Custom journeys across Australia
We design the route with you, then drive it with you — the same driver and the same vehicle, from the first day to the last.
Four journeys we know well
These are routes we have driven, not fixed packages. The stops, the pace and the length are set when we plan your trip with you.
The East Coast: Sydney to Brisbane
New South Wales · Queensland · 7–10 daysSydney and the Blue Mountains, dolphins at Port Stephens, the lighthouse at Byron Bay, then the Gold Coast and Brisbane. About 920 kilometres of coast, driven at a pace that lets you stop.
Melbourne to Adelaide, the Long Way Round
Victoria · South Australia · 7–9 daysThe Great Ocean Road past the point where the day tours turn around — Apollo Bay, the Twelve Apostles, Mount Gambier’s Blue Lake and on to Adelaide and the Barossa.
Across the Centre: Adelaide to Uluṟu to Darwin
South Australia · Northern Territory · 12–14 daysAbout 3,500 kilometres from the Central Market to the Top End, by way of Coober Pedy, Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa, Alice Springs and Litchfield. The longest journey we run, and the one that needs the most days.
Melbourne to Sydney, Along the Coast
Victoria · New South Wales · 6–8 daysThe route almost nobody takes: Lakes Entrance, the Sapphire Coast at Eden, kangaroos on the sand at Pebbly Beach, Jervis Bay, and the Sea Cliff Bridge into Sydney.
How a custom journey works
Tell us the shape of the trip
Where you want to go, how many of you there are, roughly when, and whether you would rather move quickly or take your time.
You pay a deposit, and we design the itinerary with you
To start, you pay a deposit. We then design the itinerary with you — the route, the daily distances, where you stay and what is worth the detour. Once the plan is confirmed, the deposit comes off the cost of the trip. The amount is confirmed when you enquire.
You confirm the plan
Route, dates, vehicle and accommodation arrangements are all settled before anything is locked in. Your written quote sets out exactly what is included before you confirm anything.
We drive
One driver and one vehicle for the whole journey, on standby throughout — not a different car and a different stranger in each town.
Included, and not
Your written quote sets out exactly what is included before you confirm anything. Every multi-day journey is quoted individually, based on the route, the number of days and the vehicle.
Included
- Your vehicle and fuel
- Your driver, travelling with you for the whole journey
- Route planning and the itinerary we build together
Not included
- Entry tickets and attraction fees
- Meals
Anything not listed above is set out in your quote. Cancellation terms for multi-day journeys are stated in the itinerary and quote — they are not the same as our airport transfer terms.
Deposits, changes and cancellations
Every multi-day journey is quoted individually, and the full terms are set out in your written itinerary and quote before you confirm anything. These are those terms in plain language.
The deposit
A deposit is payable when you ask us to begin designing your journey. It pays for the planning work — route design, daily distances, accommodation research and the written itinerary — and that work starts as soon as we receive it. Once the planning has begun, the deposit is not refunded.
When you confirm the journey, the deposit comes off the cost of the trip in full. The amount is confirmed when you enquire.
If you cancel a confirmed journey
Calculated from your departure date.
30 days or more before departure
You forfeit the deposit. Nothing further is payable.
15 to 29 days before departure
50% of the quoted journey fee.
14 days or fewer before departure
100% of the quoted journey fee.
Accommodation, tickets and ferries
Accommodation, entry tickets, cruises and vehicle ferries booked on your behalf are subject to the cancellation terms of the supplier providing them. Those terms often differ from ours, and they are set out in your itinerary so you can see them before you confirm. Where a supplier refunds us, we pass that refund on to you in full.
Changing your dates
If you tell us 30 days or more before departure, we will work with you to move a confirmed journey to new dates, subject to vehicle and driver availability. Inside 30 days we will still try, and we will tell you straight away what is actually possible rather than leaving you waiting.
Closures and conditions outside anyone’s control
If a road closure, a national park closure, extreme weather or another circumstance outside our control makes a confirmed journey impossible to run, we will reschedule it at no additional charge. Where rescheduling is not possible, we will discuss the options with you, including refunding any amount we have not already committed to third parties on your behalf.
Travel insurance
We recommend travel insurance for every multi-day journey. Cancelling for personal reasons — illness, a change of plan, a missed connecting flight — is precisely what travel insurance exists to cover, and it will cover a good deal more than we are able to.
Your rights under Australian law
Nothing in these terms excludes, restricts or modifies any guarantee, right or remedy you have under the Australian Consumer Law. Where the Australian Consumer Law applies, it prevails over anything set out above.
Day tour cancellation terms are different again, and are set out on the tours page.
Book it yourself, or leave it to us
We arrange it
- We book accommodation along the route as part of the itinerary
- The driving plan and the overnight stops are designed together
You arrange it
- You book your own accommodation
- We plan the driving around where you are staying
Both work. Tell us which you prefer when you enquire.
How long a journey runs
It depends entirely on the route. A coastal journey can work in five or six days. Crossing the centre from Adelaide to Darwin is about 3,500 kilometres and needs twelve to fourteen. The length follows the distance and what you want to see, not a package.
Each route page sets out the range honestly — including the ones we will tell you not to rush.
For long distances
Longer journeys mean more hours in the seat and more luggage. The V-Class and the Sprinter are the usual choices; the full fleet is available.
Multi-day journeys are quoted for the journey, not by the hour. Chauffeur hire by the hour has a three-hour minimum.
A note on remote travel
Long-distance travel in Australia comes with conditions that a city transfer does not, and we would rather set expectations before you book than apologise afterwards.
Distances between towns are real, and some days are long in the vehicle by necessity. Weather and season change what is sensible — heat in the centre, wind and rain on the southern coast. National parks set their own rules and closing times, and those rules come first: the Valley of the Winds walk at Kata Tjuṯa, for example, closes beyond Karu Lookout from 11am when the temperature is forecast to reach 36°C, which is why that day starts early.
All of this is built into the plan rather than discovered on the road. If a route does not work in the season you are travelling, we will say so during planning.
Before you enquire
How does the deposit work?
To start, you pay a deposit. We then design the itinerary with you. Once the plan is confirmed, the deposit comes off the cost of the trip. The amount is confirmed when you enquire.
How many days does a journey run?
Usually three to five days, and often longer. The length follows the route rather than a fixed package.
How many people can travel?
Up to eleven in a Sprinter, or up to six or seven in a V-Class, Alphard or Carnival. Larger groups can be quoted across more than one vehicle.
Do you book the accommodation?
Either way works. We can book accommodation along the route as part of the itinerary, or you book your own and we plan the driving around it.
Is it the same driver for the whole journey?
Yes. One driver and one vehicle for the whole journey, on standby throughout.
Tell us where you want to go
Send us the destination, your dates and how many are travelling. Choose Multi-day journey as the service type and tell us how many days you have in mind.
Or call or message +61 437 384 719, or email Enquiry@mpjaustralia.com.au.