We
encourage you to buy travel passes through
BackpackOceania. Why? Because we earn a
small income through the sales that helps
us upgrade and improve our pages for you!
We have also limited the number of passes
we advertise to those companies we believe
provide the best services and packages.
AIR PASSES Australia
Discounts are available for students under
26, those with a backpacking card like YHA
and international travellers. Ask when you
book your ticket. Alternatively Qantas
offers a few passes. The Boomerang Pass
is worked out on coupons charged at a long
or short haul flight. You can buy up to
10 coupons, although two must be purchased
before arriving in Australia. The Qantas
Backpackers Pass also works on coupons.
You must buy 3 coupons initially, and can
then buy a further 6 coupons. There is also
a G'day Pass which works on set prices for
travel within 3 zones around Australia.
The Pass is available for the duration of
your International flight ticket.
Regional Express (REX) offer a backpackers
fare that is similar to a Eurail Pass. You
choose one or two month periods and can
get unlimited flights in that period. Flights
include places like Byron Bay, King Island,
Coober Pedy, Broken Hill, Mildura and Wagga.
RAIL
PASSES Australia
The Austrail
Pass allows you to travel in economy
class anywhere on the rail network for 14
days, 21 days or 30 days. The Austrail Flexipass
allows a set number of economy-class travelling
days within a six-month period. There are
eight day, 15 days, 22 days and 29 day passes.
These passes are only for non-Australian
passport holders and must be purchased prior
to arrival in Australia. Passes are also
available for travel in one state in Victoria,
Queensland, New South Wales and Western
Australia. Other passes available include
East Coast Discovery (eastern states), Backpacktracker
Pass (New South Wales) and Great Southern
Railway Pass (Indian Pacific, The Ghan and
The overland trains).
BUS PASSES
Australia Greyhound
Passes Aussie Kilometre Pass
A specified amount of travel within 12 months
from 2000km to a maximum of 20,000km. A
20% discount is available for YHA and VIP
members. You can travel routes more than
once.
Aussie Day Passes
These limit your travel by days of travel
rather than by kilometres. There are 7,10
and 15 day passes that must be used within
30 days, 21 day passes are valid for two
months.
Aussie Explorer Passes
These give you 3, 6 or 12 months to cover
a set route. There are 25 routes to choose
from but you can't back-track except on
dead-end sectors like Darwin to Kakadu,
Townsville to Cairs or the Stuart Highway
to Uluru.
Aussie Highlights pass
You can loop around the eastern half of
Australia from Sydney including Melbourne,
Adelaide, Coober Pedy, Uluru, Alice Springs,
Darwin and Kakadu, Cairns, Townsville, Whitsundays,
Brisbane and Surfers Paradise. Or get one-way
passes like Reef and Rock (Sydney to Alice
Springs via Cairns and Darwin), or Country
Road (Cairns to Sydney via Alice Springs,
Adelaide and Melboure) or All Australia
Prass (which goes everywhere)
Australia
McCafferty's Passes
There are eight set-route passes to choose
from, one includes Tasmania. The Best of
the East & Centre is similar to the
Greyhound Pioneer's Aussie Highlights. Outback
Wanderer goes from cairns to Sydney via
the Centre. Sun & Centre goes from Sydney
to Alice Springs via Cairns and Darwin
The Wayward Bus Face the Outback - 8 days from Adeliade
to Alice Springs via Oodnadatta, Coober
Pedy and Uluru
Classic Coast - 3 day trip along the Great
Ocean-Road between Adelaide and MElbourne.
In summer the route also includes a loop
into the Grampians in Victoria.
Snowball Express - Melbourne-Sydney via
the Alpine Way and Snowy Mountains
Oz Experience This is a cross btween a bus line and
an organised tour group. There are frequent
services along the east coast and up the
centre to Darwin with a few detours to cattle
stations and national parks. There are 22
passes which are valid for 6-12 months.
You can make unlimited stops and get on
and off when and where you like. The drivers
provide information and advice, can pre-book
your accommodation, drop you off at supermarkets
to shop and arrange other side-trips, tours
and activities as you go.
Groovy
Grape
Culturally aware tours around Australia.
Roots include Adelaide to Alice Springs:
7 days outback adventure, Adelaide to Melbourne
or Melbourne to Adelaide: 3 day tour along
the Great Ocean Road, Alice Springs to Adelaide:
2 day outback adventure, Day tour through
Australia's most famous wine region.
Nullabor
Traveller
Tel 1800 816858
This small company has 10 day trips across
the Nullabor and along the coast between
Adelaide and Perth.
Heading
Bush Adventures
Tel 1800 639933
This company also has a 10 day trip from
Adelaide to alice Springs following the
edge of the Simpson Desert. Groups are limited
to 10 in number so the tour becomes more
personal.
New Zealand
Kiwi Experience This is the New Zealand version of the
Oz Experience with a similar choice of legs
around both North and South Islands to choose
from. There are 6 passes which are valid
for 6-12 months. You can make unlimited
stops and get on and off when and where
you like. The drivers provide information
and advice, can pre-book your accommodation,
drop you off at supermarkets to shop and
arrange other side-trips, tours and activities
as you go. Magic
Bus and Backpacker
Bus are similar operations.
Travelpass.co.nz
offers coach travel options for New Zealand.
Some passes also combine ferry and rail
travel.
Intercity (North and South Island)
Most travel routes leave from Auckland,
Christchurch or Wellington and loop both
islands. There are daily depatures and passes
are valid for 3 months.
Newmans (North Island) and Mt Cook Landline
(South Island) are other operators in NZ.
Fiji Feejee
Experience
This is the Fiji version of the Kiwi and
Oz Experience with a similar choice of legs.
There are 2 passes and you can make unlimited
stops and get on and off when and where
you like. The drivers provide information
and advice, can pre-book your accommodation,
drop you off at supermarkets to shop and
arrange other side-trips, tours and activities
as you go.
LOCAL TRANSPORT
Within each city there are daily, several
day, weekly or monthly passes for local
transport. Check our city guides for more
details or email us to ask at oceania@backpackglobe.com
