Driving in the Outback
 

Hi, my partner and I are visiting in May. We plan to fly into Adelaide and then rent a car and drive out to the Flinders Ranges. How are these roads? Is it okay to rent the cheapest compact car, or do we need something more substantial? Thanks!

You are going to have a wonderful trip, that area is rather special. I would not bother with anything special unless you are going to do off-road driving and then you would need a 4WD but I will bow to more recent travellers suggestions as it was many years ago that I went there and things could have changed.

The roads into Wilpena Pound and the Flinders Range are well-sealed and can be driven by any car. There are some dirt road opportunities, but you can get by just fine without them.

I would suggest upgrading your car a little (ie medium size) if you can afford it.

1) to fit your luggage in
2) compact cars don't tend to be as comfortable seat-wise as larger cars
3) a larger engine will be better for the high speeds on the open road

but, as the others have said, it doesn't sound as though it is essential to have a larger car.

The trip from Adelaide to the Flinders is around 5 hours one way, I hope you are not thinking it is a day trip. It is a beautiful place and worth a few days visit at least.

My wife and I visited Wilpena Pound in the Flinders Ranges quite recently (July 2006), driving up from Adelaide. As mariebut indicates, I would hope you have a few days to spare for the trip. I would also recommend spending a little time, if even part of a day, visiting some of the wineries in the Clare Valley, en route. The roads up to Wilpena Pound are all paved, which will pose no problem for a rental car. If you want to explore further north, you will need to rent 4WD - the roads are not sealed and are off limits to rentals (even though 2WD should be fine most of the time). It is a gorgeous part of Australia. I would really like to go back and see more of the area someday.