Safe Driving Tips

Rest Area Maps

NSW Rest Area.PDF

Melbourne to Mildura Calder Rest Area.PDF

Melbourne to NSW Border Princes Hwy East Rest Area.PDF

Melbourne to SA Border Princes Hwy West Rest Area.PDF

Melbourne to Wodonga Hume Hwy Rest Area.PDF

Melbourne to SA Western Hwy Rest Area.PDF

QLD Rest Area.PDF

WA South Rest Area.PDF

WA North Rest Area.PDF

Maps

Brisbane City Map.pdf

Melbourne City Map.pdf

Sydney City Map.pdf

Public Toilet Maps

Safe Driving Tips

Prohibited Areas & Road Restrictions

Normal two wheel drive campers are only to be driven on sealed roads. Certain parts of Australia are designated as prohibited areas. Due to the remoteness and conditions of roads, these areas are unsafe to travel through and are prohibited at all times. Prohibited areas include:

Central West Australia bounded by the Great Northern, Eyre and Stuart Highways.
Central Eastern Australia bounded by the Stuart, Barrier, Mitchell, Landsborough & Barkley Highways.
Cape York north of Cooktown, the Carpentaria Coast and Arnhem Land bounded by the Barkley & Stuart Highways.
The Kimberlies bounded the Great Northern Highway.
Cape Leveque, the Bungle Bungles and the Lost City in Litchfield National Park.
Any beach, sand or island.
Awesome Campers and Vans travelling into the Karijni National Park will incur a fixed fee of $150.00.

AWESOME CAMPERS RECOMMENDS THAT ALL CAMPERS DO NOT BE DRIVEN AT DAWN, SUNSET OR AFTER DARK AS THE RISK OF COLLISION WITH NATIVE WILDLIFE IS GREATLY INCREASED.

How to prevent driver fatigue

The best way to prevent driver fatigue is to make sure you have enough sleep before driving, regardless of the length of

your trip. The best way to avoid a fatal fatigue crash while driving is to recognise the early warning signs:

Yawning
Poor concentration
Tired eyes
Restlessness
Drowsiness
Slow reactions
Boredom

Tips on avoiding fatigue-related accidents:

Get a good night’s sleep before commencing a long trip.
Do not drive at times when you would normally be asleep.
Avoid long drives after work.
Take regular breaks from driving (use Rest areas).
Share the driving whenever possible.
Pull over and stop when drowsiness, discomfort or loss of concentration occurs.
Find out whether any medicine you are taking may affect your driving.

Rest areas

Rest areas are places where you can park safely, get out of your car and refresh yourself before continuing on your journey. They are available 24 hours a day all year round and are clearly signposted.

Service centres, petrol stations, parks and country towns are other places you can stop and take a break from driving.

You can download, view and print maps showing roadside rest areas throughout NSW. Click on the link at the bottom of this page, then select from the overview map of NSW or by individual highway.

Driver Reviver sites

Around 100 Driver Reviver sites operate across NSW at peak holiday periods. They offer a safe place to stop for a biscuit and a cup of Bushells tea or coffee.

These sites are clearly signposted and are proudly supported by Bushells Tea and the RTA. Driver Reviver is run by volunteer community groups including the Volunteer Rescue Association, State Emergency Services and Lions Club International.

A map of Driver Reviver sites is available from the ‘useful downloads’ below. It’s important to use rest area options when driving during non-peak periods when Driver Reviver sites aren’t in operation.

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/heavyvehicles/downloads/restareas/rest_area_dl1.html

Temporary overseas visitors obtaining a NSW licence

Who is a temporary overseas visitor?

If you are not an Australian citizen and not a permanent resident of Australia, you are regarded as a temporary overseas visitor. Temporary overseas visitors can include:

Tourists
Business people on limited-duration visits
People visiting friends or relatives or
People studying or working temporarily in NSW (eg working visa holders).

Licensing arrangements for temporary overseas visitors

From 18 April 2008, all new NSW licence applicants identified as temporary overseas visitors will be subject to the following licensing rules:

As a temporary overseas visitor, you will only be eligible to apply for a NSW licence once you have been in Australia for a continuous period of at least six months immediately prior to licence application.

Note: You must declare your last date of arrival in Australia on the licence application form.
Licences will be marked with the one letter code 'Q' in the conditions area on the front of the licence, with the accompanying text 'Evidence of permanent resident status not provided to the RTA' appearing on the back of the licence, and
Licences (including Learner, P1, P2, and unrestricted) issued with a 'Q' will only be valid for 12 months.

These licensing rules do not apply to:

Customers who have previously been issued a NSW licence
Customers transferring an Australian interstate licence to a NSW licence
Temporary overseas visitors applying for a NSW learner licence (see below)
New Zealand citizens or New Zealand driver licence holders

New Zealand citizens or New Zealand driver licence holders

If you are a New Zealand citizen or New Zealand driver licence holder, you will be exempt from all temporary overseas visitor licensing arrangements. You may be issued with a licence of normal validity period, there will be no Q condition and you will be exempt from the six-month waiting period. This exemption will apply to customers who present to the RTA a New Zealand passport or New Zealand driver licence.

Note: New Zealand driver licence holders are required to obtain a NSW driver licence within three months of residing in NSW (regardless if you are a temporary or permanent resident) or you must stop driving.

For more information on how to convert your overseas licence to a NSW licence, see International drivers International riders.

Unlicensed overseas visitors

If you are a temporary overseas visitor and you do not hold an overseas driver licence, you may apply for a NSW learner licence without being in Australia continuously for six months. Your learner licence will still display the 'Q' condition and will only be valid for 12 months. For more information on how to get a NSW learner licence see Getting a licence.

Renewing a Temporary Overseas Visitor licence

All Temporary Overseas Visitor licences (with a 'Q' on the front of the licence) are only valid for 12 months.

If you hold a provisional or unrestricted NSW licence with a 'Q' on it, a licence renewal letter will be sent to your current address approximately six weeks before your licence expiry date.

A licence renewed before its expiry may be renewed for a period of up to 12 months beyond the expiry of the licence being renewed.

If you hold a NSW learner licence with a 'Q' on it, you will not be required to sit and pass a Driver Knowledge Test (DKT) every time you renew your licence. Once you have passed an initial DKT to get your first learner licence you will not be required to pass another DKT until your fourth renewal.

If you hold a Temporary Overseas Visitor licence, you are not able to renew your licence by using a photo-kit application form - you must attend an RTA motor registry in person to renew your licence. You may, however, use a photo-kit application form to replace your licence.

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/licensing/visitorstonsw/gettingnswlicence.html

Note: References to 'driver' or 'driving' also include 'rider' and 'riding'.

Safe Driving