How much $ do you need to Travel Australia and how much per week? (2024)

The following are answers and thoughts from other TAWKers (names omitted to protect privacy) to help you.....

• We left home with $5000 in the bank! We find a place we like, pick up a bit of work, get to know the locals only spots and the community, replenish our bank account and hit the road till it runs low again. We hit up locals farmers to stay on there properties. Most are happy for us to use there water/electricity for cheap rent or work in return. We've made life long friends along the way and doing it this way means we can live very cheaply and have the gypsy life for longer. To find out about work, we just ask around shops/cafes/pubs etc. It's worked well for us so far.
• Depends if you plan to work or not and what kind of accommodation you plan on using. It can be done on the cheap and I think you'll be surprised. We tend to save more money on the road. Don't forget to factor in family tax benefit and maybe the parenting payment (exempt from reporting to Centrelink if you're home schooling).
• Some will say you need a huge amount of money blah blah blah but we live comfortably on $600 per week sometimes less that includes accommodation, fuel, bills, gas etc if we blow our budget like we did this week because we needed a new battery in our bus and last week we blew a tyre on our trailer, we just free camp for as long as we can until we build up funds again. It is doable and don't let anyone tell you it's not, if you want something bad enough you will just make it work. We are 2 adults, 2 children and 1 dog.
  

• Been traveling for 12 months. Started off spending $1500pw but now down to $750pw. That is a tight budget for the 4 of us. We only fill the car with fuel once a week and make it last. We free camp or cheap camp as much as possible. We don't eat out and don't eat expensive meats anymore . I'm limited to one carton of beer per week and wife is down to the cheap Champagne. But it's all worth it to be still on the road seeing this great Country of ours.
• Our family of 4, travelled for approximately 15 weeks and allowed $1000-p/w, some weeks we spent less, some times more but allowing $1000- a week was the best way to work it out... Best $$$$ we have ever spent.... Enjoy! p.s...we did it as thrifty as we could, using free camps ect.
• We generally spend $1000.00 per week family of 4 for 8-13 week trips but last averaged $1300.00 per week for a 9 week trip from Melbourne to Perth and South West Australia. We didn't find as many free camps in some areas close to where we wanted to see. Average of $30.00 per night accommodation includes a mix of National and State Parks, caravan parks and free camps.
  

• Family of 6. We planned to go for 6 months & ended being gone for 18mths! Rented the house out - so mortgage & insurances were all covered. Sold a car, plus savings gave us $30k. We travelled around and did free camps where possible, did what we wanted because it was about the learning and the experience of the trip! Decided after 3 wks that we would just do whatever we had to do, to keep going longer. We travelled for 4 months and landed in Broome! Loved it so decided to stay a few weeks! That 3 wks ended up 9 months. Hubby just happened to land a great job that was fairly flexible, so we could still travel a little, based from there! Once we thought our bank was built up enough, we left Broome & travelled the rest of the way around! Best time ever! Best learning experience of all! Just do it! It'll be the best thing you ever do! Also, in some caravan parks you can work a little for free rent! Good luck!
• We did 2 adults & 2 kids for 4 months, did over 20K kilometers, spent 15K. Free camped about 40%, biggest cost is fuel, so if you stay in 1 spot longer, it spreads the cost. We did heaps of tourist stuff and bought a couple of large artworks in the Kimberley & Alice, so I think $1000 a week is pretty accurate. We could have done it cheaper, but we wanted to do the extra tourist stuff. National Parks are a godsend, cheap to stay in and the natural beauty is off the charts. Good luck with everything and enjoy the journey
  

• If we wanted to travel Oz for 12 months without having to work, I wouldn't want to leave unless we had about 50k, roughly $1000/wk. This of course differs from person to person, but we like to stay in a mixture of free camps, national parks, caravan parks etc, plus we like to see most of the touristy stuff & experience the amazing treasures that are out there (a lot of which cost a lot of money) Breaking down your costs is the easiest way to estimate how much you would require for your personalized trip. Taking into account fuel, groceries, camp fee's, tourist attractions, maintenance on car etc, phone, insurances, rego, rates & utility bills and of course miscellaneous (gifts, souvenirs, postage, chemist, Doctor, dentist, replacement shoes/clothing/anything, a meal out, alcoholic beverages etc etc - the list could go on)
• 1 adult and 2 kids, we survived on $500 pw but we didn't always get to do all the extra things I would have liked to do , we did half a lap in 6 months.
• We're currently working and have more in the bank now than when we started! Averaging around $750 a week without watching a budget too much (that's including EVERYTHING, phone bills, internet, private health, car insurance, birthday presents for family back home etc). oh, and someone else is paying our mortgage back home.

• Depends on how long you have. We travelled for 13 weeks - allowed $750 per week but ended up more like $1000. If we had longer then we could have stayed in one spot longer therefore not buying fuel every few days . We are off again next year for 14 weeks and planning est $1000 per week.
• Ok going from previous posts here and on other camping & travelling sites....based on 2 adults & 2 or 3 young kids (up to 10) most say roughly $1000/wk it costs on the road, this includes fuel food some camp fees, so that is what hubby & i are working on atm.
• Weleft with $5000 in the bank, no mortgage, no house either we get workwhen we need to we are not on Centrelink payments we have a budget andspend on average $100 per day we spent $47,000 last year and have nearlycompleted a lap in 15 months. 2 kids 2 Adults