Bus

Jumping on a bus is a great way of getting around Australia, particularly between Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and up the East Coast to Cairns. Bus operators in the region include Murrays, specialising in services to and from Canberra; Firefly; and Premier Motor Services. These scheduled buses usually work out cheaper than the touring backpacker coaches - though they tend to go from A to B, without stopping off at the out-of-the-way places that the touristy coaches can take in.

The famous Greyhound buses are often touted as the best for travellers as they cover the whole mainland; student or concession discounts are also available, along with various special offers available online. You can book express tickets to and from a wide range of locations (some are request stops - check with your driver): a one-way express ticket from Sydney Central Station to Adelaide costs from around $150, via Melbourne, Yass or Canberra, and the quickest time takes just over 21 hours (changing in Canberra).

Alternatively, buy a bus pass valid for a year either by route (such as the Aussie Highlights package, taking in the Sydney Harbour Bridge, surfing at Byron Bay, snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef, Kakadu, Uluru and the Barossa Region, from $1,600); by distance (e.g. 2,000km-worth of hop-on, hop-off bus travel from $370); or a tour (such as the four-day trip from Adelaide to Coober Pedy, from $450).

Greyhound doesn’t cover Tasmania however. If you’d rather not fly to Tassie, catch the Spirit of Tasmania ferry from Melbourne to Devonport from $99 one-way, and check the latest seasonal Tasmanian bus info.