Since you are already in Brisbane, the best thing to do is take a short trip to the nearest beach or pool. Let your family have twenty minutes in the pool before your trip. Don’t let them try off in the sun. Instead of doing this, suggest that your kids and wife wear clothing that is very light. Allow them to go in their car with their hair wet because this will make them feel much cooler. It will also give them an extra 15 minutes of not being hot since this is the time it takes to cool down.

Before you even think about going on a trip, get an ice chest and a huge bag of ice. Fill it sparingly but not over the top because you don’t want it spilling in the car. You can put a few small hand towels over the ice chest. This way your family can dip the clean hand towels into the ice chest and wipe their face or arms with it. They will feel extremely cool. For the best results, try rolling down the window to catch some air after they do this. A gust of air against a cold arm will give an even colder affect.

How about bringing a fan with you? We don’t just mean a paper fan you make. You know those huge oriental fans that have tiny creases to create a huge gust of air. These will cool you down in no time. While we don’t recommend using one of these while driving, you can always have the person next to you try and fan you. Since these fans are rare, it is best to purchase them online because you won’t be able to find them at regular retail stores.

One of the most basic ways to stay cool is with water. Not just any bottled water. We are talking about ice water. The trick is to leave your bottled water in the freezer for at least five hours. You can use it to place it on your forehead, cheeks, arms and even the legs. The ice water will be dripping off the bottle as it begins to warm up. You can enjoy this ice water until everything has melted but this will usually take an hour and a half which is plenty of time when it comes to a car trip in Brisbane.

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Instead of staying in one spot on the remainder of your trip, why don’t you take a little vacation in your own vacation? For example, you can even drive across the country if you wish. Australia is small and you can cover a few areas but make sure you have plenty of time to get back. Here are some of our favorite places to drive to in Australia.

The Great Barrier Reef is located directly on Queensland’s coast. Here you will be able to look at the beautiful Coral Sea and the reason why they gave the sea this name is because of the Coral Reel. There are over 900 islands in the area and all of them are over a stretch of 2,600 kilometers which is huge!  Did you know that it’s big enough to be seen from space? Currently, the reef is a World Heritage Site and you can come whenever you like. They have tons of aquatic life such as whales, snakes, stingrays, dolphins, and even turtles. You might also come face to face with a crocodile so watch your step! This reef is calculate to be six to eight thousands years old.

The Sydney Harbor is a great choice if you are driving over Australia during New Years. This was originally the first place during the very 1st European settlement. Here is where they have the great Sydney Opera House and you can even venture inside. You can also take your family over the Sydney Harbor bridge, getting a good view of the city. Whenever new Years comes around, they celebrate with thousands of fireworks in the area. This place seems to come alive during this holiday.

In Melbourne, they have over 100 different attractions so you will find much to do here with the whole family. With the beautiful Botanic Gardens, you can walk through a field of different plants and flowers. Enjoy the garden scene as you talk with your family. You won’t even know you are in the middle of the city when walking through this area. This is a great area if you are just looking to relax and wind down. This should be your last stop for the end of the day because it will leave you feeling less stressed. Nature usually has this effect on all of us.

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The Kilometers factor
With a rental company, you will only be allowed so many kilometers in a rental vehicle. If you exceed the amount of kilometers within a given day, you’ll be charged for this. Not to worry as most of the rental packages will have anywhere from 150-400 kilometers. However, at some rental companies they will only give you up to 100 kilometers per day. If you plan on doing a lot of driving, tell the representative this and they can give you some larger packages for car rental. You’ll get more kilometers for each day but you will have to pay a lot more. If this is important, then go ahead and get the package. Being charged for going over the kilometer amount will cost you more anyways so that’s why you should get the package instead.
Also, it is a good to know that manual cars will be less expensive than automatic. However, if you are someone who does not know how to drive a manual, then you won’t mind paying more for an automatic. This is better if you are driving in a city that is unfamiliar. When going on holiday vacation, you also need to look at how big the vehicle is. Large vehicles may cost more in terms of renting and gas.  If you have a big family, you’ll probably need a large vehicle. We are talking about five or more people in this case. Finally, you can get a “compact” SUV and enjoy the city with your family.

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Handling the boredom factor
The first thing you need to know is that everyone can become bored during the trip. Because of this, you’ll need to come up with some creative car games. You can sing-a-long with your family or even play “Sweet and sour”. This is a game where you wave at other drivers and if they wave back, you say “sweet”. If they don’t, they are considered sour. Also, you can bring a mini TV to install in the back where your kids can watch whatever movies they like. This is a great way to keep them distracted and most of the time they won’t complain about the long drive ahead.

Bringing everything you need
Packing everything you need is very important. The car can become hot and your family might begin to sweat because of the extreme temperatures in Australia. Bring some clean extra shirts and water bottles. If someone is too sweaty, they can change into a fresh shirt so they are more comfortable. The water bottles should be ice cold and this way they don’t get warm in the car after an hour. You should also bring other things like snacks and an ice chest to put food in. Other things may include toys for the kids, a few magazines, etc.

Avoiding sickness
Some individuals can easily become sick during a car ride, especially if they are known to have something called motion sickness. For those who do, it is advised not to look out your window. You shouldn’t drive if you have motion sickness either. Let someone else do the driving like your spouse. For the children, always bring their medication like pills or inhalers. Be sure that they have at least two refills if you are going to be in the area for 2-3 weeks. Otherwise, one is just fine but it is better to bring two, just in case one is lost.

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The best thing to do is make all the food once you get to your hotel. Remember to make suitable food for your car rentals from Brisbane or wherever. If the trip is in a few hours and you’ve just arrived in the beautiful Australian city, then you’ll be able to pick up a few store ingredients. We recommend making food that has plenty of vegetables and chicken in it as the vegetables will give energy while the chicken gives you protein. Also, in order to determine what food to make – you need to know exactly how hot it is there. In the country of Australia, the temperatures can easily rise above 100F. Here are three basic recipes you can make for your trip.

Deli Sandwich
Pack a sandwich that has turkey, onion, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise or whatever else you want to add. Be sure not to add to many sauces to the sandwich or this will make it soggy. It is better to pack some of the sauces in a container and then add them in the car when you are ready to eat them. You can always buy sauce packets which makes it easier to add.

Fried Chicken
Getting enough meat for the day is very important. With this in mind, you can fry some boneless chicken breasts and take with you. Place them in a plastic ziplock bag or better yet, a container. You and your family can enjoy these in the car, even if you are just eating the chicken plain. This is finger food so eating in the car is perfectly fine.

Granola Bars
Buy a few small Granola bars that are bite-size. They come in an assortment of blueberry, strawberry, or even chocolate Granola bars. Kids love these because it has a delicious fruit flavor and is very crunchy. Depending on the type of bars you are eating, they will give you a burst of energy. It’s like getting your second wind back!

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The best way to find a car hire company is by looking up the closest company online. You have two options here. You can either rent a car directly from the airport or venture out toward another business that rents vehicles. If you use the airport, it may take longer and be more expensive since there are so many people there who need a vehicle. Some Gold Coast Car Rental companies offer cheaper car rental by not having a booth inside the terminal. These can be booked online.

Now, before you do all this – see if you can contact the company through their website online. They should have a FAQ page which lists all the requirements for renting a car. In Australia, you must be 21 to drive unlike most places around the world. They usually have rules that seem stricter than where you came from. This is because Australians are always interested in safety and protecting their people. By reading online about the car company, you’ll be able to obtain important information like their address,  open hours, and even a map to their location. This is very helpful and if you don’t want to wait – book an appointment ahead of time. They also have services where they can pick you up and you’ll be able to talk to a representative about hiring a car. It is crucial that you bring all of your documents first.

Most of the car hire companies will rent out cars like Toyota, Honda, Kia and more. You can also find some luxury cars if you want to drive in style, but expect to pay more. You can request a vehicle that has air conditioner, CD player, MP3 player, passenger airbags, navigation or radio. Depending on what you value the most, you’ll get a car that meets all of your needs. Most car companies have anywhere from five to thirty cars at the most.

You can also hire a car hire company that offers vans and trucks. If you need plenty of space or plan on buying some furniture decor, you’ll need a truck. However, if you need space and have a few family members going with you – the best vehicle to get is a van. Of course, you’ll be spending a lot in gas but it will be worthwhile. You won’t have to rely on a taxi van to drive you around. Most taxi vans are much more expensive since they take up more gas.

Going on the bus is another option but it is not a smart idea. Generally, there is a lot of crime that takes place around bus stop malls so as a traveler, you’ll want to stay safe. If that means paying more for renting a car, then so be it. You and your family are worth it so save up your money so you’ll have enough to rent a car and go on a fun driving trip. Being in control is the best thing about renting a car and you’ll be able to go anywhere you like.

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It is important that as a designated driver, you pay attention to the wheel. Singing games are fun but don’t ever participate in games that have you looking outside the window, peering at other cars, or otherwise taking your eyes off the road. You always want to be looking at the road ahead of you because if you don’t, there could be a huge accident.

Do you have a large family? If there are kids in the family, there is a good chance that they’ll complain during the trip. They will ask questions like “Are we there yet”, every 5 minutes. In a kid’s mind, a trip can last forever because they don’t know how to keep themselves occupied well enough. However, if you give them some toys or create fun car games, this will make the time speed up for them and they will forget about the two or three hour drive.

Let’s focus on the type of games they have. Here are a few that you and your family can choose from:

Eye Spy
Folks have been playing Eye Spy for the longest time. Even our grandparents used to play Eye Spy. In order to play the game, you must say “Eye Spy with my Little Eye” and then describe a color or shape. The people who are in the car with you have to guess it. Never let the driver play though because they shouldn’t be looking at anything off the road. If you are the driver and want to play, only list items that are on the road instead of on the sides. This is perfectly safe as long as you don’t participate in looking for someone else’s “Eye Spy”.

Sweet and Sour
This game is very fun if you enjoy human reaction. Basically, the people who are playing must get the attention of someone in another car that is usually next to them. Once they get their attention by waving as if they know them, they’ll see if the person waves back or smiles. If they don’t, you have to shout out “Sour”. If they do wave back or give you a grin, you can say “Sweet”. This is an exciting game and you’ll never know what to expect with other drivers.

The Counting Game
In this game, you are expected to count things around you. For example,  you can count 20 cows, 5 chickens, and 3 street lamps. Only one person can pick an item and the first person to count and get the right answer will win. If you are  a visual learner who loves math, this game will be easy for you but be careful not to embarrass everyone with all that winning going on!

The post Games For The Road appeared first on Travellers Guide to Queensland.

You may have been out on vacation three weeks ago and happened to
leave your iPhone in the vehicle. Once you realized this, you were
in a panic mode. How would you call your family to come pick you up
after your flight? Paying another $150 or more for an iPhone
replacement can be a waste of money, especially if you could have
been more responsible with your phone. Don’t be quick to blame
yourself though as this could have happened to anyone.

If you are someone who received your item back from the car rental
company, consider yourself very lucky. You may not be so lucky next
time, so it’s always a good idea to double check before you exit
the car. Always make a list of everything you bring on your trip so
that way you will remember what items are available.

So many people are excited about their vacation and even think of
what things they are going to do next. Because of this, they may
inadvertently leave an item somewhere in the car or even at home.
This is why car rental companies see so many items left in cars.
The best companies are the ones that return them.

People will often leave their items in the glove box, on the very
seat of the car, and also underneath the seat. Some of the items
are dropped in a car rental vehicle and since they can’t see the
item in plain view, it is automatically assumed that the item is
packed. Do yourself a favor and go through your luggage to double
check. If you can’t find anything in your luggage, it’s time to
look into the car again.

The number #1 rule to this is to never bring any valuable items on
a trip with you. Anything over $100 should be left at home or at a
friend’s house while you go in the car rental. This will help you
eliminate the possibility of having things lost or stolen. Take
these initiative steps and this will make your trip much smoother.
Always ask the car rental company if you can check everything
before you leave. Doing two sweeps may help you find an item that
you suspect to be missing. If it is an item that can easily be
replaced, you may not need to worry about it.

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Now, in order to explore all of these lovely places – you’ll need to use a car hire company in Australia. Car hire in the Gold Coast is a great starting point. By doing this, you won’t have to rely on a taxi. If you plan on going to many places, you could easily spend over $200 during the day. However, a more affordable method would be to rent a car. Most car rental companies will charge anything from $35 a day to $99 so this will obviously be a less expensive route of touring the city. Also, the prices really depend on the vehicle you are using. If you just need a car that works and is 5 or 8 years old, you’ll be paying the lowest possible price. Some travelers have large families and prefer to use a van which is usually a bit pricey, especially considering that you need to bring the van back with a full tank of gas.

To use a car hire company, we recommend going close as possible to the airport. If the airport is too crowded, you can always get a ride to the nearest car hire company in the area. This might even be more convenient so this way you don’t have to wait in line. Make sure you find a company that has good reviews. A vehicle hire company isn’t complete with positive customers to praise them. If there are a few negative reviews, see what it’s all about. Remember that not every client is happy when using services. Some will be incredibly picky when it comes to a car but if this is not you – you’ll be pleased with the service offer. It’s very important that you make sure they are safe and offer a car that is not damaged or too old.

Alright, so now that you finally utilized a car hire company, it’s time to get on the road! Here are a few places we recommend:
The Great Ocean Road
There is a long road that goes all the way from Torquay to Nelson. The road is actually located in Victoria and is exactly 400km long. The views you’ll see on this road are simply amazing and many of the village sea towns can be seen when driving by. You’ll also pass bright rainforests and a few parks along the way.

Savannah Way
Savannah Way is notorious for its many national parks and a few mining towns. Did you know that they even have lava towns? This is definitely a sight to see and in order to get there, you’ll have to travel toward North Queensland from Broome, WA. We love how there are some hotels available with plenty of cattle stations nearby.

Explorer Highway
If you want to drive right through the heart of Australia, be our guest! As you are passing by the heart, you will be right in the middle of the Adelaide Airport and Darwin. Here they have plenty of vineyards to admire and you’ll also catch a peek of the Simpsons desert. Luckily, the journey ends with a light tropical rainforest.

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