Rving in Alaska is not a two week trip, plan for a much longer time because getting there and back is half the fun, enjoying the stops along the way. But if time is an issue then you have several options. Alaska is a large state with a lot to see,So if you are still working or have school age children you can plan a shorter trip and limit the area you cover. A driver-friendly option is a sea-and-land tour via the Inside Passage. You can load your RV on the BC ferries in Seattle, Washington or British Columbia, or you can fly to Alaska and rent an Rv. If you have the time there are many points of interest in the US and Canada on the way. A trip in itself is sightseeing in Glacier National Park, Calgary, Lake Louise, Baniff and the Edmonton Mall before you get to the Alcan Highway.

Be sure to take a side trip to Skagway to ride the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway. Experience the historic 1898 narrow gauge Klondike Gold Rush Railroad with breathtaking terrain, beautiful scenery, cascading waterfalls and sky-high trestles. Then back to Whitehorse and on to Tok, where a decision needs to be made whether to go southwest to Anchorage or north to Fairbanks. We went southwest first to Anchorage (largest city in Alaska) with good RV facilities and a place to rest and get supplies. A good side trip is Valdez, south end of the Alaskan pipeline, Museum of the earthquake, fish hatchery, glaciers and viewing the whales from a party boat. We thought that viewing the glaciers from the boat was spectacular. The glaciers were all around us, we had to go very slow as of the glaciers were hidden under the water.

For people who enjoy fishing, then Seward, Soldotna, Kenai and Homer is a must. For Halibut and King Salmon you must take a charter boat or rent a boat. Then back to Anchorage and north to Denali Park. A bus trip through the park is a must, hope it is a clear day so you can see the top of Mount McKinley. Be sure to visit the World largest coal mine just north of the park.

Then on to Fairbanks, be sure to take the Riverboat cruise to learn about the Eskimos way of living and surviving off the land in the frigid winters. They must catch and cure one salmon per sled dog per day. The salmon season is not that long and just think about cleaning that many salmon for ten or twelve dogs. Also while in Fairbanks visit the factory where they make beautiful bowls from trees.

Then back to Tok for the rugged Top of the World Highway that takes you on to Chicken and Dawson City on your way through the Yukon to Whitehorse. Then you must decide your route home, the eastern route back to Edmonton or the Western route to Prince George then the US of A. There are many State Parks in Canada on lakes with Rving Sites.

An investment well worth the money is the Milepost, a book for your trip to and while you are in Alaska, milepost by milepost starting at Dawson Creek, British Columbia, milepost 0. This book makes rving in Alaska easy. Remember your passport as you will soon need one, so it is best to apply for one now.

RVs have been a long established means of touring or vacationing in Australia. The size of the country, plus the comparitively small population, has made it a requirement to plan well for an extended trip.

Many visitors from North America or Europe are surprised by the scale of the country, roughly equivalent to each of these continents.

I have driven by car many times between Sydney and Perth, from the East (Pacific Ocean) coast to the West (Indian Ocean) coast. This is a distance of 4000 Kilometers or 2500 miles, driving 10-14 hours a day takes 4 days. (the Indian Pacific train trip takes 2 1/2 days, by air it’s 4 hours)

Now consider that one third of the area of the country is the state of Western Australia. WA has a population of 1.5 million, of whom 1.3 million live in Perth. This compares with the total Australian population of 20 million. So there is not much in the rest of the State. Crossing the Nullabor plain there is a gap between service stations and motels, for fuel and rest, of 100 miles or 160 Km.

The dream of many an Aussie on retirement, is to travel around the country in some form of RV. So there is a growing, and continually refreshing market for all types. Motor homes, class A, B, or C, conventional trailers, or caravans, fifth wheelers, and camper vans. Along with conversions, professional or home grown, these vehicles are increasingly seen on the highways throughout the country.

Another factor affecting the design requirements of an RV for use in Australia, is the climate variances. The Northern areas are tropical, the Southern areas are temperate, and get snow in the high country.

Throughout the country, but especially in the centre and on the West coast, there is a high proportion of sunshine, and ultra-violet exposure of people and materials can be a problem. Temperatures can range from 40-45C in Summer, to -10-15 in the Winter. Of course this is the “wrong way round”, and you can escape a freezing Europe or North America for a Hot Christmas vacation.

RV rentals are readily available in all areas of the country, and you can pick up and drop off at different points. You can find your own beach, with no-one around, or visit a camel farm, or gold, or diamond mine.

If you would like to be a little more adventurous, you can rent a 4×4 RV and experience the outback. There are also guided tours in 4×4s so you can go and see the bush, and the wildlife - crocodiles, anyone?

In the first part of RV in Australia, I tried to give a sense of the
country from a newly arrived road trave enthusiast’s point of view.

This time I will be looking at what you can expect to find if you rent
a campervan, as we call them. There are two or three National
companies, like Kea or Britz that rent these, with availability in all
capital cities. There range includes two to six berth vehicles, with
all supplies, such as cooking utensils, dishes bedlinen etc. These are
roughly equivalent to what would be supplied in a vacation apartment if
you stayed for a week.

The vehicles are commonly Ford, Mazda or Volkswagen based, 4 or 6
cylinder turbodiesel with manual transmission. They include a 4×4 Land
Cruiser conversion.

The daily rate for a short term rental (less than 3 weeks) varies up to
$300 Australian. (AU$1=US$0.75). Longer periods are slightly less. You
will pay up to $345 for a full package with full insurance cover, plus
“extras” like outside table and chairs.

Even if there are only two people travelling, it is worth getting the 6-Berth for the extra space, plus no folding of seats etc.

Many smaller companies serve local areas, for instance 4×4 safaris from Perth.

The roads generally good quality on the main routes between capital
cities, some of the minor routes can be less satisfactory, some still
have no bitumen. A hazard on some long distance truck routes, in the
Northern Territory especially, can be the Road Trains. These are large
semis with two trailers. It is a good policy to keep out of their way!
The drivers are very capable, but their vehicles can only be driven
within their limits!

Take heed of the long distances I mentioned in the first article. Often
in 40+ degrees C (105+F) the hundreds of miles of straight road with a
featureless landscape, although beautiful, can be mesmerising.

Don’t let all this put you off! This is a wonderful country, unlike
anything you’ve experienced. You don’t have to stray far from the big
cities (Sydney 4 million Melbourne 3.5 etc). But it would be a shame if
you missed it! After all, is New york City typical of the US? or London
typical of England? Paris of France?

I don’t think so! Give it a go!