If you are looking for a short and quite cheap (AU$150-200) camping adventure near Sydney to get rid of all the Uni stress for a while then you should read this!
This is what we did for planning:
We kicked things off by finding the right people. This should be obvious: "I'll go with all my friends!". That's indeed one option, but what about looking for new people, to make new friendships? Having a diverse group makes this whole trip challenging on the one hand, but even more fun on the other.
For a decent road trip I suggest a long weekend (4-5 days). We started on Good Friday and came back on Easter Monday 2018. We were able to drive about 1.000 km (600 mi), which means an average of 250 km a day. 3h drive. That's fine.
In terms of what to bring or pack I suggest to pack light. We were 9 in total, which lead us to rent two cars. We had tents, foam mattresses, sleeping bags, backpacks, food, and liquids. Playing Tetris as a child really paid off. If you cannot live without your phone, bring power banks or 12V car sockets for USB. Bring a map or download offline maps, so you don't rely on an internet connection. One of the most important things (next to water - bring water! A lot! Or buy it on the way with your food) is music. Bring a speaker and aux cable to make some of the long and sometimes boring rides a bit more fun. Now for the car(s): We rented two so-called "Travella" from Jucy. Basically Toyota Corollas - good fuel consumption, lots of space, good handling and decent acceleration. All in all: Good cars. Oh, and they're cheap.
This is where you should go (full map here):
Day 1:
Start at Jucy Sydney, drive 1h to the Royal National Park (Garrawarra Farm Carpark), do a 2-3h walk across the Burning Palms Beach to the Figure 8 Pools*, have a dip in the pools and a quick lunch there. Head back and drive 2.5h to the Shoalhaven Zoo Campground in Nowra (AU$12 each) and spend the night next to a beautiful lake.
Day 2:
Head off 45min to Hyams Beach, wander around the several beaches and have lunch at the picknick area. Drive 1.5h to the start of the Pigeon House Mountain Didthul walking track and climb one of the most beautiful tracks on the east coast (2-3h - it's hard). Watch the sunset. Head back and drive 1h to Batemans Bay, where you spend the night.
Day 3:
Drive 2.5h to Bournda and do the walk at Tura Beach (1.5h) or just lay down on the kilometer-long, empty beaches and go swimming. Drive 2h to the Cooma Snowy Mountains Tourist Park and camp there for AU$10 each (incl. Land Rover Meetup).
Day 4:
Hop in the cars for a 1.5h drive to Canberra. Visit the city center, drive around the parliament houses and go to the War Memorial (free, 2-4h). Drive 10min to the Mount Ainslie Lookout and watch the sunset. Then head 3h back to Jucy Sydney.
You will never forget this road trip!
*Please note that a visit to the Figure 8 Pools is a dangerous activity that can result in serious injuries. If you choose to go, be sure to visit the National Parks NSW website for safety tips and weather/tide conditions.
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Industrial Engineering
Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau
Germany