”Driving a vehicle is too dangerous for humans and will be outlawed when autonomous cars are proven to be safer”, claims Elon Musk, billionaire founder of electric car company Tesla. Despite the hype about driverless vehicles, experts say that it would take 20 to 30 years before they could co-exist with existing vehicles in cities.
However it is predicted that technology will take over from drivers in simpler situations such as traffic jams and parking within the next five years. Yes, in 2020 your new car will know how to park itself!
The future of car travel is not just about security and convenience, it’s also about saving time. Going driverless will also give us the opportunity to do something else while on the road. Cars will become communal living rooms on wheels.
The concept design for the F 015 Luxury in Motion by Mercedes-Benz features a large interior space, finished in walnut, glass, leather and aluminium, along with four individual lounge chairs.
Selecting a manual mode would prompt a steering wheel to emerge from the dashboard, while the driver and passenger seats turn automatically to face the direction of travel. Sounds cool, uh? Patience, patience, it’s still a prototype.
French manufacturer Peugeot also has an exciting vision for the future. Peugeot Moovie, an environmentally friendly city car that looks very different from the norm… It’s made of foam, plastics, steel, polycarbonate and plexiglas amongst others… But it’s not operational yet, don’t get too excited!
But do you know what the real next step is? No roads at all! Yes you hear me, why drive when you can fly? A few companies are already working on the concept of flying cars and have came up with prototypes. Terrafugia is hoping to have flying cars within the next ten years! Check out their video here. We wouldn’t mind relocating this car!
Australia and New Zealand have pretty much the same kinds of campers and motorhomes as anywhere else overseas. However, depending on where you intend to travel and what you need from your relocation , it’s a good idea to know what each type of vehicle looks like and what extras they come with.
Before we start, here’s a little glossary of terms or rental jargon that will help you out:
Berth: for example 2 berth. The berth quantity indicates the legal number of passengers the vehicle can sleep and also generally indicates how many seat belts are available.
High-top: A vehicle with a fixed, extended roof.
Pop-top: A vehicle with an extended roof that must be manually folded out or up.
Campervan or camper: Has sleeping and cooking facilities.
Campervan compact: Smaller campers that look like a Toyota Previa or similar.
Motorhome or RV: Has sleeping and cooking facilities as well as a shower, toilet and hot water.
Coastal Queensland contains everything that attracts visitors to Australia: empty stunning beaches, archipelagos of islands and an abundance of national parks, some with fantastic walking trails. The Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef system, can be explored with day trips to its off-shore islands. Boat excursions enable visitors to go diving or to simply snorkel, as snorkelling is very easy there and offers plenty to be seen, including beautiful sea turtles.
You might wonder is this worth the trip if you only have a few days with a car or a campervan? Our answer is unequivocal: Absolutely!
Say you have 7 days of free rental car from Brisbane to Cairns. That would be between 2 to 3 hours of driving per day on average… Come on, ain’t that hard, is it? That leaves you with plenty of time to experience some of the beautiful beaches that are along the way.
Alternatively you can whizz through part of the way to leave more time to spend where you’d love to, and perhaps explore an island of the Great Barrier Reef. This is exactly what we would do if we were you:
Day 1 – Brisbane toHervey Bay (4 hours drive)
Get up early, pick-up the car as soon as you can and leave Brisbane behind and drive to Hervey Bay to make the most of its 14 kilometers of golden beaches. Its waters are home to turtles and dugongs so you might get lucky. It’s also one the best places in the world for whale watching… You won’t regret spending the rest of the day there.
Day 2 – Hervey Bay to Rockhampton (8 hours)
Drive through the towns of Childers, Gin Gin, Miriam Vale and Calliope to Rockhampton, the heart of beef cattle country. Not mind-blowing but interesting so have lunch there. This is what you could view from your car. Then drive all the way to MacKay. Mackay is surrounded by miles of sugarcane fields, which give the city its title of Sugar Capital of Australia. Have a well-deserved rest there.
Day 3 – Mackay to Airlie Beach via Eungella National Park (1h30)
Eungella National Park is situated 84km west of Mackay and is one of Queensland’s most spectacular parks, with cloud shrouded peaks, deep gorges and lush rainforest. Spend a few hours there before continuing on to Airlie Beach. It’s a popular holiday resort, and gateway to the marvellous Whitsunday islands.
Day 4 and 5- One or two-day trip to the Whitsunday Islands (no driving) This is when you leave the car behind and board a boat to visit one of the Whitsunday island. There are plenty of operators who enable you to see some of the best spots of the Whitsunday in just a day. Check out the selection of Whitsunday tours here. You also have time to spend a second day there if you wish. Once you’re back on land, spend another evening partying at Airlie Beach!
Day 5 or 6 – Airlie Beach to Townsville (3 hours) That’s quite an easy and enjoyable drive to Townsville and you can be there before lunch. The other getaway to the Great Barrier Reef. Townsville is in itself quite a nice city offering a more than decent beach. Castle Hill offers a panoramic view of Townsville. Magnetic Island is worth a detour if you can afford it. Reef HQ Aquarium is one of the most popular attractions in Townsville and is well worth a visit with its walk-through underwater tunnel, giving a great all-round view of the coral and the fish. This could be the view from your car.
Day 6 or 7 – Townsville and surroundings (no driving) Yes that’s a second day without driving, or you could choose to spend two days there to explore the islands without having to drive. We told you this trip is worth it!! You could get to beautiful Magnetic Island or visit another island of the Great Barrier Reef.
Photo by @_markfitz #ThisisQueensland
Day 8 – Townsville to Cairns (4 hours)
So you need to drop-off the car this morning… just get up early and drive and you will be there in no time. Not to worry, once you have reached your destination there is no need for the fun to be over…. Cairns is a tropical paradise just begging to be explored with an infectious holiday vibe. There’s plenty of bars, nightclubs, eateries and cafes for all budgets.The lack of a city beach is compensated by the magnificent Esplanade Lagoon.
Attention money-starved travellers! Have you heard of Transfercar yet, the successful Australasian car relocation company?! No?! Well, listen up because here are the deets. Transfercar has officially launched in the US this August to the delight of poor travellers from Texas to Cali. Transfercar provides an online service that facilitates contact between rental car companies that need to relocate their cars and YOU, the cash-strapped travellers eager to drive these free rental cars all over the place. The system is super simple: Rental operators list their relocation cars on the Transfercar website where registered drivers (that’s you, remember?!) view and request these cars. How can free rental cars be so easy?!
This innovative business model offers a real win-win scenario where lucky drivers get a free car to help them with travel expenses and rental car companies save on steep relocation costs. A lot of the free rental cars come with various perks depending on the car. Transfercar can set you up with free insurance, free ferry rides and free gas! It’s like Christmas! And the variety of cars you can choose from seems infinite. If you’re looking for a campervan for the entire family or a basic Sedan for just you and a mate, Transfercar has the ideal vehicle you’re looking for.
Regular rental cars can be really expensive, especially if you’re travelling at short notice. With Transfercar you save the money you’d normally spend on pricey rentals, leaving you more moolah for travel essentials like eating at diners and high rolling it at the Casino! Our campervans can save you considerable money on accommodation, too. It seems too good to be true, but there is absolutely no catch here. Registration is free. The rental car is free. But your undying appreciation for being able to travel for less money is rather priceless, don’t you think?
Transfercar is leading the way in this brave new world that’s embracing a sharing community. We share our free rental cars with you, and at the same time we’re helping rental car companies. It makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, doesn’t it? So, what are you waiting for? These free rental cars open you up to a world of possibilities: wherever you want to go, Transfercar can take you there. You’re welcome!
For more information contact www.transfercarus.com
Whether there’s summer or winter knocking at your door, the open road is calling you. Can you hear it?! If you’re a little deaf, here’s a list of classic road trip movies to inspire you to get into that car and give in to your wanderlust.
Road Tripping with Your Girlfriend:
Bonnie and Clyde, 1967
Bonnie, you a bad girl. Sure, the sexiest outlaws in history don’t get a happy ending, but they have good fun along the way and they look great doing it. We don’t recommend any crime sprees on your romantic getaway, so if you’re looking to channel the B and C, make a playlist of Serge Gainsbourg and Beyonce and wear some berets.
Wild at Heart, 1990
Grab your Lulu, Sailor, and hit the road to California, North Carolina and Texas. Sorry for yet another violent movie here, but it’s not like you have to go a robbin’ to make your road trip have sex appeal. Steal her heart by packing some sweet snacks in the cooler.
Road Tripping with the Dudes:
Beavis and Butthead Do America, 1996
FYI: this movie was the biggest December box-office opening in history before being beaten by Scream 2. Beyond the hit-men, peyote and cavity searches, these guys actually have quite an interesting itinerary, stopping in at some of the most picturesque places in the wonderful US of A like The Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park and Hoover Dam. Who knew these guys had taste?!
Sideways, 2004
This movie makes me thirsty. Thirsty for wine I can’t afford. Here we have Miles and Jack heading to the Santa Ynez Valley in Cali for some fine wine before Jack’s wedding. Cheating, drunk dialling and general bad behaviours ensue, creating one of the best bromance movies ever.
Road Tripping with the Family:Little Miss Sunshine, 2006
If an 800 mile road trip with your crazy family isn’t enough to kill you then I don’t know what is. Family tensions get real during this film along with classic mechanical probs, the best being that the family has to run to 20km to start the van, which is just pure gold. Financial ruin, heroin overdoses and beauty pageants make for a trifecta of hilarity. Lessons learned: don’t do anything anyone does in this film. Ever.
National Lampoon’s Vacation, 1983
The 46th Greatest Comedy Film of all time features a family road trip from Chicago to LA. Can you imagine Chevy Chase as your dad?! Wouldn’t that be awesome? The formidable, late and great John Candy is one of the highlights in this beauty.
And last, but surely not least, here’s one for the ladies:
Thelma and Louise, 1991
The ultimate feel-good road trip movie, despite an ending with the heroines plunging to their deaths, Thelma & Louise is an adventure gal-pal film by Ridley Scott. An incredible Californian road trip is featured, amongst some crime, but in the end, it’s the female friendship bond that is the real star of the movie.
You’ve got your mates, maps and a sweet rental, but if you don’t pack right for your road trip, it could end up costing you. Here are some packing tips from some of our experts.
Make a List
You’re not an elephant, which means you’re going to forget things, important things that will ruin your life, well, maybe just your trip. So, get all Martha Stewart on your bad self and make a list of everything you’re going to need like sunglasses and sunscreen to extra undies. By planning in advance, you won’t miss any travel necessities. At the top of your awesome list should be proper documentation, navigation materials, and mobile phones and chargers.
Ring the Alarm
Make sure your car is kitted out with a spare tire, a jack and some jumper cables. Have a set of spare keys on hand too, in case you accidentally lock them in the car, stupid. Bringing along the basics like ibuprofen, antacids, bug repellent, a small first aid kit, and hand sanitizer will make your life easier if the situation gets real.. Oh, if you’ve got anyone in the car that’s prone to motion sickness, let them off at the first gas station. Or bring some Dramamine if that seems too harsh.
Muzak
This is probably the most important thing. Ever. I’m going to assume that you and your pals have somewhat similar tastes in music, but it’s a good idea to set up some musical boundaries. Like, no Britney. No Cher. ABSOLUTELY NO NICKELBACK. Get everyone to bring their own iPods and make sure there are enough earphones to go around, that way if not everyone’s into your 1980’s hip hop remixes, they can escape.
All the Foods
Do you want to gain 5kg on your road trip and be mistaken for a beached whale at the beach? No? Then be sure to pack all the fruits and veg. Prepping in advance can save you money and pounds. Bring along Ziploc bags of cut up carrots and broccoli, and keep some healthy dips in your cooler. Because you have to bring a cooler, yo. Not for beersies, but for water. Pack some sammies for your first day on the road, and go nuts on sides: chips, pretzels, and granola bars all travel well. Bring some mints or gum for after.
Playtime
Yeah your smartphone is super awesome, but there’s no ‘us’ in Candy Crush. Well, actually there is, but bring a Frisbee or a ball anyway, or a deck of cards for some Crazy 8’s action. If you’re traveling with spawn, bring some kid friendly activity gear like a portable DVD player, laptops and iPads unless you want to hear the eternal chorus of “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” Books are cool too, and they make you look smart.
