5 crucial tips to survive your next long road trip
Wide sweeping plains, beautiful blue skies and the lure of an adventure on four wheels – the call of the open road is often hard to resist, especially in this big sunburnt country of ours. The great Aussie road trip has become something of a tradition for people of all ages, but particularly for grey nomads who, in the past few years, have been hitting the road in droves.
There’s no doubt a road trip can be the making of memories to last a lifetime – or they can be tedious, exhausting and potentially dangerous endeavours if you’re not prepared or careful! I was reminded of all this when I escaped the hustle and bustle of city life for a weekend getaway to the coastal town of Byron Bay, New South Wales. Fortunately, I was test-driving the brand new Holden Astra Sedan, and the stylish, comfy and roomy car made what could have been a long, uncomfortable and boring journey an easy, seamless and enjoyable experience.
To ensure you make it to your destination (and back) safe and sound, as well as with your sanity intact, here are a few tips I picked up on my recent trip on surviving your next road trip.
1. Ensure you have the right vehicle
Before you even start your grey nomad adventure, make sure your vehicle of choice is the right one for the job. Are you comfortable driving it? Is the car safe for long trips? Is it spacious and comfy enough for all passengers, plus all your belongings? Make sure you give the car a full service and check the tyres and batteries, too. If you’re going to be towing a caravan, it’s highly recommended you take a driving course so you know exactly how to steer your vehicle and don’t endanger yourself or anyone else on the road. And of course, make sure your insurance is up to date.
Remember you’re going to be spending a lot of time in your car so it certainly pays to ensure you’ve got the right vehicle for a long trip. On my way to Byron, I felt safe in the knowledge that the Holden Astra could handle whatever the road threw at me. In fact, the roads were quite rough to drive on as they were still being repaired following recent floods, but with the new car I barely felt any bumps even though I saw plenty of potholes. And when visiting the famous Cape Byron Lighthouse and the surrounding hinterlands, driving up steep winding roads on mountains, the car took it all on without much effort. Thanks to its Aussie engineering, this innocuous-looking family car can absorb any and all conditions encountered on a road trip across the country.
2. Plan your itinerary
You don’t need to plan to the nth degree but invest some time in researching the best route, destinations, attractions and features along the way you want to see, to make the most of your trip. Check the traffic on the day you leave too, so you can avoid potential traffic hotspots. And check the weather – you want to avoid extreme temperatures but if you can’t, at least you can prepare for it.
As I set off on my road trip, I felt thankful that long gone are the days of poring over a well-thumbed street directory to try to find the best route. Nowadays, with these amazing mini computers in our hands, I could plug in my smartphone, enter my destination, and the car would direct me. I could keep tabs on the route I was taking on the 8-inch colour touch screen and I liked how I could see an continuously updated estimated time of arrival. No longer fussing over directions and worrying about the best route, I could just sit back and drive.
3. Don’t forget to stop, revive and survive
We’ve all heard this refrain a million times yet it’s worth repeating as too many people still want to race to their destination. Set a limit to how many hours in a day you’re going to drive and stick to it. Better yet, plan a few pitstops along the way so you can stretch your legs, take in some fresh air, and importantly revive yourself. Think of the journey as being part of the holiday and try to make the most of every stop.
Of course, it’s nice to make your destination in good time but the most important thing is getting to your destination in one piece! When you’re on the road for a long time, at one point or other, your concentration slips and fatigue sets in. We’ve all seen too many instances of near-misses on the road, but thankfully for me I was in a brand new car with amazing safety features I couldn’t even think up. The Holden Astra Sedan has built-in collision sensors that automatically slow the car down and stop if it detects an object in front of the car. It also has this nifty feature that I discovered by accident when I slightly veered close to the outer line of my lane; the car sensed it and it gently steered me back to the middle of my lane. That was warning enough for me that I should take a much needed break.
4. Prepare the entertainment
With hours on the road ahead of you, particularly if you’re taking little grandchildren with you, you’ve got to plan for some entertainment to while the time away. Otherwise, boredom will drive you to distraction, not to mention having to answer the constant question, “Are we there yet?”
Go with road trip classics like car games and music singalongs. Or load your devices with movies, books and games. For drivers, especially when alone, I find that podcasts and audiobooks keep me entertained and alert. I simply plugged my phone into the car and my phone navigation appeared on the colour touch screen so I could easily get to my own music and podcasts. And luckily, since I had forgotten to charge my phone, the car charges your phone while it’s plugged in.
Pack some sensible supplies as well, like water, snacks, sunscreen and sunglasses. I was pleased to discover that unlike any other car I’ve had, the Holden Astra has a cup holder that fits a big bottle of water, and plenty of nooks to stash away snacks, rubbish, and odd bits that you always seem to accumulate on long car trips.
5. Expect the unexpected
You’ve planned ahead, marked out the route you’re taking, and brought everything to make the trip as enjoyable as possible – but then you hit a traffic jam and you slow down to a snail’s pace for the foreseeable future. Even the best laid plans go awry – and after all it wouldn’t be an adventure if everything went off without a hitch.
It’s best to keep your cool and try not to get frustrated and angry (which often leads to mistakes), and roll with the punches instead. Can you take an early lunch or take a break and walk around? Faced with this very scenario, I decided to go and explore the surrounding areas as you never know what off-the-beaten-track gem you’ll discover! On my way to Byron, I discovered many gorgeous small towns that I’d never even heard of before with heritage buildings, great country pubs and cafes, and quaint shops filled with antiques and handcrafted wares.
Image credit: La Tessa Photography
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