Australia, despite its youth as a state, is one of the largest developed countries, including in terms of living standards. And the roads in Australia are one indicator of the excellent health of the economy.
Continent car network
A certain paradox is inherent in this continent. On the one hand, it is in this country that one of the highest indicators of the number of kilometers of roads per capita is observed. On the other hand, a significant part of the continent is completely devoid of transport routes. However, this is easily explained. Almost half of Australia's territory is uninhabited deserts, where there are practically no people and settlements. Most of the country's inhabitants live along the coast.
It is not surprising that most of the various highways and highways are located precisely near the sea, and the largest concentration of roads is in the southeast of the country, where the largest metropolitan areas - Sydney and Melbourne - are located.
The main highway is Highway 1. This major highway runs along the entire Australian coastline, covering the entire country with an asphalt hoop. In addition, numerous cities by the sea, as well as in inhabited territories, are linked by a whole network of convenient passages.
But in the center of the country, especially in the desert regions, there are almost no roads. However, an ordinary tourist should not go to those places, because a desert without water and food is not the most hospitable place.
An exception in central Australia is the city of Alice Springs, which, thanks to its proximity to the famous Mount Uluru, is a tourist magnet. Several major trails also intersect in this area.
Another popular destination for travelers is the famous Great Ocean Road, which runs in the southeast of the country near Melbourne. Here you can enjoy magnificent mountain landscapes and excellent sea coast.
Features of the roads of Australia
Due to the considerable distances, most of the roads in the country are unpaved. However, this applies mainly to those tracks, the load on which is not particularly great.
If we talk about the quality of the roads, then it is simply excellent. Almost perfect surface, wide and comfortable lanes - all this makes traveling around the country extremely convenient and enjoyable. There are toll roads only in large metropolitan areas and their suburbs; bypass roads will differ only in the time spent on them. And the toll system itself can proudly bear the title of the most advanced in the world - here an electronic device is installed in the car, which itself reads data from checkpoints. As a result, there is no need to stop to pay - when driving through toll sections, the driver simply receives an electronic receipt of payment.
What a driver needs to remember in Australia
- The traffic here is left-hand, so the traveler should be extremely careful.
- When traveling to sparsely populated areas, you must have a substantial supply of gasoline and water, because it will be very difficult to find any settlement or gas station here. You also need to inform your friends about where you are going.
- Parking lots in any large city are paid; it is unlikely that you will be able to avoid payment by parking for a “minute”.
In general, except for the desert regions of the country, Australia is a real paradise for motorists - excellent and convenient roads make travel here extremely comfortable and fast.
