. Here\u2019s<\/a> a good general guide.<\/p>\n

SHAKE OUT YOUR SWAG ON OUR 10-DAY PERTH TO BROOME OVERLAND ADVENTURE – MORE INFO HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

4. Plan smart<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"A

Learning about the land from a local.<\/p><\/div>\n

If you\u2019re determined to do Australia<\/a> solo, you can certainly save a few dollarydoos by planning ahead and being smart. If you have to buy petrol, wait until it\u2019s cheap, then fill a jerrycan (average prices vary from place to place, and you\u2019ll generally pay a bit more outside the capital cities. Anything under AUD $1.20 a litre is pretty good). Itinerary also plays a big part. For example, if you want to visit Uluru, don\u2019t bother driving: it\u2019s a billion miles and will cost a fortune. Fly into Yulara instead (not Alice Springs) \u2013 Jetstar often has\u00a0cheap flights<\/a>, and there\u2019s decent motel accommodation in town.<\/p>\n

\"Two

Swap your morning latte for a tea from the billy.<\/p><\/div>\n

Consider shoulder or off-season travel too, when accommodation will be a little cheaper. For most of the country, that\u2019ll be between April and October.<\/p>\n

SUBSCRIBE TO INTREPID\u2019S NEWSLETTER FOR TRAVEL TIPS, COMPETITIONS, GIVEAWAYS & MORE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

5. Get out of the cities<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"A

How you order a beer in Australia is a whole other story.<\/p><\/div>\n

Most of Australia\u2019s 25 million people live in big cities on the coast, where the heat is slightly less scorching. In between, there are large areas of nothingness, punctuated by pubs and sheep. You\u2019ll want to hit up big ticket items like Sydney and Melbourne, sure, but you\u2019ll save money by venturing out of town. If you\u2019re visiting Melbourne, consider a few nights in Geelong, Torquay or Lorne. If you\u2019re hitting up Adelaide, try the Fleurieu Peninsula<\/a>. Instead of spending all your time at Sydney Harbour, consider Wollongong or Katoomba. There are plenty of great vacation spots<\/a> surrounding the major cities, and they\u2019re usually slightly cheaper. Win\/win.<\/p>\n

Want to do Down Under on the cheap? We may be biased, but we think the best way to see Oz is with us. Check out our full range of\u00a0small group tours here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If your only experience of Australia is an old Simpsons episode and Fosters beer commercials, here\u2019s a couple of things you need to know.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15437,"featured_media":33584,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1313],"tags":[26,899],"class_list":["post-33537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","tag-australia","tag-budget","ipf_region-australia"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Best Way To See Australia On A Budget | Intrepid Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Australia is big and expensive. 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Here's how to see Australia on a budget\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If your only experience of Australia is an old Simpsons episode and Fosters beer commercials, here\u2019s a couple of things you need to know.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/travel-australia-on-a-budget\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Good Times by Intrepid\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/intrepidtravel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-03-17T21:30:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-24T14:27:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Intrepid-Travel-Adventure-Tours-Australia-australia_WA_Karijini_travellers_smiling.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"450\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"James Shackell\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Intrepid_Travel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Intrepid_Travel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"James Shackell\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/travel-australia-on-a-budget\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/travel-australia-on-a-budget\/\",\"name\":\"The Best Way To See Australia On A Budget | Intrepid Travel Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/travel-australia-on-a-budget\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/travel-australia-on-a-budget\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Intrepid-Travel-Adventure-Tours-Australia-australia_WA_Karijini_travellers_smiling.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-03-17T21:30:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-24T14:27:59+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/11d2ea2f248b0acdbd016b63ac622a84\"},\"description\":\"Australia is big and expensive. 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